The Furies

This one was hit and miss with me. Most of the misses were in the first half, then it became a solid episode.

Still, it leaves me with many, many unanswered questions..

What's up with the Furies' lap dance? I will never get this..

The Furies are the Siskel and Eberts of Ancient Greece!.

Electo apparently has a thing for Ares, but I could have done without her flirting. She's frightening looking!.

Gabbers had a good point about Xena gambling everyday..

I like the way even Xena admits her cooking is lousy..

What exactly is the red stuff in the dumplings?.

"Oh, please," Xena asks, her hand on Gabrielle's arm. Uh huh…whatever you want, Baby..

Gabbers three stride lead turns into four..

And then she doesn't shout "Go!" What a little cheater! Did Xena teach her that?.

I've never seen Xena use her sword hand to punch so much, when the sword's still in it..

I could really, REALLY do without the Three Stooges moves and sound effects..

But I do kind of enjoy, 'Wait, I didn't mean to do that!".

And I get a kick out of "I love the smell of warrior sweat in the morning.".

Xena spins the chakram on her finger, then does a little juggling..

"Hey, I like this…I can see where I've been." For once, Lucy says "been", rather than "bean"..

I giggle over Gabrielle's new name…Mavis..

"I've cut off the flow of blood to your brain and other pertinent body parts. How old were you when you lost your virginity?" Uh huh…we know where Xena's mind is..

"Will you do it for me? Please?" Even insane, Xena gives in to Gabrielle's plea. Both of them used similar tactics in the first few moments of this episode..

Uh…the daisy crown is a bit much…a bit…too leafy to quote Xena..

What exactly makes Xena strip naked and go after those villagers?.

Thank the gods for Gabs! Xena wouldn't have made it through this one without her!.

Xena's tearing up is so sad…and a little frightening..

The next day, Crazy Xena is playful…not taking things seriously..

But she certainly straightens up when the subject of Lyceus comes up..

She actually butts heads with Gabbers. It has to be driving Gabrielle crazy..

Xena is pretty rough on Gabrielle. She knocks her aside more than once..

While running, she's haunted by Bacchus, the harpies, the dryads, and Callisto..

I think it's a great camera angle when the reflection of the harpies reflects in her eye!.

It always kind of freaks me out when Callisto suddenly becomes Gabrielle.

What causes Xena to focus on the gods? That's what she's muttering about when Gabrielle is trying to calm her.

Xena ties Gabs to the tree very, VERY loosely.

Then she strokes the side of her face with an apology, saying, "I can't be trusted."

"You behave, or you don't get to come," Xena tells her unruly arm. I dunno why, but I giggle every time!

Lucy does an amazing job while Cyrene is telling her story; she doesn't bat an eyelash the whole time..

She is so quiet, but it's obvious Xena is listening intently to her mother. Must be one of those moments of vivid clarity..

"So mama killed papa" always gets me..

She realizes she should be grateful for what Cyrene did..

Xena-"Did you know that sanity is just a veil the gods throw over our eyes to stop of from seeing the truth?"
Cyrene-"And what is the truth, Xena?"
Xena-"That life is a joke. It's a barroom joke, at that.".

Cyrene acts bizarre during all this. She has a sinister look in her eyes, like she's being deceptive. Perhaps it's just the way she expresses fear, but I really don't think so..

Xena continues her Shakespeare soliloquy: "I leave you to entertain the gods. I am retiring from the stage.".

She tells her mom "I'm a lunatic with lethal combat skills.".

Was Xena really going to kill herself? I say, undoubtedly yes. She was afraid of who she would hurt if she continued on the path she was traveling..

During her talk with Ares, "I must be crazy…you're beginning to make sense to me.".

Xena does react strongly to Ares' comment about a jealous man, but I never paid any attention to it..

Xena calls Cyrene, "Mom", "Mama", "Mother", and "Mommy" during the course of this episode..

Xena is listening SO quietly to Ares. She's obviously formulating a plan..

She even lets Ares pop her on the back..

She is insistent that the Furies witness her killing of her mother. "I won't do it unless it's in front of the Furies!".

Xena's retort to Ares is terrific…"You expect me to trust you? I'm crazy, not stupid." It makes me think of one of her fifth season lines, "I'm pregnant, not brain-damaged.".

Xena does say some pretty harsh things about Gabbers though. "Gabrielle couldn't save a cat in a sack without me. She's a useless little pissant really, now that I'm seeing things clearly.".

Hear Cyrene's accent slip on the next line," I don't think you're seeing things 'clearly' at all!".

Why would Xena be so curious about her own conception? Strange!.

Cyrene shows way too much skin to be a mother!.

Does Xena really have the right to know about the act that brought her into the world?.

It always bugs me how curious she seems to be..

Did Orestes really kill his mother, Clydemestra? The names sound familiar….

That is a heck of a knife Xena has procured for killing mama!.

I gotta give Cyrene credit…she didn't panic when she was tied to the altar..

Interesting…Ares has a hand over Gabs mouth, and Xena says, "Sometimes that is the only way to shut her up.".

"And I might cut up mama later just for fun." .

I like the way Xena keeps slipping in "Daddy". .

Xena hints, "Do the bard thing," and it only takes Gabs a second to figure out what story she wants..

Kevin Smith must have a cold. His nose sounds stopped up..

I still haven't figured out why "jealous" was an odd word..

"Now, here's my theory. Ares and Mom do their thing…she gets ripe with me, and then shortly after that her husband comes home from the war and he thinks his manhood did the trick. Well, I pop out, and he thinks he's my father." That's Xena's explanation, crudely delivered..

Why does Xena look so much like Meg during this scene?.

And why are her eyes so darn blue?.

I like this part from Xena, "the best bit…and this is a proud daughter talking…".

Ares says "This…is ridiculous" twice during this scene, at totally different times, yet it is identical..

Electo asks, "What are you afraid of?"
Xena answers, "Me!" with an evil giggle..

What Xena says makes sense, somehow, but I still don't believe she is half-god..

"Hey come on, you two. You're not going to get it on again, are you?" Heh heh..

Xena does better in this fight than she has in others with Ares in the past..

"I'm gonna use you as a shield, Gabrielle. Just kidding!" Hee hee!.

When Xena says, "Girls, he's been giving you rotten fruit!", she sounds like her old self…finally..

Ares-"You don't really think I'm your father, do you?"
Xena-"Doesn't matter…"
Translation-"NO!".

Ares always manages to admire her brilliant work..

Then adds about Gabbers, "I still don't get what you see in her.".

Gabs is smug about it, a smirk she gives him often..

Xena was honest to Cyrene, about being sad she'd never get to meet her dad..

Xena moves to cradle her mom, which is very, very nice. .

It makes for a very tender moment..

Some people still think Ares is Xena's father, but I feel it's obvious after this one and the comments in Ties That Bind, that he isn't. He was her mentor when she was younger, yes, but definitely not her father..

A bit overdone at the beginning, The Furies overcomes its rocky start and has a strong finish. Not bad..

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What did Gary think of this one?

This episode is more about Xena and her mother than about the Furies. It details a few things about what is left of her family since we first saw Cyrene in Sins of the Past.

The story starts out with Ares watching three Furies dancing. They almost have on some clothes,which Xena later says "you girls really dress the part." The head Fury does a lap-dance on Ares,who wants them to put a double curse on Xena...both madness and persecution. The gist: The Furies are bound,according to their priest,to punish those who do not avenge the death of a loved one/family member. The catch is,there can be no end to it,because the dead one now has to be avenged.

We later learn that the whole madness and persecution thing is for Xena to be in a weakened state and finally join forces with Ares,as he has always wanted.Why,at the end,does he really try to kill her in the fight?

In a fight with some thugs who know that Xena now has a price on her head,Xena is struck with the curse. Gabby fights on as Xena acts like she is in a Three Stooges show,complete with the Loony Tunes sound effects. This routine is repeated later when she does her spinning punches with her outstretched fists,just as in The Greater Good.

The idiotic behavior took away from the seriousness that we see in alternate scenes,and I feel that a dangerous Xena that slowly was going into a murderous rage would have been better.

Xena goes to Amphipolis to her mother. Cyrene explains to Xena about what happened to Xena's father. Gabby had told her about what happened to Xena and what was needed to remove the curse. Cyrene says that "Orestes",Xena's father,wanted to kill Xena after coming from Ares' temple. He was drunk,and Cyrene used an axe to kill him to protect Xena.

Note: Atrius is the father's name---we see this in Ties That Bind. RenPics got it wrong here and in Haunting of Amphipolis by calling him "Orestes".

Xena knows that she cannot kill her mother and wants to kill herself. A good scene is at the cliff where Xena lays down her Chakram and sword and prepares to jump to her death. Ares shows up and talks her into staying alive and just "kill Mommy" as Xena says. Then all will be well. Xena agrees to do this IF it is done with the Furies present.How does Xena know Ares will stop her? When did she know he was involved at all? All we heard her say was concerning the Furies.

Back at the inn,Xena hears that her father had shown up unexpectedly from war and got Cyrene pregnant. We later learn that Ares sometimes appeared as someone else's husband and essentially raped the wives. This could account for Xena's existence.

Xena ridicules her mother asking if it "was good".

Why did the Furies wait so many years for Xena to do something they were bound to punish her for? Why did it take Ares to get them moving? Also,does the family of everyone Xena killed in years past need to take revenge on Xena or get the same punishment?

One good scene early on was in the woods where Xena sneaks out and confronts a bunch of women and kids with a torch. She is naked and says they should be killed for crucifying the 'women and children'. Gabby,making Xena realize her mistake, covers her up and takes her away. Also,when later running thru the woods in a panic,Xena sees Bacchus in a tree-bark outline,and sees a Dryad in the air. She fights with her sword at the imaginary being,and flees in terror,uttering cries we never heard before. It was one of the best scenes of madness,instead of the slapstick scenes which I feel didn't work at all.

The setup is ready: Xena takes Cyrene to the Furies' temple and the woman is tied down for the execution. Xena tries to stab her a few times,each time stopping to ask Ares a question. She maneuvers him into a fight where she contends that her father is not dead---that her father is Ares.

Cyrene tells the Furies about the unexpected arrival of her "husband" years ago. Also,Gabby,in a smaller role,says that it is possible because of Ares shape-changing. Xena convinces them that if Ares is the father,as a half-god,she should be able to hold her own in a fight with the God of War. They do fight,and it is mostly in the air on some poles sticking out of the wall. Xena wins,of course and the curse is lifted. The Furies vow to tell Zeus about this and Ares shrugs it off and leaves.

Xena is okay now and has a good scene with her mother at the end. She says that they will go on and be stronger than before.

Ares had mentioned what a "jealous man" would do earlier,giving us evidence that he might really be the father. In my opinion,Xena is half-godess. Look how fast her reactions are,how she can sense things others cannot,how she can jump to fantastic heights from a standing position,and how she can control the Chakram. That weapon can bounce off people and not kill them,or kill them at her whim. It can hover for many minutes,and I cannot believe that it is not being controlled by an ordinary mortal.

And here's what Andrew thought:

Ares hatches a plan to get Xena back on his side once and for all, resulting in some bizarre behaviour from the Warrior Princess and a major headache for Mavis - sorry, Gabrielle.

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XENA AND GABRIELLE

So, Xena's cooking skills haven't improved since ULYSSES - some things never change! Gabrielle isn't above cheating at foot races, presumably some kind of payback for Xena's behaviour when playing "Who am I?" in A DAY IN THE LIFE. They fight well as a team, and Gabby has a chance to show off her staff-wielding skills. Xena's new combat style, on the other hand, anticipates the Three Stooges by a couple of millennia!

MAVIS?! The mind boggles...

Gabrielle catches on quickly, immediately associating Xena's strange behaviour with the nearby Temple of the Furies. After Xena's madness takes a nasty turn, almost resulting in the loss of innocent lives, the little bard remains supportive. In return, Xena attempts to protect her friend by tying her up to keep her out of harm's way.

Lucy Lawless does a good job of portraying Xena's madness, especially in her scenes with Cyrene, and their final reconciliation is rather touching.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

Xena's comment "I love the smell of warrior sweat in the morning" is a homage to the movie "Apocalypse Now", and in case any of you are wondering about the capital of Assyria, the answer is Nineveh.

Xena's madness results in haunting visions from her past - Bacchus, a dryad and, of course, Callisto.

So now we know what happened to Atreus. In the animal kingdom it's reckoned there's nothing more dangerous than a mother protecting her young - the same clearly applies to Cyrene.

Ares gives himself away by saying Atreus was jealous, although quite how Xena managed to work everything out in her deranged state is something of a mystery.

LITTLE PROBLEMS

According to myth, the Furies appeared as hideous old women armed with barbed whips - they did NOT look like lap-dancers!

Why does Xena bother with backflips in her race with Gabrielle? It would have been quicker and easier to run.

Xena's opponents are still falling for the old "spinning top" attack! These things can be seen only so many times before they become irritating.

Even bearing in mind Xena's mental state, calling Gabby a "useless little pissant" seems a bit harsh. In addition, the whole business with Orestes seems to have been intended solely to sidetrack Gabrielle, leaving Xena to solve the riddle single-handed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this episode was written by R. J. Stewart, who never had much time for the bard.

Hanging a question mark over Xena's paternity was a mistake. As originally scripted, this episode was intended to reveal Ares as Xena's father, but TPTB got cold feet over the potentially incestuous nature of their relationship (which never bothered the Greek gods any). Nevertheless, many fans assumed Xena was a demigod after THE FURIES, a viewpoint reinforced by her increasing omnipotence in later seasons.

The two shots where Ares says "This is ridiculous" appear to be the same shot used twice. The toss of his head and raising of his eyebrows are identical - he even blinks in the same place!

After watching Xena's fight with Ares I went back and studied their initial encounter in THE RECKONING, in which the God of War deflected Xena's attacks with ease. In this episode, despite her deranged state, she trounces him - does this strike you as logical?

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Although this episode has some good comic and dramatic moments it sets a dangerous precedent in having Xena defeat a god, setting the stage for the invincible, self-righteous "SuperXena" of later years.

This can't be blamed on a change of direction between seasons, as THE FURIES and BEEN THERE, DONE THAT were filmed as the last two episodes of Season 2, but were held back when it was decided to limit each season to 22 episodes. (Note that both Gabby and Ares are still wearing their Season 2 outfits, which change in the third episode of this season, THE DIRTY HALF DOZEN.)

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