Adventures in the Sin Trade Part 1

Fourth season starts off with a pair of complicated episodes that give a lot of Xena's back story as she searches for Gabrielle.

She starts off the season hell-bent for leather.

She doesn't want to see Solan?

"I'm not interested in your workload, Hades!" Xena yells as if she'd rather just smack him upside his smug face.

Amazons don't go to Hades?

And why in Tartarus wouldn't Hades know where dead Amazons go? This guy is the most incompetent god in the whole series!

Xena doesn't take long to aim and shoot an arrow.

And she squints when she shoots!

How butch of her to carry the deer on her back!

It's rather interesting that Xena's first memory is of her…uh…going at it rather animatedly with Borias.

Gods, they are doing it doggie style! How did they manage to get that past the censor?

It's realistic enough!

EX's hair is considerably longer than current Xena.

And her hair just conveniently covers her breasts.

She asks Borias, "Have you lost what's left of your mind?" before visibly "disengaging" from him.

She even takes a moment to enjoy the sensation.

She does not like to hear him talk of loving her

She tells Borias with a look of confidence, "I thought you liked my unquenchable lust."

Borias has to agree, "Well, it does have its good points."

Anokin is sure eyeballing EX.

I love Borias' laugh when Alti announces Xena is pregnant.

And I love his startled "What?" when Xena confirms it even more.

Alti strokes Anokin's head, and she responds like a kitten.

Borias has bigger earrings than Xena. Hee hee.

Where did Xena get all the shamenesss accoutrements she was wearing?

She does some pretty strange things as an Amazon.

She acts as if she's not all there mentally.

Her outfit always makes me think she's wearing pj's.

She RIPS the body of the dead Amazon off the tree.

Xena's mourning is amazing. When she cries out, it cuts like a knife. Her voice is kinda hoarse sounding.

She remembers very interesting moments of Gabs…some of them are among her cutest.

She slaughters a horse!

Then drinks the blood to travel to the other side. Blech!

This is the episode where Lucy, while laying on the cold hard ground, decided she wanted to have another baby.

"She's the only friend?" Poor Xena!

How did Xena "poison Anokin's soul"?

I really feel sorry for EX when Anokin is killed.

Love Xena's, "I hate the dead; you can't take vengeance on them."

Borias abruptly wakes her up by slapping her.

"This stuff you're into…it's madness." I'll bet Borias would even badmouth Miss Cleo!

Alti says their son will have his father's mouth and his mothers' eyes. Solan didn't quite turn out like that.

Borias REALLY doesn't care for Alti.

EX is so funny, "I swear if you use the word 'family', I'm going to puke."

Evil Xena is very interested in what Alti has to say. She listens intently.

And finally, gives a great big happy smile.

She wants to be the Destroyer of Nations.

Alti tells her Lao Ma's ways are not for her.

When Xena is being jerked around in the Amazon land of the Dead, does she know it's careless Amazons in the real world causing it?

The dark trickle of blood on Xena's chin drives me crazy. I wish someone would wipe it off!

Xena was headed off to find Gabs, but had to help the Amazons instead.

Xena says, "You were my light. I just realized what it was that you gave me. Alight of my own. There's something I gotta do; something you'd want me to do. I love you."

Xena looks happy at the end of this speech.

"Our holy word is courage, Xena. Nothing's stronger than courage." Not true.

Thank the gods, Xena finally wipes her mouth off!

Xena kicks the sword out of somebody's hand, catches it, and sheathes it. 'Teach you a thing or two about holding a sword on someone…"

"This one's for you, Gabrielle."

This tribe looks so young.

I don't see how Lucy can even move in her pj's.

The Berserker could have clobbered Xena on his first pass, but didn't.

Xena definitely underestimated the Berserker at first.

He does cool stuff with his eyes.

Xena remembered a fight with Callisto? Did Callisto really hit the hardest?

There was no way Xena would have gotten to horse on time with two broken legs.

One minute, Xena's sword is drawn. Then it's sheathed when the Berserker jumps on her back; but in the close-up, she has it again.

Why did the horse's eyes grow red? Shouldn't they have done the same as the Berserker's?

Xena draws her sword, and Alti takes off like a bat out of Tartarus.

"It's a toughie…" to say the least.

To be continued in Part 2…

Here’s Gary’s thoughts on the fourth season opener:


Season 4 opens with Xena riding like crazy; she is looking for Hades so he can tell her where Gabby's spirit is...I would have thought it was going to the Elysian Fields, since Gabby was always described as goodness and light. Hades is sending various dead to Tartaras or the El. Fields, and he has an entourage with him....who are these guys and are they dead, too?

Xena finds Hades. How does she know where he is, since killing is going on all over the earth? She says "I saw her die." There is no doubt in her mind about Gabby's death, tho she did not see her splash in the lava as we all did. Hades says all the dead do not come to him. What a revelation after three years...we thought for the Greeks, he was the one. Hades can't assume Gabby is HIS.

There is talk of the Greek Amazons not coming to Hades. Why not? Xena figures that Gabby MUST be up with the Northern Amazons, in THEIR resting place. Again, why think that since Gabby never was there? Since when was there a special resting place for each group...another first for the show.

Xena leaves Argo and takes another horse and makes the long trip North, thru bad weather, and she lives as a primitive. She kills a deer with a loosely-strung bow and takes the animal as food and for rituals of blood and bone. Xena does some weird chanting and shaking, and the music is strange and haunting. She learned this stuff years ago when she was last up North.

Xena keeps hearing Gabby's voice calling her, and she asks if it is her imagination or is it the wind. Xena speaks to Gabby saying that Xena promised herself that she would never enter this world of darkness, this spiritual world, but it is the only way she can see Gabby again.

Back stories: There are a lot of them, and from now on, it is confusing, with the present, past, and the spiritual present and past. I can only list them as we go along.

We see a rather graphic sex-scene with Xena and Borias up North. Borias says he loves Xena, but she sneers at this. She abruptly yanks Borias out of her and wraps herself in a fur, smiling. He then discusses the Amazons, with whom he wants an alliance against their traditional enemies, the Centaurs.

Xena's unquenchable lust for Borias and power are apparent here. Enter Alti: She is a tall, scary-looking former Amazon shamaness, who brings an apprentice with her, a young girl named Anniken. The girl looks like a wanton, and preens a bit for Xena, who looks interested. Alti tells Borias she can help beat the Amazons, since she knows a lot about them. Alti also knows Xena is pregnant...Xena hasn't even told Borias this. Borias says Alti is trouble...Xena says she likes trouble.

Back in the present in a cave, Xena does rituals and gyrates with chants, to prepare herself for what comes next. Traveling thru the wastelands, Xena sees a young Amazon dead hanging from a tree limb. A group of thugs who killed her arrive and start to fight Xena. A small group of young Amazons are watching from a hill; Xena never draws her sword, and stomps the guys. All run off except one who is wounded. Xena takes the girl's body and burns it in Amazon style, while chanting and wailing over Gabby's death. The Amazons watch this and one recognizes Xena from before. Xena has memories of Gabby in her mind as she does this. It was pretty moving, and reminded me of Destiny, where we saw scenes of this before.

The Amazon remembers Xena and Borias from ten years before. There was a raid on a village near Amazon territory, and Anniken is dead. Xena mourns her "friend" and Borias says she only knew her a month. They take the body, and Borias takes the young girl they find alive...this is now the grown Amazon. Xena wanted to kill her. Alti tells Xena she can see the dead again.

Xena kills her horse to use its spirit to cross over to the spirit world. She drinks its blood and does her dance and chant. This scene takes a long time, and the young Amazons watch. The leader knows what is going on. Xena's spirit leaves her body and the body falls to earth.

In the spirit world, Xena sees the Amazon girl she burned. The girl thanks her and is bewildered that Xena is not dead, too. Xena says she is looking for a friend..."she's the ONLY friend."

Back flash: Xena is again there and sees Anniken, who says she hates Xena because Xena "poisoned her soul." I would have thought that Alti did that. Xena: I hate the dead.
Alti: You can take vengeance.

Borias slaps Xena awake. She and Alti were in the trance, and killed a guy to use his spirit to cross over. Alti says Xena is carrying a boy child, and Borias snarls and literally kicks Alti out.. Alti says neither one of them will name the baby...Xena warns Borias about how dangerous Alti is. He does not believe. Xena: What's one more corpse?, referring to the guy she killed.

Alti tells Xena that Lao Ma's powers came from the light. Alti wants the corrupt...the sheer naked will of darkness and violence. She can destroy body and soul, and if Xena joins her, she will make Xena the Destroyer of Nations.

Underworld: Xena sees Cyane, the Amazon Queen she murdered. Cyane wants to know WHY Xena is there. She says Xena is not welcome, and the Amazons cannot cross over to their resting place. Xena says she is looking for Gabby.

Meanwhile, the Amazon girls carry Xena to their cave, careful not to awaken her.One girl wants to kill Xena, but is prevented.

Cyane says Alti did it...she will not let them pass over.

Borias saves the kid from Xena, who was told by Alti that some day, the girl will take Xena's power, so Xena should kill her now. Since Borias saved the kid, the kid, now grown, saves Xena.

Cyane says she hates Xena...Xena knows she can never make amends. Cyane says the gate thru eternity lies thru the heart of the volcano. Xena starts towards it, but returns. She had said to Gabby (in spirit) that she had to do something first and that Gabby would understand.

Cyane: Our tribe cannot pass thru the gate here...only the Amazons from Greece and Mesopotamia can. Note: at the end of this two-parter, they see that they CAN pass over there, since they are looking directly at the volcano. Why were they there in the first place, anyway?

Xena says Gabby gave her a light of her own.. She knows she must kill Alti to release the Amazons' spirits. Cyane says their holy word is "courage." Xena says they need another one.

Xena wakes up and grabs her sword from the girl. She tells them to release the captive thug so he can tell Alti that Xena is coming for her. Alti will send the Berserker to kill Xena. He has special powers.

They go to the fight thru some strange landscape with the music from the Debt playing. The guy tells Alti of Xena, and Alti kisses him, saying she knew it anyway. It seems she is horny, not just wearing them.

Xena carries some scrolls with her...are they Gabby's?

Fight scene: The Amazons fight with Xena against a bunch of thugs. This goes on for a long time. Xena does not draw her sword. A guy rides up, Xena jumps up, and kicks him off the horse. She asks if that was the Berserker...he was easy to stop. Then she sees the real one...he has a saw-tooth sword and is on horseback. He attacks Xena, who STILL does not draw her sword, and she tries to dodge, but is slightly wounded on her arm.

Now thru the Berserker's eyes, Xena sees past pain, especially in The Gauntlet, a fight with Callisto, and in Destiny, where her legs were broken. Now she cannot stand, and puts the Pinch on her legs. She drags behind a horse and climbs into the saddle, ready to fight.

Then, she FINALLY draws her sword and rides to her foe. He does a flip and lands on his own horse. He then leaps onto Xena's horse, and she stabs him with a backwards thrust. He is dead, but Xena still feels the pain. It should have ended when he died. Alti's spirit is now in the horse, and Alti leaves. Xena is normal again. She releases the Pinch and tells the winners, the Amazons, that they HAVE TO stop Alti.

End of Part One.


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