I don't watch this episode very much for the simple fact that it is so sad to watch. I'd rank it in the top ten of all time sad episodes.
It IS very good though. Solari dies first. Ephiny dies saving Amarice. Gabs is netting fish, so they won't suffer? Does she eat them? Wouldn't that make them suffer? I love Gabs' nose wrinkle before she nets Xena! Xena's in a good mood. "Well, I've got time…come on fishy, fishy, fishy." Amarice gets off to a bad start. "Xena…wow…I thought you'd be…taller." Where did Chilupa come from? Xena and Gabrielle seem to know her very well. She describes Brutus as young, black hair, wore silver armor. Xena knew from that description that it was Brutus? She truly does have many skills! How did Amarice recognize Gabs? She was calling her "My Queen" right away. Xena kinda takes over giving the orders in the Amazon camp, then realizes what she's doing. "Is that correct?" she asks Gabrielle. Gabs just replies with a quiet "Thank you." Hey! Ephiny is breathing!! Xena whispers to Ephiny's corpse," This will not go unpunished. I will not let the Amazons die away; I promise you that." She nearly did though, in sixth season. What is Xena's reasoning in taking Amarice with her? Xena decides Brutus is a drag. "This one's for you, Ephiny!" Just exactly who was the last one for? Those horse draggings have GOT to hurt! Amarice's "in my tribe" is getting old. Gabs doesn't like it when Xena puts the pinch on Brutus. But Xena doesn't care, "All right…you know the drill…thirty seconds…no blood to the brain." Chilupa is going to have to learn that she's never going to be able to tell Xena what to do as long as Gabrielle is around. Amarice bows before Xena? Xena is so sarcastic. "Yeah, I'm sure they covered that in your tribe." Xena continues to talk to Amarice. "Well, what do you suggest? That we take over the village, chain up Gabrielle, and kill him?" Amarice is enthusiastic. "Good plan…I'll go with it." Xena needs to give her a little lesson in patience. "And you know what, sometimes I don't like the way she goes about it, but I've come to understand it." Amarice is trying: Well, I still think she's wrong, but if you trust her…nah-sorry, can't go there; you'll just have to trust her on your own." Xena is paying an undue amount of attention to Amarice. I like the braid in Xena's hair. Meschlina doesn't talk much, but she's really good at sneering. Xena tells the Romans, "You give up now, and I'll go easy on ya." When the Roman wants to know "her and what army?" she answers, "me and this army." Amarice fights differently, using two short swords. I have to say this now…I despise Amazon dancing. Love Amarice's "We toss in a torch and poof…pompeii-cue." Xena just growls out…"Amarice…" Lucy looks extraordinarily good in this one. Xena says, with a look at Gabs, "and besides, we don't kill just for the sake of it." Where did Brutus get a horse? Did the Amazons give him one? Xena wants Amarice to watch Gabs. Is it really the other way around? I tend to think so. Xena looks awesome riding through the battlefield! Gabs lets out her own battle cry…"For Ephiny!" But Amarice does save Gabs' life from a spear. And Gabs gives a shell-shocked, "Thanks." Pompey sure does some fancy talking. But he makes a fatal mistake when he draws his sword. And he pays for it. Xena is able to ride right into Brutus' camp. Xena "Pompey was a friend, and what about Krassus? Wasn't he a friend? And I was once a very good friend of his." She sounds so hurt when she says that…rarely does she let her guard down like that. Like Caesar's offhanded, "Pompey's changed his hairstyle." Casesar doesn't even consider the treaty. Gabs can't bring herself to cry at Ephiny's death ceremony. That's understandable. She seems to be trying awfully hard to do just that, though. Amarice does have a point; despite all her protestations about violence, Pompeii did get his answer at the point of Xena's sword. Xena rolls her eyes over Amarice's traveling with them. "Trouble…" she murmurs. Gabs seems spellbound as she approaches the funeral pyre. When Gabs cries, Xena puts both hands on her shoulders. Gabrielle gives her a hug, and Xena puts her hand on Gabs' head. Gabs still seems to be forcing tears. Xena isn't. There is an interesting parallel between the ending of this one and Death in Chains. Way back in first season, Xena was taken aback when Gabrielle threw herself in her arms, seeking comfort over the death of Tallus. Now Xena knows just what to do, and comforts the grieving bard. It shows just how far Xena has come. Next up is Ides of March, and with the single exception of the finale, this episode is the very hardest for me to watch. I'm ready to get it over with! Here are Gary’s thoughts:
This episode involves the Amazons again, this time fighting the Romans.
Queen Ephiny, standing in for Queen Gabby, is fighting the Romans in the
woods. A new young Amazon named Amarice is with her, and is eager to do
battle. Solari is already dead, and now Ephiny faces Brutus, who kills her
in a fair fight. Ephiny had just saved Amarice from being killed.
How do the Amazons fight in the cumbersome and sight-limiting masks?
Amarice is cute and is wearing a Robin Hood-type hat.
Xena and Gabby are near some water and Gabby demonstrates her new ability with casting a net. She says it won't hurt the fish, until, of course, somebody kills them and eats them. She then tosses the net over Xena, something that should have been done years ago, esp. in the Furies.
Xena wants to toss Gabby into the water to really experience how it is to be one with the fishes. Gabby says her outfit takes forever to dry, which makes one ask, why is she wearing it on the trail instead of her old halter top ,skirt, and boots?
Amarice "finds" Gabby (how?) and calls her the Queen, which means Ephiny has to be dead. Gabby cannot even cry at this. Since Amarice bows to another queen (she is from another tribe), to whom does she owe allegiance?
Amazon camp: It was attacked by Pompey's men, and a lot of Amazons were taken prisoner, to be sold as slaves. Pompey needs the money to raise a new army. Some Amazons are wounded, and the sandal-clad Gabby arrives with Xena and Amarice.
Chalapa is there, and Gabby seems to know her. How? We never saw this woman before and this is Queen Melosa's tribe. How is she so important? She describes a Roman in silver armor, and Xena knows it is Brutus. Amarice has the Amazon sword with the trademark "woman symbol" as do all the other Amazons. Where did she get it, since we will see in other eps that she is NOT an Amazon.
Xena starts ordering the Amazons around, but stops and asks Gabby if it okay with her. Xena always has to call the shots.
Amarice keeps prattling about "her tribe" all the time.
Xena says she won't let the once mighty Amazon Nation scattered to die out. WAIT! She killed the Northern Amazon Queens in Sin Trade! Xena decides to take a few Amazons with her to scout around...Amarice ( I like this kid) goes too, eagerly.
Ambush: Xena rides up and fights the Romans led by Brutus. Amarice is good in a fight using her sword and dagger. Xena uses her whip to drag Brutus to the Amazon camp...he is dragged by the feet as Gabby was in the Gabdrag.
Camp: Brutus gets up and wants water, then will tell Xena whatever she wants to know. he is told he killed Ephiny, but he admired her courage and offers no excuses. Xena asks where Pompey is, and Amarice aims an arrow at him. Xena uses the Chakram and whip to pull the girl down from the tree. Amarice wants Amazon justice...Gabby orders her locked up.
Xena puts the Pinch on Brutus, and this was the best performance ever with someone dying from the Pinch. He tells all and Xena walks away and has to be told by Gabby to release him....she reluctantly does.
Jail: Amarice tells Brutus about Amazon justice, where death takes a long time...torture? Melosa didn't use that...she wanted a clean, fast kill for Fantes then. Xena enters and says Gabby pardoned the girl.
The plan: Xena scouts ahead and sees straw on the trail....how did this happen, unless it fell from some wagon? She knows Pompey's men will be taking the captured Amazons that way. Amarice has a cute pout when she complains about Gabby’s lack of killer instinct. Even Xena does not understand it, but backs the Queen up. She has "her own way of fighting."
Pompey looks over the Amazon slaves, some of whom spit at him. They are clubbed for that. He needs money to kill Caesar and own Rome.
Marching thru the woods, the Romans know there is a trap, hearing the coo-coo of the Amazons. Amarice jumps two Romans and is "captured" on purpose. She is brought to the rest of the captives and Xena shows up. Note: Amarice does not have her sword taken from her...why?
Xena calls the other two Amazons from their hiding places and they all throw down their swords.
Big Problem: the guards and Amazons are standing on the straw, which is barely covering weapons...why doesn't anybody notice this? Xena kicks up her Chakram from the straw and the fight begins. The Amazons arm themselves, and only one Roman is allowed to escape on purpose by Xena. The captured Romans are taken to the Amazon camp.
Why does Xena kill an unarmed Roman, using two swords? She also throws three at another. Is she doing what Najara did...deciding who lives or dies, even if unarmed?
Pompey is really angry with this: he berates the officer and says they must attack the camp because he needs the money the Amazons will represent.
While Xena hides behind some tapestry, Gabby sees Brutus and says she is not afraid to die, but wants a peace treaty with Caesar. Brutus says he will carry the peace scroll to Caesar. Xena calls Brutus the chink in Caesar's armor.
Amarice runs to camp yelling that the Romans are coming. The Amazons make fortifications and tie the Romans to X-shaped crosses like in The Price. As the other Amazons do a war dance, Gabby inspects the work and is aghast that there is a pit of oil near the Romans, and when they attack, the captives will be burned alive. Amarice calls it Pompey-Q.
Brutus sees Caesar's army coming, while Pompey's group comes from another direction. He is allowed to go to his men with the scroll and direct his side of the battle against Pompey. The Amazons will fight Pompey from their side.
The attack: The Amazons at first use arrows against the Romans, who use their shields to stop them. The first wave of Amazons attack the armored Romans. Then there are fireballs from Brutus' men. Amarice is told by Xena to hold the line and protect Gabby, who still will not fight.
In the best scene in the show, Xena rides Argo thru the Roman lines to get to Pompey. She looked great, slashing and stabbing amid the chaos and fires.
Gabby yells "for Ephiny!" as the Amazons attack in their second wave. Amarice saves Gabby from a thrown spear. I REALLY like this young Amazon.
Xena fights Pompey one-on-one. She disarms him and is about to kill him when he says if he dies, there is no balance to hold back Caesar. Xena sneers and turns, only to whip around and cut off Pompey's head as he tried to stab her with a dagger.
Of course, the Amazons and Brutus win...Brutus promises to stay away from Amazon land as he leaves. He also tells Xena that Caesar is Rome's only real hope and is his friend. Xena reminds him that Crassus, Pompey, and even Xena herself were his good friend, too, and look what happened.
In Rome, Caesar looks in the bag that Brutus dropped at Caesar's feet. He took a real chance being that rude to him. Caesar says Pompey changed his hairstyle, which makes me think he was beheaded higher than his neck....
Brutus hands Gabby's peace scroll to Caesar, and puts in into the fire without even looking at it. He says if the Amazons are not under his control, they are a threat. Brutus lies and says Xena was not at the battle.
Funeral: Ephiny is burned in the Amazon funeral fire. A lot of scantily-clad (thanks, RenPics) women dance around the flames and also around Xena and Gabby. Queen Gabrielle can now cry as Xena holds her close.
Chalapa is given the Queenhood, with Gabby saying nobody can do it better. Why? Who is Chalapa gaining trust and office so easily? This didn't make sense.
Amarice says she is going to kick butt and take names later...Xena calls her "trouble", and so ends the show.