I have read some mighty bad reviews of this one. Although I wouldn't call it the worst episode ever, I would have to rank it mighty low. Autolycus first spots Meg through the ruby…did he invent night vision? Autolycus says, "They won't even know it's gone," and on cue, an off stage voice shouts out, "Look! The ruby! It's gone!" Joxer refers to Meg as a "little minx." I love that! When Autolycus pitches the ruby, you hear the off screen voice again, "The ruby! It's back!" Meg says, "And who's brilliant? Cause it ain't you, Mr. Stinky!" Why does she call Autolycus that? Autolycus tackles Joxer and Meg jumps on both of 'em. Meg orders "grog" for all of them. Meg seems much happier than Xena. Meg is getting rather flirty with Autolycus. "After all, you haven't made much of an impression so far…Grrr." She quips, "You'd be surprised what a young nubile guard will yell out when he's…" "About to meet his maker!" Joxer supplies. According to my dictionary, "nubile" means a young woman of marrying age. Hmm… I have the feeling Lucy gets a real kick out of playing Meg. She is remarkable in the role…it is so easy to distinguish Xena and Meg. Since when does Meg not comb her hair? The scene where Xena "arrests" the two masked villains is way too obvious, even for me! How would Autolycus let himself be drawn into such a stupid plot? Joxer is certainly not a convincing actor!! Bruce directed this one. "With a body like that and brains like mine…" Autolycus is referring to Meg and himself. Joxer really does care for Meg. "Well, if you don't know, I'm not going to tell you!" Not a bad bluff from Meg, who obviously doesn't have a clue! Autolycus throws the hook out the window and the cat yowls. Is that the same cat from Vanishing Act? Meg says it's not Autolycus's "firte". Autolycus says this about Xena: "She goes about righting wrongs and helping people. It's all pretty sappy, but seems to get her kicks out of it." Meg calls herself "Xenar". Autolycus has an interesting escape from the Double Scythian Latches. Meg and Joxer are a scary combination as parents. Meg wants to get the baby "trousers." And Joxer wants to feed him "strong cheese" while Meg goes for pickles. The baby sure grins at Meg. Love the way Meg talks to him…"you unruly little man…Cheeky little monkey." She still calls the chakram a "shamrock". And the baby is now "Punkin." Joxer should stay away from closed doors…they always slam into his face. That baby can sure move fast! Meg hops right up on the horse behind Autolycus, no problem at all. That baby looks more like a girl than a boy. Autolycus tells Meg to "grab something else". She does and gets an "oho!" Autolycus calls Meg a "beautiful woman". When Meg says, "Well, we won't be trying that again, will we?" it's VERY obvious she is holding a doll. Autolycus tries holding the baby for oh…about three seconds. Meg doesn't sit very ladylike. It's kinda sad how she made up the story about the lights in the sky. When she's changing Punkin's diaper…"Ooo…who's Mr. Stinky now? No more pickles for you!" I didn't see anything but the map on the blanket. That's NOT a bad thing! Meg hits with the grappling hook with her second try. The Eye of Hephestas protects the Crown of Athena. Punkin (King Cleadis) is played by Craig Parker, who also played Bellapheron and the king in For Him the Bell Tolls. Love Meg's "Punkin", when the baby disappears. Xena ran across the bad guy's shoulders. At least Autolycus wasn't so thick skulled that he didn't recognize Xena! Joxer hits Meg in the stomach! Xena figures out the mystery SO fast. Love Joxer's, "King? That's my boy!" Autolycus isn't a bad fighter. Xena even looks taller than Meg. Meg seems so sad. Xena tells her, "You've got a warm caring heart with a lot of love to give." But Meg adds ruefully, "For the right price. Everyone knows that's Meg." Meg says she can't have kids. How can that be determined, and when was it determined? The obvious question is where did Virgil and his sister come from? Were they adopted? I don't think so…it would have been mentioned. When Meg tells Xena she's barren, it kind of puts Xena at a loss for words.. Xena really cares about Meg. What is up with the shooting star and the sound of a laughing child? Does that mean Meg is wrong about not being able to have children? I believe this is the only episode where there is NO mention of Gabrielle whatsoever. I have no idea why. For another series, this episode might be considered funny, but I don't get a whole lot out of it.
Let’s take a look at what Gary thought
He sees Xena, or who he thinks is the Warrior Princess...it is really Meg,
as we will see. Auto then tosses the ruby back to the upper room. We hear,
"the ruby---it's gone!"....then, "the ruby---it's back!"
Meg thinks he was dumb to toss the jewel away and calls him Mr. Stinky...not
for the last time.
Joxer is there, and he has a proposition with Meg for Auto: they will try to
steal the Crown of Athena. Note: How come Athena does not guard her own crown?
Bar scene: King Cleates disappeared a while ago and the Crown went with him.
Auto wants in on the plan. Meg will pose as Xena, since she is dressed as her
anyway. Auto is called Mr. Stinky again. Auto knows Joxer loves Meg, tho she
was referred to as "anybody's girl."
In the square, Auto and Joxer pose as killers and "Xena" stops them and
sends them running. Some officials at the castle let her in so she can check
on their defenses. Auto will climb with his ever-present grappling hook. Meg, while looking around for the "key" makes an "X" on a vase that Auto will see as where the
crown is. Funny how it was not an "M".
Castle: Meg tells the bad guys that an assassin will come, and to be on the
lookout. Auto is there, so Meg tells them to get him---Auto was set up. They
capture him and toss him in the jail. Meg, seeing a baby in a crib, puts the
kid in a big shoulder-bag she carries and leaves. The kid barely makes a
noise.
Meg called Auto Mr. Stinky as he was led away.....sigh....
She left telling the bad guys there will be no alliance since their security
is bad. An old woman sees the kid is gone but does not yell for anyone's
help. She says, "the king needs his sleep."
Jail: Auto has lock picks...nobody ever searches this guy. An old man there
tells Auto of the Crown. Also, Griffia is the queen and is gone, too. He says
that if the child enters the room where the Crown is, he "will be no more."
Auto escapes in the usual way. Meg does not know the secret of the Key...
The old man said "the key points to the door,
Village: Meg and Joxer are with the baby. Meg convinces Joxer that he can be
the father and the three of them will be a family. Joxer likes this. Auto
finds them and is ticked off. Meg says she didn't lie..."I just tricked ya."
Joxer goes for food and blankets for the kid.
Castle: thugs look for the key...the baby. They know of the crown connection.
Meg calls Auto Mr. Stinky again....Auto: 'I don't do kidnapping."
Joxer accidentally starts a ruckus outside and the kid crawls out into the
square and gets into a chariot and takes off. Meg and Auto give chase on one
horse, Joxer on another.
Chase: Joxer tries to jump into the chariot and misses, getting dragged. Meg
does jump into it and the chariot crashes, but she and the kid are unhurt.
Note: You can see car tire tracks along the left side of the road.
Campfire: Meg says there was nobody to love the kid, justifying her
kidnapping of him. She tells the kid of her own past and wishes for her own
family.
The next morning they all watch to see if the kid will point to the door.
Nothing. Meg calls Auto Mr. Stinky again....yawn....
Auto does not tell them about the kid maybe being killed if the door is
opened.
Meg changes the diaper, and tosses it into the fire. Auto saves it because
the map of where the Crown is kept is on the diaper.
Old castle: They all go in and see the door with a fancy cushion on the
floor. Auto tells them of the "no more" thing as the kid is set upon the
cushion. The bad guys followed and try to break down the door. Auto and Joxer try to
hold the door...Joxer is left there as Auto tosses the grappling hook to the
ceiling onto a grate....they will climb up that way.
How can they open a grate that is flat and holding their weight?
The door opens and the Crown is seen as the kid crawls in. The kid now
becomes a full-grown man...King Cleades.
Fight: Kryptos, the bad guy, says "kill 'em all" just like Xena in The
Price. Meg climbs up the rope. Why would she desert her "son?". Xena arrives
by the rope. She says Meg is "up there." How?
Griffia found Xena and brought her there...how?
Outside: The king admits he was a fool because he treated his people
badly...Athena made him a baby so he could see what he did thru a child's
eyes, and Griffia an old woman to care for him. He wants to give the
treasury to the people to make amends, and stop the bad guys.
Auto is called Mr. Stinky again...this was SO monotonous.
Castle: Big fight scene with "two" Xena’s. Kryptos says he was only doing
what the king told him to do...to keep the kingdom the way he left it. The
king now says he is different.
Xena tells him it is his justice to punish the bad guys, who were about to
steal the treasury....why not steal it a long time ago and run off?
He shows mercy by banishing them. Griffia, wearing the crown, now is young
and beautiful again, and she and the king are happy.
Xena sees Meg crying in the corner. She says that Meg can have a family of
her own, but Meg says she cannot have her own kids and looks really
sad....fadeout.
Why can't Meg have kids? Who knows? I can't conceive!
NOTE: This episode is the third one in Season 4 that has no Gabrielle. In
Sin Trade, her name was mentioned at least, but NOBODY, not even Xena says
her name in this one. If they were not going to feature Gabby, a bad move, at least Xena could have said, "Gabby is visiting her parents for a few days." At least there
would have been some continuity.
:This should have been entitled, "KEY-ripes!"
Auto is seen trying to steal a ruby; he has to get by a trap to get it, and
does so, escaping to the ground with it.
He had a version of the Swiss Army Knife as a tool to saw thru the trap.
the crown of Athena and more
Once the king opens the door
The child will be no more"