This is an interesting little episode, which once again, traverses into Xena's past.
This one starts out with "the vision", which will be a common occurrence in fourth season. Gabrielle isn't easily convinced that Xena is actually seeing the future. Check out the underside of Gabs's fur. It looks like awfully modern cloth sewn on it! Xena is rather obvious when she tries to talk Gabrielle into staying and getting some rest. Xena hesitates when Gabs tries to make her promise to quit talking about the vision. Then, all of a sudden, she says, "The gods forbid I'd ever bring up that subject again." It just seems odd that she would give in so easily, but she gives a warm smile and a slight chuckle with the statement. When they are trying to find the leader of the army, Gabs decides "He looks important" when she spots the guy with the ostrich feather in his helmet. Xena actually gives him an "ahem" to get his attention. Xena says, "It's already begun", after they've already been under attack for a while. I'm sorry, but "Well, duh." Xena does a great tuck and roll. When an explosion happens close to Gabrielle, she lands flat on her face. That had to have hurt! Why is there always some kid just frozen in time watching a battle around him or her? That's really Lucy grabbing the little girl up to get her to safety. But as cool as that is, if you watch closely, you can see her cringe before the explosion behind her happens. Still, it's a pretty good effect. The fence that Xena slams into doesn't offer much of a defense. It almost collapses under her weight! Xena takes a clout to the head, and immediately starts flashing back. A possibility? I dunno. And wow, do her eyes ever look blue when she hits the dirt! She's remembering when her army was taking over Corinth. Borias's facial hair looks like it's magic markered on. Borias grabs a handful of Xena's breast, and she doesn't offer a protest. Then a moment later, he moves in and grabs the other one! When Xena is trying to explain what happened to Gabs, Lucy's accent slips through, "I saw the 'piast'." I got all this from just the teaser of the episode! Notice how Satrina starts massaging Xena's shoulders immediately, as if it's a duty she is expected to perform nightly. She starts to leave when Borias enters the tent, but Xena just grabs her hand. But when Xena wants to stand up, she slaps Satrina's hand away. "You don't command in my tent, Borias, not anymore," Evil Xena tells him. All I can say is…"hmmm…" Evil Xena is a cold one. "This baby means nothing compared to my empire." She killed Satrina's master in order to enslave Satrina. She reminds Satrina how unsuccessful her master had been, and then muses, "Still…poisoned grain…there's an idea…" Evil Xena seems to evil to ever be a Mom. Alti's fears that Xena's son would have turned her from the darkness she felt was unfounded…it was going to take something even more drastic than that. Satrina seems to lose her confidence after the run-in with Xena. Xena tells Gabs, "Those were painful times. I learned a lot of hard lessons. I lost a lot." Gabs puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Why does the camera keep focusing on people being fed? Could this be a clue? The second in command may be inexperienced, but he sure drew his sword in a hurry when Xena jumped toward the person being fed. Xena says, "This grain is poisoned," and it sounds very much like she's accusing the soldiers of doing it. She uses an odd tone of voice. Her voice is very, very hoarse during this scene…sometimes worse than others. She says she wants engineers and the fastest horse possible to meet her at the dam. What's wrong with Argo? And why does she ask for the horse anyway? She doesn't use it. Could it be she would have acted differently if Gabrielle had stayed behind at the hospital? Did Xena change her plans somehow? At least Xena is a little less obvious this time. "Gabrielle, looks like this hospital can sure use your help. But Gabs still ain't taking the bait. Gabrielle slaps Xena's back lightly before moving to start the fire brigade. The guard who asks what Xena is doing had a prominent role in The Price. When he says, "She's amazing," in regards to Xena, Gabs just stares at him. It's an odd moment. That Centaur "Jeree" had a real attitude. Xena doesn't act shocked at all when Borias admits he wants to take the child from her. Check out Evil Xena's "innocent" act when Dagnine asks them to step outside. Kaleiapas declares, "This is war, Xena," and Xena's response is a teasing "Just a little one." Xena refers to herself as the Destroyer of Nations. And she calls Alti a "great shamanness." Obviously, this Xena is a little wonky. She almost gives her pregnant state away in front of Dagnine and the others. She threw her dagger, and Borias deflected it with his sword. It hit Kaliepas in the eye. Who or what was Xena aiming for? Kaliepas was lucky to have survived! Evil Xena says she's going to leave a string of bodies from here to Corinth. It's so creepy to hear her say "Crucify them all…crucify them…crucify them." Evil Xena has a rather hoarse voice too. When Xena is trying to figure out what's going on, she muses, "He knows me…it's like he is me. How do I defeat myself?" I like the way it's "he"…not "they" or "she". That would have been way too obvious. Gabs says she won't continue to live like this…does that mean she's threatening to leave Xena? Xena's brave taking that dart in the neck. What if Satrina had used a different kind of knockout drug? Flowers from the Santra bush take away pain. And the Kallah root can revive you after that…apparently, it works as a preventative as well. Pregnant Xena took drugs? You'd have thought as tough as she was, she'd have gone through natural childbirth. Lucy/Xena does a great "passing out"…especially the eye roll right before she collapses. So Satrina was plotting from before the time of Solan's birth. Xena can't hide a strong response when Satrina reveals she kept Borias from saving Xena that night. Borias was very gentle with Xena. Satrina stabs Borias. So is she really the one responsible for his death? You really gotta feel sorry for EX and Borias. The image of the two of them screaming in pain is incredible…particularly when Xena screams for Borias. There's a great look on Xena's face when Solan begins to cry…it's like she has no idea what that noise is. She holds the babe, with absolutely no emotion. She just looks numb during it all. It was a very clever and brave plot of Xena's to thwart Satrina's nefarious plan. I've always wanted to use "thwart" and "nefarious" in the same sentence! Xena tears up as she says, "You killed the father of my child, and if he had lived, then maybe my son woulda…" She torments Satrina for a while, then taunts, "You getting inside my head now?" Xena calls the vision a prophecy and Gabrielle jumps all over that. "A prophecy? Who said anything about a prophecy? Maybe it was a warning, a sign, even a guideline…" Even if it is a warning or a sign, will it be made clear what Xena has to do to avoid it coming true? Xena doesn't answer…she just stares at the fire all teary-eyed. Check Gabrielle leaning over and sniffing Xena's hair during this scene. I doubt if that's what she was doing, but it sure looked that way! What was the purpose of reshooting the scene where Xena gives up Solan? This time around, Xena seems to suffer a little more, but I was never unsatisfied with the version shown originally in Orphan of War. This time, Xena had tears running down her face when she gave him up. And she gives a little moan and puts a hand to her heart as she stumbles away from Kaliepas. The end of the episode has Xena just staring into the fire, looking as though she's in shock. Gabrielle is resting her head against Xena. It reminds me very much of the campfire scene in Callisto, only this time, Xena doesn't shy away. I rather like this one, but then again, I like just about any episode that shows Evil Xena. The ending is very, very sad though, among the most tragic of all.
This story is in many flashbacks, so I will put "flash" for that and "now"
for the real-time.
Flash: the story opens with the crucifixion scene again. Xena and Gabby are
at their campfire, but Xena says a white mountain is in this vision, so it
is different. Gabby still will not believe the vision. She also will not
stay behind when Xena goes to warn a castle about an attacking army. Anyway,
if an army is loose in the area, why would Xena want to leave her alone, as
in Deliverer?
In the fort: The general says to Xena that a disease has made a lot of his
men sick, and he now does not have enough men in case of attack...Xena tells
him of the army. He scoffs at it until the bombs fall...he is killed at
once.
There is a long bombing scene, with Xena trying to protect Gabby. Xena, as
the bomb hit, says, "it's already begun." Naw! Ya think?
Gabby:” Against the wall!", sort of "take the wall" in A Good Day.
Xena is knocked down while saving a little girl. Flash: she sees a similar attack in the past when she was attacking a fort with Borias, in Corinth. Dagnon was there, too, and Xena is searching for the Ixian Stone, which Alti said is going to be the key to her power.
Borias:' It's power is not for us to hold." Note: He had put the stone in his sword handle in the back story in Orphan of War, so he DID hold it, literally.
Borias gets to feel up Xena on both boobs as they talk...sigh.
Now: Xena: "I saw the past." She realizes too many people in the city means
that the resources will be stretched...one of her tactics in war.
Flash: Xena is pregnant. Her handmaiden, Satrina is there as a slave. Her
master was killed by Xena. Xena does not want the men to know she is
pregnant. Too bad RenPics didn't use this tactic in Season 5 so we could
have had a better season with some intelligence.
Xena and Borias fight a lot...they should have been married.
Satrina advises Xena that her master, Demeus, poisoned grain and tunneled
under castle walls in his attacks...Xena likes the grain idea.
Now: Xena takes over since the general is dead. There is a dam upstream, and
they want to break it and flood the area, slowing the attack. Xena finds the
poisoned grain, and knows it is bad by the taste...the people who have been
eating it never seem to know this.
Gabby won't stay behind when Xena goes to the dam with a few men to destroy
it. At the dam, Xena goes ahead, leaving Gabby with some guys. Gabby says Xena
is looking for an ambush and wants to draw them out.
Flash: Xena is at the river with Borias and some prisoners. She tells Dagnon
to kill the men and toss the bodies in the river as a warning. Kaliapus, the Centaur, is there, and Borias lets him go...Borias is at it again with his peace treaties.
Now: The enemy emerges from the water, looking like the Persians in ARMY.
Gabby and the rest join in the long fight. Xena stabs an unarmed man on the
ground...you can see his empty hand as she stabs downward. She had just
condemned Najara in CRUSADER for killing unarmed men.
Xena sees the white mountain in the distance...the crucifixion reference
again. They all run off. Why not stay and wreck the dam? Xena could have beaten these guys.
Flash: We see yet another crucifixion scene (YAWN) and a shot of the
mountain.
Now: Gabby now knows the mountain is in the vision.
Flash: Borias and Xena: Xena is near childbirth and Borias tries to make her
come with him...no dice! She is really sarcastic, and Borias wants his son,
or the kid will be a target.
Dagnon captured some Centaurs. Xena wants them dead, tho Borias had the
treaty. Xena still hides her pregnancy. Borias fights to save the Centaurs.
Xena throws a dagger and blinds Kaliapus' eye, but Borias rides the critter
away, as Xena vows that there will be a lot of crucifixions once she gets
the Stone.
Where was Borias' army during the fight?
Now: Xena realizes that the attacker knows her own tactics. "He knows ME.
"Gabby knows Xena is getting fanatical in trying to save her. As in ARMY,
Xena would want to leave with Gabby to save her instead of fighting.
Again---YAWN--- the Vision of Death Speech by Xena. Gawd!
Gabby does not believe it..."I will not continue like this!"
Outside at night: The enemy is tunneling under the wall, later to collapse
it to gain entry. Xena goes in when the diggers leave and she is hit in the
neck with a dart. She collapses as she sees the leader is a woman---Satrina.
Flash: Xena, giving birth, is given a phanta flower for pain...the chola
root will be the antidote. Satrina knows her medicines.
Now: Satrina tells her men she will deal with the helpless Xena. Satrina
says Xena was her best teacher of warfare...she is not strong physically,
but is clever. She says she is a survivor.
Flash: Night attack by Borias, his army, and some Centaurs. He tries to take
Xena away and save her and his unborn son. Borias says he misses Xena's
love.
Outside, Borias sees Sarina and tells her to get Xena ready. Satrina stabs
his leg and screams for Dagnon for help..."he's trying to kill Xena!"
When Satrina had Borias with the dagger at his throat, why not kill him then
instead of giving him a chance to overpower her as she did?
Long vicious fight scene: Dagnon and Borias fight well, and Dag gouges
Borias' leg-wound and puts a firebrand in it. Borias screams, and manages to
knock Dag down. meanwhile, Satrina delivers Solon, and as Xena screams, so does Borias.
Borias stumbles away and Dag throws the sword and it sticks in Borias' back.
Dag removes the sword, stabs again, and gives it a twist. The Centaurs
attack, and he runs off. As Solon and Xena leave with Satrina, Borias' last
vision is of his son. Note: In another back story, Borias had his first son, whom he did not miss at all...plus a wife.
Now: Satrina says Xena was focused on power. She will bury Xena in the
cave-in. Xena grabs Satrina...she was feigning the poison's work...she had taken the
antidote beforehand. "The poisoned grain was the key." Xena is ticked at her for killing the father of her child...well, Dagnon did it....she also says Borias could have changed Xena for the better and maybe Solon would not have died.
Note: Xena was thru with Borias anyway in her quest for the Stone.
The fight: Satrina calls the guards...Xena holds them off as Gabby and
others come into the tunnel from an entrance they made on the other side.
Note: Gabby seems to have a dark birthmark behind her left knee as she
attacks.
Satrina pulls the rope and a beam collapses. Xena's Chakram cuts the other
ropes and the cave-in stops, saving the fort. We hear Satrina scream, and
Gabby asks if she is dead...Xena says she probably made it...she is s
survivor. We never see her again...also, why the panicked scream?
Ending: Campfire: Satrina's army broke up after losing their
leader....HUH?...didn't she survive? Why would they do that if she is
supposed to be alive as Xena says?
Flash: Xena laments...she comes at night to give her son to Kaliapus, who
will raise (and name) him as his own. This is a repeat of the scene where Xena gives her son up in ORPHAN, and she is in a different outfit, and it was not as well done as the original.
Now: Gabby hugs a tearful Xena at the campfire.
This is the continuing Year of The Unending Crucifixion, and this episode
should have been entitled, Xena: Worrier Princess, since she appears weak
with her incessant worries about Gabby being in danger; this is not a new
thing in the series for Gabby to be in danger.
Gabby: Destiny is something you can't ignore or rely on.
Xena: All Alti's predictions ended in tragedy.
Gabby: It is not a prophecy...maybe a warning, a sign, a guide?