God Fearing Child

This is it…the episode which features the birth of Xena's child.

The Fates look like they're playing with one of those groovy looking wire sculptures, that is lit from underneath.

Does Zeus hang out with the Fates as a habit?

Xena says the baby is giving dropkicks.

Gabs had a dream that the baby was coming from both of them? Weird!

Xena: Yeah, we do seem to find our share of trouble.
Hercules: Yeah, like the biggest trouble you found when you forgot to tell an old friend of yours that you were about to have a baby.
Xena: Hey, Old Friend, did you hear I'm about to have a baby?

Gabs and Hercules discuss haircuts.

Hercules brought Xena a three headed gift.

Lucy looks particularly gorgeous in this one. Isn't the first episode she filmed after having Julius?

Hercules: Six behind you.
Xena: Six behind you. Care to dance?
Hercules: Are you sure?
Xena: Sure, I'm sure.

Love the orange and purple that the Proxidiki wear!

It's a pretty intense fight for a woman about to give birth.

Xena puts the pinch on a guy as Hercules simultaneously hoists one skyward for questioning.

Xena's wry "Tremendous…" is great.

Did Xena know about the rib of Chronos before Hercules mentioned it? She didn't act like she did.

Xena gives him a little half grin. "I'll bet you could."

Hercules tells Xena, "I'll die before I let anyone hurt your baby."

This isn't the same lake Xena dove into in Mortal Beloved.

Xena is having some self doubts about the baby.

Zeus declares, "Xena's child is an abomination, sired by a force more destructive than you can imagine!"

Technically, the child is sired by…no one.

His "You selfish pup!" is great!!

Hercules believes humanity can survive without gods.

Ares says to his dad, "Meanwhile, you intend to murder a woman that I am rather fond of."

Xena AND Gabs go to Tartarus this time.

Ares says Xena has earned his love with her every gesture.

Hercules is Ares' younger brother.

Hercules says, "See, that's the difference between you and me. I never really cared what Daddy thought."

Hera shows up and sides with Hercules.

Xena and Gabs are visiting the pod people.

Xena says they're doomed to watch the life they left behind.

Gabrielle: It's so cruel.
Xena: It's Tartarus, Gabrielle. No one gets here by accident.

About that time, she spots someone very familiar to her.

No, it's not Marcus…it's her son Solan.

A different actor plays Solan now, and I don't like him nearly as much as David Taylor. I suppose David was now too old for the role.

This kid isn't nearly as cute.

And it was strange that he was watching footage of David…instead of himself. You'd think they would have tried to avoid that!

No one gets in Tartarus by accident, so Xena decides to break her kid out.

Solan made a tough choice. "not missing you means not seeing you."

Xena wrecks his plans, telling him she's taking him to the Elysian field…"No argument."

I can certainly understand why Hercules doubts Hera.

Xena promises Solan she'll come back to the Elysian Fields for him.

There's a promise she won't keep.

Xena: I just want you to be happy. Don't you want to be happy?

Solan answers: I just wanna be with you.

Is he saying he isn't happy with Xena?

Solan is jealous of the new baby. That's understandable.

I believe Xena when she says that not a day hasn't gone by that she hasn't thought of Solan.

This Solan looks younger than the old one. Huh?

Xena tells him how beautiful he was when he was born. "You were a vision of hope."

Was that a pun intended because of Gabs' daughter?

Xena's running around in her fur coat in Tartarus…that's gotta be warm!

I just don't like this new Hades as much. It's hard to replace an original. That's why it would be so hard to replace Kevin Smith as Ares.

Hades offers to get Xena's "friend" out of Tartarus, and her son into the Elysian Fields.

At least he's trying to be reasonable.

In his bathrobe.

But then he sics the Proxidiki on them.

Very smart move of Gabs to put on the helmet.

And cool effect of her fading as she was moving!

She kicks some major invisible butt!

Hades acts all confident against Gabs, even though he can't see her.

It doesn't work.

Meg Foster's eyes are so pale, they look freaky sometimes.

Hera says, "Parents should never outlive their children."

The wall protecting Chronos' gravesite is invisible to mortal walls. You'd think someone would run into it every once in a while though.

Ares has no power in Hades' kingdom.

Solan has serious dark circles around his eyes.

Ares: Well, I've had a falling out with Dad, and I've always had a thing for you.
Xena: For me AND my friend.

Methinks the jealousy factor is firmly in place.

She continues, "Look, your stalking me is not helping the trust factor any.

When Xena first sees Ares, she raises a fist to hit him.

Ares: This is not your standard god obsession…okay? I'm having urges I'm not real proud of.

Xena is adamant: I'm not going to be your little warrior Queen, Ares.

Ares doesn't give up, "Now, if I'm going to be mortal, I could live out my life with you. Xena: What are you talking about?

Ares finally answers, "I have feelings for you, okay?" About this time, Xena goes into convulsions of denial. "I care about you, damn it! I see your face everywhere!"

Xena's doing he best not to listen and to just get her and Solan out of there.

This really makes Xena mad, and she starts yelling at Ares to stop it!

"You're so desperate. You're trying to convince me that you love me. Well, go on, say it. Say it. Say you love me. The time for you and me has been and gone.

Ares doesn't give in gracefully. "It was worth a shot anyway. I thought in your present condition it must be a little more gullible."

LOVE Xena's answer…"I am pregnant, not brain-damaged!"

As she and Solan disappear out of sight, Ares says it, "I love you, Xena."

There are two, count em, two guards to the portal to the Elysian Fields.

Gabrielle shows up just in time!

Xena is just having her first labor pains.

Poor girl, the baby's timing is really bad!

Cause Hades has just popped in.

It's SO sad when Xena has to say goodbye to Solan again.

She has to do some pretty intense fighting…WHILE IN LABOR.

Solan cleaned up well with his little headband.

As the labor pains get worse, Xena screams for Gabs.

They just walk outside of Tartarus…how?

Xena can barely walk, but when the Proxidiki attack, she takes off running.

Zeus says, "My Proxidiki are dealing with Xena and her little friend."

Hercules throws Xena the rib. She takes out the rest of the Proxidiki, then screams for Gabrielle.

Zeus spins Hera around and around in a kiss, and when he slows down again, he is holding a finger to his lips. Kinda cool.

Gotta give Xena some credit. Despite her pain, she tells Gabs to get out of there.

Of course, Gabs refuses.

Then she tries to hush Xena as another pain hits her.

Xena looks cranky.

Gabs is doing her best to appease Xena; going along with everything.

"Take this off…I'm cold…get these off of me."

Cool lightning bolts that Zeus throws!

Gabs brings up the birth of Xenan, but Xena isn't interested. "Please be quiet…just be quiet."

She props an arm on Gabs shoulder and pushes.

The column that falls right by Xena and Gabs cracks before the lightening moves through it.

You gotta know childbirth is agony from the way Xena cries out.

She's hanging on to Gabs for dear life.

I don't see how Gabs could be helping much, given the position she's in.

Zeus approaches just as Xena is about to deliver.

LOVE the way she wearily looks over at him.

Afterwards, Xena is crying…"It's a little girl."

Zeus is proud of Hercules, for uh…killing him.

Ares is with the Fates. He looks at his hands, then quirks an eyebrow, relieved he's still in one piece.

Notice how Lucy skillfully manages to cover the baby's genitals.

Eve is wearing Xena's coat.

Gabs is surprised that Xena has already named the baby.

Solan wanted to name her Eve, and Xena thought it was a great idea. Why? Cause it was a "starting fresh" of sorts?

Xena didn't actually name either one of her children.

Hercules gives Gabs the eye, and calls her off.

It's Xena, Eve, and Solan. Forever and ever.

A lot of people didn't like the addition of Eve to the cast, but I rather enjoyed it when she was still a baby. I like some of the changes she brought about in both Xena and Gabrielle. Some of those changes will be made evident next week, in one of my very favorite episodes, Eternal Bonds.


GOD FEARING CHILD:

Let’s get Gary’s thoughts on this one:

 

This title could be one who fears the gods, or a god fearing the child.

Clever. It could have been god-fearing as in religion.

There are too many sub-plots, which I will list, and since I cannot just

tell the story, I will only list the events as they occur.

 

1.      Xena is near giving birth.

2.      Ares and Zeus strike a deal to kill Hercules

3.      Ares claims he loves Xena

4.      Hera helps Hercules

5.      A new gang called the Proxcidikai are under Hades’ control

6.      Solon is found in Tartarus, and is there by his own choice

7.      Evidently, Solon gets to go where he wants without Hades’ permission and

the rest of mankind have to do what Hades says

8.      The girls get to Tartarus by the underwater route as in MORTAL BELOVED

and appear in Tartarus completely dry despite us seeing Xena wet in the

other episode

9.      The Helmet of Invisibility is in play again, making Hades look like a

fool not protecting it.

10.     Chronos’ death is explained and how to kill Zeus is told to Hercules by

Hera.

11.     The Fates keep repeating that the end of the Greek gods will be on its

way if Xena’s child is born

12.     We are never told how this is possible.

 

The story opens with Zeus in the Fates’ cave seeing the “fiberoptics” life

thread, whereas in the past, the threads were actually yarn-type threads.

Hera, Zeus’ wife is there and says that Zeus always says things end, so why

should they be any different? He says that he is the master of fate and not

its servant.

 

Xena has Gabby feel the unborn child kick. Gabby says she had a dream where

Eve came from both of them. She says she will be more alert now. What was

the purpose of this statement?

Hercules shows up with a stuffed animal for the baby. Gabby and he comment

on each other’s short haircuts. Xena and Hercules sense twelve thugs ready

to attack. These are the Proxcidikai (best spelling I can do) and these

things attack. They appear to be men who can fly, and do not use weapons.

Xena and Herc fight, along with Gabby, and the things keep coming. Herc

still holds the toy and fights one-handed.

 

Xena uses her whip and not her sword. There is really bad swinging from

wires in this scene. Xena puts the Pinch on one Prox and he says her unborn

child must die, per Zeus.

 

The Prox attack again, and Xena bounces her Chakram off one’s helmet,

killing him. Herc says if one dies, his strength goes to make the others

stronger. The trio runs off for a while, leaving the now-stronger Prox

standing around.

Herc says he wants to talk to his father, Zeus. Xena wants to go to Tartarus

to steal the Helmet of Invisibility so she can sneak up on Zeus and kill

him. She doesn’t know HOW to kill the king of the gods, but wants to try

anyway. Xena also NOW knows Chronos’ bones can kill a god, so she wants Herc

to find them for her.

 

Xena and Gabby go to the same lake as in Mortal Beloved and swim to the

underworld. They fall from the ceiling completely dry…impossible, since Xena

did this before and was wet, plus she needed Cheron to get her to the other

side.

 

Olympus: Herc calls for Zeus and argues with him. Zeus says it is about

survival, and Herc says he will no longer call Zeus “father.”  Hera is there

and Herc is still mad at her for killing his wife and kids. Zeus says

humanity cannot survive without the gods.

 

Xena and Gabby talk about the Prox like they have been saying the name for

years. We never heard of nor saw these critters before.

 

Ares is with Zeus…he is jealous of his brother Herc and will kill Herc if

Zeus helps him have Xena. That way, Herc is out of Zeus’ way when Zeus goes

after Xena.

 

Herc walks thru the woods and Ares appears and tosses a fireball at him.

Hera appears too and then knocks out Ares with HER fireball, thus helping

Herc. Herc cannot believe she is really helping and is suspicious. She is

doing it as a thank-you for Herc saving her grandchild.

 

Tartarus:  Xena ad Gabby see a bunch of people in cocoons. Xena says they

are forced to see their old lives as a punishment. We hear screams

elsewhere. Xena hears her own voice telling Solon to come down from the

tree. She looks to see him in a cocoon. He looks like the young girl did in

ALIEN 2, in a shrink-wrap shroud. Xena uses the Chakram to get him out.

Solon says he did not want to go to the Elysian Fields because he suspected 

Xena wouldn’t make it to the E.F. He says Hades told him he would have to

relive the same day over and over waiting for his mother to get there.

NOTE: In Bitter Suite, how does Solon get out and also arrange the whole

episode?

 

How does he get to defy Hades, who is the one who decides who goes where?

Xena says she will take him to the E.F.

 

Herc does not trust Hera,, played by the beautiful Meg Foster, who has the

most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. She is sorry she has tried to kill

Herc in the past and really wants to help him and Xena now. Hera knows where

the bones of Chronos are.

 

Tartarus: The Prox are around as Gabby, Xena, and Solon hide. Who ARE these

guys?

 

Solon says he will never see Xena again if he goes to the E.F…..HE IS RIGHT!

He says Xena has a new baby now and will have no use for him.

They all see the Helmet just sitting on a rock. Xena says it is just too

easy. Hades and the Prox surround them and the Prox attack.

Why doesn’t Hades grab his helmet, and besides, why does he use the real

thing as bait?

In Many Happy Returns, there was more than one helmet…one was a fake.

 

Gabby puts the helmet on and just misses getting her head cut off.

Invisible, she then knocks every bad guy out, including Hades.

 

Herc and Hera talk and Hera says Zeus killed his own father with a rib bone

that Chronos removed to open the darkness and let in the light for the

world. Zeus killed him with his own rib.

 

Zeus finds Ares, who laughs at the fact that Hera is helping Herc.

Why doesn’t Ares die from a fireball? Wait until Motherhood…the

contradictions abound there.

Zeus cannot believe Hera would do this. Ares says “she’s a woman…whatever

you’re thinking, you’re probably right.”

 

Hera stops and waves an arm, making a huge stone wall appear. It opens to

the crypt where Chrono’s bones are. Herc says thanks for her help, even tho

he can never forgive her past. Hera says Zeus is sure to follow.

 

Tartarus: Ares is there and says he has no power in his brother’s

kingdom…form what we have seen, neither does Hades. He says he cares for

Xena and wants to help her. She is angry at him and says for him to say he

loves her…he cannot say it. He had said he was going to be a mortal and

wanted to be with Xena.

Xena says she will not be his “warrior queen” (a new one on me) . She says,

“I’m pregnant…not brain-damaged.” After Xena leaves, Ares says he loves her

aloud.

 

Xena and Solon see the entrance to the E.F. Gabby arrives with the helmet as

Xena feels her first birth contractions. Hades shows up again and Xena gives

Solon the helmet. He will run thru the gate when the Prox attack Xena. Solon

whispers something in Xena’s ear.

Xena and Gabby attack…now Xena finally uses her sword and kills some

Prox…why are they not stronger now as Herc said? Hades tosses a fireball at

Xena, who knocks it back with her Chakram. He gets knocked out by it. Again,

how do the gods NOT die from one?

 

Solon makes it to the E.F. and Xena says goodbye, saying she will see him

again. Her pain increases.

They are now outside Tartarus by a land-route. How? It used to be that they

had to go thru the lake bottom. The Fates say the birth approaches. Herc

opens the crypt and gets a rib as Hera watches. Zeus appears and Hera knocks

him out with a fireball….this gimmick is wearing thin. Herc runs away to

help Xena. How does he know WHERE she is going to be?

 

Xena again fights the Prox…she slams her head into one’s helmet with no

damage to herself, but she is getting contractions faster now. Herc kills

the Prox with the rib and throws it to Xena who uses it to kill the ones she

is fighting.

 

Zeus kills Hera and goes after Herc and Xena. The Fates keep saying the same

old thing about the gods….yawn.

 

Xena is on the ground giving birth as Gabby helps her. Zeus throws a lot of

thunderbolts at Herc, who is defending the girls. Why does he not die, since

he is not a full god? He gets hit a few times by the bolts.

 

Xena looked as if she was really giving birth. Zeus comes closer and Herc

uses the rib to kill him just in time. All of Olympus shakes as Zeus dies. A

baby girl is born. Herc and Zeus make up as Zeus dies. He now calls him

“father’ after Zeus disappears.

 

The Fates cut Zeus’ life-thread. Xena tells Herc she is sorry it had to

happen with Zeus. Herc walks away and Gabby gets up and leaves Xena alone

with the baby named Eve, the name Solon whispered in Xena’s ear. Xena says

to Eve that she and her brother will be together forever with Xena….it is

not to be so.

 

Problems: This show had way too many subplots, and the fact that everyone

seems to come and go at will into Tartarus and the E.F. just makes a mockery

of the way we have been shown what works in the Xenaverse.

The introduction of the unidentified Prox was too much…we never saw them

before and the show has sunk to grade-schooler level.

How does Solon get to choose where he will spend eternity and since when are

he and Xena the ones to be able to circumvent the system?

 

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Season 5
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