Looking Death in the Eye

This one starts out in a tavern.

A very old Joxer learns of a scroll for sale.

He recognizes Gabrielle's handwriting.

He spent Meg's nest egg, 65 dinars, on Gabs' last scroll.

So Joxer married Meg, huh? Interesting.

Joxer is reading from left to right.

Xena goes to see the Fates.

The Fates are "surprised" to see her there.

Gabs follows Xena there. This is how she knows where it is in When Fates Collide.

Xena has to die for the Twilight to begin.

Gabs wants Xena to leave the Fates' lair, but Xena isn't ready.

Gabs tries again.

Eve is sucking her thumb.

Green fireballs are fired at Xena in the woods, but miss her.

Xena calculates, then knocks the helmet off Hades.

He makes a two inch thick man imprint on the ground.

Xena tells Hades, "You're really not a hat kinda guy."

She tells him, "That's the beauty of being insignificant."

During the fight, Gabrielle calls out, "Xena, toss Eve here."
"No, Gabrielle," Xena replies.

Athena cuts Xena on the upper right arm.

Eve uses the turtle defense. She ducks down so low you can't see her.

"Ow, what is that?"
"Po-I-sin" Xena replies. Gabs withdraws and Xena smiles, "Only if you drink it. A little dab will stop infection."

She kinda flirts when she puts on the tincture.

She gives Gabs a pouty face.

"Thank you, Hephestas, your youthful exuberance is greatly appreciated." That was Athena to Hephestas.

Celesta has changed since first season!

Celesta says, "You know it's not in Death's nature to discriminate."

The other gods are watching Athena and Celesta like they're in a tennis match.

Athena quips, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Death was getting a little cocky."

Ares enjoys it when Athena gets mad.

Xena asks Hephestas, "So if you're the god of arts and crafts, what do you do for a hobby?"

Hephestas says he's going to "Help my family by killing you, Xena."

"No, that's a perversion, not a hobby," Xena replies.

Xena chakrams Hephestas from about two feet, and it just bounces right back to her.

Xena to Death, "What took you so long?"

Xena chains up Celesta with Hephestas' chains.

Greet double teaming by Gabrielle and Xena!

Xena puts a hand on Gabs' shoulder when it's all over.

Gabs says, "That was close."

Xena's hurting pretty bad…she's almost doubled completely over.

Xena is taunting Death! Now that's brave!

"Imagine that…death will die herself. And me and my kid will live forever."

Death says she isn't like Xena or Gabrielle.

Gabs look very undecided during all this.

Xena says, "You're right. Somehow, motherhood has made me harder."

Then, "Solan, my only son. His rightful time came when someone else decided it should. And you came running, no questions asked." She is still really hurt by this.

"It didn't end the suffering of my little boy, Celesta. You stole his life…and Marcus…and Lyceus…"

Gabs tries to get Xena to stop at this point, but to no avail.

Xena says Lyceus accepted her for who she was.

She's in tears at this point.

Gabs says since Celesta is immortal, she'll never understand.

Xena disagrees.

Xena gets Celesta to talk about Hades, and she starts crying.

Xena says, "Death can end suffering Celesta. The suffering just begins for those who are left behind. I can't allow it. I can't lose what's left of my family. And I won't lose another child."

Xena knew they'd go after the vulnerable.

Gabs tries to get to Joxer.

Joxer says, "Yeah, yeah, that's spelled with an x for extra super sexy."

The leader of Athena's group says Gabrielle with the long a.

Joxer is so sure of himself. "Anything Goldipants here can dish out, I can take."

But that attitude doesn't last long.

Gabs gives herself up.

"Details to follow, I'm sure" Athena muses.

Xena: Athena, we were just going on a joyride to celebrate being immortal." Yeah, right.

Athena wants to trade Gabs for Celesta.

Xena's nose is twitching.

Xena's hands were all over death, not only to touch the tears, but to remove the chains from her.

Shouldn't that kill her?

The candle goes from a quarter inch to about two inches before Celesta touched it.

It is SO phallic.

Ares shows up to show whose side he is on.

Ares tells Xena that she needs his help.

"Why are you always asking for something you are never gonna get? Get off!" she replies angrily.

Isn't that what he's trying to do? Hee hee.

Gabrielle is writing away in the back of the wagon. I am so sure!

So did Xena destroy the Helmet of Invisibility?

Gabs dropped her scroll in all the chaos.

Somehow, Joxer is able to watch it all from the woods.

Xena just ducks barrages of arrows. Too bad she didn't do that in Friend in Need!

Xena takes out a whole row of Athena's soldiers with her chakram.

The horses escaped the burning wagon.

The burning wagon goes way the heck off the cliff.

Gabs looks pretty good for a dead woman.

Athena smiles too much…makes me wanna smack her.

Great acting on Xena's part. She screams, sobs, then resolves herself to join Gabs and Eve.

"Each to his own! You to yours, and me to mine!"

She's going to stab herself in the stomach.

Ares could have stopped her from drinking the poison if he really tried.

But Xena does it anyway. "Tell your family it's a package deal. They get me too."

Ares takes Gabs first.

Where did Joxer meet Octavius before this episode?

Xena's got some pretty good nails going.

Gabrielle reveals she was captured on purpose.

How long would Xena, Gabs, and Eve be able to hide from the gods?

Couldn't Joxer have called for Ares? Gabs did it easily enough in Amphipolis Under Siege!

Ares puts them in ice coffins.

You gotta love Ares' monologue: You're with her now. I handled you all wrong; I know that. She knew what you needed. Unconditional unselfish love. I couldn't give you that. But I appreciated you in ways that she never could. The rage, the violence, your beauty.

When you sacrificed yourself for others, you were hers. But when you kicked ass, you were mine."

He gives her a tender kiss.

And then says, "I love you, Xena."

Once again, when he's really sounding sincere, she can't hear him.

He plants her sword and chakram.

And seals up the cave.

What a bizarre ending.

And it becomes quite a cliffhanger.

If this was a season ender, it would have had me really on the edge of my seat…but fortunately, we only have to wait a week to find out what happens.

LOOKING DEATH IN THE EYE:

Let’s see what Gary says:

 

This is a reprise of Celesta, also known as Death. We have seen that Ares

has no power in his BROTHER’S realm, Tartarus, and Celesta says Hades is her

beloved brother, her ONLY family. Also, Ares’ sister is Aphrodite and

Athena, and another brother is Hercules, so why does Death say this?

Conversely, how can Hades have power on earth, someone else’s realm?

 

Joxer is at a bar and hears of the last unfinished Scroll of Gabrielle. Joxer is an old man now and has married Meg. He has at least five kids. That’s pretty good for Meg, too, who said she couldn’t have kids in KEY.

 

Joxer buys the Scroll and had paid 65 dinars for it. Note: Gabby goes off in FRIEND as “the girl with a Chakram” and does not write any more scrolls?

 

Joxer reads to a boy and a girl about the “beautiful warrior princess”. There is a catch. He was there to see the unfinished part of the scroll.

 

Back from Egypt, Xena takes Eve to the Fates to hear more of the “Twilight of the Gods” that Eve’s life represents. It all depends on Xena, they say. She must die and that is when the Twilight begins. One Fate talks of the

“essence of death” which is a clue. Gabby tells Xena that Xena has always says they determine their own fate.

 

The women and Eve are in a clearing when an unseen being throws fireballs at them. It is Hades with the Helmet of Invisibility, with Athena there, too. Both are invisible. Why not just go in really close and both kill Eve at once? Xena looks around and instinctively throws the Chakram at Hades, knocking off the helmet. Hades, Athena, and the silver archers are there. Why don’t the archers kill Eve or Xena from behind? They had the chance. Again, we see bad stunts in the timing of the archers waiting to get hit by Xena. Gabby also fights and she tosses the helmet to Xena, who throws it into the air, hitting it with the Chakram. There is a green glow as it explodes.Xena, Eve, and Gabby run off.

 

Gabby writes and Octavius appears. Xena uses a disinfectant to clean her and Gabby’s wounds. This is the first time I remember seeing this. Gabby asks why Xena didn’t do the baby-toss to her during the fight and Xena says it wouldn’t have made any difference. She said they got lucky.

 

Olympus: There are a LOT of gods and goddesses, more than we see at the end in Motherhood, so where were the rest during the big fight? Ares suggests Death, or Celesta, do the job of killing Eve. It is a different Celesta, and she says Hades is her beloved brother…remember the list I wrote at the beginning. She says he is her only family. Athena wants Death to take

Xena…NOW!

 

Xena goes into Hephestas’ cave where he is making armor. How does she know where all the gods hang out? She says if he is the god of arts and crafts, what does he do for a hobby? He hits her in the head with an ax, and she knocks over some stone blocks, looking as if she is ready for death. Celesta appears, ready for Xena, and Hes goes to kill Xena when Gabby uses Xena’s whip to stop him. Xena grabs the chains and Gabby kicks Hes, a god….how can she do this? Xena swings the

chain and captures Celesta, stopping her power and her candle starts to burn down. If it goes out Death itself will die and Xena and Eve will live forever. Xena says Hes’ chains can hold even the gods. Xena kicks him into a lava pit.

 

Xena says Cel can’t touch them or they will die. They can’t touch her either. Wait: If the chains hold a god, does it mean the god no longer has power? Xena and Gabby both touch her a few times while Cel is in chains. Octavius shows up and Xena thanks him for caring for Eve.

 

Olympus: Athena reminds Ares that he started the whole thing by killing Eli.

 

Campfire; Xena can’t wait until the candle burns out and Death dies. Cel reminds Xena that Xena saved her once.  Xena asks who decides when someone’s rightful time to die comes. What about Solon, and Marcus, and all the warlords who decided when people should die.NOTE: Xena decided a whole bunch of times.

 

Gabby says an immortal can’t understand the pain of losing someone she loves. Cel again says Hades is her ONLY family (we know better) and Xena and she cry. Xena touches Cel’s face and wipes her tears, really saving them in a vial. Why doesn’t Xena die from touching her? She made sure Gabby didn’t touch her when Cel was captured. Is it the chains? What if people wore Hes’ chains forever? Would it prevent Death from touching that person?

 

At the tavern, the silver archers stop Gabby and Joxer. Gabby attacks and gets stomped. This was far-fetched. Athena was the one Gabby attacked. How can she prevail against the goddess of warfare? Athena forces Joxer to say Xena headed to the coast. This was a set-up. Gabby is taken and Joxer is punched out by an archer.

 

In the morning, Celesta weakens. The candle is almost out. Athena appears and will trade Gabby for Celesta. Why not for EVE?  Xena agrees and lets her go, and the candle is the original size again as she floats away. Xena had touched her again. Ares is in the wagon and drives as Xena, Eve, and Gabby get aboard. Hades and Hephestas appear with fireballs and break Ares’ sword.

 

Didn’t we see in Ten Little warlords that if Ares lost his sword, he lost his godlike powers? This also happened in SEEDS, but did not lose the power. They head for the coast. Joxer is alone in the woods. Gabby writes as they ride. Ares leaves. Hades

throws fireballs at the wagon and the twelve archers fire arrows, but miss by a mile. Gabby drops the scroll. Joxer, reading to his kids, says it is the end of the scroll, but not the end of the story. He was THERE.

 

The archers fire two volleys and miss. Why not aim for the horses? Gabby throws her two sais and kills two archers. Xena throws the Chakram and kills a lot of archers in one toss. Athena’s fiery sword, Hades’ fireballs, and Hes’ ax all converge on the horseless wagon, exploding it. It goes over the cliff with Xena and Gabby in it. They land on the beach far below. Gabby appears dead, and Xena sees her “dead” daughter in the fire. She screams up to the three gods and says she will now kill herself. She really goes to stab herself with her sword when Ares appears and stops her. She then drinks “poison” and dies.

 

Wouldn’t  the gods make SURE all were dead before leaving? Ares is stunned and brings Xena’s and Gabby’s “bodies” to a cave in the mountains, complete with ready-made ice coffins. How does he know this all was going to happen to have prepared this in advance?

 

Joxer sees Octavius arrive with the real Eve. Oct explains that the poison was the tears of Celesta…the ‘essence’ of Death, per the Fates. They will come to in a while, but Joxer says Ares took them away. Xena’s ‘death” had to be a symbolic one. The real Eve was substituted with another doll as in SIEGE by Octavius, per Xena’s’ orders. As  weird as this sounds, it IS an explanation. I can’t see how they were so careful not to touch Death when chained, but do it a lot later with no problem.

 

Gabby drank the tears first to make believe she died. Then it was Xena’s turn. NOTE: How did they know they would survive the long fall to the beach?How does Xena know Ares would stop her from stabbing herself?

 

Now the Olympians will think Xena, Gabby,, and Eve are all dead, with no more Twilight to worry about.Ares places Xena and Gabby in the ice coffins and says he really loved Xena. He says he could not give unconditional love as Gabby did, but he loved Xena as a warrior. He seals the cave and leaves.

 

End of Part 1.

 

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