A Friend in Need Part 1

For the first time since I started doing these writeups, I find myself not really wanting to do this one. It's not because it was a bad episode. Oh no, it may go down as part of THE best episode ever. It was one of the most exciting, visually stunning, mysterious episodes ever! No, the reason is because my heart is aching so bad, it hurts just to think about describing all that has transpired. This one hurt...a lot.

Let me get the disclaimer down first, as it is anti-climactic to the final scene of the episode, but quite humerous in its own right...Xena and Gabrielle's Flying Circus and Amateur Fire Brigade will be arriving in your town soon. That won't make much sense now, but it will later when the action unfolds.

Now, for my own personal disclaimer. Some of the spelling in this review will be WAY off the mark. I will have to do it phonetically as I have little knowledge of the Japanese language. So forgive me if I am way off on the spelling of some of the names and words.

The episode starts off with a wonderfully charming moment. Gabrielle is sitting, a campfire at her back, staring off into the night sky which has a white vaporous pattern blowing across it. "Looking out at the cosmos makes you think," she intones with a warm smile, "about where we are, where we've been, where we're going now." I've been thinking about that for the past couple of months...it was nice to hear it voiced so eloquently by the bard. Beside Gabs, Xena suddenly sits up with a "Yeah." Gabrielle looks over at her, surprised she's been heard. Xena continues, her eyes squinting as if she's just awakened, "Like the bigger now. I mean, Gabrielle, what are we going to do? Wander around Greece our whole lives, looking for trouble? Why don't we go away, far away, what do you say?" Gabrielle looks back at her with another smile. "I can't believe you're awake much less listening to me." Xena suggests going to the "Land of the Pharoahs." I hear they're in need of a girl with a chakram." Wouldn't that be Egypt? Been there, done that.

Gabrielle suddenly senses something. Turning her head, she asks, "You know there's somebody out there?" "Yeah, he's been trying to find us the last half-hour." (Not "last half candlemark." Thank you, Xena! Sorry, that was personal.) An off-screen sound is heard, and Gabrielle is on her feet, followed by Xena. I point this out because of a couple of things that come later on. At any rate, there is a Japanese man, who has stumbled near their camp. On his shoulders is a contraption which must serve as a portable sunshade. It looks pretty ridiculous on this dark night. Gabs asks if he's all right, and he tells her he is before bowing. "Whoa!" Gabrielle laughs, as she dodges backward to avoid being hit by the canopy. The man looks at both of the women before him. "Are you Xena?" Xena stands armorless behind Gabs, her hands on her hip. "Who's askin'?" The man says he was sent by Akemi. The pleasant look on Xena's face disappears as she steps forward, shocked that the man has seen Akemi.

The man confirms it. He is a monk, and he and a fellow monk saw her a few weeks ago while travelling through the forest near Higuchi. The scene fades to the man's description. There is a teahouse lit up against the night sky. It's going to storm, and the two seek shelter there. They enter to see three lovely young women in white robes, bowing in the center of a large room. They raise their heads and smile at the monks. The other monk smiles warmly, and says, "Kenji, not even you can be frightened of this." Kenji, the monk who is telling the story, is now sitting next to the most noticeable of the three women. She is playing some long stringed instrument, and Kenji is giving her shy, adoring looks. Her kimono slips and exposes one shoulder. He tells her that her playing shows great beauty. She modestly smiles, and pulls the kimono up.

Kenji tells Xena and Gabs that he knows what it is to remain a monk. His companion, however, didn't. Said companion is in a hot tub with the other two women, being bathed. He gives a grunt of pleasure, and the two women exchange looks, then one elegant leg lifts out of the water. Around the ankle are some tiny bells, which the woman shakes to give off a soft noise. In the other room, Akemi looks up startled. Cut to the outdoors, and a camera angle of someone approaching very, very fast, with a sound of rushing wind. It is shown in the first person, and it seems to pick up speed as it continues. Akemi tells Kenji, "You must move, now," and as he does so, Akemi picks up a long sword. The figure continues. The monk in the hot tub, luxuriously stretches, and opens his eyes, surprised to see he is now alone. He hears a strange sound, and is staring dead ahead, as suddenly, a head roars through the large glass door ahead of him. In one of the coolest things I've ever seen on television, the head rapidly shrinks to normal size as a body instantly forms beneath it. It is the figure of a man, but the face is covered in some sort of bizarre mask-like material which is lined with a wicked design. It is obviously malevolent...and apparently, hungry. Kenji watches on in horror as the demon smiles wickedly, then inhales a deep breath. It blows forth a freezing stream of air which instantly freezes the monk in the hot tub. It could have appeared silly, but doesn't. It's frightening. The demon inhales then, and sucks the frozen monk back into his lungs. He chews a bit at the end, and looks very satisfied with his meal. Kenji is scared to death, now, (cannot blame him!) and takes off running. The demon continues to savor its morsel.

Kenji is outside the teahouse, and struggles through a shallow pond of water to escape what he has seen. He is stumbling, and is startled by two hands on his shoulders. It is the woman who he was with earlier. She smiles calmly at him, telling him she knows he's good, with compassion in his heart. Kenji asks who the demon was, and she tells him it's the "Lord of the Darkland." "He's preparing an army to wage war on Higuchi." He will slaughter the populace. The woman holds up the sword, and begs him to do what must be done. "But I am no swordsman," he tells her. The woman tells him there is one in the West. "Far behind the setting sun." Kenji is still terrified as he asks, "A samurai? A priest? A god?" "No," she replies. Now say it with me... "A Warrior Princess." She smiles confidently as the scene fades.

This teaser is already getting me to think along the lines of the Debt...and it continued as the next scene starts on a boat. A red boat, with a red sail. Gabrielle is dressed in some kind of gray dress, her midriff showing. I suspected Renee's pregnancy might be showing a bit while the filming of these last few episodes were done, and it appears her abs aren't quite as pronounced as usual, but she's still very trim. Using bamboo staffs in place of swords, she is sparring with Kenji. Behind, her, on the bow of the boat, a barefoot Xena is looking rather relaxed in a wide Japanese hat and a black bikini. She has her legs stretched out, apparently catching some rays. She is holding the sword Akemi had earlier, and is watching Gabrielle.

Gabs is learning about the Samurai traditions from Kenji, and asks him what he knows about Akemi. Xena suddenly averts her eyes from Gabrielle's back, looking very saddened. VERY saddened. She studies the blade of the sword as Kenji begins. The camera focuses on various golden highlighted parts of Gabs anatomy (she's barefoot too), as Kenji answers: "She was forced by Yodoshi, the Lord of the Darkland, to seduce souls into his grasp." Xena sheaths the sword with an abrupt move. "She's very beautiful, " Kenji says, "and she's a ghost." Gabrielle lets her guard down, and reacts appropriately when Kenji thrusts his bamboo toward her throat. "She's a g-" Gabrielle echoes, and then her eyes find Xena's. Xena speaks slowly. "Gabrielle, before we reach Jappa, I should tell you everything that happened there last time." Gabrielle stares at her for long seconds.

Gabs goes to sit by Xena, and opens an umbrella above her as they sit away from the others. Xena is very somber as she tells Gabs that many years ago, Borias told her about a woman taken hostage from a mighty island, even further east than Chin. "Being the kind of person I was then, the challenge of finding a new island to plunder was just too much for me. I had to meet her."

The scene fades to Borias and Evil Xena (EX), in all their glory. EX doesn't limp at all during this one, so it takes place after The Debt. I love EX!!! She and Borias enter a darkened structure. EX says, "So her daddy's rich, you say?" As Borias confirms that he would pay well for his sweet daughter, EX chuckles. A Japenese man leads them forward toward a woman, bowed low to the ground. The man starts to introduce Akemi, but she cuts him off, her eyes still lowered. "Xena...the warrior princess." EX seems a little surprised, but steps forward and uses the tip of her boot to raise Akemi's face with a "You know me?" Akemi smiles adoringly. "Oh yes, I've heard that you're afraid of nothing." The man who keeps her is afraid of many things. EX smiles her big smile as Borias nods, approvingly. "This girl has spirit." The man disagrees. He thinks Akemi deserves to die for speaking that way. Akemi gracefully sits up, telling the man that he won't kill her, because EX won't let him. EX just continues to beam as Akemi adds, "Because in her heart, she knows that she will soon love me."

"Xena loves no one," Borias tells her. EX shoots him an annoyed look that clearly says, "Shut up." Borias just smiles back wickedly...he knows he's hit a sore point. Akemi isn't listening. She wants to be EX's student. "You'll take me with you. You'll teach me everything you know." EX isn't smiling anymore, but she is studying the girl. The Japanese man has had enough and raises his sword, grabbing Akemi's arm. EX grasps his raised arm, and thrusts something at him. "Here, fifty pieces of gold. The best offer you'll get for her." She says the "her" with almost distaste, but it's obvious she is already taken by the young girl. The man says she's his property, and it isn't a good day to trade. EX shoots daggers with her eyes. "Is it a good day to die?" Borias quietly adds, "It is unhealthy to negotiate with this one. I'd take the gold." The kidnapper things about it, then throws the bag down, shouting "Guards!"

EX springs into action immediately. She puts the pinch on the man, then somersalts backward to move into a brutal battle with the two guards. Akemi watches on in awe as the fight goes on. The kidnapper just lays there and twitches. Two thoughts struck me as I watched Xena use pressure points and crunching fists to take care of the guards. #1. Where was Borias during all this? He seems to be standing near the fallen man, drinking casually. #2. i would not want to have to comb EX's hair after this...her thick head of hair is flying all over the place!

When the guards are disposed of, EX stalks forward and kneels before the dying man. "I"ve shut off the flow of blood to your brain...you've got ten, nine, eight...aw, forget it." Akemi is watching EX, her eyes looking a little bewildered. Slowly, she lifts her hand. EX hesitates about a second, then takes Akemi's hand, pulling her to her feet. They leave. Borias leans in, and takes back the bag. "I would have taken the gold," he muses, before taking a drink of something and throwing the glass to the floor. As Borias leaves, the man dies.

Man, all this has happened, and the credits are just now finishing! We're on a boat now. EX stands near the mast, watching the sea before her. She is smiling a very satisfied grin. Behind her stands Borias. "You know, Borias, I have a dream," EX says. "The dream to conquer every land between here and Britannia." Borias replies, "Xena, you're always looking for green pastures to rape and pillage." "Yup," EX grins. She thinks they can get more than a nice ransom for Akemi. Her father can help her get a nice toehold on Japan. Borias's next line makes me laugh..."What makes you so sure she'll lead you to Daddy?" The way he says "Daddy", it sounds more like "Debbie." Xena is approaching Akemi, who is sitting on the deck, writing something. True to form, EX replies confidently. "She wouldn't lie to me." She chuckles. "She worships her teacher." Akemi smiles up at her, then peers behind Xena as Borias laughs mockingly. EX turns to Borias. "What's so funny?"

It occurs to me, that with the exception of Gabrielle, only Borias could get by with the next line, "Xena, you couldn't teach a dog to bark." He tries to put a hand on her shoulder, but EX angrily shrugs it off. She whistles, then calls for Akemi, who is only about six feet behind her. Seems EX is treating Akemi much as a dog, at least at this point. Akemi walks forward telling Borias he is wrong. "Xena will be a great teacher." EX flashes Borias her pearly whites, with a smug sound, before turning back to Akemi, who is ready to learn.

EX is ready to begin, rubbing her hands together with an "All right." . She shows Akemi what to do if someone comes after her with a right, left combination. As EX explains she wants Akemi to feint back in the direction of the blow with a "vicious spinning back kick," the uncertainty flutters in Akemi's eyes. "Right, a right, a left, feint back, a jumping...." "Jumping spinning back kick," EX supplies, with a hand gesture that says, "try not to make me look bad." She glances back at Borias one more time, before nodding at Akemi. "All right, now I'll be the bad guy." Never doubted it for a moment! Akemi nods she's ready. She dodges Xena's right, avoids the left, but when EX kicks with her right, she catches Akemi squarely in the chest, knocking her backward. Behind EX, Borias throws back his head and laughs. EX sneers at him, and before moving to Akemi, tells her, "Lesson One...Trust no one."

The next scene is the same boat at night time. Borias is kneeling at the side of the ship, and he tells EX, who is now in a small boat with Akemi, "Remember, Xena, I get 10% of the ransom. Good luck, Teacher." He chuckles again as the smaller boat leaves the shelter of his. That's the last we see of Borias in this episode, which surprised me. Considering Martin Csokas placing in the credits (second), I thought he'd be all over this episode, but this is EX and Akemi's story.

EX and Akemi are trekking through a frozen forest. EX is wearing a voluminous black cloak, and draped in animal furs. Behind her, Akemi is dressed similarly. She is lagging though, and EX ALMOST whines, "Come on, Akemi...Keep up!" Akemi is holding her side. "My ribs are still a little sore." EX's tones gentle as she admits, "Next time we'll start with something a little simpler...like listening. Listen to that." She stops and perks up her bionic ears to listen to the quiet sounds around them. Akemi doesn't hear anything, but EX wants her to hear, "Life and death." "Every sound, every movement is a message." EX hears a wagon just crossing a creek up ahead. She closes her eyes and smiles beautfically. She hears a deer grazing nearby. I think I was staring in awe, and I know Akemi was. She tells EX, "When you listen to the kami like that, you must be at peace." EX turns to Akemi, asking, "What's that?" Akemi smiles sweetly as she explains the kamis are the power behind nature. They make the sun shine, and they brought Xena to her. EX isn't amused. She tells Akemi when she listens like that , "I'm at war. Every sound is a possible warning of an enemy approaching." Akemi's next statement can only be prophetic . "I believe that one day, Xena, the kami will help you know peace, and I would be honored, if you would accept this." She hands Xena a scroll.

EX makes me laugh so much. She unrolls the scroll with an oh!, and looks at it, her eyes darting in a sign that tells me she has no clue what it is. She quirks a smile with a confused, "It's really pretty." The scroll is long and thin, and has Japanese writing on it. Akemi smiles with delight, and turns the scroll in EX's hands so she is looking at it lengthwise. She tells Xena it's her people's scripts. "When our people are overcome with a feeling that we want to be preserved, we write verse."

I had already been struck with the similarities between Akemi and Gabrielle, and now was struck even harder. Both were seemingly gentle beautiful young women, who a confused Xena was immediately drawn to. Both looked at Xena with wonder, wanting to be taught her great secrets. And now, both are writers, expressing themselves on parchment in ways that Xena never thought of.

EX turns to study the scroll, wanting to know what feelings Akemi is talking about. Akemi doesn't hesitate as she answers "Love" and EX whirls back around. "Love?" Akemi reads the verse...

"Today, the moon took lodging on my sleeve. Today, I have hope for even the broken-hearted stars."

EX turns away from Akemi again, her eyes rolling in the expression that tells her she doesn't have the first iota what Akemi is talking about.

Gabrielle does, though, as the scene fades back to the present. "It's so beautiful," she is smiling. "To write something like that, she must have loved you very much." There is no jealousy in her voice. It occurs to me that only Lucy could wear a hat like that, tied under the chin no less, and not look silly. Xena isn't looking pleased by Gabrielle's statement. She looks...pained, and Gabs notices. "What's wrong?" The music fades out as Xena continues to stare ahead. Tears fill her eyes. "The truth is, Gabrielle...she broke my heart."

After the commercial, Gabrielle is saying, "She broke your heart? I don't understand." Xena says she didn't understand herself at first. The scene fades to the past as Xena says, "When I travelled with Akemi to her island for the ransom, I was still learning that my heart was seeking something else." The snow is falling harder as the pair reaches the front of an old looking house. EX turns to Akemi, saying she thought they were going to Akemi's father. Akemi gathers her courage and admits that they were there to visit her grandfather who died here many years ago. EX's reaction is immediate and angry, "Are you telling me we've walked days in the wrong direction to see a dead guy?" Akemi sticks to her guns. Yes, her grandfather is dead, but she can still speak to him, and they must seek his blessing. EX watches in astonishment as Akemi walks to a ornate post stuck in the ground, claps her hands three times, and kneels before it. As Akemi begins to pray, EX is growing more surly behind her. "All your talk about moons up your sleeve...you were playing me for a fool!" she snarls, drawing her sword. She raises it to kill Akemi, and the girl brushes her hat upward on her own head, exposing her neck. It stops EX, midswing, as Akemi turns calmly to look at her. She tell EX that just as the warrior princess hears the kommi, Akemi can hear sounds that Xena can't. EX just stares as Akemi continues to pray, then lays a scroll in the hole in the post. She stands and turns to face EX.

Akemi tells EX that her grandfather says that EX is "a wise and appropriate teacher, and he feels your sword is not good enough." EX eyes the blade. "There's a string of widows from here to Greece that says different," she replies, in EX's wry style. Akemi tells her that compared to a "kitana, all other swords are toys." EX fixes her mouth in a determined line. "Well," she says lightly, "then get me one of those." She uses her sword point to abruptly shift Akemi's hat back a bit. Akemi nods, and tells her they can get one, but Xena must know...she walks away issuing the challenge, "In our country, women are forbidden to own kitana." EX watches her walk as she takes on the challenge, "Well, they're just going to have to get used to it, aren't they?" She follows Akemi.

Cut to a building with a forge, and buff, Japanese shirtless men working away hard. Akemi is inside, and she speaks to the older man overseeing the action. Her master wishes to fight him for possession of the kitana. The man stares at Akemi, saying, "Your master must be a mighty samurai." "Oh no," a voice purrs from the doorway. Xena pulls off her cloak revealing the black bikini top and long black harem pants underneath. "I'm just a girl...in search of a really good sword." She smiles tauntingly.

EX watches with curiosity as the man displays his offended nature. "A woman? A foreigner? Challenging us for the sacred kitana? This ia a great insolence." EX draws her sword, which she is carrying at her hip. "Well, I guess you're gonna' have to teach me a lesson, hmm" she replies, stepping forward. The old man draws his sword and they square off. With the first clash of the swords, EX's breaks neatly into two.

EX stares at the remains of her weapon, as the men all laugh. She smiles, really intrigued now. "Oooo...gimme gimme," before attacking. EX tears into the men with a vengeance, even using the "bring it on" hand gesture as she shows she doesn't need a sword to kick behind. At one point, two of the men each grab an arm, and try to shove her against a wall that conveniently has blades sticking from it, but EX literally strongarms her way free. The fight continues. Akemi tries to take on the old man, but isn't having much luck, and EX swings to her rescue, Tarzan style. When the fight is finally over, and EX stops moving, there is blood on her chest, in the exact spot where Xena has the small scar. Is this supposed to be the origin of the mark? Dunno, but I'd like to think so. It would be kind of like Indiana Jones showing how he got his chin scar in the Last Crusade. EX grabs the kitana and tries it on for size. "Oh yeah, Grandpa was right...now this is a sword." She gives the full-lipped smile as the scene fades.

It is night again, and EX and Akemi are sitting under a makeshift shelter. Thunder rumbles, as Akemi reads to EX what she is writing:

"In a flurry of snow, two breaths of one unite and become as one, and then disappear into each other."

Uh huh, methinks I know what Akemi is wanting. Does EX? Nope. "Listen, Akemi, I don't want you to take this the wrong way. (Uh oh. Who breaks whose heart?) I really love the sword, and you're a nice kid, but I just came for the ransom." Akemi's smile fades, and then EX's does too, as Akemi tells her she doesn't believe that. Akemi asks EX what she hears now. EX hears "snow falling on cedars (now playing at a theatre near you)." But then, "No, you're heart...beating harder than normal." A look passes between them that's difficult to describe. Akemi speaks in wonder, "You're a master of war, yet...you know no words to speak of love, and then you go and save my life. There's no greater gift of love a teacher can give a student than that." EX is speechless. Akemi continues, saying she has another gift she wants of EX. She wants to learn what EX did to Kao, the kidnapper. "It's a sacred trust," EX whispers back. Akemi would be honored if EX would teach her. EX's face slowly brightens, her eyes softening. I swear, I was expecting a kiss at any second, but EX just says, "All right."

Back in the present day, Gabrielle's voice does sound a little jealous now. It is nighttime, and they are dressed in their regular clothes, as she is asking Xena, "You knew her for a few weeks, and you taught her the pinch? Xena, in all the times-" she's cut off as a man rapidly approaches and tells them Higuchi is under siege. They're going to have to turn back as there's no place to dock. Xena and Gabs look toward the shore. Fire has broken out and is spreading rapidly. Xena looks at the bard, "Gabrielle, I've gotta go ashore." Gabs nods. "I'm with you." Xena quirks the half smile. "I knew you'd say that," with an answering nod, before jumping ship. Gabrielle follows suit, after one unsure shake of her head.

There is chaos in Higuchi. The town is in flames, and men with swords are clashing everywhere. Xena and Gabbers surface and climb to shore. They check out the damage, and are appalled by what they see. A catapult sends a flaming mass toward their direction. "Fire bombs," Xena says amazed, and Gabs agrees, "They're going to burn Higuchi to the ground." Xena eyes the surroundings and spots something in the distance. She says they've got to release the water from the tower she sees. Then she puzzled me as she adds, "Gabrielle, what would you do?" Gabrielle looks a little surprised too, but starts to tell Xena about some acrobats she saw. Xena cuts her off. "Show me, Gabrielle." Gabs steels herself, then takes off, Xena at her heels. A Japanese man somberly watches their actions.

Gabrielle grasps a rope, and tells Xena to grab on. She does, and they propel themselves in a lengthy flight around the city. They release the rope simultaneously, and with Xena's battlecry echoing, BOTH of them, do a long high somersalt to land on top of a burning building. It's great to see Gabrielle doing some of the acrobatic moves! Xena is pleased. "All right, what's next?" "This way!" Gabrielle charges, and takes off again.

Somehow, they get separated, and Gabrielle disappears from Xena's sight. The firebombs continue as Xena screams out Gabrielle's name, and then sees a man climbing up a ladder to get to the top of the building she is on. From a doorway beneath her, Gabs appears, and kicks the man, ladder and all, backward. Go, Gabrielle! The ladder levers itself on some rubbish on the ground, and Gabs makes a mighty jump, landing on one end of the ladder. She grins at her handiwork, then calls up to Xena who is grinning too, most pleased. She knows what Gabs wants. She takes a mighty leap off the building, lands on the far end of the ladder and launches Gabrielle into the stratosphere. Gabs isn't quite as graceful this time, her arms and legs flailing during her flight, and she lands hard, but safely, closer to the tower. Xena continues to smile, seeing it worked, but as men approach her, she cartwheels away to finally grab ahold of a bar. She begins a full body swing, up and over, to gain momentum.

Gabs checks out the situation, then yells, "Go for the ladder!" as she spots one within striking distance. Xena, who would put Olga Korbut to shame, stops in mid-swing, so she is upside down on top of the bar. She now has time to find the ladder Gabs yelled about. She's waiting for Gabs to move, and she does, making a dash toward the ladder. Gabs gets to put on her own gymnastics show as a balance beam stands between her and the equipment. Xena sounds her warcry, and begins to swing again as she works at her timing. Gabrielle gets to the ladder as Xena releases and flips through the air. Gabs has hold of the ladder, and as Xena grabs the opposite side, they use her momentum to spin the ladder across the ground, safe from the duels below them.

A Friend in Need Part 2
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