Many Happy Returns Part 3
Gabby arrives and convinces the girl that Xena is not a goddess. Gab pulls
Xena's nose and pinches her butt to prove it.There is a running joke thru
the show,as in DAY,where Gab tried to hit Xena with her staff. Here,she
tries to get even with Xena for the jokes.
Gabby says that they should introduce Genia to the gods they know....how
many are left?
The girls visit Aphrodite,where she has two guys pampering her. The girl is
impressed,and Aph. wants to take her under her wing. Aph. cannot believe
that there are still virgins around...she thought them extinct.
Next,we see the warlord,the dumbest,most inept ever,who loves his own
reflection and wants the helmet. He refers to Xena as "the pain in my ass."
He mugs for the camera and is slapstick-funny.
We then come to the waterfall scene,which was really funny,and beautifully
filmed. Xena and Gab want to go skinny-dipping,but the girl is too shy.She
averts her eyes as Xena and Gab undress,and when she opens her eyes,the
girls are on the rocks,ready to jump in the water. We see a fast nude shot
of both of them.I had to see that again,so freeze-framed it.Sure
enough,there was a real nude warrior-babe,either Lucy or her stand-in...a
side shot. I remember from biology class in 1962,that what I saw was
definitely a mammal,heh-heh.Thank you,RenPics! The girl as Gab looked
skinny,and had a messed-up wig on.They jump in,and Genia watches the fun.
There is frolicking,and Xena exclaimes "I can't believe you did that!".Gee,I
wonder what new thing Gab could have done after almost six years.Sort of in
DAY"Are you sitting on the soap?'"Oh,is that what that was?"
The girl says that she cannot look,but would watch the bushes...oh,no! Not
another pun!
I think Xena and Gab seemed more like equals in this scene than ever
before.It really worked.
After a supper of fish,the virgin feels as though she must do penance.
Gabby,as in DAY,mentions a good penance would be to wash the frying pan.The
pan was a running joke in DAY.
That night,Gab awakens laughing like a loon.She tells Xena to get her cold
clammy feet off of her. Xena says she doesn't know what she means. Gab looks
and squeals,seeing that it is an eel.An eel was thrown at Gab's face in
DAY,also. Gab says this means war.
The next morning,it is time for Xena's morning bath.She cannot find her
clothing,so calls to Gab to ask where they are. Gab says they are right
under her nose.Xena pulls at them,and is doused with a bucket of fish
guts,looking like the girl in the movie CARRIE.
Gab says that Xena could catch arrows,so thought she could catch a bucket of
fish guts. Now Xena vows revenge.
Back at Aph's temple,Aph tries to educate Genia about the world and love.
Xena and Gab arrive and Aph asks what the smell is. In QUILL,Aph smelled
like fish,too.
Later Xena offers Gab water,which she refuses,but it is okay.She thought it
was bad.Aph says goddesses don't drink,but we saw her drink at the bar in
QUILL.
There are some puns.Aph refers to herself as a material girl(like
Madonna),and calls herself Mighty Aphrodite,like the movie.
At the square,the warlord's son sees the girl,and Aph puts a love spell on
both of them.All the girls go to town to see a poem-fest by Sappho.
I looked it up. Sappho was a Greek lyric poetess in the 6th century BC,so it
being around 17BC now,Xena must have used the Chronos stone,huh?
Anyway,Sappho was really supposed to be there,but they missed the readings.
At the bar,Xena switched the bags containing the helmet,and wanted Gab to
watch the one she gave her. Enter the warlord: they all fight for the
helmet,still in the bag,but he gets the real bag with the helmet and
leaves.Before that,he sees Xena who says she left an impression on
him...just look at his belt buckle....best not to ask,I guess.
Gab had used the bag as a weapon this time.She had switched the bags back
again,so Xena was ticked off.
Aph gets the girl to dedicate herself to her...that was why she helped the
girl find love with the spell.
At the warlord's cave,he floats around wearing the helmet.Xena comes in
disguised as a man,Anthrax,and Aph is Spitoonia,Genia's "parents".The boy
tells his dad he is in love,and Gab enters with a Southern accent,as a
wedding expert.She suggested harem pants,which the girls have been wearing a
lot in two seasons.
Aph tells the girl that the gods are not all they are cracked up to be.
Xena convinces the warlord to show her his scars,so he has to take off the
helmet to show one on his head.Xena switches bags again,and leaves.
Aph sent the girl to town again where she is recaptured by the zealots.
The priest has the real helmet and offers it to the warlord to help him in
sacrificing Genia.
Again,there is a sacrifice scene,this time with a spiked "door" above the
girl,with a burning rope. Enter Xena and Gab,and the fight begins. One
zealot makes sure the rope is burning so the spikes fall on the girl. Why
not just cut the rope? Meanwhile the warlord floats down with his henchmen
and attack Xena and Gab with the zealots,too.
The fight scene looked like it was in a warehouse,with scaffolding and
ladders,with dropcloths on the floor.
There is a ladder fight as in CALLISTO,with Xena fighting the warlord. She
grabs the helmet and he falls...she says "Thank you." As in Blind Faith,Xena
stops the pulley,and pulls it away from the girl.She cuts the chains with
her Chakram. Why not do it in the beginning?
Now the priest has Gab on the scaffold,with a dagger at her throat. He jumps
off and falls to the floor...he looked dead,but maybe not. Xena explained
that she switched helmets. When was there another one? There was just two
look-alike bags.
The ending was great.One last prank...a dribble glass as Xena and Gab
celebrate Gab's birthday. They talk about missing the Sappho show.Xena
convinces Gab to close her eyes...Gab doesn't want to...she has had enough
pranks,but Xena convinces her to. She does,and Xena puts a scroll on her
lap...a birthday gift.There is a beautiful sunset,and the lighting was
perfect...what a scene!
Gabby reads the scroll...it is by Sappho...it is a love poem.Xena had seen
Sappho and "had Sappho jot something down for you."
As Gab reads it aloud,Xena acts like she doesn't know what it is about.It is
a very moving love poem,and Gabby loves it a lot.
Gabby thanks her for it,and Xena says that it is not over yet. She puts the
helmet on again,and takes Gabby for a flying ride,when the show ends. A
perfect ending to a very enjoyable show.If the rest of the remaining shows
are like this,it will be a great way to end the series.
It was very convincing when Gabby said she loved the scroll,and Xena looked
really pleased to hear it.
This was the best comedy in the last two years.
Many Happy Returns Part 1
Many Happy Returns Part 2
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