Quick, weird note: I have been doing this thing where I have a slideshow of Xena fan art, some 950 images that I watch for about two hours. I love it. Some images are replicas of actual parts in the show, and some are made up! Anyway, there is a particular favorite of mine that I now know is exactly the pose Xena is in when Callisto knocks her down at the beginning of this episode. In the illustration, you can see the opening of Xena's empty scabbard as you can in the shot. Onward!
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As I mentioned before, Quentin Tarantino loves Xena, and sometimes I think I see elements of its influence in his movies, such as Kill Bill, when several characters intently stare at other characters. It happens when Kiddo's enemies stared down at her on the floor in her wedding gown, and it happens every time she sees one of them after that.
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SPOILERS: My reviews are full of them! I'll try to note when I'm about to spoil the series by posting [SERIES SPOILER] before said item and [END SPOILER] after. Please don't read the review, unless you've seen the episode under discussion or don't care if I spoil it.
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EXTRA NOTES:
1) Hope as Gabrielle walks into the village where Xena is kicking ass and looks at her with jealousy. I love this. Antoher layer to an already heavy episode. Interesting. Makes you wonder if Hope could’ve loved Xena.
2) Subtext too obvious to be subtext: Gabrielle gives her life for Xena’s. Don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t do that for just a friend, probably.
3) Also, Gabrielle looks longingly into Xena’s eyes as she dies. (that was someone else’s idea, but it’s true.)
4) Callisto places her hand on Xena’s face and slithers down off her knife.
5) I love that Hope is staring-down Gabrielle as Callisto and Xena fight. It’s an interesting scene, because Gabrielle is looking at Hope with several things showing on her face:
- Don’t kill me.
- Jesus Christ, you look just like me.
- How the fuck am I supposed to kill you with you lookin' like me? And probably..
- I love you.
6) Xena arguing with Seraphin, knowing she’s totally under a trance as a follower, is like arguing with a Trump supporter. Like why is she even wasting her breath?
7) I’m just gonna put this together and blow your mind, ok? So, you know how Xena can sense when Ares is around and it’s possible that Ares is actually her dad? I wonder if this is why Gabrielle sensed that Hope was around. Hope is a god.
8) So like just a tiny continuity quibble: Hope has placenta or whatever all over her face one moment, then a few seconds later, her face is clean.
9) The way Hope is staring at Xena at 24:14 in "Sacrifice II" (and earlier at Gabrielle, actually) is very Kill Bill. I felt like I was waiting for the Ironside “EEE-eee-EEE-eee” music to come on. I love these shots. You know Quentin Taratino loves Xena, right? And surely Hope was looking at Xena as though Xena was getting the love that she herself should have had. So good...EXTRA QUOTES:
1) X: “You saw her face, didn’t you?” G: “Mm.” X: “It’s strange. The one I love most in all the world and the one I hate.. look exactly the same.” – Unexpectedly touching moment. Also “love”.. And such a fucked up thing for Gabrielle to hear.
2) Callisto: “All right, enough games! Where is it?” Hope: “I wouldn’t want you using it on yourself, Callisto. Yet.” Callisto: “I want it, NOW!” – Callisto sounding like Veruca Salt. I almost put that song in this review. I still might.
3) Callisto: "So, how about it? I scratch your back, you stab mine.” X: “What’s the matter? Existence getting to be a bit of a burden?” Callisto: “Yes, honestly. I yearn for oblivion, annihilation. Peace, if you will.” – Such good, classic Xena and Callisto banter, and this is yet another interesting, deep nugget in this episode. They’re talking about suicide. Or doctor-assisted death. Callisto’s making a good case for it.
4) G: “Seraphin!” X: “Let her go! She’ll only slow us down. She’s doomed anyway if we can’t stop Hope. [To Callisto] May you live forever.” – My problem with this episode, is that there are so many good lines in it.
5) Hope as Gabrielle: “We’ve known each other for.. how long, now?” Joxer: “I don’t know, a couple years? Look, if we can get a small band together-” – Hahahha
6) Joxer: “Wait a minute, you-you-you-you wanna know how I feel about our relationship?” Hope as Gabrielle: “I wanna know how you feel about me.” Joxer: “Well, I, uh.. it’s a really big question. Um, I-I, uh, I feel, um, well, I feel, uh-” Hope as Gabrielle: “Would you call it love?” – Man, this is kinda heavy and intense.
7) Hope [Aside]: “Strange. There wasn’t enough love in her to let me live, yet people love her." Hope to Joxer: "What would you make of my feelings toward Xena?” Joxer: “Xena? Well, you know, you love her more than anybody in the whole world.” Hope as Gabrielle: “More than anyone.”
8) X: “Now, scram, ya fool! Moron. Get out of there!” – The fact that Xena calls Joxer a moron when she doesn’t really need to is hilarious to me.
9) X: “Ares, I know you’re here, ‘cause my skin is crawling. Show yourself.” Ares: “You’re the only mortal I know who can do that.” – Love this shit.
10) Hope: “I’m not going to hurt you. It’s growing, inside me, Gabrielle. The child. The way that I grew inside of you.” – What every mother wants to hear.
11) Callisto: “Try not to die before doing me first, or I’ll make Gabrielle wish you had. How’s that for incentive?” – Have the stakes ever been higher?
CALLISTO'S FUNNY LINES:
1) Callisto: “Aw, the mother and child reunion. I’m all misty-eyed.” – Hahhaaha! This is fucking hilarious.
2) Callisto: “I don’t know why you wanna look like her. She’s an annoying little-” Hope: “Do it.” Callisto: “So be it. [She does it.] Hm, well, it is a good disguise, and it’ll attract less attention than walking around naked, I suppose.” – Oh my god, Callisto is so gd funny.
3) Hope: “You could be a soldier in Dahak’s army. Instead, you choose oblivion.” Callisto: “Yeah, well, call me short-sighted, but that’s our deal.”
4) Callisto: “No, actually, the sight of her and Ares rolling around like weasels made me sick.” G: “Hope and Ares?” Callisto: “Oh yes, Gabrielle. It seems your daughter is in heat.” – It’s like everything she says is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.
5) Callisto: "Well, why not let me help you? And then it would be so simple to just turn it on me.” X: “Because I like the idea of you living with your suffering.” Callisto: “Oh, please! Who said anything about suffering. Really, it’s more of a boredom thing, an emptiness, really.” – Oh my god, I can’t handle this. It’s so fucking funny. Whoever wrote this..
POLITICAL CORNER:
1) Ares: “Never gives up. Time was, it was a quality I admired about her.” G: “How’s life as a slave to your new master Dahak?” – A conversation between Elizabeth Warren and Mitch McConnell.
2) G: “Seraphin, you’re talking about the slaughter of innocent people.” X: “Save your breath. Dahak’s hold on his followers is stronger than ever.” – ….
As I mentioned before, Quentin Tarantino loves Xena, and sometimes I think I see elements of its influence in his movies, such as Kill Bill, when several characters intently stare at other characters. It happens when Kiddo's enemies stared down at her on the floor in her wedding gown, and it happens every time she sees one of them after that.
The round thing falling from the ceiling and protecting them from Hope’s knife-throwing is straight out of Temple of Doom and you all know it. (1:50):
A gem I've been listening to, which seems a fitting end for the final ep of season 3:
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