Xena: Season 6, Episode 06: "The Abyss"

ALTERNATIVE TITLE:

"Fine Young Cannibals"

This episode is fucked up and terrifying. And it almost looks like genocide, but I mean, if you’re a cannibal who openly hunts and eats people, it’s probably OK if those hunted people kill you back. Besides, you don’t come after Gabrielle, stick a huge pipe in her mouth, and live. K?

In this vein, I recommend the movie Raw (2016).

We are obviously hitting a stride where these episodes are Gabrielle-focused. I either forgot about this trend my first viewing in 2009 or just didn't notice, but it's true; the last three episodes were about Gabrielle. It's like watching an arrow hit a target. 

Additional Notes and Loves

• The awesome chakram throws are back.
• Virgil is here but no Eve. Interesting.
• Hosep getting abducted was horrifying.
• Xena diving-in after Gabrielle and knocking that cannibal into a tree at the same time.
• 15:13 Bite mark on Gabrielle’s hand.
• 20:21 Bite mark on Gabrielle’s neck.
• 20:48 Bite mark on Xena’s hand.
• 20:57 Gabrielle's bitten hand holding Xena’s bitten hand. You trying to kill me?
• A flash of lightning at night illuminates Xena, who's hiding behind a tree.
• Virgil trying to sacrifice himself for Gabrielle.
• The chakram-throw toward the camera is [chef's kiss].
• Rubio agreeing to leave with the horses was funny, I guess.

Check-out these definitions of the word "abyss" and tell me it wasn't a sharp title for this episode:

abyss [uh-bis]
noun
1. a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
2. anything profound, unfathomable, or infinite: the abyss of time.
3. intellectual or moral depths: an abyss of moral depravity, an abyss of despair.

(in ancient cosmogony)
1. the primal chaos before Creation.
2. the infernal regions; hell.
3. a subterranean ocean.

Gabrielle's mental downward spiral was an abyss, the waterfall was an abyss, the cave, the difference between the two peoples. GREAT title for this episode. Gives me chills.

And in the middle of all of this, Xena quietly glimpses what's happening in the deepest part of Gabrielle: Gabrielle will always feel guilty for killing her own daughter.

Number of times a character is yelling someone’s name, bloody murder: 8 

There’s something about screaming someone’s name, when that person is probably dead, that scares the shit out of me. It makes the situation real. The searcher is so desperate, they have to yell that loud. I'm sure it's happened in a ton of horror movies, but two examples that spring to mind are The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Triangle (2009).

Reading this shit about Herodotus saying there was an ancient fucking nation of cannibals in Europe really freaked me out. It’s definitely what this episode is based off of. Read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androphagi. The "drinking out of skulls" thing is real.

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EXTRA QUOTES:

1) X: "Nice shot. Just don't know what kind of wine goes with bark." G: "So we'll have fish. That's what people do when they're on a river." X: "Fish is all right with me. You're the one who said she wanted venison." G: "I'm having a bad day." X: "Nah, he's havin' a good one. It's all in how you look at it." – I appreciate how sweet and optimistic Xena's being here. Her attitude speaks volumes. If you’ve ever been around someone who’s deeply depressed or have been that depressed person and someone who loves you speaks to you like this, you know how tender it is.

2) G: "There's blood on this. There's blood everywhere. Thieves?" X: "No, they escaped in their canoe. They were running for their lives." – I relish dialogue like this.

3) G: "Virgil! Virgil!" X: "If they made it this far, they'd most likely keep to the river-" G: "That's if they made it, Xena." X: "Gabrielle-" G: "Virgil! I don't know what's wrong with me." X: "You're still condemning yourself for killing that boy in the desert." G: "I condemn myself for his father's sake." X: "Korah's father forgave you. So would anyone with enough wisdom and experience to-" G: "-to know what? These things happen?" X: "Unfortunately, they do." G: "My reflexes are those of a warrior. I'm afraid my judgment's not. I think that's a bad combination. Virgil! Virgil!" – I covet the yelling of Virgil's name, and only included this quote for that feature.

4) G: "Those things bit us, like they wanted to eat us." X: "They were cannibals, Gabrielle." – Spot-on delivery by Gabrielle.

5) X: "Your wound's getting worse." G: "We're in a tough spot, huh?" X: "We've been in worse scrapes. We're gonna get you out of here. Count on it." – This dialogue is simple, and I wonder why I’ve never heard them talk like this before. It makes me think they may not make it.

6) Virgil: "Look, I don't know what it is you want from me, but whatever it is, you can have it. Look, see, I'm meeting this great warrior named Xena. I'm sure you've heard the name. And if I don't show up, she's gonna come looking for me. She's gonna come looking. She's gonna come looking for me. No! No! No! No! No! Noooo!" – This scene is so scary, I’ve blanked-out watching it a couple times. Virgil dropping Xena’s name is remarkable. He knows he’s in trouble when they don’t even understand the concept of what he’s trying to tell them. They could’ve killed him right there.

7) G: "Hope?" X: "Did you say something?" G: "My baby. My baby. Is that you?" X: "Yeah, it's me." G: "I love you. I would never hurt you. You know that, don't you?" X: "I know." G: "You're my child... We have to go. We have to go, she'll hurt you. She'll take you away from me." X: "You have to rest. You don't have to go anywhere." G: "You don't understand." X: "I do understand. I understand everything." – All hail this beautiful script. It's intense when Gabrielle says, “She’ll take you away from me,” because she’s clearly talking about Xena. Also, I cry every time I hear Xena say, “I understand everything.” So much is implied about what she understands.

8) G: "Xena, I have a a last wish." X: "I don't want to hear it." G: "No, I'm serious. You don't want to know?" X: "What is it, then?" G: "I don't want to be buried with the Amazons." X: "All right. Well, in fifty years, when the time comes." G: "Xena, I wanna lie with you, with your family, in Amphipolis." X: "What about your family?" G: "I love them, but I'm a part of you. I want it to be like that forever. I love you." X: "OK." G: "This is all my fault." X: "This is not your fault. This is not your fault. It's mine for setting you on a path you were never meant to walk." G: "Any path is OK, Xena, as long as it's with you." X: "I'm setting you on a path to somewhere warm and dry." – This makes me cry, too, god dammit. Just, “Any path is OK as long as it’s with you,” alone is upsetting.

9) Rubio: "You just gained more time. Women always retain more." – Fuck off.

10) Virgil: "Maybe you should rest, Gabrielle, because if given half the chance, I promise you, I'm gonna get us out of here." G: "Be ready when Xena comes." Virgil: "I will." – Gabrielle’s kinda like, “yeah, look, Xena’s comin', so don’t worry about it.” She knows he can’t save her; there’s only one person who can.

11) G: "It looks like the cannibals weren't the only ones cooking something up." – This is so Scooby-Doo. Hahaha

12) X: "This sword's looking a little worse for wear. How you feeling?" G: "I feel better." X: "I mean upstairs." G: "Xena, I did what I had to do. I will learn to live with my mistakes no matter how terrible they may be, but that's the way." – What "way," I wonder? The way of the warrior? What?

I listened to this song this day. The title is most appropriate: "Protect Me Everywhere," which was the topic at the top of the ep. That Gabrielle shouldn't punish herself for accidentally killing Korah, but realize she loves Xena so much she would do anything to protect her. Actually, here:

G: "Xena, if I had listened to my heart do you think that boy would still be alive?" X: "You did listen to your heart. You thought he was going to kill me. Your heart said to protect me."