I have to say that I wanted to slap Gabrielle silly by the end of this episode. People have already brought up the parallels between Najara and Khrafstar. But during the big fight scene, while Najara was cleaning Xena's clock all Gabby did was stand there and watch it happen! Shades of Ming T'ien's throne room, or what? And sure, she threw herself over Xena's body to save her, but what the hell was she thinking, running out and leaving Xena wounded and completely vulnerable on the floor like that?!? I had a hard time believing that Xena could still care about Gabrielle after coming to and finding herself alone.
If I had the benefit of full body armor, I'd slap Xena a few times for this ep, too. Thinking that she'd be able to avoid fate by just leaving Gabrielle in the village was dumb, dumb, dumb. First of all, Gabrielle would definitely follow her - after all they've been through, how could Xena possibly think differently? And as others have pointed out, Gabrielle is her own person. She's stated on several occasions (most notably at the end of When In Rome) that she's with Xena by her own choice, and has accepted the possible consequences of their life together. The best thing for the both of them would be for Xena to just 'fess up to Gabrielle about Alti's visions, and let the two of them figure it out together.
The key to avoiding the crucifixion scene is simple, actually. Two things (the Warrior Princess might want to get her bard to write this down for future reference):
1.) Don't let Gabrielle try a new haircut, andHead south, Xena, and Gabrielle can remain by your side!
2.) Avoid areas prone to snowfall at all costs.
Low blow of the series award goes to Najara for the "I wouldn't hurt her - that's your job" comment. I was howling in pain for several minutes after that. Yow! I'm amazed that Xena didn't just grab her chakram and slit Najara's throat on the spot. Damn.
I don't really care about the subtext debate, really - I see what I see and others see what they see, but I have to say that this episode had some of the most blatant maintext ever. How many other shows have featured as their climactic scene two women fighting over another woman? Xena's very-evil-Xena line into the mirror, "I know her weakness - it's the same one I've got", and of course the immortal "If I can't have her, nobody can" were about as subtle as the business end of Xena's sword. Not to mention Xena's entire body language when she followed Gabrielle and Najara down to the lake. Jealousy, thy name is Warrior Princess.
I really am starting to wonder if/when we're going to see Xena "snap" for real this season. She was starting down the road off the deep end in Sin Trade, then she got Gabrielle back in A Family Affair (but what a rocky road that was), then she had to deal with Shark Island Prison, now she gets her butt whupped by a simpering zealot and almost loses Gabrielle yet again. I really think she's well on her way to losing it at some point. In this ep, Xena was quite different from how we've seen her before. Before this, have we seen Xena travel with anyone else when she wasn't the one doing the inviting? She was really more of a peripheral character until the big fight at the end, and she was unusually quiet even for her. When she went nutty in the final scene, I really wasn't sure at first that it was all an act.
I hope TPTB don't rely on their usual "X&G will work out all of their issues off-camera" formula to follow up on this episode. Gabrielle's statement that Xena's dark side frightens her definitely deserves some more detailed treatment in future. And will Xena ever reveal to Gabrielle Alti's vision and her attempt to leave her behind? Some definite potential for drama there.
Random notes: