Locked Up And Tied Down

After two viewings I'm still not sure what I think of this one.

First of all, I just cannot get past the way Xena, Warrior Princess, Destroyer of Nations committed this horrible, heinous crime. Leaving someone to be NIBBLED to death by CRABS?!?!? I mean, come ON! I was laughing so hard at the very idea, I really had a hard time seeing this as a serious episode until the second time around, when I wasn't surrounded by a.) my spousal unit, who is not a fan and makes my life hell for being one, b.) my Xenite friend who only likes the comedies (let's call him Crow) and c.) my friend who watches occasionally but not often enough to know what's going on, and who showed up 15 minutes late so we had to explain the whole thing to him anyway.

As if we needed proof that marrying the executive producer doesn't provide the star with any perks: Lucy has to deal with being attacked by rats again. Gods, what that woman has to suffer for her art! I don't think she had to dig too deep within herself to find that emphatic "that's ENOUGH!".

It didn't seem like Xena fell 8 stories into the pit, but that's how high up the grating seemed to be from the vantage point of the floor. I was waiting for a neck-cracking sound effect when she flung the rat up to knock the chakram down. (That was another moment of abject hilarity which I fear really wasn't supposed to be that funny.)

Three cheers for Gabrielle! She displayed some really nifty moves in the opening fight scene (though who in Hades did she think she was, Mark McGwire?); intelligently and resourcefully got into the prison; and more than held her own once she got there. The scene with the broom was a stitch. I don't see as much of a problem with her getting knocked out as most people - frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't happened more often, considering the scraps she gets herself into.

When Gabrielle was sitting in the bar regarding the chakram, I was half expecting some thug to come running up and grab it out of her hands. That thing's gotta be worth some dinars. In fact, when I first saw it the first thing I thought was, "Sell it, Gabrielle, and live an opulent life!"

Xena really wrung herself through the ringer in this one, didn't she? If she just waltzes through the next few eps without any psychological residue from her weeklong vacation on Shark Island, I'll be rather disappointed.

Episode Rating: 6