The Way

Can we say "intense", boys and girls?

As with many, I would have a hell of a lot more respect for the Hindu protesters of this episode if they'd actually watched the thing first.  When I first heard there was a protest I didn't know exactly why, but I wasn't entirely surprised since I could totally see TPTB unwittingly being cavalier with something in these India eps that would piss some people off.  But to go off on it just out of pure homophobia ... that's utterly ridiculous. I find that more offensive than they're claiming to have found the show.  But enough of that.

It was great to see Eli again ... he's come a long way in just a few weeks, hasn't he?  :)  Contrary to what some are conjecturing, I don't think he was meant to be Jesus -- more like Elijah.  Gabrielle only gave her donkey to that nice couple from Judea just over two years ago (I know time follows no logic in the Xenaverse, but that would be a bit extreme even for this show).  Plus, if you're going to follow what we know from the New Testament, it's true what another Xenite (sorry, can't recall who) posted about the fact that he was pretty much clued in to who he was at the age of 13.  Elijah, however, was also supposed to have been a traveler and a healer, so that makes more sense.

Questions:

• Why does Gabrielle still have her mehndi, but Xena doesn't?  Does Xena scrub harder in the bath, or what?

• What happened to Xena's wonderful togs from last week?  Shoved in the saddlebags with Gabrielle's pink nightie?  Granted her armor makes more sense, but I was hoping for at least a two-week costume change here.

• "Ever since you met me, I've been on a spiritual journey" - huh? What show have I been watching?  Apparently not the one where Gabrielle always wanted to be a healer and not a storyteller, nor where she's been on this huge spiritual quest that didn' start out with following Xena around like a lovesick puppy.  Guess I need to pull out those 1st and 2nd season tapes again, I've obviously missed something.

• WHY WAS GABRIELLE JUST STANDING THERE while Xena was getting chopped to pieces by the demon god??  Xena was getting sliced and diced in front of her eyes, and all she could do was stare helplessly and hold on to Eli for dear life.  Is that really the way she wants to travel ... potentially watching her best friend die in front of her because she's too morally superior to do something to try to stop the carnage?  Really makes you wonder - and makes the lack of an "I'm staying with you because I love you" statement in the final scene stand out as important.  What's the real reason why Gabrielle is staying with Xena, anyway?  It's hard to tell any more.

• Now that Gabrielle has tossed her staff ("sorry, Ephiny -- I, um, lost it.  Yeah, that's it. I lost it in the Ganges"), is Xena going to have to go back to constantly keeping an eye out for her when they're under attack?  The look on Xena's face as she watched it fly into the water sure seemed to imply she's thinking that's what's going to happen.  Considering what Xena had said earlier about losing her focus in a fight because she's worrying about messing up her karma, that's not an additional mental burden she can afford to bear.  It'll be interesting to see how (or whether) this plays out.

• LOVED the interaction between Gabrielle and Eli after they got locked into the temple by Indrajit.  Gabrielle's reaction to the entire situation was priceless, and a welcome glimpse of the sidekick we all know and (sometimes) love.  There's been too little of that lately.

• Xena's REALLY got to work on protecting that left side.  She's always getting slashed in the arm there, and it was her left leg Gabrielle was vainly trying to stitch up at the beginning of "Paradise Found".

• However, apparently there's not much you can do when you're getting attacked by a six-armed demon god.  Watching her get the Black Knight treatment at the hands of Indrajit was a bit much.  (I hate it when a Monty Python reference presents itself in an otherwise totally serious scene ...)

• I actually started wondering if it was another illuso-Xena when the limbs started flying hither and yon.  Wishful thinking, I know ... at least Krishna was good enough to restore Xena to her intact self after it was all over.  Yowch.

• I started cracking up when Indrajit was climbing up to get Xena ... one arm, then two, then three, then four ... they just kept on coming!

• My overall objections to Gabby ditching her staff aside, the last scene was really nice.  "Thanks for not mentioning dams."  Awwww.  But the question remains: is Xena really okay with her Warrior Way?  Or is this going to provide plot conflicts for the rest of the series?  I really can't see Gabrielle's new pacifist path meshing with Xena's lifestyle too well going forward.  But hey, conflict is how you get a plot, right?

• Xena, honey: get the bangs back.  This week's look was just horrid.  :)

• So we had the filmed-fanfic ep "Paradise Found" a couple weeks ago ... and now we have the introduction of a forest dweller!  (Yes, I know Haruman is a character from the Ramayana, but I couldn't help but notice a similarity.)  I'm waiting for Missy Good to announce that she's suing the show. ;)  What's next - a young Amazon named Cait when they next get back to the Amazon village? Picking up a pet wolf named Ares on their way home to Greece?  ;)