Amac Productions

This title is a mouthful.

And it’s a clip episode…

Hmm. Okay, let me be real honest with you right now. I have never liked clip episodes. Ever. I cannot recall one show from this era, that did a clip show that I enjoyed. And when I do rewatches, I always skip them.

So, this one was a struggle for me.

The opening is good, with Gabrielle telling a story of Xena from a previous episode. I don’t think anything of it right away.

Instead, I’m interested in what Gabrielle’s doing. She mentioned before she wanted to study to be a bard. I think in the episode crossing over with Hercules.

Cool.

It works really well too!

Gabrielle is a natural storyteller. She has a ton of material to work with being around Xena so much and on the road. Plus, it’ll help make some money for them while they travel, as Xena doesn’t seem very keen on accepting anything for her good deeds.

It works, and fits in with narrative overall.

Not to mention, it fits Gabrielle. Who hasn’t really stopped talking since we met her in the pilot episode.

But we’re quickly introduced to the point of the episode, to rehash Xena’s history.

We’re only 13 episodes in, I really don’t want or need a history lesson right now. I don’t. This is the first episode where I really don’t care for what happens.

Mostly, because nothing happens!

Gabrielle tells Xena she wants to try the academy instead of fighting the giant with Xena. She claims she’ll be go for four to five years.

The show won’t allow that to happen, so the writing is on the wall that this won’t happen.

And I’m for the sillier episodes of Xena, but this one was a bit tedious for me.

I did like Homer and the others being real live figures Gabrielle helps, because it does showcase how her words touch people. How they’ve touched Xena.

I even loved Gabrielle listening to a story of Xena prior to the series.

By the way, was that from her debut on Hercules? I still got to watch that.

I loved that she acknowledges that Xena has changed and illustrates how. But it once again, shows how naive she is. I don’t think she truly grasps how evil Xena was before they met.

She sees her friend making the right choices, doing the right thing, and being a good person now. I imagine it’s hard for Gabrielle to imagine her as someone cruel, cold, and evil. Even faced with the stories of her past, her reputation.

She hasn’t truly, come face to face with Xena as a warlord.

I think for Gabrielle, it’s not entirely tangible.

It colors her perspective now of her friend. Putting her on a pedestal Xena will surely fall off one day.

Because as of now, Xena is firmly set on her path to do the right thing. So I haven’t really seen her tempted to return to her old ways. But the further you get along in life, determinations wane.

When will it happen to Xena?

It’s bound to happen. Right? A plot like that is too juicy to waste!

I wouldn’t. Anyway.

I did enjoy seeing Gabrielle stretch her wings in a more solo outing where she had to stand on her own two feet. I loved the idea of her inspiring such loyalty, because she is so genuine. So good, so kind. It’s hard not to want to be around that.

I loved the moment when they all stood up for her.

I even loved that Homer’s father managed to chill.

I just wish there were no clips. More of Gabrielle making friends and seen outside of Xena, because that would be interesting to me.

Eh.

Not every episode is going to be a winner.

However, I loved the decision made by Gabrielle to return to be with Xena. Especially, her innocent act like she’d never gone away at all.

While I knew it wasn’t going to stick and it wasn’t going to be because she didn’t win, I like the choice made by the writers. It fits perfectly with the choices Gabrielle has made thus far.

She wants a life of adventure.

It’s why she went after Xena in the first place. She wanted to be a warrior and while that may have changed, she still wants to experience life. Something she cannot do, studying in an academy for five years. It’s very in line with her character.

However, I’m curious to find when it’ll switch between wanting to experience life and specifically to experiencing life with Xena.

Because it certainly factors. She after all, went and found Xena. She didn’t just wander Greece aimlessly. And she specifically points out ‘we’ when referencing having adventures to tell stories about. Clearly, Xena was an important part of her choice to return.

But not the main point.

The main point is still Gabrielle’s original reasoning.

With her connection to Xena having more undertones here.

Then on the flipside, we have the moment when they part in tavern.

Xena is clearly affected by Gabrielle’s choice to go to the academy. She even comes off as upset and saddened by the news that her friend is leaving her. And for a while.

Then she graces us with a wonderful line that almost makes up for this being a clip episode, “Even if I was surrounded by an army, I’d still notice you weren’t there.”

I don’t think I’ve nailed the wording exactly, but you get the point.

That’s a lot of people, Xena.

I think Gabrielle snuck beneath her walls and is more important to Xena than Xena cares to examine. In fact, I’m almost certain Xena is all, ‘nope, not looking closer at that. That’s how I’ll get myself in trouble.’

Except she’s already doomed.

That woman’s face lit up when Gabrielle returned to her side.

She already has it bad.

I can just imagine she was moping around without her friend the entire time Gabrielle was at the academy. Wishing someone was talking her ear off, or getting into trouble. Anything.

I would have preferred seeing a moping Xena over the rundown of what I’ve already watched!

Like Luke when he and Lorelai aren’t together and he’s tossing everyone out of his diner for looking at him sideways. I feel like that’s how Xena would act.

Sigh.

My imagination is fun though.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me next! See ya next week!

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