Amac Productions

I can’t even with this show.

Can you?

I love that season two is like gayest episode ever followed by a straight episode to appease the higher ups. Lovely.

This episode appeases the higher ups but it’s also wonderful in its charming dumbness.

Draco returns to kidnap virgins.

Cupid has a child.

Wants to have another one even though he left his current one alone in a room full of weapons. Like literal bows and arrows. Which the child then proceeded to use on various people making a village go crazy.

Lovely.

No, Cupid. No more children for you until you can safeguard the one you already possess.

I love that it was Karl Urban.

Hi evil Roman dictator AKA Cupid AKA that zealot who wanted his brother dead in season one. I love the reuse of actors. It’s never not fun to me.

We left Draco in love with Gabrielle because he’s better like that.

Joxer is actually in love with Gabrielle.

Which – I think – Cupid may be the only one surprised by that news as he tried to dispel Joxer’s love, and it didn’t work.

Though, I loved watching him smack Joxer in the head.

Very nice.

And Joxer somehow didn’t bother me as much as he has before in episodes which is amazing considering he was all over Gabrielle and vice versa. But I also think it has something to do with the episode we could have had if it probably was vetoed for being too gay.

Because when Gabrielle is struck by the arrow, she’s turning and actively looking for Xena in that moment.

BUT, Joxer gets in the way.

And I can’t even really be mad at Joxer because this is the time the show was on, and they were already pushing the boundaries so much. I imagine this was one line they couldn’t really cross.

I mean, they thought seeing Draco’s long hair in the opener would make the show too queer. Or letting Renee be showcased during the opener was too much, so I don’t think an episode where Gabrielle is shot with an arrow and falls in love with Xena openly was going to happen.

So I just sort of used Joxer as a lovely stand in for what could have been.

And it would have been hilarious.

Much like Gabrielle throughout the beginning of the episode as she is confused by Xena’s sudden infatuation of Draco and disgusted.

Which is so funny.

Because there’s a part of me that thinks they’re together already and a part that thinks, maybe they’re still dancing around each other a bit.

Like when Gabrielle says ‘it’s hard being chaste.’ It feels like she’s flirting with Xena or telling her to hurry up. Like, honey, let’s go, I want to sleep with you. More than snoring next to each other every night.

Xena even felt like she was flirting back.

Or maybe they are together and haven’t slept together yet.

Either way, this is amazing watching Gabrielle trying to knock some sense into Xena only for Xena to come to her senses when Gabrielle shows interest in someone else. Joxer.

She’s then disgusted and jealous.

And she’s annoyed with Draco. For the most part, it doesn’t even seem like she’s disgusted with Draco for being in love with Gabrielle and not her. She’s disgusted by how he goes about it.

He wants to force Gabrielle to love him no matter what.

But the person he is will always prevent that.

Much like Xena herself understands that being a good person and keeping herself out of the darkness endears herself to Gabrielle. Honestly, the parallels between Xena’s words and her relationship to Gabrielle were amazing. You could basically trade Draco out and put Xena in his place and it would work the same.

She cannot force Gabrielle’s love. But she can earn it.

By doing the right thing.

I like that she wanted to let Draco keep that as well. Work towards being a better man and make the world a little better. Much like last episode where love brightens the darkness, it does so here as well as Draco will make the world better.

Like punching a guy who wants to sell a bunch of virgins and calling the deal off.

Look, the world is getting better already.

The sheer chaos of a baby making everyone fall in love is an amazing plotline and so much fun because the characters get to act so out of character while it still makes sense.

But here’s my favorite part of the episode.

The campfire at the end of the episode.

Xena and Gabrielle have each learned a little something from their discussion at the start of the episode and the events that occurred. Xena is forced to admit that love is a good thing and the world needs it. Even her.

While Gabrielle admits it can also be dangerous when left unchecked. The growth is wonderful.

However, it also doesn’t really matter what they’re saying because watching them interact in such a normal everyday environment is wonderful. Much like A Day in the Life, it gives a peek into what it looks like when the cameras aren’t on them.

They bicker, discuss their day, get ready for bed, and sit together by the campfire.

Think about how much time they have together at night watching the fire, cooking, talking, and just being together without anyone else around. Think about how well they must know each other. How many stories they’ve shared or quiet silences when they just enjoy each other’s company. It’s lovely to see a glimpse into those moments and I love it.

But I also love that the show doesn’t ignore things either.

Because while all of this normalcy is going on, Joxer is quiet and sullen.

The camera pushes in on him slowly and we can see how sad he is that what happened today wasn’t real. That Gabrielle can’t even imagine the idea of them being together, that she finds it laughable.

Joxer gives a half-hearted agreement to it but continues to quietly mope by the fire.

He doesn’t tell Gabrielle how he really feels and understands she does not care for him in the same way.

And for the first time, Joxer is truly more than comic relief or an incredible nuance to me – he becomes a real character. A person with thoughts and real feelings.

He’s sad but he doesn’t make it anyone else’s problem.

He doesn’t bemoan why she doesn’t like him to everyone nearby and wish she would like a ‘nice guy’ like him.

He cradles his heart in his hands by the fire, mourning the loss.

But the moment that wraps it all together is that while Gabrielle is oblivious to Joxer’s crushed heart, Xena is not.

Carefully, she rests a comforting hand on his shoulder and gives him a quiet look acknowledging his crushed heart. Giving him a shoulder should he need and a nod that he is not alone. That she understands that he is grieving something.

It’s treated with care and kindness.

Which is nice, because Joxer is often played as the butt of the joke or the guy no one wants around. But here, Xena pushes past how much he may annoy her to acknowledge that he’s crushed. The girl he likes doesn’t like him back. She even finds the thought laughable.

Gabrielle has no idea she’s causing him any pain, or she wouldn’t have be so cold. I think she believed Joxer was also affected by the spell.

Unlike Xena who knows the truth.

And I loved that Joxer accepted the comfort.

Even though Xena is the one with Gabrielle’s affections.

He didn’t look at her as a rival or competition. Simply a person offering what she can to someone who just had their heartbroken. Xena wasn’t rubbing anything in. She was just there.

I loved that quiet moment between them.

I also think that Joxer should be utilized like this more often rather than being the butt of everyone’s jokes. Because he’s not really a bad guy. He’s annoying and he inflates himself to more than he is, but he’s not really a bad person underneath it all.

And he didn’t deserve to be hurt by that spell.

Truly a wonderful episode even though everyone was in love with all the wrong people at all the wrong times for all the wrong reasons and we discovered that Cupid is an irresponsible father.

Love it.

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