As most of you know now, I'm a lousy critic of Xena: Warrior Princess. I
love the show and the vision of Xenastaff FAR too much to be anywhere near
objective about the show. I do style myself a writer and a creative
person, and I try to analyze the episodes as such. I am a student of
military history and a practical afficianado of psychology. I am also a
Buddhist after a fashion. Let me state again after three viewings of this
episode that this program is my ideal television show. It strikes such an
emotional chord with me that often times a single viewing renders me
transformed for the day. Now I have to deal with the cumulative effect of
a massive and wonderful 6 episode arc of Xena that culminates in Xena's and
Gabrielle's complete spiritual rebirth right before mine amazed eyes. As
far as I know, no TV show has dealt with this kind of subject matter let
alone in the genre of a full scale Opera Buffa. It was a grand,
bittersweet experience.
What is an Opera Buffa? It is a play with singing and spoken dialog, the
most famous of which was Don Giovanni. What could be more serious than,
grief, rage, murder, hatred, vengeance, lust, shame, regret forgiveness,
trust, love, and surrendering to the flow of life? This episode, in 44
minutes proved to be as rich in resonance as many operas I've heard (I'm an
opera fan) combined with the exploration of the greatest mystery of life,
the mystery of the growth of the spirit. I will not go in depth with this
subject now because this email is more an exploration of the episode
itself, but fear not I will be posting an intensive look at the issues this
episode and the rift raised very soon.
The episode begins with Xena and Gabrielle, goaded by two of their worst
enemies Ares and Callisto giving into their rage and hatred of each other
following the death of their respective children. Xena driven mad by grief
charges into the Amazon camp attacks (breaking Ephiny's arm in the attack)
wraps Gabrielle up with her whip and on a BROWN HORSE not Argo and drags
Gabrielle to the top of a waterfall. This drag echos that of the poor
Chinese cavalryman in The Debt part one and is utterly harrowing because
you know its GABRIELLE being dragged. When Xena dismounts, she lifts
Gabrielle over her head and makes to hurl her over the edge. Gabrielle,
who is still conscious belts Xena on the ear and Xena drops her. Totally
awash in rage and pain, Gabrielle yells "I HATE YOU!" charges Xena in a
suicidal attempt to kill her erstwhile friend. Xena, who could have easily
ducked Gabrielle, I believe LETS Gabrielle carry her over the edge to what
seems to be a watery grave.
It is here that I will no longer go on with a plot synopsis, because what
follows is incredibly wild, surrealistic, at first confusing and later on
devastating and uplifting visit to the magical land of Illusia. Illusia is
the world of attitudes and feelings. Xena and Gabrielle have their own
guides, Xena has Callisto and Gabrielle has Joxer. It is a world based on
surrender to fate and communication. It is the place where Xena and
Gabrielle will apply what the preceding two and a half seasons have taught
them.
The biggest advantage that television has over staged opera is that the
filmed IMAGE can suppliment the power of the music and the singing.
Special effects and the camera were used to wonderful effect by Oley
Sassone to convey the intense emotion of the situation and the urgency of
the choice Xena has to make. The same choice is given to Gabrielle. They
must LET GO. The images from Callisto guiding Xena in a cute, yes cute,
frock and pageboy hair style to Ares acting the arrogant lustful mail swine
in bright red armor are utterly devastating. The images come so fast and
with such vivid effects that the feelings generated in me were those of
wonder, confusion, and fear. Both Xena and Gabrielle are given scenes from
their pasts. Ares and his army urge Xena to kill Gabrielle for betrayal,
while the citizens of Potidaea urge Gabrielle to kill Xena. The contrasts
between the two parts of this path is amazing. Potidaea is in bright
pastel hues with bright sunshine, reflecting Gabrielle's own personality,
but it is LILLA, Gabrielle's beloved sister Lilla who urges murder on
Gabrielle for Xena's betrayal of her in Brittania. Xena's is more
familiar, it is dark forboding, drenched in the color of fresh blood. In
this world, It doesn't matter. Happy or sad pasts can lead to death.
This is just the beginning of the symbolism. Throughout the episode, Xena
must confront the wheel of fate. At the beginning Callisto told Xena that
she has fought against her fate all her life. She must now make a choice,
continue to struggle and die, or surrender and live. Later on in the book,
Xena tells Gabrielle the same thing, with the addition that they must go
through this together. The wheel has bound them to their path.
In that very same scene, in a lovely song of rage and pain, Xena and
Gabrielle actually clearly tell each other what they feel. Pain, loss,
anger, distrust, and hate. These admissions cause the flaming tendrils of
Dahok to emerge from the wheel and they drag them into the wheel only to
discover they've been returned to the most awful moments of their lives.
Xena's crucifixion on Caesar's cross, and Gabrielle's chaining Dahok's
sacrificial altar. The moment is announced by a black shrouded wraith.
There all their greatest enemies, including themselves (a direct reference
to Dreamworker Both the Evil Xena and Gabrielle wear the huge black contact
lenses of the evil Xena in that episode) and they both at once realize that
if they are to survive the destruction of their immortal souls they must
give up their rage and hate and turn to the love they shared. This is done
in a magnificent duet and when they realize this, all their enemies explode
and their bonds are released. A wall opens to Solon behind a wall of rain.
Gabrielle exits easily through the wall, but the wraith, the one enemy
that Xena's and Gabrielles didn't destroy still exists. Xena passes a hand
through the rain and it is burned as if with acid. Xena has two more
deceptions to reveal. Her killing of Ming Tien (that is the wraith) and
her witholding of her maternity to her son. This is done with a
magnificent song that the memory of which makes me cry.
How much more can we expect from Xenastaff? Everybody was just
incredible. I have SEEN Lucy's talent for musical theater in the flesh.
Her singing voice is amazing, combined with her acting skill made the song
"Forgive Me" absolutely unforgettable. How can Lucy Lawless, a mere human
turn in devastating performance after devastating performance week after
week? I don't know. Renee again was marvellous. We know that her voice
was dubbed (by Bernadette Peters perhaps?) but she sold the lip synching
very well indeed and turned in a performance anyone would be very justly
proud.
The Book (scripts of musicals are called books) by Steven Sears and Chris
Mannheim was incredibly dense and layered, yet with all that was going on
completely comprehensible. Again Tyldus shows his extreme sensitivity to
"The Relationship" and writes a strong and hurt Bard as well as Warrior
Princess. His knowledge of the spirit is great indeed. I will explore
that in my later post.
I am not a music critic, but I loved Joe LoDuca's score. He is supremely
sophisticated in using all instruments and captures the tremendous emotion
needed amazingly. Without his music, the story would not have been
comprehensible, and the rift conclusion wouldn't have been successful.
Gabrielle now has her own clear leitmotif to go with Xena's two. He
deserves an Emmy The lyric writing team headed by RJ Stewart did an
amazing job of capturing in verse the exact emotion any scene needed.
The Special Effects team at Flat Earth deserve a medal. Never before has
there been so many effects in a 44 minute Xena. I also have never seen FX
so successful at setting both atmosphere and moving the plot along. The
singing sphinxes and the sphinxes towing Ares chariots were the outstanding
highlights out of an episode PACKED with them.
Again Robert Field deserves an Emmy for his editing. That's three
masterpieces from him this year. The Debts, Maternal Instincts and The
Bitter Suite. How this man can do such tremendous quality work on his
schedule and survive is a miracle. At least someone ought to buy him a
case of 30 year old single malt scotch. He deserves it.
This was another masterpiece in a season of masterpieces. I haven't even
gotten started yet. That is for my next post. Again to everybody at
Renaissance Pictures----BRAVO.
LordNelson