Xena Reviews: Season 5, Episode 1

Fallen Angel – Director: John Fawcett/Story: Rob Tapert, R.J. Stewart/Teleplay: R.J. Stewart

This one starts with Joxer showing up at Mount Amaro and running into Amarice and Eli. Apparently, he came because he was having nightmares about Xena and Gabi being in trouble, but the reality turns out to be worse when he sees they’ve been crucified. He vows to return their bodies to Greece. Meanwhile, Xena and Gabi’s souls are in the afterlife, where they’re taken up toward Heaven by some angels. But they’re attacked by demons (led by a demonized Callisto), who throw Gabi down into Hell before going after Xena.

Archangels arrive (led by Michael) and save Xena, taking her up to Heaven and driving off the demons. Michael tells Xena there’s a war going on in the afterlife between Good and Evil and when Xena finds out Gabi is in Hell, she’s ready to jump down there and save her. Michael warns Xena that going to Hell voluntarily is a bad idea, as she’d be tempted to eat the fruit of Evil and become a demon. Xena says her soul is bound to Gabi’s and she’ll save her no matter what it takes. In Hell, Callisto torments Gabi and tries to get her to eat the fruit, but Gabi refuses. On Earth, Joxer, Amarice, and Eli take Xena and Gabi’s bodies down from the crosses. (At first, Joxer’s so freaked out that he can’t even look at them, but Amarice reminds him they can’t do it without his help.) In Heaven, Xena undergoes a test to become an archangel and passes when she chooses fire over water.

On Earth, Amarice mourns for Xena and gives Eli shit, blaming his peace stuff for getting Gabi and Xena killed. Joxer breaks up the argument, but Eli doesn’t really argue with Amarice, probably because he was already feeling guilty. Xena and Michael prepare to lead a group into Hell to rescue Gabi, but Michael warns Xena that if Gabi’s become fully demonized, the only way to save her will be for Xena to give Gabi her own Light … dooming Xena to spend eternity as a demon in Hell. Since Gabi refuses to eat, Callisto has other demons force feed her, which does turn her into a demon. Xena and the others come to rescue Gabi and while the archangels fly her up to Heaven, Xena fights Callisto. Xena wounds her and Callisto vows that she’ll never stop hating Xena for killing her family … so Xena gives up her Light to restore Callisto’s soul. Gabi is purified in Heaven, while Demon Xena prepares to lead an all-out assault from Hell.

When Gabi finds out Xena gave up her own soul to redeem Callisto, she can’t believe it and blames Callisto (who recognizes Gabi, but can’t remember any of the evil things she did because she’s become the person she would’ve been if her family had lived). Michael warns Gabi about Xena’s planned attack and worries she might be too much for them. On Earth, Joxer and Amarice decide to bury Xena and Gabi in a ruined temple somewhere between Italy and Greece because there are too many Romans around for them to get the bodies back to Greece. Gabi tells Michael she can lure Xena away during the fight, but he warns her that Xena can’t be saved, saying the only way to stop her is to chop her up and let her spend eternity in pieces. Gabi says she’ll do whatever it takes and she’s sent to undergo her own test before becoming an archangel. This test involves her forgiving Callisto, which she does after some hesitation. Gabi becomes an archangel just as Xena leads the demons in an attack on Heaven.

The plan works and Gabi draws Xena away from the main fight. Xena begs Gabi to join her in Hell, but naturally Gabi refuses, setting Xena up for Michael to attack her. As the battle rages, Gabi (who’s fighting pretty well with a sword) draws Xena off by flying up into the clouds. As Xena and Gabi fight, Eli questions his faith and Callisto manifests to lend him her power. Xena beats Gabi and is about to take her to Hell when Eli (and Callisto) resurrect them and they wake up back on Earth. Callisto’s spirit touches Xena before Michael takes her to Heaven to be reunited with her family. Everyone is thrilled (and stunned) to have Xena and Gabi back from the dead and Gabi tells Xena they’re going to be together for eternity, to which Xena can only agree. Xena’s actually not quite herself yet, but we’ll have to wait until next episode to see that.

This is a good episode … not great, but not terrible (which is why it’s #92 on my all-time list). You could say that about a lot of the Fifth Season episodes; they’re not terrible, they’re just not as good as many of the episodes from the first 4 seasons (although they definitely get better in the second half of Season 5). There were some changes behind the scenes with some new creators coming in and old ones leaving, and a change in focus from Greek myth to a more Judeo-Christian vibe, which a lot of fans think was a mistake. In this particular episode you can also notice some differences in actual production, with more CGI and a shift from film to videotape that gives it a strange feel. I would’ve preferred if they’d stuck to the Greek roots that made Xena interesting in the first place, but I guess they wanted to show the old beliefs being supplanted by the new and naturally Xena and Gabi would have a pivotal role to play in that transfer of power.

This episode introduces Heaven and Hell to the already-crowded afterlife and we see that Xena and Gabi are both destined for Heaven (although it’s mentioned that they will be reborn in new bodies, as we saw in Between the Lines). Apparently, Satan still wants Xena’s soul (as he did in Ides of March) and sends Callisto get it. It’s ironic that Gabi is the one who goes to Hell and Xena has to save her. We finally get a resolution to the long-running Callisto saga when Xena uses her own Light to redeem Callisto, making her the person she would’ve been if Xena’s men hadn’t killed her family. Callisto returns the favour, helping Eli revive Xena and Gabi and giving Xena back some of her Light (which will turn out to be a baby … a plot twist dictated by Lucy’s real-life pregnancy). And Gabi forgives Callisto too, something we’d expect from Gabi but something that wasn’t easy for her (and was probably just as important for Gabi’s spiritual growth as it was for Callisto’s).

Demon Xena is pretty intense, but it’s interesting that her first thought is to get Gabi to join her in Hell (something Gabi knew she’d do). Xena says their love transcends Good and Evil, Heaven and Hell, that it’s an end unto itself. I think she’s right: even though Michael said she was irredeemable, I think some part of Xena still loved Gabi and that’s why she wanted her beside her in Hell. Gabi said she was ready to cut Xena to pieces to stop her and she probably meant it, knowing Xena wouldn’t want to be evil forever (just as Xena was ready to kill Gabi in Devi when she was possessed by Tataka). But Gabi’s love reached Xena’s soul and I think the love they have for each other is what allows them to be resurrected.

I have a theory that this episode ends with Xena and Gabi’s wedding. Watch the last few minutes of the episode and then consider these points: they’re in a ruined temple with light streaming in through the windows (like a church or cathedral); they’re both wearing shrouds that could double as wedding dresses (dirty, but off-white suits tarnished souls like these two); Eli is the officiant and Joxer and Amarice are the witnesses; Joxer touches Gabi’s face, then looks at Xena and walks away (giving away the bride); Gabi tells Xena they’re going to be together for eternity and Xena agrees (the vows); and just before the final credits come up, you can hear bells on the soundtrack … and they sound like wedding bells to me. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, seeing something I want to see, but as far as I’m concerned, this was Xena and Gabi’s wedding, symbolically at least. And if you watch all the Season 5 and 6 episodes through the lens of them being a married couple, it puts a different spin on things. (Especially for the Fifth Season; by Season 6 they weren’t even trying to hide it anymore.)

Noticeable Things:

• Gabi looks good in her archangel armour and she’s pretty handy with a sword. In later episodes, we’ll see her fighting with many different weapons (especially a pair of sais) and I can’t help wondering if she had some divine training to get so good so fast. Time probably passes differently in the afterlife, so she could’ve gotten some intensive instruction in swordplay while she was there.
• The first thing Xena and Gabi do upon being resurrected is hold each other’s hands.

Favourite Quotes:

• “Michael, Gabrielle’s soul and mine were destined to be together. I can’t let her walk through Hell alone.” Xena letting Michael know how important Gabi is to her.
• “Depends who you talk to.” Xena’s response when Michael asks if she’s crazy for wanting to jump into Hell to rescue Gabi.
• “You wanted them to die so you’d have a reason to be a bitch.” Demon Gabi getting salty with Demon Callisto.