Xena Reviews: Season 5, Episode 3

Succession – Director: Rick Jacobson/Writer: Steven L. Sears

This one starts with Ares banging a mortal worshipper named Mavican. She pledges her sword to his service, hoping to become his new chosen representative, like Xena used to be. But Ares tells her she’s not in Xena’s league (because Xena never asked him for anything) and takes off, leaving Mavican rather upset. Elsewhere, Xena and Gabi are attacked by five bandits and Xena takes them all out, leaving Gabi pissed off at Xena still being overprotective after all these years … especially since Gabi’s become quite a good fighter lately. Ares shows up to commiserate with Gabi over Xena not being able to see how much she’s changed. After Ares leaves, Mavican shows up, telling Gabi she wants to meet Xena and the best way to do that is to kill Gabi.

Xena arrives to face Mavican, which pisses Gabi off some more, since Xena keeps interfering in her fights. Mavican mentions wanting to take Xena’s place and attacks her. Before the fight gets out of hand, Ares shows up and opens a portal to a pocket dimension. He tells Mavican that if she kills Xena, she’ll become his right hand warrior, but if Xena kills Mavican, she’ll be condemned to spend eternity in the other dimension. Ares adds that any of them can call on him for help whenever they want, then he sends all three of them through the portal. Gabi finds herself in a large room, featureless except for a shaft of light from above. Since there’s no sign of Xena and no way out, Gabi settles down to wait. Xena is in a forest with Mavican, who—despite the fact neither of them have their weapons— attacks her immediately. Xena kicks her ass, but Mavican takes off, figuring she’ll have a better chance at night. When the sun sets, Xena finds herself in the darkened room, while Gabi appears in the forest. Thanks to Ares, Xena can see (but not hear or talk to) Gabi through a mystical screen. Gabi finds Mavican’s camp, but suspects a trap. She rigs some traps of her own before entering the campsite and when Mavican attacks, Gabi gets the advantage over her. Gabi figures she can kill Mavican, even if Xena can’t, but she hesitates and Mavican knocks her out. Gabi wakes up in a cage and Mavican rants about how killing Xena will make her famous and fulfill her destiny. Mavican waits for Xena to come rescue Gabi, but is startled when the sun rises and Xena appears in the cage, taking Gabi’s place.

Mavican and Xena realize that Ares has made it so Xena and Gabi share one body, Xena getting it during the day and Gabi at night. Xena tries to convince Mavican that Ares is their true enemy, but she won’t listen. Xena busts out of the cage, but Mavican takes off, figuring she can just wait until nightfall to attack Gabi again. Since Xena and Gabi share a body, killing Gabi will kill Xena and Mavican assumes Gabi will be easier to kill. Xena spends the day preparing weapons and traps for a campsite of her own, in anticipation of Gabi taking her place that night. Ares shows up to taunt Xena, reminding her that Gabi can kill Mavican. That makes Xena realize Ares wants Gabi to kill Mavican, although she’s not sure why. Xena lures Mavican to her camp and captures her with some thorny vines, but when the sun goes down and Gabi takes Xena’s place, she’s disoriented. Mavican gets the upper hand and prepares to kill her.

Mavican tells Gabi about the body-switching thing Ares has set up (since Ares didn’t let Gabi watch Xena’s side of things). Xena has set up a trap that’s triggered when Gabi grabs a conveniently-placed staff and Mavican is smashed by a swinging log (reminiscent of the one that hit Xena in Destiny). Mavican manages to throw a flint arrowhead into Gabi’s shoulder and Gabi takes off. Ares shows up to taunt Xena some more and she realizes this while thing is to test Gabi as his possible successor, not Mavican. As Mavican tracks her through the forest, Gabi finds a cave to hide in and tends her wound. She finds a note from Xena (written on a piece of bark wrapped around the staff) telling her about the body-switch and warning her not to kill Mavican because it’s what Ares wants. Ares shows up to offer her a place at his side, playing on her resentment at Xena still treating her like a kid. Ares says he’s changed his focus and needs someone by his side who knows how to fight, but has the discretion not to. Ares gives Gabi one of her sais and takes off, telling her to kill Mavican and save Xena.

Mavican finds Gabi and they fight. Gabi gets the upper hand, but refuses to kill Mavican, not wanting to become Ares’ pawn. As the sun rises, Gabi and Xena switch places and Xena collapses the cave entrance, telling Mavican her destiny is to die unknown and forgotten. No matter who wins their fight, Mavican will be trapped in the cave forever and no one will ever know what happened there. Xena grabs Mavican and dangles both of them over a bottomless chasm, saying that if she dies there, Mavican will still be stuck in the cave. Mavican calls on Ares for help and he appears, opening a portal back to the real world for Xena (and Gabi), but leaving Mavican trapped in the cave. Ares points out that he said anyone could call on him for help … not that they should. Back in the real world, Gabi turns down Ares’ offer again and he congratulates her for resisting his temptations and takes off. Xena apologizes for being so overprotective and says she’ll try to see Gabi for who she is now, not who she used to be.

This is a pretty good episode, exploring the new dynamic between Xena and Gabi now that Gabi’s become a fighter in her own right. (This episode is currently #72 on my all-time list, but it might move up a bit.) This episode shows the changing nature of Xena and Gabi’s relationship and the profound influence they’ve had on each other. Xena is becoming less violent (or at least not using violence as a first resort), while Gabi wants to fight more. It’s about time Ares paid some attention to Gabi and he plays things perfectly here, using Gabi’s feelings of inadequacy and her resentment at Xena’s refusal to accept her new role to get under Gabi’s skin. It seems like she maybe is tempted by his offer, but ultimately she knows she can’t trust him.

Mavican is the opposite of Gabi, wanting desperately to be Ares’ chosen one, which probably proves she doesn’t deserve it. Mavican is so certain of her own destiny and her desire for fame, that she won’t listen to Xena or Gabi’s warnings about Ares. Xena tells her (from bitter experience) that it’s impossible to chase destiny, but Mavican says her fate is already sealed. In a way she’s right, as her refusal to see the obvious dooms her to die in a cave, forgotten by everyone. As Xena mentions to Gabi later, Ares once told her that anyone who asked for his help didn’t deserve it. That’s why he respects Xena (and now Gabi) so much … they’ve never asked him for anything. Xena knew that Mavican asking for help would doom her and dying in obscurity would frustrate her “destiny”, so it was win-win from Xena’s point of view.

Noticeable Things:

• Gabi actually has become very skilled. She deflects one of Mavican’s thrown blades with her sai, taking it right out of the air. And she even impresses Xena with some Amazon booby-traps.
• The whole “fight to the death with improvised weapons” motif of this episode kinda reminds me of the Star Trek episode Arena, where Kirk fights the Gorn. (There’s a bit of a First Blood vibe too, with the survivalist stuff in the forest.)
• After Ares bones Mavican, he blows out a smoke ring that looks like a chakram … nice touch.
• Xena’s outfit is different in this episode, probably because Lucy’s pregnancy was already starting to show at this point.

Favourite Quotes:

• “What in the name of … me did you think you were doing?” Ares upset that Xena and Mavican are wrecking Demeter’s temple with their fight.
• “I hate to tell you this, but history is fickle.” Gabi warning Mavican that sealing her place in history may not be as easy as she thinks.
• “You say min-otaur, I say mine-otaur. Whatever.” Ares response when Xena says following him is a curse rather than an opportunity.
• “Gabrielle, I do see you. Sometimes I have trouble facing it, but I promise I will.” Xena admitting her trouble with accepting Gabi’s new role, but vowing to come to terms with it … sooner or later.