From: dingbattyone@collinsport.me.us   
      
   "David E. Milligan"  wrote in   
   news:d%_Ih.7793$sC.3557@bignews2.bellsouth.net:   
      
   > 3-01 The Furies   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >           First air date Aug. 29, 1997.   
   >   
   [chakramed]   
   >   
   > What I didn't like the goofy madness -- The Three Stooges act in the   
   > beginning, the cartoon sound effects, calling Gabrielle Mavis, Xena   
   > playing with her Chakram, and jumping on her horse backward, etc.   
   >   
   > When it started out I thought it was going to be another comic   
   > episode. But when Xena was threatening to deliver retribution in   
   > flames to the women and children, it took much darker turn, including   
   > Xena asking Gabrielle, "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"   
   >   
   > And that is my problem with this episode. If they were going to start   
   > out with slapstick humor they should have stayed with it. But since it   
   > ended up a serious story, it should have begun that way. Xena could   
   > have fought off the thugs in her madness without resorting to the   
   > silly things she was doing.   
      
   I actually did enjoy seeing the slapstick stuff, especially Xena telling   
   her hand that it wouldn't be coming along on her travels if it didn't   
   start behaving. But I agree with you; either this episode should have   
   stuck with the comedy or with the drama.   
      
   >   
   > Even Xena's moments of lucidity still had enough oddness that we knew   
   > she was still on the brink. And still she was clever/intelligent   
   > enough to know that when Ares showed up he had to be behind it.   
   >   
   > But it wasn't all about Xena. I did like Gabrielle using her staff to   
   > help fight off the thugs. I've noticed that sometimes she is just   
   > about as effective as Xena. A staff is a really effective weapon. In   
   > the real world I can see broken jaws and noses, concussions,   
   > dislocated knees. (But in every other scene it appeared then   
   > disappeared.) It's too bad Gabrielle didn't have more air time but I   
   > guess that with Ares and Cyrene there wasn't much for her to do.   
   >   
   > The Furies were okay, although the blonde, Alecto, wasn't my favorite.   
   > Either one of the others I would have preferred get the lead. Can't   
   > complain about the outfits, though.   
      
   Asa Lindh played Alecto. Nothing to write home about here, but I thought   
   she was stunning as the Lady in the Lake in the HTLJ episode "Once Upon   
   a Future King."   
      
   >   
   > The fight between Xena and Ares - I'm still trying to decide about   
   > that. On the one hand, Ares is a god, he shouldn't have ANY trouble   
   > defeating Xena. He should be ten, twenty times her strength and her   
   > speed. And the only way Xena could beat him would be if she was,   
   > indeed, a demigod. (Hades was always my candidate as Xena's real   
   > father.)   
   >   
   > This set of DVDs has commentaries and interviews, and Steven Sears (I   
   > think) said there was a discussion about this, and the consensus was   
   > that Xena shouldn't be like Hercules, but just be an ordinary person   
   > with some very special skills and abilities (although, many times she   
   > has trouble fighting against mortals, notably Callisto).   
   >   
   > I think without the slapstick and the cartoon sound effects, I could   
   > have given this episode an 8 with no problem, maybe even higher   
   > depending if the rest of the episode had more of the really great dark   
   > madness interspersed with the moments of sanity.   
   >   
   > But as it is, the best I can do is a 6.5 out of ten.   
   >   
   > However, I am happy to start on a new season.   
      
   I just can't believe we're here already.   
      
   Tim   
      
   > And with the video and   
   > audio commentaries along with interviews, I'll be spending much more   
   > time watching Season Three.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >   
      
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