From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   4-16    The Way   
      
      
      
   First air date was Feb 22, 1999.   
   The episode starts out with Gabrielle taking about loving rivers. Xena   
   mentions dams and Gabrielle   
   asks why she shoots her down while she's doing her philosophical thing. She   
   says she's been on a   
   spiritual quest and why doesn't Xena ask the questions. Xena says she's been   
   thinking about   
   reincarnation since they came to India. Gabrielle suggests that maybe being a   
   warrior isn't the   
   right karma for Xena. Xena is back in her armor and Gabrielle is still in the   
   India clothes, and   
   barefooted. (I noticed later in the episode, she was running and it seemed   
   like she wasn't running   
   as hard as if she's had boots on.)   
      
   Suddenly Xena jabs the long stick she's been carrying into the river and   
   brings out a big fish.   
      
   When she throws it down on the ground, it turns into a demon with a scary mask   
   on. She asks why   
   it's been following them . He / It says to stop them from finding the Avatar.   
   He / It throws some   
   bugs down on the ground and they turn into more like him. Xena and Gabrielle   
   fight. Xena is cut on   
   the shoulder.  When the demons are thrown down hard enough, they convulse and   
   disappear.   
      
   When asked after the fight who sent them he says it was Indrajit, the prince   
   of demons and he   
   disappears.   
      
   Gabrielle explains that an avatar is a deity in human form destined to save   
   humanity. Xena says she   
   never should have been wounded -- she lost her focus after finding out she's   
   supposed to be a some   
   kind of saint in her next life. She's worried that she might mess up her   
   karma. But a warrior can't   
   ask those questions in the heat of battle. If the kill is there, you have to   
   take it, otherwise she   
   can't be a warrior anymore.   
      
   They go into a village and the Avatar is there. It's Eli. He reluctantly heals   
   a sick girl, then   
   leaves. Xena Gabrielle chase after him. He says the people look to him for   
   salvation. And he knows   
   the truth - THE Truth. Xena tells him Indrajit is coming after him. They want   
   to travel with him,   
   but he says no,  he's going home. They insist.   
      
   They are asleep and an ape-looking man covered with hair wakes up Eli looking   
   at him. Xena attacks   
   but is held fast by her arms. The ape man is  Hanuman. He says he only wanted   
   to look at the   
   avatar. He says Indrajit is coming and wants to help. He says they should take   
   Eli to the great   
   temple to ask for Krishna's help.   
      
   On the trail they suspect the Indrajit's demons are around. Gabrielle and Eli   
   hide and Hanuman and   
   Xena jump up into a tree.   
      
    Hanuman tells Xena centuries ago he helped Rama kill Indrajit's father. And   
   only Indrajit can kill   
   him.   
      
   Gabrielle asks Eli what The Truth is. He says It's reverence for life. And the   
   cycle of violence   
   can only be stopped by nonviolence.   
      
   Xena asks Hanuman  how he knows what was the right way for him. He says his   
   way isn't her way. They   
   see Indrajit on a flying carpet and they may have time to get to the temple.   
      
   Approaching the temple Eli is mobbed by adorers and Gabrielle pulls him away.   
   They go into the   
   temple while Xena tries to get the people to disperse before Indrajit comes.   
      
   Inside the temple Gabrielle asks Hanuman if the statue of a man playing a   
   flute is Krishna, he says   
   yes. He knows Eli's words troubled Gabrielle.   
      
   Outside, Indrajit flies in on his carpet. Eli runs out to help and is grabbed   
   up by Indrajit and   
   forced into the carpet. He sees Gabrielle and goes after her. Xena tries to   
   save her but just   
   missies and Indrajit flies off with both of them. Hanuman says he is taking   
   them to the demon land   
   of Lanka. Xena want to go immediately but Hanuman tells  Xena she needs to   
   pray to Krishna to get   
   him to help her.   
      
   Gabrielle and Eli are locked in a room. Gabrielle tries to open the door but   
   can't, and Eli won't   
   help her. Gabrielle says Indrajit is an evil man. Eli say she's only the   
   incarnation of evil. He   
   says if he stays faithful to his way he can defeat him. They pray.   
      
   Hanuman tells Xena how to pray to Krishna.   
      
   A wall opens and Indrajit rides in on a throne.  He wants to be a friend and   
   ally of Eli but Eli   
   refuses. Gabrielle is still praying. Indrajit wonders if Eli can stay true to   
   his way while   
   watching Gabrielle being tortured.   
      
   Krishna appears to Xena. She asks for his help. He says she must embrace the   
   Way. Xena tells him   
   she's not like Gabrielle or Eli or Lao Ma. He tells her way is the Way of the   
   Warrior. And if she   
   needs his help to call him. Xena and Hanuman leave.   
      
   Gabrielle sees Xena badly beaten and in chains. She grabs her staff to stop a   
   demon from stabbing   
   Xena. But it is Indrajit and grabs her by the neck. He says he won't kill   
   Gabrielle if Eli joins.   
   Him Eli refuses. Indrajit is choking Gabrielle when Xena's Chakram cuts his   
   hand off.   
      
   He convulses. Then grows a new hand and four more arms. He throws six axes at   
   her but she hides   
   behind a shield. They fight. He stabs Xena through the hand and pins it to the   
   wall behind her. He   
   then cuts off both of her arms. She calls for Krishna and grows six arms. The   
   fight some more. Xena   
   manages to cut his head off and she is back with two good arms.   
      
   Later, Gabrielle tells Eli she failed her first test. He says following the   
   way of love is hard and   
   she will fail more than once. But not to give up hope. He says he's going home   
   to spread the word   
   to his people.   
      
   Gabrielle is looking at a river, then throws her staff into it.. Xena asks if   
   her way is the Way of   
   Love. Gabrielle says yes and that Xena's is the Way of the Warrior. Xena says   
   she should travel   
   with Eli, but Gabrielle says she and Xena will stay together. Xena says they   
   are going in opposite   
   directions in life. Gabrielle says like all rivers running to the sea, they   
   will end up in the same   
   place.   
      
   .........   
      
   Another episode with things I liked and things I didn't.   
      
   So just why didn't Indrajit want Xena to find Eli?   
      
   Loved the line, "When the kill is there, you have to take it." And I liked   
   Xena questioning her   
   path in life. Something we've rarely seen, if ever.   
      
   It seemed kind of odd that Eli trying to get away from Xena and Gabrielle, yet   
   he says over his   
   shoulder, 'Hello old friends, you're a sight for sore eyes."   
      
   Got a bit of a chuckle when Eli was in the carpet and Indrajit had to push him   
   back down.   
      
   When Indrajit reached down to grab Gabrielle, why didn't Xena throw her   
   Chakram? So many times I've   
   seen where she should have used it but didn't!   
      
   Can't recall seeing Xena so badly beaten, even if it was only Indrajit fooling   
   Gabrielle.   
      
   Xena lying there with no arms was just plain creepy (I understand that part   
   was cut out when the   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)