From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   5-02    Chakram   
      
      
      
   First airing was Oct. 4. 1999.   
      
   The story starts out with "previous" scenes of the pre-demon Callisto in hell,   
   and demon-Callisto   
   with her hands around Xena's neck, and dead Xena's spirit awakening   
   Gabrielle's.   
      
   Ares and another war god, Kal, are arguing over Xena, in Kal's Place. Kal is   
   upset because Ares   
   stole the dark Chakram years ago (and, presumably, gave it to Xena). Next Kal   
   and a monk named   
   Kalib are outside an ominous looking temple. Kal wants Kalib to fetch   
   something for him since Kalib   
   is the purest of his other monk brothers. Kalib goes in and sees many   
   skeletons on the floor. He   
   approaches a yin-yang altar with a Chakram on one side of it opposite a place   
   for another Chakram.   
   He picks it up and is incinerated.   
      
   Inside the building where Xena and Gabrielle were resurrected Joxer brings   
   Gabrielle a bowl of   
   something. Amarice brings Xena a blanket. Xena says she has misplaced   
   something.  Amarice gives   
   Xena the broken Chakram but Xena doesn't know what it is. She says her   
   memories are hazy.   
      
   They go into town to buy Gabrielle and Xena new clothes. Gabrielle has a brown   
   two piece outfit and   
   is carrying two sais for Xena. Xena is wearing a reddish dress.   
      
   Soldiers try to capture them. Everyone fights except Xena and Eli. There is a   
   soldier with his face   
   covered with a helmet. Xena gets knocked down, Joxer gets her up and they run   
   away. One of the   
   soldiers yells that Kal will get Xena. Back at wherever they were Gabrielle   
   asks Xena if she   
   remembers Callisto or Alti or their deaths. Xena says again her memories are   
   fuzzy. She says she   
   feels empty. Eli tells them Kal is the war god of that region. Then he tells   
   them they are going to   
   see his old friend Kalib.   
      
   On the way, Joxer asks Eli how he can tell Gabrielle he loves her. Eli says to   
   keep it simple.   
      
   Amarice is going hunting. Eli tells Xena she is a tracker and to go with her.   
   After they've gone,   
   Gabrielle tells Eli her path is with Xena not the way of love.   
      
   Amarice and Xena run into Kal and his men. Kal tells Xena if she doesn't go   
   with him he will kill   
   Amarice. He blows Amarice against tree and she is knocked out. After dark   
   Gabrielle, Eli and Joxer   
   find Amarice. Gabrielle follows the tracks to find Xena.   
      
   Inside Kal's Place Xena asks Kal what he wants her to get. Ares appears. He   
   and Kal stab each other   
   with a sword and axe. While they are fighting Xena sees a painting of a   
   Chakram, she touches it and   
   sees flashbacks of her using it. She escapes while Ares and Kal are fighting.   
      
   Eli and the rest are in Kalib's room. Xena tells Eli Kalib is dead. Eli is   
   going to go through   
   Kalib's writing to find something to explain everything.  Xena is in a hot tub   
   and Joxer asks her   
   how to tell Gabrielle he loves her. She says to say it with no expectations   
   and no strings. Ares   
   appears and is trying talk Xena into coming with him. She stands up naked and   
   says the words bad   
   and wrong and evil have no connection to her. Gabrielle comes in and accuses   
   him of taking   
   advantage of Xena when she's like she is. He asks how she became so hard,   
   wanting Xena to remember   
   things that make her hate.   
      
   Eli and Gabrielle decided they need to get Xena back like she was and the   
   Chakram has something to   
   do it because it can kill the gods. They decide to go after it.   
      
   Ares and Kal call a truce to keep Xena from getting the Chakram.   
      
   Gabrielle and Amarice sneak into the temple while knocking out Kal's guards.   
   Xena runs into the   
   temple and grabs the Chakram and goes back outside. She starts to throw it but   
   can't kill and drops   
   it. Everyone runs back inside and Amarice grabs the Chakram. They lock the   
   doors as the soldiers   
   try to break in. Joxer tells Gabrielle he loves her.   
      
   Ares yells from outside that if Xena gives them Chakram he'll let them go.   
   When they don't answer   
   the soldiers start breaking in. Xena gets the broken Chakram from Amarice and   
   puts it into the   
   empty side of  the altar and it is mended. The soldiers break in and they   
   fight. When Kal starts to   
   kill Gabrielle, Xena grabs one of the Chakrams and slices open his belly with   
   it and he burns up to   
   ashes. Ares tries to get Xena to give it to him. Instead she picks up the   
   other one, puts them   
   together and they turn into a new Chakram with a yin-yang look. She splits it   
   into to two pieces   
   and she throws them. A soldier is dead and the old Xena is back.   
      
   Xena tell Ares she neutralized  the Chakram because no one should have the   
   power it gives. Joxer   
   tells Gabrielle she doesn't have to say anything  about his love confession.   
   Everyone but Eli   
   starts back to Greece.   
      
   ........   
      
   A pretty good episode.   
      
   Some of the back story about the Chakram(s), but not enough to suit me.  1)   
   Who made them?    2)   
   WHY were they made?   3) Why were they, and the altar, in Italy?   4) So why   
   were the two of them   
   made separately when together they neutralize each other?  5) Who was supposed   
   to use them?   
      
   And some other questions and comments -   
      
   Who was Kal? I thought Mars was the Roman war god. That would have been nifty   
   to see Ares and Mars   
   going at it (and he wouldn't have to been killed by Xena, only severely   
   wounded and then would   
   disappear)   
      
   Why was the building they were in surrounded by snow, but it was sunny and   
   warm in the village? And   
   why didn't they buy some winter clothes to go back to the  building?   
      
   Why did Xena lose her memories/dark side but Gabrielle didn't lose anything?   
      
   Gabrielle was REALLY surprised when Joxer confessed his love for her?  After   
   all the goo-goo eyes   
   he's made at her.   
      
   But there were some really good things about this episode.  I liked   
   Gabrielle's new outfit. And I   
   liked seeing the softer side of Xena for a change.   
      
   I liked the fight scenes. Gabrielle was a fast learner about using the sais.   
   Even Amarice seemed   
   impressed. Cool fight between Ares and Kal.   
      
   Xena didn't hesitate the slightest bit when she snatched up the Chakram from   
   the altar. They kept   
   saying the dark Chakram could kill gods. But I couldn't tell which one Xena   
   grabbed when she killed   
   Kal. Maybe both of them could kill gods (what I suspected all along).   
      
   Like the new Chakram. And Xena was a fast learner using it, too.   
      
   Gabrielle sure doesn't have any problems killing now. She used the sais to   
   disarm one guy, and then   
   used them to throw the sword into the chest of another one.   
      
   Ares couldn't move Eli out of the way - found a power stronger than his own?   
   He looked kind   
   of -------- afraid.   
      
   ......   
      
   Several interviews. Lucy was making fun of the sais saying they were dumb and   
   calling them garden   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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