From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   "Gail Futoran"  wrote in message   
   news:K65Qj.242597$cQ1.86450@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...   
   > "David E. Milligan"  wrote in message   
   > news:WJNOj.33632$%15.32566@bignews7.bellsouth.net...   
   >> 5-15    Married With Fishsticks   
   >>   
   >> First airing was Feb. 21, 2000.   
   > [snip]   
   >> For a straight Xena episode, a generous 5.   
   >>   
   >> For a kind of humorous and   
   >> pass-the-time-episode-that-doesn't-make-me-feel-like-I-actual   
   y-wasted-an-hour episode, a 7. So,   
   >> an average 6 out of 10.   
   >   
   > I liked this one, on first viewing and every   
   > viewing thereafter.  (I'm one of the very   
   > few who can say that.)   Why?  I dunno.  I   
   > can barely figure out why I like one drama   
   > over another, much less a comedy.   
   >   
   > Normally I strongly dislike underwater-themed,   
   > fishy shows.  Most slapstick doesn't do much   
   > for me.  And a Xena-light episode - argh.  But   
   > still...   
   >   
   > Ah, the subtext:  Joxer/Hagar as a stand-in for   
   > Xena, at first manipulating Gabrielle/Crustacea   
   > for his own purposes, later learning her value   
   > and becoming a decent human in the process.   
   > (One could argue Xena never manipulated   
   > Gabrielle, but in early episodes there wasn't   
   > the respect we saw in later episodes.)   
   >   
   > Renee' and Ted stretching their comedic wings.   
   > Not many opportunities in XWP for that.  And   
   > both did a grand job, individually and while   
   > interacting with each other.   
   >   
   > Discord and 'Dite were pitch perfect in their   
   > ditziness (sp?? ).  Even the stupid cake   
   > scene worked for me.   
   >   
   > *The* moment, during the wedding, when   
   > Gab/Crus starts to remember Xena and   
   > her life with Xena (maintext, not subtext) -   
   > chilling in a good way, as those moments   
   > always are.  Can't remember how many times   
   > I re-ran that scene.   
   >   
   > And at the end, Gab has learned how to be   
   > a mom.  Cool.   
   >   
   > What's not to like?   
   >   
   > I give it a 7.   
   >   
   > Gail   
   > Warrior Gardener   
   >   
      
           I really don't remember my reaction when I first saw it, or the second   
   time, or possibly a   
   third time. It seems like there was a time I kind of liked it, maybe when I   
   watched it when I first   
   got the DVDs.  I'm not sure if I would rate as the very worst one (not sure   
   what it would be. For a   
   long long time I hated 'A Good Day', but now not so much; still don't like   
   'The Furies'.) but it's   
   pretty close to the bottom.   
           But it's hard to compare the serious eps with the humorous ones. As   
   far as a strictly   
   comedy ep, it wasn't THAT bad, but compared to something like 'When Fates   
   Collide', or any of the   
   Callisto episodes, well down she goes.   
           Except for the insults, which were pretty good, I had a hard time   
   listening to Crabella and   
   Sturgina's accents.   
   David   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)