From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   5-18    Antony and Cleopatra   
      
      
      
   First airing was Apr 17, 2000.   
      
   The episode starts with an Egyptian handmaiden pouring milk into a large bath.   
   Cleopatra enters,   
   drops her robe and steps down into the bath. Two men come in and tell her that   
   Marc Antony and   
   Brutus both want her navy. She writes a message to her admiral and the men   
   leave. Someone brings   
   Cleopatra a scroll from Rome. She opens it, and she is bitten by an asp. She   
   writes a note, hands   
   it to Shiana, her main maiden, and tells her to get it to Xena. Then she dies.   
      
   Xena and Gabrielle are now in Egypt. Gabrielle says it's too bad Eve is in   
   Alexandria with Cyrene   
   because she'd love the view. Xena says she owes Cleopatra.   
      
   Marc Antony and a commander discuss taking over Rome. They are interrupted by   
   a "gift" from   
   Cleopatra, a rolled-up carpet. Antony unrolls the carpet, and a naked Xena in   
   gold chains says she   
   is Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, and slave of Rome. She kisses Antony, and slips   
   a key into his mouth.   
   He unlocks her chains and then gives her a blanket, worried if he can trust   
   her. Xena/Cleopatra   
   invites him to her palace.   
      
   Brutus appears at the palace, demanding to see Cleopatra. Gabrielle comes out   
   dressed as an   
   Egyptian. Brutus recognizes her. He can't believe she is alive and survived   
   the crucifixion. He   
   tries to see Cleopatra, but Xena is back in her leathers and she tells Brutus   
   he can't see   
   Cleopatra right now. Brutus says he is glad she and Gabrielle are okay.   
      
   Xena/Cleo is in the milk bath. She introduces Gabrielle to Antony as "Aris, my   
   companion". She   
   invites Antony to join her, but he declines.   
      
   Someone in a hooded robe sneaks into Xena/Cleo's bedroom. Xena/Cleo  is awake   
   and grabs him. He   
   says he isn't an assassin. Fire bombs are tossed into the room. The guy nearly   
   burns up but   
   Xena/Cleo saves him. He says he is Octavius, adopted son of Julius Caesar.   
   Antony arrives and   
   starts to kill him, but Xena/Cleo tells her guards to take him away.   
      
   Gabrielle asks Xena what her plan is. She wants to know if she is going to   
   flirt Antony to death.   
      
   Xena/Cleo and Antony are eating grapes and strawberries dipped in honey while   
   exchanging sultry   
   looks, and they finally kiss. Gabrielle watches, looking a bit jealous. She    
   finally marches over   
   and tells Xena/Cleo she has a meeting with her advisors, to which X/C replies,   
   "Ah, my advisors.   
   Yes, they're such busybodies."   
      
   Xena and Gabrielle discuss Xena's feelings for Antony. Xena says she has no   
   real feelings for him.   
   Xena receives a flower from Antony, and an invitation to join him under the   
   pyramids. Xena says she   
   has him right where she wants him.   
      
   Xena goes to meet Antony. Xena/Cleo asks him why he came to Egypt -- for her   
   navy? Antony says he   
   doesn't want her navy, he wants her love. They kiss. They are interrupted by   
   attacking guys with   
   swords. Antony fights while Xena/Cleo knocks out one guy. Xena/Cleo tells   
   Antony not to kill a   
   survivor. She tells him to go to Brutus and tell him that she and Antony are   
   alive and well and   
   together.   
      
   Gabrielle goes to Octavius, who is in the dungeon. He wants to correct Julius   
   Caesar's errors and   
   bring peace - the Pax Romana.   
      
             Gabrielle comes in to see Xena. Xena says Gabrielle is right, she   
   has a soft spot for bad   
   boys. Xena wonders if Antony and Octavius can work together. Xena/Cleo and   
   Antony talk about how he   
   will kill all of Brutus' men, even the common soldiers. Antony says Octavius   
   cannot be allowed to   
   live. Xena/Cleo tells Antony to take her navy. She says, "I know that you love   
   me." She tells   
   Antony that Brutus is sailing down the Nile and if he fights him there, her   
   navy will back him up   
   and they will crush Brutus together.   
      
   Brutus gets a call to go see Cleopatra. Brutus sees that Xena is playing   
   Cleopatra. Xena accuses   
   Brutus of killing Cleopatra and he doesn't deny it. Xena/Cleo tells Brutus   
   that she knows Antony   
   will betray her. She tells him to go down the Nile and attack Antony and her   
   navy will back him up.   
   Gabrielle says she will go with Brutus when he says he doesn't trust Xena.   
      
   Antony and Xena/Cleo are on his ship boat, waiting for Brutus. Gabrielle and   
   Brutus talk. Gabrielle   
   asks how many people have to die for the good of Rome.   
      
   Shiana is on the Egyptian fleet with Octavius. The plan is for the Egyptian   
   navy to crush both   
   Antony and Brutus, giving Octavius the rule. He says it is his destiny to rule   
   Rome.   
      
   Xena/Cleo makes the signal as Brutus' ship prepares to ram Antony's. The ships   
   collide and men   
   fight. The Egyptians attack both fleets. Brutus realizes he has been betrayed   
   and goes after   
   Gabrielle. They fight, but he gets the better of her, bloodying her mouth and   
   knocking her down,   
   then kicking her. He starts to stab her but she grabs a sword and the tip of   
   it slices his throat.   
   As he lies there dying and looking upside down, he sees Xena/Cleo, and screams   
   out her name. Antony   
   realizes she isn't Cleopatra. Antony says he trusted her and loved her. They   
   fight, and stop a few   
   times. But ultimately Xena stabs Antony. He says "I did love you" as he dies.   
   Xena looks   
   heartbroken as it starts to rain.   
      
   Octavius tells Xena Rome owes  her a debt of gratitude. She tells him it owes   
   her nothing. She   
   tells him to put the well being of the people ahead of his own, as Cleopatra   
   did for her people.   
      
   Xena walks off and Gabrielle follows. They stand together and look at the sky   
   and the pyramids.   
      
   ......   
      
             I think this is the steamiest, most not-so-subtle passionate   
   episode, ever!   
      
   Xena in gold chains. Her seduction of Antony. Gabrielle's obvious jealousy of   
   Antony.   
      
   It's a good thing Xena can read hieroglyphics (and Greek and Latin and   
   Chinese).   
      
   Nothing subtle about Gabrielle's jealousy. But is it because she's afraid Xena   
   won't follow through   
   with her plan? Or because she wants Xena for herself?   
      
   I think this is the first time Gabrielle has been beaten up so badly (although   
   Tara did a pretty   
   good job of it in 'Forgiven'). Can't blame the girl for slicing Brutus' throat   
   like she did (with   
   pure rage on her face!)   
      
   The woman who played Cleopatra was gorgeous. Too bad she didn't last too long.   
   Nice butt, too.   
      
   At first I wasn't too sure what Shiana's motives were until she told Octavius   
   she promised she'd   
   bring Cleopatra's murderer to justice.   
      
   Not sure if Brutus was really happy Xena and Gabrielle survived the   
   crucifixion.   
      
   The audio/video commentary for this episode was with Michael Hurst (director),   
   Lucy, Reneé, and   
   Rob. Rob said that after so many eps of Xena being pregnant it was important   
   to show her sexuality   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)