From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   "Ahroo"  wrote in message   
   news:3t0hk.18150$Ri.5113@flpi146.ffdc.sbc.com...   
   >A few things really bothered me about this episode (in no particular order):   
   >   
   > 1) Rubio - just plain annoying! Obviously there for some sort of comic   
   relief, which failed IMHO.   
   >   
           With no Joxer to kick around anymore I guess they had to have someone!   
   Plus he came in   
   handy explaining to Virgil (and us) about what was going on with the cannibals.   
      
   > 2) Why would the cannibals smear the mud (which I actually thought was   
   supposed to be some sort   
   > of barbecue sauce!) OVER Gabby's clothes? They weren't going to eat the   
   clothes, so you'd think   
   > they would have removed the clothes before putting her over the pit! So   
   whatever purpose the   
   > mud/sauce served, a lot of it was wasted. And why in the world would they   
   have cooked their food   
   > alive?? Except for poor lobsters, people always kill their prey before   
   cooking it - and usually   
   > cut it up for more even cooking. Obviously the writers couldn't kill her   
   off, but from the   
   > cannibals' perspective, this made no sense.   
   >   
      
           Didn't think of that -- stripping the clothes off (no need to comment   
   on Gab being stripped   
   since I'm sure everyone was thinking the same thing ). But cooking them   
   alive, I guess, was kind   
   of like stewing them in their own juices. Plus, if you stab them, you lose the   
   self-basting juices!   
      
   > 3) For people who survive on eating other people, you'd think they would be   
   better fighters (so   
   > as to be able to capture their prey). That fight scene where they are   
   running back in forth   
   > endlessly in the background was SO ridiculous! Clearly the director wanted a   
   lot of action, but   
   > it was distracting and dumb and pointless. X & G & V & R were so   
   outnumbered, that any kind of   
   > organized attack should have allowed the cannibals to subdue them.   
   >   
           Happens all the time - they only attack in ones and twos (sometimes   
   maybe in threes). Maybe   
   they're afraid they will be hit by their own men if they crowd in too close.   
      
   > 4) I think Joe LoDuca is a genius and the music he wrote for this series was   
   absolutely   
   > brilliant - but some of the music for this episode was totally out of place   
   - it sounded like   
   > something out of Bonanza or a spaghetti western! Totally wrong feel. I guess   
   one mistake out of 6   
   > seasons isn't too bad, but this was such a blunder that I'm amazed it got   
   through the editing   
   > process. If there wasn't time to write/record something more appropriate,   
   they could have   
   > recycled other music from any time in the preceding 5 seasons!   
   >   
           I rarely pay attention to the music since it's mostly backround mood   
   music. About the only   
   time I know I really noticed it was the music Tara was dancing to in "A Tale   
   of Two Muses." It was   
   simply beautiful!   
      
   > All that being said, the interactions between Xena and Gabrielle saved the   
   day and made the   
   > episode! As David so succinclty put it, "Exactly why we watch them."   
   >   
           As wonderful as it was, it's probably a good thing it doesn't happen   
   too frequently,   
   othrwise it might get humdrum and lose that special-ness. You can't eat steak   
   and/or lobster   
   everyday.   
      
   > I've been very busy with "real life" lately, so I haven't had the   
   opportunity to comment on   
   > episodes, but overall I think David has been pretty close to the mark with   
   his season 6 ratings.   
   > Thanks, David, for keeping this episode review project going, even when the   
   rest of us seem to be   
   > slacking off.   
   >   
   > Laura   
   >   
           I certainly understand that "real life" thing. It's always there!!   
           Sometimes I do wonder if anyone is reading the critiques. But since   
   I'm enjoying going   
   through the eps again, I'm happy to do it.   
           I used to swap emails regularly with a young lady in Australia. But   
   her real life was   
   higher education and working, so she's been pretty busy. But I did get a note   
   from her that she   
   does check out the critiques occasionally.   
           Not sure what will happen when I get through the end of this season   
   (which I figure should   
   come about the middle of November). I'll be on vacation the second week of   
   September so I might   
   miss one week.   
      
   David   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)