From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   1-14    A Fistful of Dinars --  Jan 29, 1996   
      
       The episode starts with a man, Lycus, running through the woods, being   
   chased by another man. Lycus is pretty beaten up, and then stabbed, but Xena   
   is there to chase off the second guy as Gabrielle watches Lycus die.  Xena   
   gets a pouch from #2 that contains a Sumerian medallion, and a piece of   
   cloth with one of four clues to the Sumerian treasure. Xena memorizes the   
   writing on the cloth then swallows it. Then Thersites (an assassin and   
   another "old friend" of Xena's from the old days, as was Lycus) kills #2.   
       Xena tells Thersites (who has two of the clues) that Petracles has #4.   
   {And how she knew that was never explained.} So Xena and Gabrielle go to see   
   Petracles, who ends up going with them.   
   Xena also knows that with the Sumerian treasure is the Titan Key which   
   unlocks the Hall of Ambrosia at the foot of Mt. Poulis. And she wants to   
   keep it away from Thersites and Petracles.   
       Xena wants Gabrielle to stay AWAY from Petracles because he is "an   
   ambitious, ruthless, dominating, conniving liar.  He’ll say anything he can   
   to get a woman to fall for him, and, then, once he has her, he uses her.”   
       Petracles tells Gabrielle that he talked Xena into marrying him.   
           Gabrielle follows Petracles into the woods to find out what happened   
   between him and Xena. He tells her that after he had Xena he didn't want   
   her. Then he kisses Gabrielle. And after the second one she comes to her   
   senses and runs back to the campfire where Xena is sharpening her sword.   
   Later, Xena puts her fingers to Petracles' neck and tells him not to mess   
   with her friend.   
           Gabrielle and Thersites go to the Temple of Demeter to steal Jewel   
   of Demeter – a big, red ruby.   
   So they end up somewhere that has three stone faces and they figure out that   
   the jewel goes into the right eye of the middle one. At sunrise the   
   reflection points to a cave entrance with rocks piled in front of it. They   
   move the rocks, enter the cave and find a ring that Petracles pulls and they   
   all fall down into the pit containing the treasure. Thersites finds the   
   Titan Key and realizes what it is. He grabs Gabrielle and runs (somewhere)   
   and ends up out of the cave and on a path to the foot of Mt Poulis.   
       Xena and Petracles go through the back door and through the Hall of   
   Silence where one sound and they may die. Petracles steps on a skull, it   
   makes a noise any have to run to avoid falling rocks.  They arrive in the   
   hall just as Thersides and Gabrielle get there. Gabrielle has a knife at her   
   throat. They fight. Thersides stabs Petracles, and then Thersides and Xena   
   fight. Thersides dies.   
       Petracles says he's sorry he hurt Xena and shows her their wedding   
   bracelet he's carried around since he dumped her. He dies and  now he's a   
   good guy in Xena's mind.   
   Xena throws the ambrosia into some kind of burning river, maybe it was lava.   
      
       I liked this episode.   Gabrielle was typical Gabrielle – falling once   
   again for the MoW (Man of the Week, not the Monster of the Week). But she   
   had a few clever lines. She tells the priest at the Temple of Demeter they   
   are there  "to pay homage to the Mother of the Earth, the goddess of the   
   farm, Demeter.  You see,  we are from your sister temple, in Nonamia   
   (No-Name-ia).”   
           I thought there might have been some kind of discussion between Xena   
   and Gabrielle about the temptation to eat some of the ambrosia. I have to   
   admit, I would have thought long and hard before throwing the ambrosia away.   
   I suppose if this episode came in season 2 or 3, when they knew Ares or   
   Aphrodite better, then would have called one of them to give it to them.   
       And where was Gabrielle's Amazon staff?   
      
             I rate this one an 8 out of 10.   
       Sins of the Past  -- 7   
       Chariots of War – 7   
       Dreamworker ---   8   
      Cradle of Hope --   6   
      Path Not Taken --  6   
      The Reckoning --  8   
      The Titans -------  6   
      Prometheus---     6   
      Death in Chains - 7   
      Hooves/Harlots - 8   
      The Black Wolf -- 5   
      Beware Greeks – 7   
     Athens City ------  8   
     Fistful/Dinars ----8   
   Average..............   6.9   
      
      
      
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