From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   The Royal Couple of Thieves    Feb 19, 1996   
      
           The episode starts with a group of red-robed worshipers following   
   one of them carrying an ornate staff with a very large diamond. We see a   
   black robed person using a hand-sized version of a crossbow to shoot a rope   
   across to the building on the other side. He uses a grappling hook to ride   
   across the rope and snare the diamond.   
           Xena finds him, he runs away but she catches up with him, then   
   Gabrielle runs up wearing one of the red robes. After he sees that the half   
   melted 'diamond' was actually made of rock sugar, he agrees to help Xena   
   recover 'the most valuable object in the world.'   
           In a tavern Xena explains that a warlord named Malthus stole the   
   object from friends of hers and she has to get it back for them.   
   Autolycus reluctantly agrees to help. They go to the market place to find   
   suitable clothes. Autolycus picks out some kind of blue decorative   
   corset-looking thing for Xena to wear, but she declines.   
           And Gabrielle is left behind, again.   
           They board a ship to Mathus' island with Autolycus disguised as   
   Sinteres, the Philosopher Assassin, with Xena as his concubine, Cherish.   
   After a couple of confrontations, the other bad guys are convinced Autolycus   
   is Sinteres.   
           Autolycus brings out the corset and Xena is forced to wear it.   
           They arrive at the island and everyone is locked in their rooms.   
   Then they are led to a room where the chest is kept. Malthus tells them   
   there are traps that will set off loud bells if anyone tries to steal the   
   chest. He says a demonstration of the weapon will be the next day.   
   Autolycus convinces Cherish to do a seductive dance while he gets an   
   impression of Mathus' key to the room in candle wax.  Cherish does a nice,   
   sexy dance of three veils.   
           Later Autolycus has made the key and he and Xena enter the room to   
   steal the chest, but it is gone  and a dead Malthus is in its place.   
           Then they find the chest in their bed. They take it back to the room   
   and put it back where it was in the first place.   
           The next day Arkel says the auction is back on and the demonstration   
   will take place. But the real Sinteres has shown up, and Gabrielle has been   
   captured. Sinteres threatens to kill her with pressure points to both her   
   temples.   
   Xena saves Gabrielle from a knife to her throat and the three of them run   
   away.   
           Xena has Gabrielle follow Arkel, Sinteres and the rest while Xena   
   and Autolycus go back to their room and change clothes. Gabrielle is   
   captured AGAIN by Sinteres.   
           Xena and Sinteres face off and have a Pinch duel. Xena wins and   
   Sinteres is killed.  Gabrielle finds a spear and uses it as a staff to fight   
   along side Xena and Autolycus.   
           Arkel opens the chest to see the weapon. A bright light floats up   
   and hovers, emitting vapors. Xena tells Gabrielle and Autolycus "Don't fear   
   the truth, face it. Don't run!"  But Arkel runs and is incinerated by a   
   shaft of fire. Then the light goes back into the chest.   
           The three of them look into the chest and Xena brings out a stone   
   tablet. Autolycus reads some of the writing, "Thou shalt not covet. Thou   
   shalt not steal." He laughs, then says, "Who can live by those laws?"   
   ..................   
                   Almost from the start we know that this is going to be   
   mostly a humorous episode just from the background music. Even the fight   
   scenes didn't have the usual music Xena fights with.  This is the first, but   
   not the last, time we see Autolycus.  I like Autolycus. And I doubt if there   
   is anyone who doesn't.   
                   How Gabrielle is captured the first time is never explained,   
   but according to Whoosh, in the 'Shooting Script Differences' section, there   
   was one line by Sinteres that was left out:   
      Sinteres: "This little girl tried to stop me from coming here. She's   
   brave, but..."   
      Gabrielle: "I'm sorry, Xena! I had to do SOMETHING!"   
                   Obviously, the chest is the Ark of the Covenant and Xena's   
   friends are Israelites.  And we'll be seeing more of them in later seasons.   
               I like this episode, and I like Autolycus, and I really like   
   Xena's dance, so I gave it a 7 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   
     Warrior/Princess – 8.5   
     Mortal Beloved – 6   
     Royal Couple ---   7   
   Average..............   6.9   
      
      
      
      
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