From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   1.13 Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards   
      
   First air date – Jan 22, 1996   
      
   This one is a ''Xena Lite" episode, unless you  are adding in all the   
   flashbacks from the various stories told by Gabrielle and Euripides.   
      
       It starts out with Gabrielle telling a story about Xena fighting Ares   
   (in 'The Reckoning'), being accused of murder, and then being exonerated.   
   And when she is finished coins are dropped into her leather pouch/purse. I   
   guess this is how Xena and Gabrielle make their money now.   
      
       Then a young man, later named Orion at Gabrielle's suggestion, tell   
   Gabrielle about a bard competition in Athens. But Orioin.s father tells   
   Gabrielle that the competition is not for young ladies and stories about   
   housework are not popular. Gabrielle takes exception to this and tells Xena   
   she wants to travel to Athens while Xena takes care of a Cyclops problem in   
   Keremus.  And she tells Xena this is a dream of hers, so Xena tells her no   
   one should pass up their dreams. But when Gabrielle says (if she is   
   accepted) she will be only be gone four or five years, and Xena will barely   
   notice she is missing, Xena replies that if an army was around her she'd   
   still notice, and she tells Gabrielle she should go.   
      
       Next we see Gabrielle with several novice bards in Athens, and they are   
   telling their tales. The man she met decides to change his name to Draco   
   until Gabrielle tells him about her and Xena's encounter with him (Sins of   
   the Past). It is then that Gabrielle suggests Orion.   
      
       Gabrielle stands in line and has her own application and manages to have   
   it accepted. But she has to stay in the servant's quarters.   
      
       The next morning (we assume) they are all in class getting pointers when   
   a man runs up and stabs the lecturer. He then tells them to tell the story.   
   But Gabrielle says the real story is what happens afterward, and proceeds to   
   relate the tale of King Sisyphus and Celesta (Death in Chains), the battle   
   with the undead Toxeus, and having to say goodbye to Talus as he is taken by   
   Celesta.   
      
   Later back in Gabrielle's quarters Euripides knows all about Xena (he   
   thinks) and tells them the story of her and Iolaus (Hercules – "The Warrior   
   Princess.").  Gabrielle can't argue with him, but says inside all of us is a   
   yearning to do good. And tells about Xena saving a baby's life, leading to   
   her becoming good.   
      
   The next day Gabrielle's charade has been found out and she it told to   
   leave. But Orion asks her to stay for the competition the next day.  In the   
   meantime, Gabrielle tells them another story about her meeting Iolaus   
   (Prometheus), and the sappy story about the time when everyone had four legs   
   and two heads.   
      
   The next day none of Gabrielle's friends will participate unless Gabrielle   
   is reinstated. Gastacius is a guest judge and wants to hear one of   
   Gabrielle's stories. So she tells about finding a baby in the reeds (Cradle   
   of Hope) and Xena fighting soldiers while playing catch with the baby.   
   Gastacius loves the story and insists that Gabrielle be able to compete.   
      
   Orion's father is so demanding that Orion quits the competition, but   
   Gabrielle talks him into staying.   
      
   For her final story, Gabrielle tells about two friends who find each other   
   (combining Sins of the Past and Chariots of War). Orion tells the story of   
   Spartacus.   
   But it wasn't to be. Either Gabrielle didn't make the cut (only four were to   
   be chosen to attend the academy) or she won and chose to return to Xena.   
   When she rejoins Xena, she is asked who won and Gabrielle answers "I did."   
   She says she realized that while others were telling adventures, she and   
   Xena could be living them.   
      
   And to prove her point, they are suddenly faced with a half dozen or so   
   evil, dirty mean looking thugs. And Gabrielle says, "This is gonna make a   
   great story."   
      
      
   Okay, during this whole thing you may have noticed there were no criticisms   
   or nitpicking. It's not that they weren't there, but I was enjoying   
   Gabrielle too much.  I prefer to see Gabrielle and Xena playing off each   
   other (the flashbacks provided some of that) but every once in a while I   
   like to see Gabrielle on her own. She was cute when she needed to be, and   
   sad when that was called for (again, mostly in the flashbacks).   
      
   But a couple of things.  I was wondering when Gabrielle is going to start   
   writing down these adventures.   
      
   We get to see Steve Reeves (the original movie Hercules) and Kirk Douglas as   
   Spartacus.   
      
   Again we get to see the stunned (or uncomfortable) look on Xena's face when   
   Gabrielle turns to her for a hug when Talus is taken by Celesta.   
      
   I think Reneé did a good job of carrying the show mostly by herself,   
   although I guess the flashbacks took up about half of the episode.  I was   
   wondering why there was so little of Xena in this one. Maybe Lucy just   
   needed some needed R&R?   
      
   Although not the best, this was far from the worst, so, being a Gabrielle   
   fan, I rated this one 8 out of 10 (I almost subtracted two  points because   
   of the appearances of Iolaus [whom I CANNOT stand] but Gabrielle's sunny   
   disposition changed my mind.)   
      
      
   David   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)