From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   2-19    Ulysses   
      
   First air date  April 21, 1997.   
      
             The story starts out with Xena and Gabrielle walking near a beach.   
   Gabrielle is trying to get Xena to "stop and smell the roses" by having her   
   listen to the seagulls (irritating) and then to the roar of the ocean. But   
   Xena only hears a battle going on. They run to investigate and see one man   
   fighting off three attackers. Xena stops to watch.   
      
             But when a half dozen or so come running to join in, Xena and   
   Gabrielle also run to join the fray. Between the three of them, they fight   
   off the pirates. The man is Ulysses, King of Ithaca, whom Gabrielle has   
   heard of, but not Xena. He says the pirates' lord wants to keep him away   
   from Ithaca so the island can be turned into a pirates' haven. The pirates'   
   lord is Poseidon.   
      
             Xena and Poseidon have words. He tells her he doesn't have a   
   fondness for her like his nephew Ares does and not to interfere. Xena says   
   she isn't afraid of the gods. Poseidon tells Ulysses that his wife is dead   
   and to find a life elsewhere, but he insists he is going to Ithaca.   
      
             Xena tells Ulysses that she fought with the Trojans in Troy, but   
   he says he's past all that now.   
      
             Gabrielle dresses up rather sexy, goes to Ulysses' ship filled   
   with pirates, and ends up onboard dancing for them while Xena and Ulysses   
   sneak onto the ship. Then they all fight and eventually all the pirates are   
   thrown into the sea and the ship sails for Ithaca.   
      
             During the fight Ulysses is shot through the shoulder with an   
   arrow while defending Gabrielle.  He tells Xena about his special bow that   
   is so strong only he can string it.   
      
   He offers to let Xena and Gabrielle off at the next port, but they insist on   
   going with him to Ithaca.   
      
   Gabrielle gets seasick, and Xena isn't very sympathetic.   
      
   The ship makes it through a terrible storm brought on by Poseidon. The best   
   way to go is to island hop, but one of them is the Island of the Sirens.   
   Xena ties up Ulysses and she takes the wheel.   
      
   But when he hears the Sirens' song, he cuts himself free with a piece of   
   broken pottery, kicks Gabrielle in the stomach, punches Xena and takes the   
   wheel, steering it to the rocks. Xena hits him back, takes back the wheel,   
   then he gets up on the side of the ship, about to dive in, so Xena starts   
   singing herself and counteracts the effects of the song.   
      
   Later that night, Ulysses tells Xena he is in love with her. Xena tells him   
   about Gabrielle's theory about everyone having a soul mate. He says that's   
   how he feels about Xena. And they kiss.   
      
   Gabrielle has overheard and asks Xena how she feels about him. And she   
   reminds her that Xena just wanted her to be happy (with Perdicus), and   
   Gabrielle wants the same thing for Xena. Xena says it was Gabrielle who   
   taught her how to love.   
      
   They finally get to Ithaca.   
      
   They come across several men attacking another. It is Metacles, Ulysses'   
   childhood friend. He says that Penelope, Ulysses' wife, is alive, and the   
   pirates of Poseidon are insisting that she choose a husband. They sneak into   
   the castle, but Ulysses tells Xena he doesn't love Penelope and wants to   
   leave to travel with her and Gabrielle. Xena says she doesn't love Ulysses   
   and was just stringing him along.   
      
   Next scene is a throne room with Penelope with Ulysses' bow, and several   
   pirates and townspeople. She allows the pirates to try to string the bow.   
   Gabrielle and Xena are dressed as servants and Ulysses is wearing a ragged   
   robe with a hood. When no one can string the bow, Ulysses insists a peasant   
   should get the chance. He has trouble with his injured shoulder, but Xena   
   crawls under a table and helps bends the bow so he can string it.   
      
   He reveals himself and the pirates attack. They all fight, again; and the   
   pirates lose, again.   
      
   Xena and Gabrielle beat a hasty retreat so Ulysses and Penelope can have a   
   private reunion.   
      
   Xena and Gabrielle are back on the ship about to leave when Ulysses comes   
   aboard and still wants to leave with her. She tells him his kingdom needs   
   him and his wife needs him. So he goes back to her.   
      
   Gabrielle asks if Ulysses knew Xena helped with the bow. She says no, it is   
   his story to be told.   
   ..........   
      
             I liked this episode better than I remember doing so the first   
   time I saw it (it's become a pattern it seems).   
      
             The thing I liked the most was Gabrielle (also a pattern?).  Not   
   only her comic seasickness, but - of course, her dancing outfit (and the   
   dance!). She always looks so good wearing blue. Maybe because she wears so   
   little of that when she does, it's a special look. And she was certainly   
   sensual in it. I especially liked the dark hair with the scarf on her head.   
   (No need to mention the delightful cleavage.)   
      
             I also liked that Xena, despite her feelings for Ulysses, did the   
   right thing and sent him back to his wife - the Greater Good again.   
      
             And the fights were pretty good - Gabrielle using a mop on the   
   ship was fun.   
      
             Gabrielle telling Xena she had to know how Xena felt about Ulysses   
   (after the sad look on her face while listening to them talk about their   
   feelings) and telling her to follow her heart.   
      
             Again Gabrielle - her kissing and reveling in the black sand on   
   the beach after landfall.   
      
             I also liked the Sirens' song.   
      
             *But as usual, a few items to pick at --   
      
             Poseidon - one storm and the Sirens. And that's IT? Where was the   
   giant whirlpool? The tsunami?  Not much of a god, especially since he was   
   supposed to have such a terrible temper.   
      
             So where did Gabrielle get the wig, and the clothes to dance in?   
      
             Xena never heard of Ulysses? She fought against the Greeks at Troy   
   so she should have known who he was.   
      
             *Other thoughts -   
      
             Nice to hear Xena singing. I noticed that her song had an Arabic   
   sound to it.   
      
             I thought Penelope looked familiar, maybe she played Celesta in   
   'Death in Chains', but after some research she was only in an episode of   
   Young Hercules (as Hercules' mother).   
      
             A pretty good episode, like most of this season's. Not really   
   great, and without Gabrielle I would have given it a 6 or a 6.5, but she   
   bumped up a point to a 7.5 out of 10.   
      
   David   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)