From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   4-20   End Game   
      
             First airing was May, 3, 1999.   
      
             The story starts out in a foggy forest.  Amazon queen Ephiny finds   
   the body of Solari. Another Amazon, Amarice, wants to attack. Ephiny says   
   they will scout ahead. They come upon Roman soldiers fighting Amazons and   
   they attack. During the fight Brutus stabs Ephiny. They stare into each   
   other's eyes until Ephiny dies. More Amazons attack and Brutus calls for a   
   retreat.   
      
             Cut to Gabrielle fishing with a net, so it won't hurt the fish.   
   Xena jokes about it and Gabrielle throws the net over her. Xena implies she   
   is going to throw Gabrielle into the water when Amarice appears and gets   
   between them to protect Gabrielle.   
      
           Gabrielle tells her it is Xena. Amarice calls Gabrielle 'My Queen,'   
   and Gabrielle realizes Ephiny is dead.   
      
             They go with Amarice to the Amazon village. It has been attacked   
   and prisoners have been taken.  Chilapa tells Gabrielle about Ephiny's death   
   and the attack. Amarice wants to go after the Romans. After Chilapa   
   describes the man who killed Ephiny, Xena guesses it was Brutus.   
      
             Gabrielle is taken to see Ephiny's body. She can't understand the   
   fighting. Xena tells Gabrielle  it was Pompey who took the Amazon prisoners.   
      
             Xena takes three Amazons with her, including Amarice. They attack   
   the small party Brutus is with. Xena uses her whip to tie Brutus' ankles and   
   Gab-Drags him back to the Amazon village. She said Amarice took off mad   
   because they didn't kill Brutus.   
      
           Gabrielle tells Brutus he killed Ephiny. An arrow is shot at Brutus.   
   Xena deflects  it with her whip then uses her Chakram to cut off the branch   
   where Amarice is. Gabrielle says to take her away.   
      
             Xena wants Brutus to tell them where Pompey's army is. She uses   
   the Pinch and he tells. When she starts  to walk away, Gabrielle yells at   
   her to take the Pinch off. Chilapa doesn't want her to, but because of   
   Gabrielle, she does. Gabrielle tells Chilapa Brutus' punishment is her   
   decision.   
      
             Locked up, Amarice describes an Amazon execution to Brutus. He   
   isn't impressed. Xena comes and tells Amarice Gabrielle pardoned her and is   
   to come with her.   
      
             Xena is laying a trap. She tells Amarice that Gabrielle isn't the   
   weakling she thinks she is.   
      
             Cut to Pompey looking over the prisoners. He says pirates will buy   
   them so he can get money to buy weapons and mercenaries to make war against   
   Caesar. He tells Carminus to take them to the river.   
      
             Cut to Carminus. He hears bird calls and knows an ambush is   
   imminent. He sends two men away. Amarice jumps down on them and is captured.   
   Xena faces them  and tells Pompey he's not going to make money off her   
   friends. He threatens to kill Amarice unless Xena and the other Amazons   
   surrender. They throw down their swords.   
      
             Xena flips her Chakram up from under the straw on the road and   
   starts to fight. The Amazons retrieve swords also hidden there and everyone   
   fights. Xena uses her Chakram as a sword. Carminus rides away and Xena says   
   to let him go so Pompey will know she is there.   
      
             Pompey is angry Xena spoiled everything. He tells them to break   
   camp and when they attack the Amazons not to leave anyone behind.   
      
             Brutus is taken to Gabrielle. She wants a peace treaty between the   
   Amazons and Caesar. He agrees, if it's okay with Caesar. Amarice tells them   
   Pompey's army is on the way.   
      
             Xena is having the Romans tied to X crosses in the way of Pompey's   
   advance. Gabrielle brings Brutus and wants to know why they are tied to   
   crosses. Amarice says the pits are filled with oil to be lit when the   
   soldiers are trying to untie their own men. Gabrielle is horrified. Xena   
   tells her they are outnumbered and need every advantage.   
      
             Brutus says to trade him to Pompey. He needs money and can get   
   more for him than the Amazons. Chilapa tells Xena to come to the top of a   
   hill. They see the legion Brutus was to command coming from the south. They   
   see Pompey's army coming from the north. Xena decides to free Brutus and let   
   him return to his army.   
      
             Brutus joins the legion and tells the men to attack Pompey from   
   the side, and to bring up the artillery.   
      
             The Amazons attack Pompey. Xena tells Amarice to hold the line and   
   protect Gabrielle. Then Xena, on horseback, charges Pompey's men. As the   
   artillery explodes on Pompey's men, Xena rides ahead. She and Pompey fight.   
   Just as she is about to kill him he yells for her to wait. He says if she   
   kills him, the balance between him and Caesar will be in Caesars' favor. She   
   walks away. He tries to stab her in the back and she beheads him.   
      
             After the battle, Xena rides up to Brutus and tells him not to   
   mention her name to Caesar. She tells him Caesar can't be trusted. He says   
   he wouldn't betray a friend. She reminds him that Pompey was a friend, as   
   well as Crassus, and her. But maybe Brutus is special.  She drops Pompey's   
   head in a sack in front of Brutus and reminds him again it was his doing.   
      
             Brutus takes the head of Pompey to Caesar. And he has a peace   
   treaty from the Amazon queen. Caesar sets it on fire saying if they're not   
   under his control then they're a threat. He asks about rumors of Xena.   
   Brutus says he's not aware of her. Caesar thanks him, and says he is a loyal   
   friend. Brutus looks uncomfortable.   
      
             Gabrielle makes Chilapa the new queen. There is a T&A Amazon   
   funeral dance. Gabrielle can't understand why she can't cry over Ephiny.   
   Xena tells her that Ephiny didn't die in vain and her death became a symbol.   
      
             Amarice decides to leave with Xena and Gabrielle. Xena smells   
   trouble.   
      
             As they approach the funeral pyre, Gabrielle begins to cry on   
   Xena's shoulder as the Amazon T&A Dancers dance around them.   
      
   .....   
      
             A very good episode. Xena is doing what needs to be done - tying   
   the soldiers to crosses to slow down the army.   
      
             I was wondering how Gabrielle was going to reconcile her new   
   non-violence philosophy with being the new queen and having to defend the   
   tribe. By doing what has to be done without actually resorting to violence   
   herself. (Good or bad? Hard to say.)   
      
             Sad to see Ephiny die. From the look on Brutus' face you'd think   
   he never killed a woman before.   
      
             I half way expected Brutus to call Xena's bluff and tell her   
   nothing, but I guess the pain of the Pinch was too much to endure.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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