From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                           5.16 Lifeblood   
      
   First airing was March 13, 2000.   
      
   The story starts out with Xena, Gabrielle and baby Eve heading toward an   
   Amazon camp. Gabrielle is saying (to us) that this is the story of Eve's   
   initiation into the Amazon nation and the Amazons' rebirth.   
      
   Gabrielle intends to give Eve her Rite of Caste to make her an Amazon   
   princess. At first Xena is a bit hesitant, but seems to change her mind.   
   When they arrive at the camp –NOT the Greek Amazons, there are funeral pyres   
   for many of them because they have been in a battle with Samite nomads.   
   Among the dead is Yakut. Yakut's spirit rises from her body, but only Xena   
   can see her. She throws a fireball at Xena and she flashes back to men and   
   women dressed in animal skins battling against each other.   
      
   The new leader of the Amazons, calling herself Cyane, gives Gabrielle a   
   necklace that belonged to Amarice, who also died. It has a new bead for Eve.   
   Xena tells Gabrielle she saw Yakut's spirit. Xena can't be a part of the   
   initiation because she's not an Amazon.   
      
   Yakut talks to Xena again and tells her to dress as a shamaness, and that   
   her mission in life wasn't fulfilled so she can't crossover to the Land of   
   the Dead. The Amazons are in danger and their rescue is in the past.   
      
   Gabrielle dances in the moonlight, performing an Amazon ritual. There are   
   visions of another (pre)Amazon, Samsara, beating up a lot of men. She goes   
   to a shaman and asks him to bring the Utma, a savior from the future. A   
   woman in present day garb appears. The men they were fighting attack again.   
   The woman screams a lot during the fighting.   
      
   Later, the women (not called Amazons at this time)  catch some horses. The   
   woman, also called Cyane, jumps on one of them but is thrown off. Everyone   
   bows to her because no one has ridden a horse before. She tells them you   
   don't eat horses.   
      
   Gabrielle continues dancing. There is another flashback to Cyane dancing   
   with the Amazons. She is initiated with blood, as is Gabrielle.   
      
   The present-day Cyane says now it's time to go kill off the rest of the   
   nomads in order to avenge Yakut's death. Gabrielle says the battle is   
   over -- the Amazons won. She says there is no need for vengeance. She says   
   the Rite of Caste ceremony will proceed.   
      
   Xena talks to Yakut's spirit. Yakut retrieves the sacred utma dagger from   
   the spirit world and Xena brings it into the mortal world.   
      
   Flashback to Samara and she challenges Cyane to a foot race for some kind of   
   challenge. While racing, Cyane falls into a river. She is pulled from the   
   water by a cannibal. He kisses her. Samara comes in and attacks the man and   
   they fight. When Samara starts to kill the man, Cyane stops her, and Samara   
   accuses her of taking the side of the man.   
      
   Yakut tells Xena that information had been lost to her tribe. Xena says   
   Samara was blinded by hatred and blood lust and this  blood lust is   
   ingrained in their culture, and even new sisters are bathed in it. Xena   
   realizes Eve will get the same blood initiation.   
      
   Gabrielle watches as the initiation for Eve begins. The Amazons start to   
   slit the throat of a horse, and Gabrielle says "No!" Xena's Chakram flies in   
   and knocks the knife from an Amazon's hand. Gabrielle apologies to Xena,   
   saying she did not know the tribe initiated women with blood. Her tribe did   
   not do that to her, she tells everyone. Xena says the women must listen to   
   their ancestors. She lifts the dagger.   
      
   Flashback to Cyane and another  pre-Amazon woman captured by men. The man   
   who rescued Cyane from the river is told to kill her but he can't do it.   
   Samara and other pre-Amazons attack and save Cyane and the other one.   
      
   Gabrielle says she will not let the tribe go to war. The present-day Cyane   
   says they're going to war anyway. Yakut tells Xena to stop them. Xena says   
   she understands the desire for vengeance, but killing won't bring back the   
   dead. She says if the Amazons spill blood in Yakut's name, they doom her for   
   eternity. Cyane says Yakut took an arrow meant for her. Xena raises the utma   
   dagger.   
      
   There is another flashback -- the cannibals have tied up the guy who   
   wouldn't kill Cyane. They see Amazons walking and attack. Other Amazons on   
   horses, led by Cyane, attack the cannibals. There is a lot of fighting. One   
   cannibal goes to kill the good guy but Cyane knocks him down and unties the   
   good guy.   
      
   The mean guy gets up and starts to kill her, but Samara kills him first. The   
   fighting ends as the cannibals run off. Samara wants to go after them and   
   kill them, but the tribe's leader, Karina, says it's over. Samara rides off   
   mad. Cyane she tells the good guy to go to his people and show them a better   
   way.   
      
   The present-day Amazons wonder how they strayed so far from the good   
   intentions of their ancestors. Xena says they are supposed to fight to save   
   lives.   
      
   Gabrielle says it is time for new traditions. There is lots of dancing with   
   flashbacks between the present Amazons and the pre-Amazons. Karina tells her   
   people they will live without men, and they will forever be called Amazons,   
   which is what Cyane first called them.   
      
   Eve receives Gabrielle's Rite of Caste by being baptized with water. Yakut's   
   spirit returns and thanks Xena for saving her and her people.   
      
   The episode ends with Gabrielle's voice saying the Amazons learned to temper   
   might with mercy, thanks to the innocence of a child and the wisdom of Xena.   
      
   ……………………   
      
   Another clip show. But with clips from the never-aired 'Amazon High.' (Every   
   time I see that, I keep thinking it's short for 'Amazon High School.' I   
   never have found out what exactly the title refers to).   
      
   Another episode I'm having trouble rating. Some of it wasn't too bad, some   
   of it wasn't terrible, and some was kind of good.   
      
   The things I had trouble with –   
      
   Selma Blair who played the Utma/Cyane. I like her, and she's pretty enough,   
   but when she's on, I can't help but see her swapping spit with 'Buffy' in   
   the movie "Cruel Intentions."   
      
   Why was Gabrielle going to give Eve her Rite of Caste with the tribe of   
   Siberian Amazons and not her Greek tribe? Was that even legal?   
      
   Even though they are scantily clad, I have never been a fan of the Amazon   
   dancing. It always looks ---- silly.   
      
   It sure didn't seem to take very long for the pre-Amazons to learn to ride   
   horses, and for the horses to be broken.   
      
   Samara accused Cyane of siding with the guy who saved her life and said the   
   penalty was death. But the next thing we saw was Cyrene and her friend being   
   captured by the cannibals – what happened??   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)