From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                             Season Five Disks   
      
       The Season Five set has ten disks -- nine DVDs and one CD.   
      
       "Motherhood", the season finale,  was the first selection on Disk 8.   
   Except for that episode, this was an "Extras" disk.   
      
           The second selection was about Gabrielle's new clothes. Renee was   
   modeling her new outfit – the one she was wearing after she ditched the   
   India outfit. The bra was basically the same but with cords hanging off the   
   back where it was criss-crossed and tied. Obviously they were removed since   
   we never saw them.   
      
           The bottom of her outfit was almost the same. Renee, in an earlier   
   commentary said they were really shorts with the flap covering the front and   
   back. The one here had a wider flap. And her boots were almost knee high.   
      
       Mostly she was  running and jumping around, doing side kicks, etc., just   
   trying to see how the new outfit worked. She was inside on a set, and then   
   outside. Also, her hair was very long and very blond.  I guess it had to be   
   a wig since her hair was cut at the end of Season Four.   
      
       The third selection showed how the "monsters" and other props were   
   created – the wings for the demons and angels in "Fallen Angel," and the   
   face molds for the demons (Callisto and Xena).   
      
               The Ninth Disk showed  a few behind-the-scenes of the 100th   
   episode – "Seeds of Faith." It showed the confrontation between Ares and   
   Gabrielle after Eli was killed, and Ares almost killing Gabrielle when   
   Xena's Chakram broke off the end of his sword.   
      
       And they worked on the scene where Xena is about to kill Ares with the   
   Dagger of Helios until she sees Eli's reflection and decides to let Ares   
   live.   
      
       With all the setting up, and getting the lighting just right, and the   
   fight scenes figured out, it's a wonder anything actually got filmed.   
   (And it kind of takes the magic out of it, seeing how the action starts and   
   stops.)   
      
           It must have been pretty cool because almost everyone was wearing a   
   coat or jacket. And whenever a scene was over, Renee's assistant was there   
   with a heavy robe for her.   
      
               Also on this disk are the director's cuts for certain scenes   
   from "Motherhood" and "Animal Attraction."   There was a comparison of what   
   we saw and what the director actually filmed.   
      
           For example, in "Motherhood",  there was the one where Gabrielle   
   stabbed Eve, all three times. And after Xena figured out it was the Furies,   
   she killed one with her sword, then threw her Chakram and killed the other   
   two. Then on Mt. Olympus, Ares told Athena Xena killed them and it was then   
   that she declared all out war.   
      
               Also, Athena was mad that Aphrodite was there and didn't kill   
   Eve. As Ares said, she had time to kill her twice. Athena vowed to make   
   Aphrodite suffer for eternity for her betrayal.   
      
           And there were extended scenes of the fight in the tavern.   
      
           At the end, Ares is talking to Xena and she tells him he has a one   
   in a billion chance with her. And he says so the IS a chance. And then he   
   walks off after trying and remembering he can't teleport.   
      
       It's too bad we didn't get the option of watching the original or   
   watching the episode as it was intended.   
      
            "Animal Attraction."  To recap, this is the Western episode. X&G   
   find a horse caught in a bear trap. Talia is sheriff. Joxer has told   
   Gabrielle he loves her. Amarice and Armon have the love/hate thing going,   
   and Xena finds out she is pregnant.   
      
           A LOT of deleted scenes between Gabrielle and her horse while she is   
   trying to get him to accept her. Longer scenes of Joxer and Armon getting   
   the massage and talking about women. Ditto,  Amarice talking about Armon to   
   X&G. And conversations between Xena and Talia.   
      
       One funny thing -- Gabrielle was telling Armon to buy candy for Amarice.   
   Cut to a shot of Xena sampling a piece, throwing up, then telling the vendor   
   she's had enough. (I guess you had to see it.).   
      
           Many scenes of Joxer being a pain in the ass trying to ingratiate   
   himself to Gabrielle.   
      
           I often wonder if the directors realize there is more material than   
   can possibly make into the final cut. It seems like if everything was used,   
   the show would be two hours long (certainly a GOOD thing!!!)   
      
           This wasn't one of my favorite episode by a long shot. I only rated   
   it a 6.5.   
      
                Disk Ten is a CD offering Chronicles, Trivia, Biographies,   
   Extras, and Legends.   
      
           * Chronicles contains --   
   (a) Scrolls, which is a recap of the eps.   
   (b) Mortals – almost everyone in XWP who was not a god.   
   (c) Gods –  all the gods.   
   (d) Creatures – including Crustacea's kids, harpies, dryads.   
   (e) Treasures – including Ambrosia and both Chakrams.   
      
           * Trivia, of course are trivia games, ten questions at a time.   
      
           * Biographies are of all the actors, directors and writers.   
      
           * Extras is a couple of production drawings and story boards for   
   each episode.   
      
           * Legends include almost everyone and everything in the Xena-verse,   
   but the actual historical people, myths and creatures, and not necessarily   
   the ones on the show.   
      
      
      
      
   David   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)