Deja Vu All Over Again
In a nutshell: A modern-day Xena fan thinks she's today's reincarnation of Xena. Who blabbed?
To get really geeky about Xena "canon," according to this
episode and The Xena Scrolls, there are both descendants and
reincarnations of Xena and Gabrielle running around. Plus
there's no reason the propensity for lookalikes wouldn't
still be paddling about the gene pool (Annie, Mattie, and
Harry bear striking resemblances to people they're not
related to). Between all that, we're probably all somehow
infected by our two heroes. We can start greeting each other
with "Are you a reincarnation, a descendent, or a
lookalike?"
I liked Ted Raimi's work in this episode. He's good as a competent, bemused, annoyed, and occasionally funny guy. Loved his fake Indian call to set off Custer. But I'm sorry, he still can't do menacing to save his life. His Xena impersonation just sounded like Jett all over again.
Annie's costume had to have been snagged from some convention-goer. I think I've seen it before. Come to think of it, I think I've met a half-dozen Annies at those things.
Ted Raimi now joins Renee O'Connor, Hudson Leick, and Bruce Campbell in the distinguished list of people who have attempted the Xena battle cry. Lucy Lawless even gets honorable mention for impersonating herself: listen for Annie's weak try at the Xena battle cry during "Joan" and "Xena"'s sword battle.
I like bawdy jokes that are less obvious than a Mack truck. Annie's expression when Mattie tells her to feel her breath move through her diaphragm is great.
Best in-joke show-trashes:
"They should never have introduced [Joxer's] character in the first place!"The crown for best crack, though, was Mattie's "That was umm... confusing" after the flashback to the kiss from The Quest. Then of course the episode keeps that confusion level right were it is by giving us a big Harry-Mattie smooch at the end. Just because the XenaStaff's willing to make fun of themselves doesn't mean they have any intention of changing one iota, God love 'em.
I know quite a few folks who have said this."No, I don't watch that show. Bunch of chop-socky crap."
I have friends who have said this."Besides, [Sickness and Hell] was so repulsive. It couldn't have been an episode."
I'VE said this. MY POINT EXACTLY!"They're sneaky. They'll try anything. One week they're melodrama, the next week the Three Stooges."
We've ALL said that.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: Renee O'Connor is a
hilarious comedienne. The look on her face after the
Sickness and Hell flashback was priceless. Lucy shines the
best when she does her march to
I dunno where Annie got the overshirt she puts on the minute
she realizes she was Joxer, but it's perfect for the part.
Annie knew right away that she was Joxer. Why was it so
tough for Harry and Mattie to figure out who they were?
Unfamiliarity with the show, or because Xena and Gabrielle
are so tightly connected?
Ares has grown his hair longer, gotten even more buff... and
turned wussier. It was fun to see him after a season of
silence, but Y2K? Couldn't XenaStaff have come up with
something less cliched? Humbug.
The Harry-Ares fight was pretty fun, especially the creative
uses of a bean bag chair, phone book, and the homage to The
Avengers with the umbrella.
I missed Ares's usual evil chortle when he vanishes. This
time he just looked like he was about to pass gas.
A complete list of the flashbacks and the episodes they're
from, for those of you who are into trivia:
And by the way, have I mentioned what stunning directorial
prowess this episode showed? Way to go, ROC!
Callisto: Ladder fight (this one was LONG)
The final montage, with Gabrielle's new speech about never
dying, was a gorgeous way to end the season. It wouldn't
have had nearly the punch it does if it had played before
Ides of March. But with that knowledge hanging over our
heads (pardon the curcifixion pun), the episode was a fun
and kinda touching way to end the season. Now it's just a
matter of tracing my family tree to look for Janice
Covington to occupy my summer until season five.
Sacrifice II: "Death" of Hope and Gabrielle
Intimate Stranger: Joxer face-dive
In Sickness and In Hell: Tavern speech
Sickness and Hell (thanks, deb7!): Village battle
Family Affair: "Death" (?) of Dinsdale and Hope
Quest: The kiss (with M'Lila's song in the background, for some weird reason)
Return of Callisto: Joxer's "rescue" of Xena and Gab
Reckoning: Ares's seduction of Xena
One Against an Army: Gab's "deathbed" speech
Return to the Wool-Gatherings.
Rate-A-Xena is brought to you by the letter omega, the number IV, and
Beth Griese. Feel free to send any
comments or questions my way!