A Solstice Carol

I had dreaded this episode. I wasn't looking forward to a bunch of smarmy, pseudo-politically correct Christmas cutesyness, or holiday-style buffoonery. But as it turned out, I really enjoyed the show. Sure, it descended into the depths of sugary sweetness occasionally (I'm going to be wiping syrup off my TV for weeks after that kids' choir song), but for the most part, it stuck to parodying A Christmas Carol and had fun with Christmas props.

Xena's theme expression for the episode: bemusement. The poor warrior spends half the show looking like she can't believe she's doing the things she's doing. See what all this greater good stuff leads to eventually?

Gab on a rope! Gab abs in a hoop! Gab has the taste to pitch the tune to "Jingle Bells." (Too bad some fool picked it up again later.) Great episode for the sidekick.

Some excellent parallels with Dickens' Christmas Carol. Many lines were taken almost verbatim from the stage show. Some of the ones I noticed immediately:

• "You know what I say to that?" (I was WAITING for the bah, humbug!)
• "You're nothing but a dream, probably brought on by indigestion."
• "I am the fate of the past." "Long past?" "Your past."
• "Am I to understand that you are..."
• "Take me home."
• "What is this place? Tell me.. why am I here?"
• "Does it have to be?"

Listen to Xena's attempt at accents for Clotho and Lachesis (meta-acting!). I particularly like Clotho's giggle and Lachesis' throaty chuckle. Great voice varieties, but listen to her lose them whenever the anticipation of potential violence comes up.

The kid, Lynal, tries to steal something from a well-armed, heavily-leathered warrior woman, even if he doesn't realize at the time that it's the Warrior Princess. That guy's either got the greatest cajones known to Greece or is too stupid to survive past his 16th birthday. Maybe both.

The rope that Gabrielle hangs from suddenly becomes the length of a football field. Gabrielle gets lowered to the ground, Tobias shows up without the rope still visibly connected to him, and he and Gabrielle start walking off without getting untied. I half expected them both to be yanked backwards like they were on bungee cords.

Speaking of which, was Lynal not in on the scam when the king was brought to the orphanage? He sounded surprised when Xena revealed herself. I'm starting to seriously lean in the "intelligence-challenged" direction for Lynal.

Xena's turning absolutely mushy. She's a sucker for cute pleading from Gabrielle, a softie for smudge-faced orphan kids, and isn't above putting a lot of extra effort into a problem in order to keep both of the above happy. And her present for Gabrielle and "you are a gift to me" line are just so darned sweet it's scary. I guess we can forgive the usual warrior persona being put on hold for an episode in the name of holiday holiday-warm-and-fuzzy-ness. But Solstice only comes once a year!

Gabrielle's soft spot, on the other hand, seems to be for animals, which is surprising given her usual attitude toward Argo. But apparently she can relate more to something that's closer to her height. Best Supporting Actor of the month award goes to Tobias, the donkey with warhorse aspirations.

Gab apparently carries a thesaurus with her to provide plenty of euphemisms for violence:

"If we can change the king's mind without changing his anatomy..."
"The plan fails, we punch faces."
"I guess we have to slash and crash."

In the portrait of Analia and the king, you can just barely see the pendant that Xena later spots on Melana.

We break into Gabrielle's story about solstice with the explanation that solstice has been celebrated "from that day on." What event was this that was supposed to precipitate the celebration of the shortest day of the year?

Watch how everything those kids in the orphanage do is in unison. Instead of a studio audience's "APPLAUSE" sign, they must have had signs off-camera for "OOH AND AAH," "SCREAM," "GIGGLE," and "BEG FOR A STORY AND LOOK CUTE."

Gabrielle cannot comprehend Senticles running away from the castle. She can understand hiding, but cannot even imagine completely leaving them behind. That speaks something for the bravery of the bard and for the courage she's so used to seeing from Xena.

Even Hercules' action figure kicks butt! The benefits to being a demi-god just never stop. I also love Xena's affectionate "thanks" to the puppet.

The whole final battle is a great popcorn-muncher. Those guards' hearts just must not have been into clearing out an orphanage. Watch the laughing guard during the pillow fight, and look for a couple of great smiles from Renee. (Yeah, I'm attributing them to Renee more than Gabrielle. Everyone obviously had a lot of fun shooting that battle, and I love watching the actors enjoying the heck out of themselves occasionally.)

Return to the Wool-Gatherings.

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