1-18 Blind Faith

First air date was April 14, 1997

The episode starts with Xena and Gabrielle walking through a market place.
Xena is hungry and wants find a tavern to eat. Gabrielle wants to shop
shop - for frivolous things. Xena and Gabrielle separate. Gabrielle buys a
scarf then is accosted by two men. She fights them off with her staff then
runs away through an alley where she is caught by a third man who threatens
to break her neck.

Xena comes out of the tavern looking for Gabrielle. She sees her staff but
when she gets it the man who captured Gabrielle tells Xena it's his staff
since he killed Gabrielle.

They fight, and the man, Palaemon, says he wants to be the man who killed
Xena. While fighting, Xena gets oil splashed in her face and eyes. She takes
Palaemon down then wants to know where Gabrielle is, saying she knows he
didn't kill her because he doesn't have the killer instinct because he
didn't press the advantage when Xena got the oil in her eyes. He says he
sold her to (slavers?). Xena puts the Pinch on him to find out where
Gabrielle is, but he calls her bluff and she takes the Pinch off.

Xena asks if the oil had sumac in it and the seller says yes.

Xena ties Palaemon's hands to a board behind him so his arms are
outstretched, and drags him along to find Gabrielle.

Gabrielle has been taken to a castle to be married to King Solus. There are
paintings of former queens, all who resemble Gabrielle. The king's Advisor
is Apex, and one of his men tells him that Xena and Palaemon are coming to
the castle. Apex tells him to take men to kill them.

Vidalis, a valet type is told to make Gabrielle suitable to the Royal Court
so she will be accepted as the new queen. Vidalis is very critical of
Gabrielle's looks, shape and manners. Vidalis tries to make her into a lady,
but without much success. But even so, the Royal Court toasts Lady Gabrielle
to become the new queen.

Xena and Palaemon fight Apex's men, and after they are driven off, Palaemon
realizes Xena has gone blind. She chains them together and says he's going
to be her eyes to find Gabrielle, rather than go to Athens to get Egyptian
senna to wash out her eyes and save her sight. They are chased again by the
men and Xena runs off a cliff but Palaemon falls onto a ledge and keep Xena
from falling to her death. She unlocks the manacles and falls, but grabs
onto a vine. Palaemon says he'll save her if she'll fight him to the death
when she regains she sight. She agrees and he pulls her up.

Gabrielle goes to talk to King Solus and finds he is dead. Apex finds her
and says that if the king dies with a wife, she must be cremated with him
and the Advisor (Apex) will be the one to rule the kingdom. After a sham
wedding with Gabrielle manacled and gagged and the king propped up with
sticks, they are put in caskets and taken to the crematorium. The king is
put in first to be burned.

Xena and Palaemon have gotten into the castle and find Vidalis' hands tied
together hanging from a peg. He tells them where Gabrielle and the king are.
They rush to the crematorium just as Gabrielle is being pulled into the
oven. Xena fights Apex's men while blind and defeats them. She manages to
pull Gabrielle out in time.

Gabrielle realizes Xena is blind. Xena tells her about the senna and Vidalis
says he grows it in his garden.

Gabrielle washes out Xena's eyes with it and her eyesight returns. Palaemon
draws his sword, and Xena agrees to fight him. But he says he learned that
you are who you pretend to be. It's better pretend to be something you can
live with. So he's going pretend to be good for a while. And he leaves.
Vidalis wonders if he could use a sidekick and follows.

Gabrielle and Xena leave also, talking about how Gabrielle's self
esteem was damaged since there was nothing about her that Vidalis liked.

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A pretty good episode. A lot to like and only a few glitches.

Liked -

The sword fighting between Xena and Palaemon.

Gabrielle's reaction to the nude statue of King Solus - couldn't
keep here eyes off it!

The dress Gabrielle was wearing - talk about some amazing
cleavage! And her attempts to become a "lady."

Vidalis' descriptions of Gabrielle - husky voice, hands on hips
like a scrub woman, hand gestures of a wagon driver, abs of peasant muscle,
and hands of a dish washer.

Xena risking her eyesight to rescue Gabrielle.

Vidalis. More fun than Salmoneus, and not as irritating.

Gabrielle's haggling over the scarf. "I guess I could use to wipe
the sweat off my horse."

Xena catching her Chakram just before it beheaded Palaemon.

.......

Didn't like -

Gabrielle's hair when she was the "lady." The back was okay but
the two curls or buns or whatever on the front were bad.

Wasn't too crazy about Palaemon. Not that he was so unlikable, but
he was just too - something.

.......

A few more comments -

A good mixture of drama and comedy.

Lucy did an excellent job of portraying someone who is blind, even
with the fighting. The only thing I noticed was that after she and Palaemon
scaled the castle wall, she ducked down under a window she couldn't know was
there.

Renee again showed her delightful comedic side.

And as much as I found to like about this one, it wasn't a great
episode, so I can only give it a 6 out of 10.