5-16 Lifeblood

First airing was March 13, 2000.

The story starts out with Xena, Gabrielle and 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 the 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??

Things I liked -

The fight scenes. Some of the best ever (and did you notice not even ONCE did we see Xena or
Gabrielle fight? The closest to it was when Xena threw her Chakram to knock the knife out of the
Amazon's hand).

Yakut. I always liked her and was happy to see her.

Ditto (Ephiny) pre-Amazon Cyane.

Karina - the leader of the pre-Amazons, played by Claudia Black. I never really noticed her until
"Farscape" (and later, "Stargate-SG1") Then I really took a liking to Claudia. I still like her
best as Aeryn Sun, although Vala was a lot like Aeryn.

Utma/Cyane's friend - the black chick with the almost-afro. She was cute, perky and very likeable.
According to Whoosh, her name is Renee Kelly, and she also was in Looking Death in the Eye,
Amphipolis Under Siege, and Kindred Spirits, but this is the first time I noticed her.

Karl Urban was the cannibal who saved Cyane's life. Didn't have much to say, and looked much
younger than he did as Caesar or Cupid.

Being a bit facetious, but if I were a shaman, and I going to bring a savior from the future I'd
try to get a Slayer, or a powerful witch.

Also, is it Rite of Caste? Or Right of Caste?

The interview clip was with Rob and Michael Hurst, who directed 'Amazon High.' Mostly Rob talked
about integrating the two stories together. Michael talked about directing the fight scenes. He was
pretty proud of them. Rob said he didn't offer Amazon High because at the same time there were
shows like Beastmaster, and some other one, and he felt it wasn't different enough.

........

Not that good for a Xena episode. Amazon High might have been a decent show, but chopped up like it
was and stuck in another story, it was hard to tell. It really wasn't so bad, although sometimes a
bit hard to understand just what was happening.

A 7 out of 10.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

5-16 Lifeblood ....... 7

5-15 Married / Fishsticks .. 6

5-14 Amph Under Siege . 9

5-13 Eternal Bonds ... 8.5

5-12 God Fearing Child . 9

5-11 Punch Lines .... 8

5-10 Lyre, Lyre, Hearts . 8

5-09 Seeds Of Faith .. 9

5-08 Little Problems .. 6

5-07 Back In The Bottle . 6

5-06 Purity ...... 7.5

5-05 Them Bones .... 8.5

5-04 Animal Attraction . 6.5

5-03 Succession ....... 7

5-02 Chakram ..... 8.5

5-01 Fallen Angel ..... 8.5

Average ......... 7.7