5-17 Kindred Spirits

First airing was Mar 20, 2000.

The story starts out with Amazons bathing in a river. Someone is spying on them.

Cut to Gabrielle and Xena and Eve. Both women are wearing Amazon leather buckskin outfits.
Gabrielle is talking about staying with the tribe to serve as their queen. Xena hesitatingly says
she'll think about staying too.

Back to the Amazons bathing. Cyane hears the bushes rustle and the others attack and beat up
whoever was spying on them and take him to Gabrielle and Xena. It's Joxer. He wants them to
acknowledge that they know him. Xena whispers to him, asking if he has a letter from Cleopatra, he
says no. Xena says she doesn't know him and he is put in stocks tied between two trees.

An Amazon named Eris asks Joxer what Xena looks for in a sidekick. He tells her lots of flips and a
good war cry.

Xena, Gabrielle and some of the Amazons are in a sweat lodge talking about being with men. Xena
and Gabrielle have different views on what makes a good lover. Gabrielle mentions they might be
settling down. Xena says they're moving too fast. Gabrielle adds that they're only considering it.

Early in the morning Gabrielle and Xena are awakened by the blowing of a ram's horn to call the
queen to ceremonies. Gabrielle tells Xena she can clean up the hut or go hunting.

Xena is talking to Eve, saying where they are, they're safe from the Greek gods and there are
plenty of baby sitters. Eris tries sneaking up on Xena to prove she's worthy of being Xena's new
sidekick.

Cyane takes Joxer to Gabrielle. She tells Gabrielle the Amazon code says the penalty for a man
looking at a naked Amazon without her permission is to lose an eye.

Xena is sitting outside the hut whittling with her knife while Eris cleans the hut. Gabrielle asks
Xena's advice about the punishment. Xena says to just let him off the hook.

While he is tied between the trees, another Amazon, Rhea, asks him why he looked at them. She says
he was the first man to see her undressed and wants to know if she was pleasing to look at. He kind
of says yes. She asks if he will make a baby with her. At first he indicates he's not just a
machine, but then agrees.

Xena is ready to go hunting when Eris talks her into practice dancing with her and other for
Gabrielle's coronation.

Gabrielle tells Joxer she is trying to find a way out of blinding him.

Xena tires of the dancing and starts to leave when she sees Gabrielle watching them. They talk some
more. Xena says all the communal living together and sharing is making her sick. Gabrielle accuses
her of never intending to stay. Xena decides to go fishing for awhile. Gabrielle agrees she should.

Gabrielle is looking though scrolls of Amazon law looking for a loophole. She finds one. She goes
to Joxer and tells him he has to pledge eternal allegiance to her and she can pardon a first
offense.

Gabrielle is stripped and covered with mud for the swearing in ritual. She howls like a wolf at the
full moon until day break.

Eris tries flips and a war cry to impress Xena, and wants to go with her now that she and Gabrielle
are apart. Xena says it's only a short separation.

Gabrielle and other Amazons go to Joxer and he swears allegiance to Gabrielle. She says she'll
think about it.

Eris expects to go with Xena. She says she took Gabrielle's scrolls out of the saddlebags. Xena
says she'll get them. She takes them inside the hut and begins reading them to Eve, starting with
the 'Return of Callisto.'

Rhea cuts the ropes holding Joxer and takes him into a hut. She wants to know how to start making a
baby. She kisses him.

Gabrielle tells Cyane about the loophole and insists she will pardon Joxer. Cyane says she'll cut
him loose. She finds the rope cut and a trail leading to the hut where she finds Rhea on top of
Joxer kissing him. She takes them back to Gabrielle and says he broke another law - kissing out of
season. He must fight the queen to the death, and Rhea must be banished.

Gabrielle is back in the sweat lodge trying to think of a solution. Xena comes in and tells her she
read her scrolls. And says she is sure to make a wonderful queen, and that's worth sticking around
to see. Gabrielle tells her about having to fight Joxer to the death. Xena tells Gabrielle she
won't have to because she will.

When Joxer is brought back to Gabrielle, she tells everyone she will have her champion, Xena fight
in her place. Joxer tells Rhea he knew Gabrielle had a plan. Xena is back in her leathers and
armor.

Cyane tells Xena the only rule is that someone must die.

Xena and Joxer climb into a ring. They both make exaggerated boasts about the upcoming fight. Xena
mostly throws Joxer around. In a fit of anger, he punches her in the nose. She puts the Pinch on
him, three or four times, to satisfy the spectators that he really is dead. When Cyane declares him
dead, Xena reverses the Pinches and he wakes up.

Cyane is angry and says that the laws say - she is interrupted by Gabrielle saying they should be
changed when someone must die for a kiss. Rhea adds or get banished. And Joxer adds and get an eye
gouged out for getting an eyeful.

Cyane says she just wanted the tribe to be strong and asks for permission to leave the tribe.
Gabrielle denies her request because the tribe will need her since she's leaving with Xena.

That night Xena, Eve and Gabrielle are by a campfire looking as if there are on the trail and ready
to go to sleep. Joxer is sleeping on a blanket off to the side.

Gab asks where the are going next, Xena says the had a cruise down the Nile in mind, and she knows
someone they can stay with.

...........

For the most part, a pretty good episode.

I liked seeing Xena and Gabrielle 'going native' and wearing the buckskins (probably pretty cold
there). Gabrielle always looks good wearing the antler headdresses.

I liked Xena trying to fit in because she knew how much Gabrielle wanted to be queen and wanted to
help the tribe.

Xena finally read Gabrielle's scrolls - to Eve. It was about time. Gabrielle seemed surprised, and
pleased.

Nice conversation in the sweat lodge about men. Xena had the best line - "The good news is -- it's
different every time. The bad news is it's different every time. You're always hoping for Greek
fire but sometimes you just get diddly."

Gabrielle had a couple of good lines. When they were awakened by the ram's horn she asked Xena,
"Was that you?"

Also she was dozing off while waiting for Cyane to bring Joxer. She woke up suddenly saying, "Not
tonight!" I wonder what (or who) she was dreaming about.

As I surmised from last episode - X&G&E were with the northern tribe because it was safer than
being in Greece. (I wonder if Artemis is supposed to be the protector of this tribe also.)

Joxer was back to being his old lecherous, woman-chasing self. I guess his love for Gabrielle was
put on hold.

Just what the hell is "kissing out of season?"

I really thought this was a good episode, until the fight to the death between Xena and Joxer. They
must have had five or ten minutes left over with nothing to fill it with. I was embarrassed for
Lucy the whole time I was watching it.

Obviously, the letter Joxer was supposed to be bringing from Cleopatra prompted Xena to make plans
to go to Egypt.

This would have been an easy 8 or 8.5 if it hadn't been for that stupid wrestling match between
X&J.

A 7 out of 10.

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

5-17 Kindred Spirits .... 7

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 ......... 7.1