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scifi_rewatchOh my sweet heavens. Much like with the last “Farscape” episode I reviewed, this “Xena” one largely exists to be some elaborate padding for the very end. “The rift” just has to get riftier. Unlike the other show, although this episode was muuuuuuuch more ostentatious, overall I enjoyed it on a higher scale. Sorry, horror genre. :P
In fact, “The Debt” is often counted as THE best episode (or maybe episodes, with part 2 coming up) of the entire show. I’m not sure I can take it quite that high, but it’s undoubtedly up there. Everything was fantastic—the scope, the locations, the music, the backstory, the character motivations; GUH. And although production probably should have paid a little more attention to cultural sensitivity, particularly when it came to Grant McFarland’s character, this was a great introduction to a powerful woman of color, played marvelously by Jaqueline Kim. I’m gonna be doing a lot of kvelling about actors under the cut. :P
Some schisms remain in the fandom, I think, particularly about one character’s arc. Really shouldn’t get into it in detail here, but I find myself disagreeing with them, both in the short run about immediate motivations, and the longer one, about the full reason for the entire “rift” story arc. Either way, these episodes give you a lot to think about.
Summary is here, courtesy of whoosh.org.
So the disclaimer this week, copied below, refers to costume designers, I’ve found out. :P Sheesh, how much more sense that makes, because the sheer scope of this episode must have been exhausting. They had to create entire new sets of wardrobes for warrior characters (based on the Mongols and the Huns, I believe). Also some Chinese-inspired costumes for the prominent cast—Xena, the Mings, Lao Ma, and even Gabrielle, at the tail end shocker of this episode. My only real complaint might be that Lucy just doesn’t look good in the garb, but that’s hardly their fault. :P Just doesn’t fit her figure and face. Anywho. The music was new and epic, and Rob Tapert disclosed that he got a helicopter to film the big action scene with the horse chase. I’m also continually amazed at how different New Zealand looks from…other parts of New Zealand; that dried up grassy plain did not match the rest of the locations. Really felt like it could be a brand new country, perhaps. One called Chin, which didn’t really exist, but was “Xena’s” way of skirting past history. :P Kind of like how Xena was able to plant severed heads at the Great Wall, though I suppose that’s more believable than literarily making Stonehenge, lol.
So, the premise here is that Xena gets a cryptic message from a man from Chin, which propels her to go on a long journey (I’d like to think from Brittania, where last we saw the girls, maybe with a pit stop in Greece) just to kill a guy. Gabrielle, I think naturally, is stunned. Renee, and others, point out that maybe Gabs is a little too absolutist when it comes to killing (she’s certainly given herself a hard enough time, despite Meridian’s active participation,) but hopefully most of us can admit that undertaking such a long journey with such intentionally opaque backstory, solely for the reason of murder, nothing else, is also a bit extreme. I mean, even Xena gives it some second thought at the end, as we flash back to Gabrielle’s parting words to her, and even her guilt over Callisto’s death way back when. Plus, back to Gab, she’s still pretty much reeling from having to give her baby up, and maybe Steven L. Sears has a point; she could be jealous of Lao Ma, who can propel Xena to such great lengths. Lots of jealousy in this episode. :P
When it comes to Lao Ma and Borias getting freaky (some great editing, as was the highly sexual gyrating between Solan’s parents on the back of that horse, heh,) there was some confusion about which one Xena actually felt jealous of. Also, she was smoking opium, bwa-hahah. How did the show pull that off? In an episode with a same-sex underwater kiss, too? *fans self* Anywho. We all know that dark!Xena in attitude is kind of the polar opposite of the current-day warrior princess, though Lucy melds all of them into the same character seamlessly. I was most struck here by how feral she is, post-Caesar attack in “Destiny.” She’s this angry, unhinged teen, and her leg injury is like a mirror of her mental state, too. And then, we have Borias. Marton Csokas is back so soon after “The Deliverer,” and in an even more significant role. We’d only ever heard of Borias before, and usually in a good light, as a friend to the centaurs and Xena’s baby daddy. But here, he’s relatively ruthless, if perhaps a bit less bloodthirsty than his lover. Sure, he’s not the one to kill the man she was supposed to set free (the final head on a spike belonged to the messenger, and the showrunners talked about the line they were crossing with letting their hero go quite so dark—such a great show for making us see Xena as so very flawed.) But Xena’s lover still betrays her to his enemies—though to be fair she was a bit of a pain in the ass with all of that undermining of his plans. :P It’s really a great chemistry between these two characters, because Xena and Borias are both struggling for dominance, and at least for now, Borias is winning. Hey, Xeen, you’re the one who said you liked his animalistic nature. :P Csokas apparently decided to go with a Hungarian affect, which is also a source of his ancestry. Definitely makes him seem different, ethnically, from our warrior princess.
The ethnic lines were a little more problematic when it came to the Chinese characters. Apparently, the showrunners hoped that a few people might speak in an accent, and Grant McFarland was the one who rose to the offer. FemPop points out the racist undertones; doesn’t help that the character of Ming Tzu is so thoroughly the bad guy. He’s an arrogant double crosser with a sniveling attitude, allowing for brattiness in his kid, and that’s all before he decides to hunt down Xena, beaten and disabled, for “entertainment.” Hello, dystopia. Though sheesh, that image of Xena as angry-scared-tame in the cage is just amazing. Her acting in that scene, too; she outruns the dogs, mostly by stumbling and running into Lao Ma, but man does she look vulnerable. Anywho. I feel like I should also take a moment to praise Daniel Lim and Daniel Sing, who played Ming Tien, aka The Green Dragon, as a young boy and a young ruler. Both had that quiet brattiness, but again, murder? I guess I should remember that it’s not like they killed Ming Tien when he was a little kid. (Xena is definitely the scary bad guy when she abducts him, admittedly in a badass way. Of course that horse didn’t want to break through the wall, Robert Tapert; the horse had sense! :P Anywho.) Ming Tien’s had plenty of time to turn into a good person, and if he hasn’t…well, we will get all of our answers next time, hopefully!
So now we get to Lao Ma, as played by the wonderful Jaqueline Kim. According to Robert Tapert, she was a rare case of being offered the part without first having to read for it. She also refused to do an accent, but according to whoosh.org, she really enjoyed the script. Kudos, R.J. Stewart. The character is amazing; all regal grace and compassion hidden behind a screen of humility and femininity. Also according to whoosh.org she was Buddhist, and got the flowing moves of her choreography down via T’ai Chi. (And according to the wiki, the Asian extras were doing Qinggong, a form of Chinese martial arts. Anywho.) I mentioned the kiss before, but daaaaamn. I know it’s for resuscitation purposes, in show, but c’mon. There is never any lack of chemistry between Lucy and some of the female guest stars on this show. Though Lucy as the DVD commentator appeared more non-plussed at the reason for Lao Ma saving Xena—because of her gift to see Xena’s potential. (Lao Ma had some great poetic lines about giving up dangerous passion.) To be fair, this also seemed the reason why M’Lila saved Xena and taught her pressure points, though maybe it’s a bit redundant twice. Xena’s redemption arc might be more genuine without the supernatural overtones, but maybe you could also look at these two women, Gabrielle’s precursors, simply believing that kindness could show anyone a better path.
Final odds and ends—Xena in dark mud, hardly any clothes, a knife in her mouth, as she slowly descends on who she thinks is her prey….spoooooky. Maybe didn’t need the ridiculously unlikely jump from the water to the tip top of the tower, or even her crawling on the ground for half the time. :P According to Tapert, a lot from this scene, including the whirling circular things, were inspired by other Chinese movies. Pretty cool, and lends an ambiance. Will we know how Gabs somehow beat Xena to Chin? Yes, but it’ll take a pretty long time, so. :P /zips lips Apparently the water in tub scene had some carcinogenic elements, which both Rob and Lucy seemed rather blasé about in their interview! Also there’s some “Raiders of the Lost Arc” vibes present in the opening fight scene; I never saw it, so dunno. And I’m gonna bet that this episode picked up exactly where “Gabrielle’s Hope” left off. Just too much unfinished business there. We needed something big to propel us from one dramatic event into another. Boy, did we get it.
Disclaimer No frock tarts were killed during the production of this motion picture although they wish they had been.
Favorite Quotes:
*laying it on a bit thick here, aren’t we?*
Gabrielle: Thank you.
Xena: For what?
Gabrielle: You stuck by me through everything.
Xena: Likewise, I'm sure.
Gabrielle: I hope I never disappoint you, Xena.
Xena: Impossible.
*the start of some cryptic conversations*
Messenger: I bring a message to you.
Xena: I'm listening.
Messenger: The Green Dragon has become too large-- and must be made--small.
Gabrielle: The Green Dragon?
Xena: I'm going on a long journey.
Gabrielle: You're going on a long journey-- what happened to 'we'?
Xena: This time's different.
Gabrielle: What's so different about it?
Xena: I have to travel toward the rising sun for many, many days.
Gabrielle: Xena, that's not a problem for me.
Xena: The land that I'm travelling to is as different to ours as night is to day—the kingdom of Chin.
Gabrielle: You think that's an argument against my coming? It sounds fascinating.
Xena: If you came, you couldn't get in my way.
Gabrielle: Are you saying I'm a nuisance?
Xena: No-- you just wouldn't like what I'm going there to do.
Gabrielle: OK, let's forget the cryptic part. Are you going up against a dragon?
Xena: No.
Gabrielle: Is the Green Dragon a person?
Xena: Yes.
Gabrielle: Which person?
Xena: The one I'm gonna kill.
*epic backstory, complete with battle*
Xena: With shattered legs and crippled soul, I went east-- to lose myself in vengeance—not against Caesar-- but the entire human race. *in the past, evil!Xena attempts to kill surrendered men*
Borias: No! We don't slaughter them!
Xena: I'm telling you, Borias-- the only way to deal with these scum is through terror.
Borias: And if we kill them all, who's left to be terrified? *to man whom Xena will ultimately kill* Tell Ming what happens to his soldiers when he sends them against Borias.
*Xena’s attempt at “diplomacy,” with heads on spikes at the Great Wall of China*
Xena: This will convince Ming to talk, more than all of Borias' diplomacy. We sit out here, in the middle of nowhere, while all the riches of Chin await us.
Chuang: Old families of Chin are very powerful.
Xena: We could take them one at a time. First we hit Ming, and then we turn on Lao.
Chuang: Borias wants to form an alliance with one family first, before he moves.
Xena: And while he waits, what's to stop Ming and Lao from forming an alliance with one another? Oh, no. No, they dont wanna cooperate. I say—kill 'em all!
*Ming Tzu comes in as the conniving, backstabbing bad guy*
Ming Tzu: Your offer sounds simple enough. You raid Lao's region, and I remain neutral.
Borias: And in return, you receive one-third of our loot.
Ming Tzu: One-half.
Xena: No deal.
Ming Tzu: This woman is in charge?!
Borias: No, she's not. But your offer--
Ming Tzu: It is not an offer. It is a statement of fact. If you want my cooperation, you will give me half of everything you steal.
*Xena and Borias argue over strategy*
Borias: He's gone, huh?
Xena: Because I called him a name? Then he's too soft.
Borias: Ah, you don't understand these people. No matter what—you have to always let them save face.
Xena: Saving his ugly mug wasn't exactly what I had in mind. And, besides, what kind of a deal was that, huh? We do all the dirty work, and he gets half.
Borias: You're a fool. Whatever deal I made with him, I will then go to Lao, and make a better one.
*Lao Ma’s introduction*
Borias: Borias extends the sincerest welcome to the head of the house of Lao.
Lao Ma: I'm Lao Ma-- wife of the great Lao. Please forgive my husband for-sending his insignificant wife-- to handle such—difficult affairs of state. But he's very ill.
Borias: I'm sorry to hear that. You're very welcome, of course.
Lao Ma: I know you're a great warrior, Borias-- but I've also heard that you're a man of honor. *Xena snickers* You must be Xena.
Xena: Oh, you've heard of me.
Lao Ma: Oh yes-- they say you're a dangerous woman.
Xena: Well they're right.
Borias: You have nothing to fear, Lao Ma. We will negotiate with honor—and with fairness. I hope we will find common ground on which to stand.
*Lao Ma beats Xena at the metaphor contest :P*
Xena: That's my piece of meat you're reaching for.
Lao Ma: You're wrong. I don't eat meat.
*Xena explains her reason for jealousy to Gabrielle*
Gabrielle: You wanted to kill that poor, innocent woman-- out of jealousy.
Xena: Jealousy-- over Borias? You gotta be kidding. No, Borias and I were just using each other.
Gabrielle: Then why?
Xena: I wanted to kill Lao Ma because-- I knew in my heart that she'd be a civilizing influence on him-- and I liked him wild-- like I was-- an animal, living from one moment to the next-- driven by desire alone.
*the story of Xena’s backstory :P*
Xena: She said, 'Fill yourself with desire and see only illusion. Empty yourself of desire and understand the great mystery of things.'
Gabrielle: That's good. I take it that you didn't listen to her.
Xena: No. No, not then-- not for a long time.
*evil Xena being evil*
Xena: I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You'll be dead in a minute.
Guard: What do you want to know?
Xena: Nothin'-- I'm just letting you know how long you got left, so you can enjoy it.
*Xena thinks she got the better of Borias*
Borias: "Nothing brings royal houses together faster than
kidnappers."
Xena: Well, if I'm dealing with the both of them, I'm doubling my demands.
Borias: Where's the child?!
Xena: Hey Chuang, he thinks I'm gonna tell him. What I will do, however, is cut you in on the deal, if you set up the exchange. We meet in your yurt on the plains, north of the Great Wall. Ming brings me fifty of his best horses-- and 25--no, fifty bags of gold—and I give him his boy. For your part, you get-- five per cent. Oh, and, uh--that's not an offer-- that's a statement of fact.
*Borias double-crosses his lover!*
Borias: As promised.
Ming Tzu: Good-- you take the gold and horses. I get the woman.
Borias: You're going to die, Xena. And that's a statement of fact.
*a pretty dramatic parting of the ways*
Gabrielle: I can't go there with you, Xena-- and I don't mean the kingdom of Chin.
Xena: I know what you mean.
Gabrielle: You're going through with this, aren't you?
Xena: Yes!
Gabrielle: Well, I'm turning back! Who's the Green Dragon? It's not Borias--he's already dead. The other guy who betrayed you-- what's his name?
Xena: Chuang? No, I killed him a long time ago.
Gabrielle: Me? I'm sorry, Xena-- but I can't help you commit murder.
Xena: Gabrielle, I am catching a ship here that will carry me close to the kingdom of Chin. If there was ever a time to turn back, it's now. I understand.
Gabrielle: You owe someone so much, that you would just throw away these last few years.
Xena: Yes.
*Ming Tzu is a sadistic dictator raising a bratty child*
Ming Tzu: Welcome Lao Ma. I hope you don't mind us hunting so close to Lao territory. But the terrain here is perfect.
Lao Ma: Perfect, for what?
Ming Tzu: Her-- the woman who succeeded in doing what a hundred diplomats could not do make an alliance between our two kingdoms.
Lao Ma: You plan to hunt her?
Ming Tzu: Yes. We're going to enjoy this, aren't we, Ming Tien?
Lao Ma: Well, please do not hesitate to use Lao land for your pleasure. I brought something for you, Ming Tien. I made it, myself. *Ming Tien tosses his green dragon embroidery aside without looking at it* A beaten, half dead cripple-- doesn't sound very sporting, Ming Tzu."
Ming Tzu: No-- but it will be entertaining.
Lao Ma: I must go. Enjoy your entertainment.
*Xena is saved from the hunt*
Lao Ma: Come with me if you wish your freedom. Hurry-- he'll be back on the scent, soon.
Xena: Why are you doing this?
Lao Ma: I have been blessed-- or cursed-- with the ability to see into the souls of others. You don't know it yet, Xena, but you're a remarkable woman-- capable of greatness.
*Lao Ma has an intriguing backstory*
Ming Tzu: You had better not be hiding her.
Lao Ma: My Lord-- I would never hide what is yours.
Ming Tzu: When I arranged your marriage to Lao, I expected you to show more loyalty towards me.
Lao Ma: I was a courtesan-- and you sold me. You expect loyalty?
Ming Tzu: What a strange woman, Lao Ma-- soft, and hard at the same time."
Lao Ma: Like water. Nothing is soft as water-- yet, who can withstand the raging flood?
*betrayal moves from past to present at the end of the episode*
Gabrielle: I'm sorry Xena-- I couldn't let you do this.
Ming Tien: *to Xena* Lao Ma said you'd return one day. Lock her up.
In fact, “The Debt” is often counted as THE best episode (or maybe episodes, with part 2 coming up) of the entire show. I’m not sure I can take it quite that high, but it’s undoubtedly up there. Everything was fantastic—the scope, the locations, the music, the backstory, the character motivations; GUH. And although production probably should have paid a little more attention to cultural sensitivity, particularly when it came to Grant McFarland’s character, this was a great introduction to a powerful woman of color, played marvelously by Jaqueline Kim. I’m gonna be doing a lot of kvelling about actors under the cut. :P
Some schisms remain in the fandom, I think, particularly about one character’s arc. Really shouldn’t get into it in detail here, but I find myself disagreeing with them, both in the short run about immediate motivations, and the longer one, about the full reason for the entire “rift” story arc. Either way, these episodes give you a lot to think about.
Summary is here, courtesy of whoosh.org.
So the disclaimer this week, copied below, refers to costume designers, I’ve found out. :P Sheesh, how much more sense that makes, because the sheer scope of this episode must have been exhausting. They had to create entire new sets of wardrobes for warrior characters (based on the Mongols and the Huns, I believe). Also some Chinese-inspired costumes for the prominent cast—Xena, the Mings, Lao Ma, and even Gabrielle, at the tail end shocker of this episode. My only real complaint might be that Lucy just doesn’t look good in the garb, but that’s hardly their fault. :P Just doesn’t fit her figure and face. Anywho. The music was new and epic, and Rob Tapert disclosed that he got a helicopter to film the big action scene with the horse chase. I’m also continually amazed at how different New Zealand looks from…other parts of New Zealand; that dried up grassy plain did not match the rest of the locations. Really felt like it could be a brand new country, perhaps. One called Chin, which didn’t really exist, but was “Xena’s” way of skirting past history. :P Kind of like how Xena was able to plant severed heads at the Great Wall, though I suppose that’s more believable than literarily making Stonehenge, lol.
So, the premise here is that Xena gets a cryptic message from a man from Chin, which propels her to go on a long journey (I’d like to think from Brittania, where last we saw the girls, maybe with a pit stop in Greece) just to kill a guy. Gabrielle, I think naturally, is stunned. Renee, and others, point out that maybe Gabs is a little too absolutist when it comes to killing (she’s certainly given herself a hard enough time, despite Meridian’s active participation,) but hopefully most of us can admit that undertaking such a long journey with such intentionally opaque backstory, solely for the reason of murder, nothing else, is also a bit extreme. I mean, even Xena gives it some second thought at the end, as we flash back to Gabrielle’s parting words to her, and even her guilt over Callisto’s death way back when. Plus, back to Gab, she’s still pretty much reeling from having to give her baby up, and maybe Steven L. Sears has a point; she could be jealous of Lao Ma, who can propel Xena to such great lengths. Lots of jealousy in this episode. :P
When it comes to Lao Ma and Borias getting freaky (some great editing, as was the highly sexual gyrating between Solan’s parents on the back of that horse, heh,) there was some confusion about which one Xena actually felt jealous of. Also, she was smoking opium, bwa-hahah. How did the show pull that off? In an episode with a same-sex underwater kiss, too? *fans self* Anywho. We all know that dark!Xena in attitude is kind of the polar opposite of the current-day warrior princess, though Lucy melds all of them into the same character seamlessly. I was most struck here by how feral she is, post-Caesar attack in “Destiny.” She’s this angry, unhinged teen, and her leg injury is like a mirror of her mental state, too. And then, we have Borias. Marton Csokas is back so soon after “The Deliverer,” and in an even more significant role. We’d only ever heard of Borias before, and usually in a good light, as a friend to the centaurs and Xena’s baby daddy. But here, he’s relatively ruthless, if perhaps a bit less bloodthirsty than his lover. Sure, he’s not the one to kill the man she was supposed to set free (the final head on a spike belonged to the messenger, and the showrunners talked about the line they were crossing with letting their hero go quite so dark—such a great show for making us see Xena as so very flawed.) But Xena’s lover still betrays her to his enemies—though to be fair she was a bit of a pain in the ass with all of that undermining of his plans. :P It’s really a great chemistry between these two characters, because Xena and Borias are both struggling for dominance, and at least for now, Borias is winning. Hey, Xeen, you’re the one who said you liked his animalistic nature. :P Csokas apparently decided to go with a Hungarian affect, which is also a source of his ancestry. Definitely makes him seem different, ethnically, from our warrior princess.
The ethnic lines were a little more problematic when it came to the Chinese characters. Apparently, the showrunners hoped that a few people might speak in an accent, and Grant McFarland was the one who rose to the offer. FemPop points out the racist undertones; doesn’t help that the character of Ming Tzu is so thoroughly the bad guy. He’s an arrogant double crosser with a sniveling attitude, allowing for brattiness in his kid, and that’s all before he decides to hunt down Xena, beaten and disabled, for “entertainment.” Hello, dystopia. Though sheesh, that image of Xena as angry-scared-tame in the cage is just amazing. Her acting in that scene, too; she outruns the dogs, mostly by stumbling and running into Lao Ma, but man does she look vulnerable. Anywho. I feel like I should also take a moment to praise Daniel Lim and Daniel Sing, who played Ming Tien, aka The Green Dragon, as a young boy and a young ruler. Both had that quiet brattiness, but again, murder? I guess I should remember that it’s not like they killed Ming Tien when he was a little kid. (Xena is definitely the scary bad guy when she abducts him, admittedly in a badass way. Of course that horse didn’t want to break through the wall, Robert Tapert; the horse had sense! :P Anywho.) Ming Tien’s had plenty of time to turn into a good person, and if he hasn’t…well, we will get all of our answers next time, hopefully!
So now we get to Lao Ma, as played by the wonderful Jaqueline Kim. According to Robert Tapert, she was a rare case of being offered the part without first having to read for it. She also refused to do an accent, but according to whoosh.org, she really enjoyed the script. Kudos, R.J. Stewart. The character is amazing; all regal grace and compassion hidden behind a screen of humility and femininity. Also according to whoosh.org she was Buddhist, and got the flowing moves of her choreography down via T’ai Chi. (And according to the wiki, the Asian extras were doing Qinggong, a form of Chinese martial arts. Anywho.) I mentioned the kiss before, but daaaaamn. I know it’s for resuscitation purposes, in show, but c’mon. There is never any lack of chemistry between Lucy and some of the female guest stars on this show. Though Lucy as the DVD commentator appeared more non-plussed at the reason for Lao Ma saving Xena—because of her gift to see Xena’s potential. (Lao Ma had some great poetic lines about giving up dangerous passion.) To be fair, this also seemed the reason why M’Lila saved Xena and taught her pressure points, though maybe it’s a bit redundant twice. Xena’s redemption arc might be more genuine without the supernatural overtones, but maybe you could also look at these two women, Gabrielle’s precursors, simply believing that kindness could show anyone a better path.
Final odds and ends—Xena in dark mud, hardly any clothes, a knife in her mouth, as she slowly descends on who she thinks is her prey….spoooooky. Maybe didn’t need the ridiculously unlikely jump from the water to the tip top of the tower, or even her crawling on the ground for half the time. :P According to Tapert, a lot from this scene, including the whirling circular things, were inspired by other Chinese movies. Pretty cool, and lends an ambiance. Will we know how Gabs somehow beat Xena to Chin? Yes, but it’ll take a pretty long time, so. :P /zips lips Apparently the water in tub scene had some carcinogenic elements, which both Rob and Lucy seemed rather blasé about in their interview! Also there’s some “Raiders of the Lost Arc” vibes present in the opening fight scene; I never saw it, so dunno. And I’m gonna bet that this episode picked up exactly where “Gabrielle’s Hope” left off. Just too much unfinished business there. We needed something big to propel us from one dramatic event into another. Boy, did we get it.
Disclaimer No frock tarts were killed during the production of this motion picture although they wish they had been.
Favorite Quotes:
*laying it on a bit thick here, aren’t we?*
Gabrielle: Thank you.
Xena: For what?
Gabrielle: You stuck by me through everything.
Xena: Likewise, I'm sure.
Gabrielle: I hope I never disappoint you, Xena.
Xena: Impossible.
*the start of some cryptic conversations*
Messenger: I bring a message to you.
Xena: I'm listening.
Messenger: The Green Dragon has become too large-- and must be made--small.
Gabrielle: The Green Dragon?
Xena: I'm going on a long journey.
Gabrielle: You're going on a long journey-- what happened to 'we'?
Xena: This time's different.
Gabrielle: What's so different about it?
Xena: I have to travel toward the rising sun for many, many days.
Gabrielle: Xena, that's not a problem for me.
Xena: The land that I'm travelling to is as different to ours as night is to day—the kingdom of Chin.
Gabrielle: You think that's an argument against my coming? It sounds fascinating.
Xena: If you came, you couldn't get in my way.
Gabrielle: Are you saying I'm a nuisance?
Xena: No-- you just wouldn't like what I'm going there to do.
Gabrielle: OK, let's forget the cryptic part. Are you going up against a dragon?
Xena: No.
Gabrielle: Is the Green Dragon a person?
Xena: Yes.
Gabrielle: Which person?
Xena: The one I'm gonna kill.
*epic backstory, complete with battle*
Xena: With shattered legs and crippled soul, I went east-- to lose myself in vengeance—not against Caesar-- but the entire human race. *in the past, evil!Xena attempts to kill surrendered men*
Borias: No! We don't slaughter them!
Xena: I'm telling you, Borias-- the only way to deal with these scum is through terror.
Borias: And if we kill them all, who's left to be terrified? *to man whom Xena will ultimately kill* Tell Ming what happens to his soldiers when he sends them against Borias.
*Xena’s attempt at “diplomacy,” with heads on spikes at the Great Wall of China*
Xena: This will convince Ming to talk, more than all of Borias' diplomacy. We sit out here, in the middle of nowhere, while all the riches of Chin await us.
Chuang: Old families of Chin are very powerful.
Xena: We could take them one at a time. First we hit Ming, and then we turn on Lao.
Chuang: Borias wants to form an alliance with one family first, before he moves.
Xena: And while he waits, what's to stop Ming and Lao from forming an alliance with one another? Oh, no. No, they dont wanna cooperate. I say—kill 'em all!
*Ming Tzu comes in as the conniving, backstabbing bad guy*
Ming Tzu: Your offer sounds simple enough. You raid Lao's region, and I remain neutral.
Borias: And in return, you receive one-third of our loot.
Ming Tzu: One-half.
Xena: No deal.
Ming Tzu: This woman is in charge?!
Borias: No, she's not. But your offer--
Ming Tzu: It is not an offer. It is a statement of fact. If you want my cooperation, you will give me half of everything you steal.
*Xena and Borias argue over strategy*
Borias: He's gone, huh?
Xena: Because I called him a name? Then he's too soft.
Borias: Ah, you don't understand these people. No matter what—you have to always let them save face.
Xena: Saving his ugly mug wasn't exactly what I had in mind. And, besides, what kind of a deal was that, huh? We do all the dirty work, and he gets half.
Borias: You're a fool. Whatever deal I made with him, I will then go to Lao, and make a better one.
*Lao Ma’s introduction*
Borias: Borias extends the sincerest welcome to the head of the house of Lao.
Lao Ma: I'm Lao Ma-- wife of the great Lao. Please forgive my husband for-sending his insignificant wife-- to handle such—difficult affairs of state. But he's very ill.
Borias: I'm sorry to hear that. You're very welcome, of course.
Lao Ma: I know you're a great warrior, Borias-- but I've also heard that you're a man of honor. *Xena snickers* You must be Xena.
Xena: Oh, you've heard of me.
Lao Ma: Oh yes-- they say you're a dangerous woman.
Xena: Well they're right.
Borias: You have nothing to fear, Lao Ma. We will negotiate with honor—and with fairness. I hope we will find common ground on which to stand.
*Lao Ma beats Xena at the metaphor contest :P*
Xena: That's my piece of meat you're reaching for.
Lao Ma: You're wrong. I don't eat meat.
*Xena explains her reason for jealousy to Gabrielle*
Gabrielle: You wanted to kill that poor, innocent woman-- out of jealousy.
Xena: Jealousy-- over Borias? You gotta be kidding. No, Borias and I were just using each other.
Gabrielle: Then why?
Xena: I wanted to kill Lao Ma because-- I knew in my heart that she'd be a civilizing influence on him-- and I liked him wild-- like I was-- an animal, living from one moment to the next-- driven by desire alone.
*the story of Xena’s backstory :P*
Xena: She said, 'Fill yourself with desire and see only illusion. Empty yourself of desire and understand the great mystery of things.'
Gabrielle: That's good. I take it that you didn't listen to her.
Xena: No. No, not then-- not for a long time.
*evil Xena being evil*
Xena: I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You'll be dead in a minute.
Guard: What do you want to know?
Xena: Nothin'-- I'm just letting you know how long you got left, so you can enjoy it.
*Xena thinks she got the better of Borias*
Borias: "Nothing brings royal houses together faster than
kidnappers."
Xena: Well, if I'm dealing with the both of them, I'm doubling my demands.
Borias: Where's the child?!
Xena: Hey Chuang, he thinks I'm gonna tell him. What I will do, however, is cut you in on the deal, if you set up the exchange. We meet in your yurt on the plains, north of the Great Wall. Ming brings me fifty of his best horses-- and 25--no, fifty bags of gold—and I give him his boy. For your part, you get-- five per cent. Oh, and, uh--that's not an offer-- that's a statement of fact.
*Borias double-crosses his lover!*
Borias: As promised.
Ming Tzu: Good-- you take the gold and horses. I get the woman.
Borias: You're going to die, Xena. And that's a statement of fact.
*a pretty dramatic parting of the ways*
Gabrielle: I can't go there with you, Xena-- and I don't mean the kingdom of Chin.
Xena: I know what you mean.
Gabrielle: You're going through with this, aren't you?
Xena: Yes!
Gabrielle: Well, I'm turning back! Who's the Green Dragon? It's not Borias--he's already dead. The other guy who betrayed you-- what's his name?
Xena: Chuang? No, I killed him a long time ago.
Gabrielle: Me? I'm sorry, Xena-- but I can't help you commit murder.
Xena: Gabrielle, I am catching a ship here that will carry me close to the kingdom of Chin. If there was ever a time to turn back, it's now. I understand.
Gabrielle: You owe someone so much, that you would just throw away these last few years.
Xena: Yes.
*Ming Tzu is a sadistic dictator raising a bratty child*
Ming Tzu: Welcome Lao Ma. I hope you don't mind us hunting so close to Lao territory. But the terrain here is perfect.
Lao Ma: Perfect, for what?
Ming Tzu: Her-- the woman who succeeded in doing what a hundred diplomats could not do make an alliance between our two kingdoms.
Lao Ma: You plan to hunt her?
Ming Tzu: Yes. We're going to enjoy this, aren't we, Ming Tien?
Lao Ma: Well, please do not hesitate to use Lao land for your pleasure. I brought something for you, Ming Tien. I made it, myself. *Ming Tien tosses his green dragon embroidery aside without looking at it* A beaten, half dead cripple-- doesn't sound very sporting, Ming Tzu."
Ming Tzu: No-- but it will be entertaining.
Lao Ma: I must go. Enjoy your entertainment.
*Xena is saved from the hunt*
Lao Ma: Come with me if you wish your freedom. Hurry-- he'll be back on the scent, soon.
Xena: Why are you doing this?
Lao Ma: I have been blessed-- or cursed-- with the ability to see into the souls of others. You don't know it yet, Xena, but you're a remarkable woman-- capable of greatness.
*Lao Ma has an intriguing backstory*
Ming Tzu: You had better not be hiding her.
Lao Ma: My Lord-- I would never hide what is yours.
Ming Tzu: When I arranged your marriage to Lao, I expected you to show more loyalty towards me.
Lao Ma: I was a courtesan-- and you sold me. You expect loyalty?
Ming Tzu: What a strange woman, Lao Ma-- soft, and hard at the same time."
Lao Ma: Like water. Nothing is soft as water-- yet, who can withstand the raging flood?
*betrayal moves from past to present at the end of the episode*
Gabrielle: I'm sorry Xena-- I couldn't let you do this.
Ming Tien: *to Xena* Lao Ma said you'd return one day. Lock her up.
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