Punch Lines

Written by Chris Manheim
Directed by Andrew Merrifield

I have to admit that I don't think I enjoyed this episode as much as I enjoyed Lyre, Lyre. That's not to say this episode was bad -- far from it. In all honesty, I think this episode was the better of the two.

It can be very difficult to compare episodes to each other sometimes. Honestly, the grade I occasionally give doesn't really mean much of anything when comparing episodes to each other. Well, it does, sort of… but it's not a scientific evaluation by any means.

Anyway, when comparing this episode to the previous one, it's almost a case of apples and oranges. Like I said in my commentary about Lyre it was clearly an Armus & Foster script. Their comedy style in the show is over the top and incongruous. Fans either love or hate their stories -- there is rarely any middle ground.

Manheim's comedies, on the other hand, are typically more subdued and situational. The characters, for the most part, behave as we expect them to. The humor arises from the situations they get into -- it was funny watching Gabrielle do her utmost to keep Argo's condition a secret, for instance. She was recognizable as Gabrielle (rather than some blond simulacrum that behaved in a totally opposite fashion), and watching the character deal with an awkward situation was enjoyable.

This episode was an enjoyable bit of fluff, but doesn't really contribute in any significant way to the "epic story arc". And there's nothing wrong with that. I like the fact that every episode isn't a world-shattering, heavily dramatic crisis. If it weren't for the little Xenite on the way (and Gabrielle's haircut), this episode could be placed chronologically anywhere in the series -- almost.

As a clip show, the presentation was good. The clips were themselves punch lines -- there was no real setup for the gags, you had to know the backstory to really get them. I think this makes the episode less accessible to fans who haven't (for one reason or another) obsessively tracked down every last episode and watched them half a dozen times.

I wonder why Gab & Xena crashed at Aphrodite's temple, aside from the fact that it gave a reason for the Goddess O' Love to show up to talk to our gal Gabrielle. We don't even need a reason to be honest, as thinking about it only makes one realize how utterly convoluted the entire story is in the first place. I'm not much of a YAXI freak, but even I have to admit there are some things that just don't make sense. But in an episode like this, it is better to turn a blind eye and let them drift past you.

I liked this episode. It was a nice change from the typical ridiculously incongruous style we're usually subject to. It is actually reminiscent of older episodes in many ways. Perhaps that is why it has been so well received among the general fandom at the time -- there is a nostalgic sense that is brought to mind in the old timers (particularly those who were complaining about how things aren't like they were in the glory days of season two).

I'm not pointing any fingers, mind you, because I'm a big fan of several season two episodes myself. Still, there is one thing we can expect from this show without fail, and that is The Powers That Be will continue to push the envelope of television storytelling conventions. It is how they started, and it is a continued tradition. The day this show settles into a true routine is the day I head off to other pastures.

So in the final analysis? There really isn't a whole lot that needs to be said about this episode. It was a fun bit of fluff and in the end does nothing significant to advance the greater epic story arc of the series. That's not a bad thing either. I don't think it will ever be seen as a classic like A Day in the Life, but then I've been known to be wrong.

Final grade? I give it a solid B.

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