God Fearing Child

Story by Chris Manheim
Teleplay by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Directed by Phil Sgriccia

This episode was very solidly written. While it doesn't pack the dramatic knock-you-flat, gut-wrenching punch that episodes like Maternal Instincts, A Good Day, or The Ides of March did, it is still a really solid episode. In all honesty, I think the dramatic understatement of this episode is its greatest strength.

While the plot of this episode isn't tremendously convoluted, there is a lot of "mythic level" stuff going on. But once again, it's subtle, and it is only through digesting this episode over time that I have been able to straighten it out. I'll try to cover the important points, because I could go on about this one for days. Before I dive below the surface of this one, I will mention my one complaint with this episode.

There is now another way to kill gods, the bones of a Titan (although admittedly, it may have been just Cronus's bones that have that power, it's never made clear). My initial reaction was something along the lines of rolled eyes and a "Dear lord, not again" mutter. Still, in this case it worked well, for reasons I will get into a little later.

All right, The Twilight of the Gods kicks in with full force. This apocalyptic theme is incredibly prevalent in world mythology. Indeed, there are loads of mythical parallels that appear in this episode.

First of all, we have the prophecy that the Olympian order will collapse when a child not born of man arrives in the world. Naturally, the old order does not want this to happen. But even in truly "apocalyptic" myths, it is more often than not the passing of the old into the new, rather than the actual end of everything. Ragnarok was merely the end of the Asgardian gods. Armageddon is the arrival of the Kingdom of Christ. This Twilight is the passing of the Olympian order to a new humanist mythology; a tradition where man is the ultimate divine source.

(As an aside, this humanist idea is in many ways antithetical to the mythic traditions of the Levant and Middle East -- most notably Islam, Judaism and Christianity. In these traditions, the primary divinity is supreme and man must subject himself to "the Lord's will". In contrast, the European traditions -- especially the Greek -- set man, ultimately, above the gods. This is best personified by theft of fire by Prometheus. After being chained to the rock, Prometheus was told Zeus would let him go if he apologized for his crime. According to legend Prometheus replied, "Tell Zeus to do as he will, I care less than nothing for him." I'm sure this outright disregard for "divine authority" is something that would make out Warrior Princess proud. There are also parallels here to some Oriental traditions, but this aside is lengthy enough as it is. Like I said, I could go on about this for days.)

Another parallel that crops up here is the symbol of the "virgin birth" -- that is, the child that has not arrived on earth through natural means. The most obvious parallel is Jesus, but other traditions use similar stories with regards to their heroes/saviors. The Buddha, according to one tale, sprang full grown from his mother's side. Artemis was born from Zeus's head after he had consumed a fertility drink intended for somebody else. The biblical Eve was crafted by God from Adam's rib. Xena's child was implanted by a divine Callisto.

So right away, we are dealing with some classic mythological themes and symbols. (And we're not even out of the opening teaser yet!) I often talk about the mythic importance of this show; in fact, part of the reason it strikes the chord it does is precisely because it takes the classic mythological symbols we're all familiar with (on one level or another) and tweaks them to fit modern sensibilities. These aren't the deities we know from the Big Book of Greek (and sundry other) Myths, and that's precisely the point.

One of the functions of myth (at least as I've come to understand it) is to help the individual deal with the very process of life itself, on the personal, societal, and cosmic levels. The maturity and rise of the individual to power, and the subsequent decline and replacement by the next generation, which rises to ascendency with its own discoveries, ideas, and gods. That next generation falls into decline and is itself replaced. Just as Cronus overthrew Uranus, and Zeus defeated Cronus, so too must Zeus bow to the inevitable cycles of life. That is what Fate is, the inevitability of encroaching death -- not this narrower concept of "such and such a thing is supposed to happen at such and such a time."

So back to the episode. Hercules meets up with Xena and Gabrielle, and after kicking some supernatural booty they learn that Zeus has decreed Xena's child must die. In order to protect herself (and her child) Xena must descend to the Underworld to seize Hades' helmet, while Hercules looks for a weapon that may deter Zeus. In the process, the gods themselves choose sides as their various loyalties pit them against each other. Xena is reunited with Solan in Tarterus (in a poignant subplot), Hercules teams up with Hera, Ares admits his feelings for Xena (though not to her face), and Hercules ends up killing Zeus.

The basic plot framework itself is the classic Campbellian Hero's Journey. In this case, the pieces of the journey are shared among the characters, but all the pieces are there:

• The call to adventure -- when Zeus's supernatural goons show up to kill the child.
• The mystic guide to assist the hero -- Hera.
• The descent to the underworld -- this one happens twice; once obviously when Xena and Gabs literally do so, and also when Hercules enters Cronus's tomb with Hera to retrieve the bone.
• The atonement with the father -- when Herc & Zeus make up just after Hercules has stabbed him.
• Meeting the goddess -- the reunion of Solan and Xena.
• The threshold guardian -- Hades.
• The return of the hero with the life-giving boon -- again shows up twice; once with Hercules and once with Xena and Gabrielle.

Even if you just look at the surface aspects of the story, there is a wonderful tale going on here. The death of Zeus at his son's hand is fitting, as Zeus himself killed his father Cronus. The fact that Cronus played a part in his own son's death is ironic as well. As Zeus says (and this isn't an exact quote, so forgive the paraphrase) "The son must replace the father." In one sense, Hercules has fulfilled his role as hero by killing Zeus.

To flesh out this mythological thread even more, let's bring in some other episodes of both shows. It has been established in The Xena Scrolls and Deja Vu All Over Again that Ares is still kicking around -- just as remnants of the old order will remain behind whenever one of these cycles goes through. In addition, Hercules is still hanging around (as established in the Hercules episodes Yes Virginia, There is a Hercules and For Those of You Just Joining Us). This could be taken to represent the fact that the order that is replacing the Olympians is still present today. In addition, Xena and Gabrielle continue to return -- in reincarnated forms, granted, but the meaning of the symbol is still the same.

This episode is in many ways a myth within the myth; a smaller cycle within the larger one.

I will mention briefly some of the better moments of the episode itself; things that stood out in my mind as being high quality stuff. I thought the brief flash of the thread being snipped when Herc stabbed Zeus was wonderful. I thought the whole Solan subplot was well done (though I wasn't thrilled with the new actor who was playing Solan; I didn't realize that you got younger in Tarterus). I liked the moment between Ares and Xena in Tarterus. I thought Gab kicking butt while wearing the invisibility helmet was a lot of fun.

One final word, and then I'll wrap up this little essay of mine. I'm still undecided about the significance of the child's name -- Eve. That Solan chose the name makes sense (it calls to mind The Neverending Story when Bastian renames the Empress to recreate Fantasia). What has me curious is what we're meant to take from the new name itself. It seems that the Biblical reference is intended, but I'm not sure exactly why.

So in the final analysis, I really like this episode. It lacks the dramatic punch found in some other episodes, but I think that makes it easier to get to the stuff happening below the surface plots. What I've presented here is just scratching the surface of the mythological echoes present. The episode isn't perfect, but it is a very solid offering. My gut says it won't be a classic (like A Good Day or Maternal Instincts) but that doesn't reduce its value, in my opinion.

Final Grade? Well had you asked me right after I watched the episode, I probably would have given it a B-plus, verging on an A-minus. But after digesting it and seeing how wonderfully deep it actually is, I have to give it a solid A.

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