The God You Know

Written by Emily Skopov
Directed by Garth Maxwell

The past few episodes were examples of the finest the series has to offer -- from pulse-pounding action to light-hearted comedy to dark psychological drama. It seemed as though the series (which some believe veered far off course in the fifth season) had found its way again. As the saying goes, there was much rejoicing.

But even the smoothest road can have a few rough spots. This episode is an example of this phenomenon. While it isn't absolutely horrendous, it certainly doesn't live up to the standards set in other recent adventures.

The story is rather forced -- clearly intended to set up and advance the season's overarching plotline. Skopov's script, while it contains good moments and a handful of memorable lines, seems to lack an understanding of the characters (a flaw all too common in her scripts, as technically flawless as they may be). It sacrifices character for plot, and that more often than not leads to a flat, lifeless story.

The pre-credit teaser for this episode introduced far too many characters; the inclusion of Xena, Gabrielle, Eve, Caligula, Ares, Aphrodite, and Michael makes for a storyline where we must rely on the backstory of too many previous episodes to understand what's going on. While the hard-core fan possesses this knowledge, the more casual viewer is likely to be lost.

Many of the characters get short shrift -- most notably Ares, who I feel should have been given more of a chance to display aspects of his newfound humanity. Instead he languishes in a prison cell, only trotted out when a bit of beefcake is required.

Aphrodite is almost extraneous in this episode. She spends much of it in what appears to be a drug induced haze. In the past Aphrodite has brought delightful energy to the episodes she appears in. This time around, that energy isn't seen until far too late -- after she has served her purpose as a plot device.

As much as I like Adrienne Wilkinson (she's a delightful young woman and a pleasure to talk to) Eve seems to have entered the realm of the cardboard cutout. Here she's a replacement for Eli, without the same degree of passion or fervor the avatar brought. I think a large part of this has to do with the lack of attention she has received this season. In Coming Home there was a nice bit of internal conflict because of Eve's role in the decline of the Amazons, but those moments of self-doubt have been few and far between. Her faith feels all too false.

Even the battle of wills between Eve and her mother (which could have been a wonderful moment for character development and interaction) felt extraneous.

Gabrielle is also shorted in this episode. It was nice to see her improvisational skills come into play (when she covered for Xena's aborted assassination attempt). It was also nice to see the care she had for Aphrodite, and the rapport the two characters have developed over the years existed in some small part.

Alexis Arquette's Caligula was a weasel; an annoying little slip of a goober that didn't evoke any real feelings in me except annoyance. While I understand the desire to curb the excesses of the historical figure for television, the character lost a certain amount of the twisted charm that has made him perhaps the most repulsive ruler in the history of Rome.

Speaking of which, what was going on with the voice-over sequence leading up to Michael's appearance? Was it supposed to evoke pity? Was it supposed to convey some sort of understanding of his obsession with power and immortality? Were the voices the result of his derangement, or was it manufactured by Michael to further his own agenda? It was unclear, and thus (in my opinion) wasted.

Ever since Michael's first appearance in the Xenaverse (in the Hercules episode Revelations), the character has had a dark side to him. He isn't dark like Lucifer was, but he is a dangerous zealot willing to do anything necessary to further his agenda, and that of his lord. A Whoosh! interview with Rob Tapert hinted that all wasn't sweetness and light up in Heaven, and I believe we got the first indications of this in this episode.

The episode was loaded with T&A. While this is almost a trademark of the show -- especially in recent episodes like Who's Gurkhan? and Heart of Darkness -- it is getting a little bit ridiculous. Garth Maxwell does an excellent job filming and directing the sensual aspects of this episode, but they lack the over-the-top antics of the latter, and the class of the former. The sex didn't seem to serve any relevant story purpose, except perhaps to highlight Caligula's debauchery (and that, poorly).

The highlight of this episode was, inarguably, the chariot race and final end of the immortal Caligula. It was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise turgid and ponderous story that could have used more judicious trimming. Xena's psychological influence was heavily telegraphed, but it was nice to see that she didn't need the blessing of Michael's boss to kill a god.

Ultimately, what holds this episode together is the performance by Lucy Lawless. She attacks the role with abandon, and there are many delightful little moments that kept me watching. Highest among these was the dismissive gesture she gave the guards as she left Caligula, the Dirty Harry line "Do you feel lucky?" and her invitation for Michael to get a butt whooping.

If it weren't for the obvious setup of conflicts that come in the latter half of the season, there wouldn't be much to recommend this episode. But I believe that if you want to make sense of what comes later on, you should see this episode at least once. There isn't really anything here that hasn't been done before, but you should be aware of where the seeds have been sown.

Final analysis? I feel that this script is more concerned with advancing the overall plot arc of the season than examining characters and their relationship to one another. A few nice moments and a somewhat thrilling conclusion save this from being a total dog of an episode, but honestly not by much. Skopov just doesn't seem to have the flair for character that more seasoned Xena writers possess. In the end, I have to give this episode a C-minus.

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