Spoiler ahead for Dem Bones, Dem Bones. If you don't want to know about this episode turn back now.

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Perhaps it's not subtext when Alti calls Gabby 'Xena's little bitch'(LOL). Perhaps it's not subtext when Alti confesses that she 'Always wanted to be inside Xena'. Perhaps. But I have to say that subtext is very much alive and well in the Xenaverse(G). With that said on to our review.

The story opens with Gabby hunting for mushrooms to help with Xena's morning sickness. Nice, casual bonding talk ensues(VBG).

Finally Gabby finds the mushroom that Xena has requested. After she eats it Xena doubles over. Gabby races her to the healer and they watch as Xena squirms around.

Suddenly Xena's stomach opens and everyone freaks. Moments later a skeleton pops out. Next we see Xena dart up from a pallet with Gabby and a healer looking on. They tell her it was just a bad dream. Xena says 'no it was a vision'. She must go to the Northern Amazons to see what it means.

Once there she finds Yakut (or whatever the heck her name is - I'm terrible with names. Sorry). Yakut said she was expecting Xena. Yakut examines her and says someone is after her baby's soul. Xena figures it must be Alti and is going to go battle her.

Gabby gets wind of it and won't hear of Xena going to face Alti in her state. She wants to try first. Xena refuses. Gabby argues that 'She'll protect the baby because she couldn't love the baby any more than if it was her own'. Now during this speech I couldn't help but think, 'Well that's because it IS YOUR baby Gabrielle'.(LOL)

Anyway Xena says fine. Gabby has to go through the rites that Xena did in Sin Trade - we get to see Gabby stalk an animal, kill an animal, cover herself in blood. She returns to the village where Xena is waiting. They are going to harness each other's power and by doing so they slice their palms and lock hands. Once more we have those tender touches and long looks that folks have been saying have disappeared. It would have been really touching and erotic had not the dripping blood come into play - but hey, it's Xena and in every Xena ep some blood must be shed right?(VBG). Right!

So Gabby makes it to the 'dreamworld' and we get to see Alti in all her glory - nice leather too, Emma Peel 'Avengers' wear(VBG). Alti greets Gabby the only way she can by saying 'Look...It's Xena's little bitch'. (LOL) I can just see Gabby's wheels turning and thinking "Yeah. So what...Are you jealous?(VBG)"

Alti says she doesn't want to hurt Xena's baby either. She wants to use the baby as a vessel for her soul - and a return to earth. Gabby doesn't defeat Alti - in fact she dies thanks to Alti 'draining' her life at the count of ten. Xena of course, doesn't let that happen in the 'real world'. She does the mouth to mouth thing and Gabby wakes up.

Xena decides to face Alti and when they do meet Alti sticks her hand inside of Xena's stomach and tells her 'I've always wanted to be inside you Xena.' Xena doesn't look to pleased about this. Now she's got the baby's soul.

Xena needs to form a plan to get the baby's soul back. Alti says she'll return it if Xena can bring her back to the physical world. The amazons and Xena's crew decides to form a plan. Xena and Yakut decide to get Alti's bones while Ammarice and Gabby go after some amber. Xena plans to use the amber on the Alti bones to trap Alti's soul once she has the baby's soul safe in her belly again.

Xena finds out that Yakut tried to get some of Alti's power but just ended up bring back her spirit instead. Xena is not pleased but instead of mentioning what this woman has done to her unborn child her first thought is of how Gabrielle was almost killed. Now here's the subtext part. I put my spouse's life before my child's. I put my child's life before my best friend's. Can you see a pattern here that the queen of subtext is pointing out? If not watch the ep and see what I mean - Gabby is still the top priority in Xena's life.

Back to our tale now(G). Gabby and Ammarice are at the cave for the amber. Only thing is only an amazon can get it since it's guarded by a mystic named Chia. (I couldn't help but think of the 'pottery that grows!!' and I even sang the Chia pet song. You know it, don't you? ~Chia - Cha,cha,cha, chia pet~).

Anyway, Chia says that Armmy can't come inside because she's not a true amazon. Gabby asks if that's true. Embarrassed, Armmy runs away. But good ole Gabby is an amazon so Chia lets her walk right in (VBG).

Once they all get together again Xena goes under and tells Alti she's got a deal. She can come back but first Xena wants the baby. Of course Alti double-crosses her. The former skeleton of Alti reforms itself and gives that evil laugh of victory. But seems Xena's not as dumb as Alti figured since Xena created a dreamscape herself. It wasn't the physical world they were in but a dream. Xena in turn rips her flesh off - kinda cool too(G) so she's a skeleton too. Now the two skeletons do battle! It's kinda campy like the good old days(G), plus it was a fight scene without LL risking her wellbeing so that was neat too.

Anyway, the amazons gather around the unconscious Xena and when Gabby feels Xena's belly leap she knows she has won the battle and has the baby back. She races over and pours the amber on Alti's bones to trap Alti's soul. At the same time, Xena delivers a deathblow, cracking Alti in two right down the middle. In the dreamscape, as with the amazons the bones turn to dust and disappear into the air. All is right with the world once more(G). Before Xena and Gabby head out, Gabby goes to Armmy and says she has a necklace from the amazons and each stone represents her sisters. She said she added a stone for Armmy and gives her to the necklace (kinda like making her one of the family. Ahhhhhhhh. For once Armmy is thankful and not a little piss-ant smart ass(LOL)).

All in all it was a nice Halloween ep. But GJWHF will still be my favorite...for obvious reasons - it's not everyday we get to see Gabby bitin' on Xena's neck(VBG). And as for next weeks ep looks like the girls are going to chin to do battle with more evil offspring of LaoMa. Lots of explosions and stuff blowing up so it should be a nifty one (VBG).





CN Winters Queen of Subtext

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