The Jox Box Presents: Kindred Spirits

Hoo-boy. Another winner from Mrs. Mills' 3rd Grade Writing Class, adapted to Xena for mere pennies. And it shows. This episode isn't so much bad like its immediate predecessor, Lifeblood, as it is just pathetically despicable. And it ranks below that aforementioned episode because there is not a shred of goodness in it.

The writers have been nice enough to totally shame the until-now honorable character of Joxer. Taking him from a would-be warrior who has tried his best and dealt with his feelings with Gabrielle, turning him into a rank peeping-tom with absolutely no loyalty to the woman whose feelings he holds in his heart is just a shameful act, and it alone would be enough to spoil the entire episode.

On top of that, though, we get extra helpings of the Northern Amazon embarassment, and they are revealed to be completely ridiculous. With members who cannot keep their lips off of Joxer (of all people), and not one person among them with half the charisma of Ephinee or Melosa, these people really are a tragedy. And their crimes? Okay, I'll admit, looking upon the naked body of an Amazon would be pretty serious if I were one, but "Kissing an Amazon out of season?" Do we get to see men creeping around in the woods now saying "Be vewwy quiet, I'm hunting Amazawns! Aheheheh!" or something? I'm surprised they haven't pulled something like that yet.

While earlier in the season, an oil wrestling match between Gabrielle/Aprhodite and Castor/Pollux was not only acceptable but mildly amusing, the wrestling match between Xena and Joxer to end up with him dead is a shamble. Please, please, please PLEASE writers, if you must make some sort of statement about America today (such as its fascination with the overblown and melodramatic "sport" of wrestling), do not use Xena as a vehicle to do so. Xena and Gabrielle have enough problems of their own (even if they are conveniently forgotten a lot of the time, like the Greek Gods--whatever happened to all that, anyway? Hello, continuity staff...) without having to portray the faults of the modern world.

The one bright point of this episode is that Xena and Gabrielle (and Joxer and Eve) have left the Northern Amazons and hopefully we'll never see them (the Amazons, not Xena and Co.) again. On the other hand, the next episode looks to be about as in-place and relevant to the season as the Amazons. Less, actually. Pity. Oh, look, it's a rerun of a GOOD episode coming on... I can watch it and remember why I like this show...