THE GAUNTLET

SYNOPSIS #1:

Evil Xena still wants Hercules dead but first she must deal with her mutinous second in command, Darphus (hey Xena, you got to read those job applications more closely). After meeting Salmoneous, Xena is slowly persuaded into joining Hercules against the rampaging Darphus. Good triumphs over evil, Xena skewers Darphus, and Xena thinks,"Gee, I could get to like this." However, Ares, the little pest, returns Darphus to life and gives him a nasty big pet called Gragus and a reason to have a second part to this great tale of honor lost and regained.

SYNOPSIS #2:

Xena gets booted out by her co-warlord-in-chief, Darphus, because he's become impatient with Xena's rules about not killing women, children and babies and also allowing villagers who agree to supply them to go unplundered. He forces Xena to walk the gauntlet, which is a Klingonesque, piratey, painstick- like thang. The gauntletee must walk through the gauntlet, where the gauntleters use deadly force to keep the gauntletee from walking the whole distance (when pin the tail on the donkey gets too dull). Suffice it to say, Darphus thinks he's killed Xena, but she survives and gets really miffed at Darphus.

Meanwhile, Herc decides he wants to eradicate Xena's army. Salmoneous gets involved and is the first to see Xena's "change". When he finds out that Xena is on a vengeance kick against Darphus, and that Herc wants to destroy the army, Salmoneous suggests that they pair up. Xena refuses and goes off to her own.

Xena kills Darphus, but Darphus is a "special friend" of Ares, so he comes back to life.

COMMENTARY:

Salmoneous was the critical player in allowing Hercules to see Xena in a different light. Also, Xena's obsession with the survival of the baby along with her tolerance and bemusement of Salmoneous triggered her great moral dilemma which resulted in her ability to see past her self-constructed warrior code and to understand what Hercules was attempting to show her. It was Salmoneous' vision who created the loop-hole where the old Xena could meld into the new Xena without completely giving up her pride and self-determination. Those vanities would later be slowly removed as Xena and Gabrielle's friendship matured in the XENA series.

TRIVIA!

From Rebecca Hall: "I remember reading in some interview with Rob Tapert that one of his inspirations in creating XENA was The Hong Kong movie "Bride with the White Hair." Well, I finally found it and rented it. It was very wierd...I'm not sure I could reccomend it, but one thing that was interesting was that the main character goes through a "Gauntlet" just like Xena did in the Gauntlet...it was wild...it was almost identical. The main character is supermortal in her fighting abilities and she survives the gauntlet.

HIGHLIGHTS:

This is a very violent episode. The scene where Xena walks the gauntlet is very difficult to watch. She really gets the stuffing beaten out of her. Don't let the young ones watch this one alone.

EPISODE NO. 12, HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS
SERIES 0-2
Last update: 11-18-96

AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION

1st RELEASE: 05-01-95
An AA average of 5.5
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
(1) STAR TREK: DS9 ranked 4th with 6.9; (2) BAYWATCH ranked 11th with 5.7; (3) HERCULES ranked 12th with 5.5

2nd RELEASE: 07-03-95
An AA average of 5.0
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
(1) STAR TREK: DS9 ranked 4th with 6.0; (2) BAYWATCH ranked 7th with 5.4; (3) HERCULES ranked 8th with 5.0

3rd RELEASE: 10-23-95
An AA average of 5.8
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
(1) STAR TREK: DS9 ranked 4th with 7.7; (2) HERCULES ranked 10th with 5.8; (3) XENA [showing UNCHAINED HEART] ranked 14th with 5.2; (4) BAYWATCH ranked 17th with 5.0

GUEST STARS
Lucy Lawless (Xena)
Robert Trebor (Salmoneus)
Matthew Chamberlain (Darphus)

CAST

CREDITS
Written by Peter Bielak
Directed by Jack Perez.

TV GUIDE DESCRIPTION
After Darphus mutinies, warrior princess Xena joins Hercules to take back her troops.

SYNOPSIS #1:

Evil Xena still wants Hercules dead but first she must deal with her mutinous second in command, Darphus (hey Xena, you got to read those job applications more closely). After meeting Salmoneous, Xena is slowly persuaded into joining Hercules against the rampaging Darphus. Good triumphs over evil, Xena skewers Darphus, and Xena thinks,"Gee, I could get to like this." However, Ares, the little pest, returns Darphus to life and gives him a nasty big pet called Gragus and a reason to have a second part to this great tale of honor lost and regained.

SYNOPSIS #2:

Xena gets booted out by her co-warlord-in-chief, Darphus, because he's become impatient with Xena's rules about not killing women, children and babies and also allowing villagers who agree to supply them to go unplundered. He forces Xena to walk the gauntlet, which is a Klingonesque, piratey, painstick- like thang. The gauntletee must walk through the gauntlet, where the gauntleters use deadly force to keep the gauntletee from walking the whole distance (when pin the tail on the donkey gets too dull). Suffice it to say, Darphus thinks he's killed Xena, but she survives and gets really miffed at Darphus.

Meanwhile, Herc decides he wants to eradicate Xena's army. Salmoneous gets involved and is the first to see Xena's "change". When he finds out that Xena is on a vengeance kick against Darphus, and that Herc wants to destroy the army, Salmoneous suggests that they pair up. Xena refuses and goes off to her own.

Xena kills Darphus, but Darphus is a "special friend" of Ares, so he comes back to life.

COMMENTARY:

Salmoneous was the critical player in allowing Hercules to see Xena in a different light. Also, Xena's obsession with the survival of the baby along with her tolerance and bemusement of Salmoneous triggered her great moral dilemma which resulted in her ability to see past her self-constructed warrior code and to understand what Hercules was attempting to show her. It was Salmoneous' vision who created the loop-hole where the old Xena could meld into the new Xena without completely giving up her pride and self-determination. Those vanities would later be slowly removed as Xena and Gabrielle's friendship matured in the XENA series.

HIGHLIGHTS:

This is a very violent episode. The scene where Xena walks the gauntlet is very difficult to watch. She really gets the stuffing beaten out of her. Don't let the young ones watch this one alone.