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GOD FEARING CHILD


EPISODE NO. 102
Season 5, episode 12
Series 512
1st release: 01/31/00
2nd release: 06/19/00
Production number: V0915
Approximate shooting dates:
Last update: 12-05-00


GUEST STARS, CAST & CREDITS
PROMO TRANSCRIPTION
TV GUIDE PROMO
AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION
SYNOPSIS by Bluesong
COMMENTARY 1 BY Beth the Gaynor
COMMENTARY 2 BY Beboman
COMMENTARY 3 BY PhilipTeo
WHIMPERS, MURMURS, AND A LOVE GONE TOO FAR
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
MORE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
TRANSCRIPT
DISCLAIMER
LINKS


GUEST STARS
Kevin Sorbo (Hercules)
Kevin Smith (Ares)

CAST
Charles Keating (Zeus)
Meg Foster (Hera)
Nicko Vella (Solan)
Stephen Lovatt (Hades)

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


PROMO TRANSCRIPTION
ON AN ALL NEW XENA...
(The Fates' ball of lifethreads)
THE FATES FORETOLD IT.
Zeus: The birth of Xena's child will herald the death of the Greek gods.
(Shots of Ares, Hades, Hercules and Hera)
NOW, THE GODS MUST STOP THE BIRTH OF XENA'S CHILD.
(Xena and Gabrielle head through Tartarus)
Hades: FIND THEM!!!!
(Xena kills Proxidicae with the rib of Chronos; Xena groans with contractions) HER ONLY HOPE LIES IN THE HANDS OF HERCULES.
(Zeus materializes behind Hercules, who throws a lightning bolt at the rib in his hand and knocks it into a tree. Zeus calmly blocks Hercules' punches.)
Hercules: I'd die before I'd let anyone hurt your child.
(Hera and Ares prepare to throw fireballs)
Zeus: Then I shall rid the world of Xena and Hercules myself.
(Ares laughs evilly; Atropos snips a lifethread, and
Xena groans with more contractions)
(Zeus prepares a large thunderbolt, and Xena cries out in labour)
ON AN ALL NEW XENA!


TV GUIDE PROMO

Xena gives birth

Xena's baby is born after Hercules steps in to battle his father Zeus, who learns that the birth of the child will signal the end of the Olympian order. Logline

Xena gives birth. Kevin Sorbo is scheduled to make an appearance in this episode as well as Zeus and Hera played by Charles Keating and Meg Foster. Creation Entertainment

As Xena prepares to give birth, Hercules arrives to protect her and her unborn child from Zeus in an emotionally charged and highly anticipated episode. Zeus learns from the Fates that Xena's baby, who was "not begotten by man," will bring about the twilight of the gods, and he orders her death. When Hercules finds out, he vows to protect her at all costs. Knowing the gravity of the inevitable confrontation, Xena and Gabrielle descend into Tartarus to find Hades' helmet of invisibility, while Hercules searches for a dagger made from the rib of Chronos-the only weapon that can kill his father. TV Guide Close-Up

Zeus learns that the impending birth of Xena's child means an end to the Olympian order.

AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION
1st RELEASE: 01/31/00
An AA average of 4.0
Top 25 Syndicated Shows:

RANK  PROGRAM NAME  DISTRIBUTOR  RATING  AUDIENCE

1  WHEEL OF FORTUNE-SYN  KIN  12.1 12,229,000
2  JEOPARDY  KIN  10.0 10,086,000
3  JUDGE JUDY (AT)  PRM  7.8 7,860,000
4  WHEEL OF FORTUNE-WKND  KIN  7.3 7,382,000
5  FRIENDS-SYN (AT)  WB  6.9 6,991,000
6  OPRAH WINFREY SHOW (AT)  KIN  6.9 6,952,000
7  ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT  PRM  6.8 6,876,000
8  SEINFELD  CTS  6.3 6,342,000
9  FRASIER-SYN (AT)  PRM  5.8 5,878,000
10  X-FILES-SYN (AT)  2/T  4.9 4,928,000
11  HOLLYWOOD SQUARES  KIN  4.8 4,828,000
12  SEINFELD-WKND  CTS  4.6 4,671,000
13  JERRY SPRINGER (AT)  STD  4.5 4,569,000
14  DREW CAREY (AT)  WB  4.5 4,557,000
15  WARNER BROS VOLUME 32  WB  4.4 4,451,000
15  JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)  PRM  4.4 4,412,000
17  ER-SYN (AT)  W/T  4.3 4,374,000
18  XENA  STD  4.0 4,058,000
19  FRIENDS WEEKND (AT)  WB  3.8 3,860,000
19  MONTEL WILLIAMS SHOW  PRM  3.8 3,831,000
21  MAURY (AT)  STD  3.8 3,800,000
22  ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD  PRM  3.8 3,788,000
23  ROSIE O'DONNELL SHOW  WB  3.7 3,780,000
24  3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN(AT)  BVC  3.6 3,662,000
25  LIVE-REGIS & KATHIE LEE  BV  3.5 3,567,000




SYNOPSIS:

This synopsis is by Bluesong.

The Fates review a lifeline or a time line or something like that. They tell Zeus that the gods will reign until such time as child not begotten by man is born, then well, the gods all go bye-bye. Zeus is indignant because of course women can't do anything without a man, especially have a child. But the Fates are pretty adamant and say too bad, Xena's kid heralds the end of the gods reign.

Xena and Gabrielle. Xena tells Gabrielle to feel her stomach, where the baby is kicking. Gabrielle says she dreamed last night that she and Xena were both having the baby, like it came from both of them. Xena says she would gladly share the labor pains.

Hercules shows up and says, hey, why didn't you call me? He and Gabrielle have a mutual haircut appreciation club. Twelve guys show up and attack the three of them. Lots of fighting. Xena does her touch thing and Hercules hauls some guy up and they learn that Zeus has decreed that the unborn child of Xena must die. Gabrielle say, "Xena, why would Zeus want your child?" Nobody knows. Hercules says he might go have a talk with Dad. Some other evil guy shows up. Xena zaps him with her chakram and it makes all the guys they'd just knocked out stronger and more powerful. Hercules explains all this.

Xena, Gabrielle and Hercules run. Xena says she should become invisible. She and Gabrielle decide to go to Tartarus and get the Helmet of Invisibility from Hades. Hercules says if Xena's baby is born in Tartarus, it will be stillborn. Hercules says he'll go talk to Pops. He says he'll die before he lets anything happen to Xena's child.

Xena and Gabrielle go to a lake. Xena is very pensive. "It's always going to be this way, an uphill battle to be happy" with the baby, she whines. Gabrielle says there, there, we'll take care of things. Xena says she couldn't save her son. Gabrielle says they both have regrets about Solan. But they'll dedicate their lives to making this child happy and protected.

Hercules yells for Zeus. Zeus says Xena's child is an abomination. The birth of Xena's child will herald the death of the Greek gods. Hercules and Zeus argue about this. Hercules says he'll never call Zeus father again. Hera says maybe the Fates are right. Maybe it's time their destiny is over. It's their time to die.

Xena and Gabrielle go down in the lake to Tartarus.

Ares shows up to chat with Zeus. Zeus tells him to keep Hercules occupied while he goes and kills Xena. Ares says, hey, you're going to murder a woman I'm rather fond of. Xena has earned Areas love and respect in every gesture. They argue some more and Ares walks away.

Ares appears to Hercules. Ares throws a fireball at Hercules. Hera shows up behind Ares. She faces Hercules. She also has a fireball. Hera throws the fireball at Ares and knocks him on his butt. She tells Hercules he is in the forest of the Titans and she knows why.

Xena and Gabrielle are in Tartarus. They wind their way past all these tormented souls who are reliving their past lives as their torment. They go past one life and it's Solan, who is reliving his memories of Xena. Xena pulls him out of his Tartarus cocoon thing and asks him what he is doing there and not in the Elysian Fields. Solan says he chose to come here because in the Elysian Fields, you just have a nice day all the time and kind of wait around to see if your loved one is going to come to you, and he'd rather remember Xena so he can see her that way. Xena says she loves him for that but he can't stay there. So she takes him with her and Gabrielle. Xena cries.

Hera tells Hercules she wants to help him find the ribs of Chronos. She says she wants to fight by Hercules' side. Their war is over. Hercules is skeptical.

Gabrielle and Xena in Tartarus. Gabrielle scouts ahead. Xena and Solan talk. Solan says he doesn't really want to go to the Elysian Fields because he'll never see Xena again. He says Xena doesn't need him anyway, she's got another baby coming. Xena says she always thinks of Solan and she loves him. She said when she had Solan she realized she still had a little bit of goodness inside of her.

Xena, Gabrielle and Solan go forward to Hades' palace. Hades shows up with henchmen in tow. Hades says Xena will spend eternity in Tartarus. He tells Xena that the fates say her baby will end the Olympian order. Xena fights henchmen. Gabrielle fights henchmen. Gabrielle grabs the helmet of invisibility and puts it on. Xena and Solan run. Gabrielle hits some bad guys. Hades slashes at the air, and Gabrielle kicks his butt.

Hera and Hercules go to find Chronos' grave. Hera tells a story about Chronos' rib cutting a hole in the sky to create the sun. Hera says once she forgave Zeus, she realized she is proud of the creation of humanity.

Zeus wakes up Ares. Ares says Hera is helping Hercules. Zeus says he'll rid the world of Xena and Hercules. Ares says yeah, you go do that.

Hercules and Hera find the rib/dagger of Chronos. Hercules says he'll never forgive Hera for killing his family, but he is grateful for her help.

Xena and Solan, running from Hades, bump into Ares in Tartarus. Ares says he wants to protect Xena and her unborn child, he's always had a thing for her "yeah, me and my friend," Xena says. Ares says that if he's going to be mortal he may as well just shack up with Xena and play poppa to the baby. "They say it will destroy all the gods." Ares says he cares about Xena and wants to live out his life with her. She dares him to say "I love you." He doesn't. Xena says, "I'm pregnant, not brain damaged." Xena and Solan run off down the passage. Ares says "I love you Xena" to the air.

Xena and Solan find the doorway to the Elysian Field, which is guarded. Gabrielle shows up. Xena starts having labor pains. Hades shows up. Solan whispers in Xena's ear. Xena gives Solan the helmet and tells him to go into the Elysian Fields. Gabrielle and Xena fight. Hades tosses a fireball at Xena. She reflects it with the chakram and knocks Hades on his butt.

Solan, in the Elysian Fields, asks Xena when she'll be back. Xena has labor pains and cries and tells Solan good-bye. Gabrielle puts her arms around Xena and leads her away. They run out of a cave. More soldiers to fight. The Fates say the birth of Xena's baby approaches. Hercules tries to get the rib of Chronos from the tomb.

Zeus interrupts the search with a lightning bolt. The rib deflects the bolt. Hera fireballs Zeus. Xena fights bad guys, and has labor pains. Gabrielle fights, too. Hera says she won't be responsible for the death of yet another innocent life.

Hercules throws Xena the rib and she kills all the bad soldier dudes. She collapses and screams for Gabrielle. Zeus and Hera appear. Zeus says he is disappointed in Hera. Hera says she has done the right thing. They kiss and in a whirlwind Zeus sucks Hera up or something.

Gabrielle, Xena, and Hercules look for a safe place. Xena tells Gabrielle to leave so she won't get in the crossfire between her and Zeus if Hercules doesn't stop his father. Gabrielle says she isn't going anywhere.

Zeus shows up. He throws lightning bolts at Hercules. Xena disrobes. Gabrielle tries to talk about when Ephiny had her baby, and Xena tells her to be quiet.

Hercules and Zeus fight, with Xena screaming in the background. She clings to Gabrielle. The baby is being born. Zeus sees the child's head, and goes to throw a lightning bolt at it, and Hercules grabs the rib and stabs Zeus.

Clouds rolls. The earth moves. The winds pause.

It's a girl.

Zeus says Hercules will always be his son and he is proud of him. Zeus dies, turning to dust. "Father" Hercules says. Dark clouds. Storms. The Fates Hall. Ares looks at his hands and shrugs. The sun shines.

Xena holds the baby. Hercules sits with them. Xena says she is sorry about Zeus. Xena says Solan named the baby Eve when they were in Tartarus. Hercules gets up. Gabrielle follows him.

Xena sits alone with her child. She tells Solan they will all be together, and she holds the baby and watches the sky.



COMMENTARY 1:

This commentary is by Beth Gaynor.

I have to start this wool-gathering by saying: I don't give a rat's ass about Hercules. I don't have anything against the strong hunky do-gooder, I just never watched his show. Which means half of this episode, which was a bunch of Hercules episode references and resolutions, was yawn-worthy to me. You got your Hercules in my Xena!

That said, kudos all around to the ensemble cast. Hercules was cool (I liked the attitude he gave Ares), Zeus and Hera rocked. Wow, that Zeus guy can deliver a "You selfish pup!" line like he's used to ruling the world for a few millennia. Hera was pretty neat, too, although those must be the palest eyes I've ever seen in my life; I kept wondering if she was wearing Marilyn Manson contacts. They give that woman a look as if she really could see right through mere mortals. Spiffy!

I liked the reunion scene when Hercules arrived. Loved the hair jokes between Hercules and Gabrielle. But wouldn't an "old friend" ask about the father of the baby? I would loved to have seen Herc's reaction to Xena's "Yeah, Gabrielle" line. And the Iolaus hydra was terribly cute. Would probably scare a baby half to death, and I dunno what saddlebag it's supposed to fit in, but it was cute. Maybe that's why guys don't do baby showers.

Major episode plot problem #1: The non-existent plan. Xena sets the heroes in motion by splitting the scooby crew up: Xena and Gabrielle would get Hades' helmet, Hercules would get the Kronus bone (no, not the Kronus STone). Then Xena could sneak up on Zeus and kill him. But in no time, Xena was giving the helmet to Solan and Hercules was hunting down Zeus himself. Plan? What plan?

Credit for consistency: that lake COULD be the same one Xena swam into in Mortal Beloved. Nice sign of the times that, this time, there's never even a question that Gabrielle will be waiting by the bank.

Major episode plot problem #2: Solan. The discovery of Solan was a really heart-kicking scene. But I've got screaming problems with that whole storyline. Never mind the fact that he backwards-aged about seven years in Tartarus (and they showed an Orphan of War clip instead of Maternal Instincts or Bitter Suite in the hope we wouldn't notice). This is the kid who put Xena and Gabrielle in Illusia for that whole Bitter Suite business, but he somehow ended up stuck in Tartarus? I thought that kind of meant he was above these decisions; I can't believe the average resident of Tartarus OR the Fields are able to bring people back from the dead after putting them through weird reconciliation Alice in Wonderland worlds. And speaking of Bitter Suite, Xena got her resolution with Solan then. Why on earth did we need to do it again here?

Hades is, yet again, the wussiest god in the whole Olympian order. That guy has GOT to learn to keep track of his helmet and his dead. I'd suggest a belt strap and a few good accountants.

Scorecard! Scorecard! Can't tell your god-guards without a scorecard! I couldn't figure out HOW Xena and Gabrielle were killing those guards outside the gate to the Elysian Fields without making the others stronger. I finally had to guess that these were Hades' flunkies instead of Prodsidi-gesundheit.

We've always known this, but dear lord, Xena is made out of cast-iron SOMETHING. The woman's in serious labor and still fighting! Makes me hurt just to watch it.

Nifty throw from Herc to Xena right through two Prodsidi-expialidocious! Watch Gabrielle's "What the HELL was that?!" reaction.

It was sweet of Gab to try to distract Xena with stories (or maybe suggestions) from old times... too bad it didn't work. Gabrielle refused to leave Xena during the birth, even when Xena tried to get her clear of the danger. I think Xena's attempt was half-hearted, though; Xena ends up holding so tight to Gabrielle I wondered if she was trying to share half those birth pains with her after all.

So in the final death tally, Zeus and Hera are really, totally dead. I think. Ares and Hades and the rest are still around just like always. I think. Or they might be mortal; it's hard to tell from Ares's brow-lift. Either way, they're leaderless now in a big way. That ought to make for some nice chaos to come.

The "everything but the kitchen sink" approach to religion really bites the XenaStaff in the butt when they try to make touching statements like that Xena and her kids will be together forever. It makes no sense (or is a bald-faced lie) when Solan is in the Elysian Fields but Xena will apparently be bouncing between angel duty and reincarnations for the rest of time.

HIGHLIGHTS

You GO, Gabrielle! I loved it when she flipped those sai into place, grabbed the helmet, and cleaned up house. I had been spending the entire scene muttering "SOMEbody grab that helmet, already!" I love that the sidekick is the one who did it and cleared the way. Nifty disappearing effect, too! You can see Gabrielle start to roll right before she's totally gone.

FANTASTIC scene between Ares and Xena in the halls of Tartarus. Out of all the ways Ares has tried to woo Xena, he's never declared real feelings for her. He blows off the attempt after Xena calls his bluff, and gets the great "I'm pregnant, not brain-damaged" retort thrown at him. But then he finally musters an "I love you"... after she's gone. Symbolic. And probably, as Xena said, driven totally by desperation. The only thing to cap it was that I was really hoping, at the very end, that Ares would get a one-two punch from an invisible trailing bard.



COMMENTARY 2:

This commentary is by Beboman.

* I'm sitting here staring at this blank screen and wondering how to start this commentary. I have watched the episode several times and each time something else strikes my heart. This episode was just unreal. It was packed with emotions and feelings, it couldn't help but touch so many fibers in my heart and soul.

* So I will take one step at a time. It was just great seeing Hercules again. The meeting of the two friends after such a long time was absolutely marvelous. I have missed Hercules. (They stopped showing the show in this area.) When they met again, it was as if time had not passed. The chemistry between them was there and the feeling of friendship was there. The little bit about the haircuts was a good touch. There was obviously pain in Hercules' eyes when he told Xena he would give up his life for her child. Children have always been important to Hercules.

* The death of Zeus at Hercules' hands was strange, maybe because I never thought Hercules would kill his own father. Yes, I know it was really an accident and, as Hercules said, it did not have to happen that way. But seeing Zeus die in Hercules' arms felt very strange and very sad. (Maybe because I arrived late to my own father's deathbed and never had the chance to tell him goodbye. Sorry, I will try not to interject a lot of personal notes in this commentary.)

* But as hard as it was to see Zeus die in Hercules' arms, it was even stranger to see Hera helping Hercules. Two deadly enemies walking together and fighting for the same cause. I never thought it would happen. They did make a good team in the end. It was obvious that Hera knew her destiny when Zeus found out what she had done. So when Zeus kissed her, she knew it was her end and she went in a turmoil of love. That was very well done.

* The same can be said for the fight between Hercules and Zeus. A note to Hercules: next time you are in a fight and you see the person or the entity you are fighting can singlehandedly stop your punch, it is a good sign to find another way to fight them. Now that we are on the subject of fights, I am so impressed by Gabrielle's fighting skills. She is doing so well. Watching Hercules, Xena and Gabrielle fighting brought back visions of "Prometheus". The fight scenes were very good and I really found it interesting when Xena put the pinch on one of the "bad guys", both Xena and Hercules asked the same question. It was a very interesting scene.

* I have never felt sorry for the God of War, but I did in this episode. The brother he hates is protecting the woman he loves from the wrath of his father who wants her and her child dead. And all this happens just when he finally gets the okay from his father to kill his brother. His mother, who has always been his brother's worst enemy, is now on his brother's side. And the topper to a very bad day is when he has the opportunity to tell Xena he really loves her, he cannot say it to her face. She was gone by the time he had the courage to utter the words.

* That scene between Aries and Xena in Taturos was different from any other we have seen before. We have always seen Aries trying to con either Xena or Gabrielle. We have seen Aries from the very first time trying by all means possible to get Xena back at his side. But we have never seen Aries so vulnerable in the presence of Xena. I wonder what Xena would have done if Aries had told her he loved her.

* Now I have come to the part that touched me the most; the scenes between Xena and Solan. Those scenes were very moving. There have not been many times in the show when we have seen Xena let her emotions control her. But the flood of emotions released when Xena found Solan in the cocoon was unbelievable. Not even when she gave him away (or left him with the Centaurs). not even when she found him dead or buried him had Xena shown such a range of emotions. It seems as if maternity has put Xena's feelings on the surface. It seemed she could not and did not want to control the emotions as they came flowing out when she found her son in the cocoon. I have to applaud LL for great acting in that scene and in all the scenes she had with Solan in this episode. Saying goodbye to him one more time was so hard, and you could see it clearly in Xena's face. She knew sooner or later they would be together again and that he was where he should have been originally after his death. However, all that could not stop the pain of saying goodbye.

* I have to admit that I'm partial to the first Solan. There was something about him that showed he truly was the son of Xena and Borias. I certainly understand that, by the time this episode was filmed, the actor who portrayed Solan originally was probably too old to reprise the role. It should be noted that the young man who played Solan this time did a great job. Still, I miss the old Solan.

* Now comes another thing that touched me during this episode; the anxiety Xena experienced regarding this new child. If her first child was doomed to have a hard life just for being Xena's son, what would this new child have to face. Not only was she going to be Xena's offspring, but would be responsible for the destruction of the Gods.

* Talking about the destruction of the Gods, this brought me back in time to the birth of Gabrielle's daughter. She was supposed to bring forth the destruction of the Gods for the evil forces while Xena's child was to bring forth the destruction of the Gods for the good forces. Gabrielle has always been the poster child for innocent and good, so her child was the product of the very good being violated by the very evil. On the other hand, Xena, while not the poster child for evil, had the perfect balance between good and evil and is now responsible to care for the child of good. This is a very interesting duality.

* The birth of Xena's child had a small remembrance to the birth of Gabrielle's child. The darkness that approached was not so intense in the birth of Xena's child as it was in the birth of Gabrielle's child, but it was still present. It was interesting that as both Xena and Gabrielle gave birth, there was a conflict surrounding the birth. Indeed, both children were threatened with death before their arrival and as they were born into life. But Gabrielle's "Hope" was born in a dark, closed barn, while Xena's "Eve" was born on a bright, sunny day in an open field. Even the names of the children were interesting. For Gabrielle it was Hope, for Xena it was Eve.

* Now, I'm going to make a sidebar and state, "By the Gods, Xena is some really strong woman". She was fighting while going through labor pains. Excuse me, I do understand the need to defend your child. I understand that as a mother you get energy from where there is none to defend the life of your child. But fighting a whole army of unbeatable mercenaries while going through labor pains. I don't think so.

* The birth scene was to die for. When Xena tells Gabrielle to shut up, it was just great. It reminded me of when my daughter gave birth, she turned and told me point blank, "Mom, just shut up". Yeah, yeah, it's a very vivid memory.

* If I were asked today what episode I liked the most from this season, I would have a hard time naming one. If I could, this one would be within the top choices. I feel like a stuck record (for those of us who still remember records) when I say that the writing, the directing and the whole production of this fourth season is just wonderful. And I didn't even mention how superior the acting has been.

* Once again, I am enjoying the episodes of this season and I really do look forward to the next episode.



COMMENTARY 3:

This commentary is by Philip Teo.

I agree with lots of reviews that this was more of a Hercules episode than a Xena episode. If not for the emphasis of the child, it would appear that Xena and Gabrielle are guest-starring in a Hercules episode.

I have to say that Xena is really a super mortal, just like what the other reviewers said. She is more than eight months pregnant here, and about to give birth, and yet she fights almost as if she wasn’t pregnant, like the bulging stomach was non-existent. I have colleagues who are as pregnant as Xena was then, and they can barely walk briskly, much less fight like her. I noticed that all my pregnant colleagues’s movement have slowed down due to the stomach, but Xena not only walks as fast, but fights and jumps like no tomorrow. It’s as if all the physical action does not affect her one bit. I wish they would be more realistic in this area. From the time Xena got pregnant till this episode, I have not once seen any sign that shows how a pregnant woman should behave. It seems that pregnant or not does not affect the warrior princess at all.

I like the concept that they have guards that can never be killed, making the fight appear more exciting. You can see that these are not your everyday guards. I could see Gabrielle taking quite a few blows, due to their brute strength and their numbers.

One must have watched ‘Full Circle’ in order to understand the Hercules’ side of the plot. Hera has really undergone a drastic change in behaviour ever since her grandson, Evander, almost died. She now bears no more hatred towards Hercules and wants to help him instead. While this may appear to be a nice change, it is a bit inconsistent too. Both Hera and Hercules have legitimate reasons for hating each other, and you do not forget such hatred based on one incident. Hercules made it clear that he still could not forgive Hera for her past actions, but Hera appears ready to make peace with Hercules anytime. It is kind of ironic since she was the one who really started the feud between her and Hercules.

I was kind of disappointed that they could not get the original actor, David Taylor, to guest as Solan. This Solan just didn’t give me the same kind of mother-son connection the previous Solan did. He seems too mature in his words. Lucy displayed great acting here as she explains to Solan how he is a beacon of hope to her, even in the times of despair.

Why would Hades leave his helmet unguarded? Even if he did not anticipate Xena coming for the helmet, he should not leave such a powerful object lying about. I mean, this was not the first time his helmet has been the cause of previous story arcs, so why still leave it in the open?

By the end of the episode, two great Olympian gods have died. But what about the rest? Eve is born, but the rest of the gods appear to be still alive. I think that the Fates have to be more specific in their predictions. It appears that Zeus has caused his own death for nothing. I would summarize that the birth of Xena’s child would not spell the end of the Olympian gods, rather the child will one day bring about their destruction.

This episode is very heavy, with lots of story arcs embedded into one episode. Every scene is important, and a lot to absorb. Perhaps they could have made it into a two-parter or something. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the episode.



WHIMPERS, MURMURS, AND A LOVE GONE TOO FAR

06-17-00. In the June 2000 issue of Chakram (#11), the newsletter of the Official Xena Fan Club, writer Chris Manheim was interviewed:

Interviewer: Was Hercules always part of the "God Fearing Child" story?
Chris Manheim: No. When I first wrote the story, Hercules was not in it. Xena and Amarice were busy trying to fend off Zeus. I think it was GABRIELLE AND JOXER who went to the Underworld to get the Helmet of Invisibility so Xena could give birth and be invisible doing it.
Interviewer: Was Solan in your version?
Manheim: No, he was an element added to give weight to the mother/son story with Xena. To provide heart to the Xena/Gabrielle portion. Before that, it was mostly about Hercules and Zeus.

06-17-00. In the June 2000 issue of Chakram (#11), the newsletter of the Official Xena Fan Club, executive producer Robert Tapert said, "I wasn't satisfied with a lot of the episodes this season. I liked 'Fallen Angels', 'Them Bones', 'God Fearing Child', 'Seeds of Faith', and 'Amphipolis'. But I like what we're doing in the last five episodes...This season has been an absolute failure in terms of missed opportunities."

05-11-00. Erik Thomson was asked to reprise his previous role of Hades but was unavailable because he was a regular on a Aussie TV show (ALL SAINTS).

01-10-00. Josh Becker at his website http://www.beckerfilms.com leaked that Xena's child will be named Eve.



THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

These things are by Beth Gaynor.

Watch for a major camera flip in the final scene. When we first see our heroes from above, it's Hercules on the left, and Gabrielle on the right. When they're shown from eye level, Hercules and Gabrielle have switched places.

From what I've gathered, I think that's Julius, Lucy's own baby, in the final scene. Hi there, cute little guy! Welcome to the wacky world of show biz - only a couple months old, and your mom's in some weird outfit and calling you by the wrong name AND gender. Don't worry, it's not you. You'll get used to it. [Editor's note: It has been denied by Sharon Delaney that this is Julius]



MORE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

11-13-00. From Titania. There was a blooper in 5th season ep "God Fearing Child" where Ares comes down to the Underworld and he says to Xena: "Relax, I have no powers in my brother's realm" And Hades is his uncle.

03-26-00. From Eric. All of Hercules' Legendary Journeys must've given him amnesia. He remembered Xena, but he didn't mention Gabrielle's name once throughout the entire episode!

02-11-00. From Diane Laubengayer. A major continuity error in God Fearing Child. At the begining of the final scene they start with a long shot with Xena sitting on the ground with Gab on her left and Herc sitting on a log off to her right. When they come in for the close-up Gab is on Xena's right and Herc is sitting on the log on her left. Other than that their positions look identical to the long shot so maybe the film was reversed on one of the shots.

02-11-00. From 1eye. Did you notice Hera's little line during her walk with Herc down memory lane in "God Fearing Child" that she and Zeus had created mortals. What unmitigated hubris. Once a god always a lying god, I say. By the Titans, t'was Prometheus created human kind. OK, well, maybe just males from around the NE Mediterranean basin. I don't need to press the larger claim. Thank the Titan, I'm half Italian. Of course, I have a picture of an authentic ancient work of art to prove my contention. That being a fine sarcophagus from late Antiquity showing the gods absolutely dumbfounded by the work of Prometheus. Even the Titan seems somewhat unsure about what to do with the as-yet unanimated male. (Where the very different, some would claim altogether superior, gender may trace its lineage remains for further research.)



TRANSCRIPT

Click here to read a transcript of GOD FEARING CHILD .



DISCLAIMER:

Zeus cashed in his chips during the production of this motion picture



LINKS:

God Fearing Child preview from the XWP Clip Vault.





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