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SHEENA

MIND GAMES


EPISODE NO. 25
Season 2, episode 03
Series 203
1st release: 10-20-01
2nd release: 12-15-01
Production number: 205
Last update: 11-08-01


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REGULAR CAST, GUEST CAST & CREDITS
TV GUIDE PROMO
SYNOPSIS 1 by Sally Dye
SYNOPSIS 2 by Loretta Miller
COMMENTARY 1 by Mao
COMMENTARY 2 by Loretta Miller


REGULAR CAST
Gena Lee Nolin (Sheena)
Margo Moorer (Kali)
John Allen Nelson (Matt Cutter)
Kevin Quigley (Mendehlson)

GUEST CAST
Afemo Omilami (Kontee)
Veryl Jones (Rashid)
Jermaine D'Aguiar (Michou)

CREDITS
Written by Tony Blake & Paul Jackson
Directed by Walter Von Huena

Filmed on location in Orlando, FL and Africa.




TV GUIDE PROMO

Kali faces off against an old nemesis that tries to gain control over Sheena in order to exert domination over all the LaMistas. ClickTV

A cast-out Shaman of Rashid's tribe contests Kali's place in the LaMistas. Logline.






SYNOPSIS 1:

This synopsis is by Sally Dye .

Teaser

Cutter and Sheena arrive at a village near the river, discussing rumors that a group of natives are possessed by a madness of some sort. Cutter makes a comment about zombies, and Sheena shushes him with a shocked expression on her face, When he wants an explanation, she says that is slang for "a position...uh...intimate between two..." She concludes that it's hard to translate and that Cutter should not say it around children or elderly women. A band of hunters who had been missing show up then, but Sheena notices that their expressions seem strange somehow. Suddenly the men go berserk and start fighting everyone around them. Sheena and Cutter help fight the men. A hawk flies overhead, and its cry causes the hunters to stop fighting and stab themselves to death with their own knives.

Act I

Kali notes an odor about the men that indicate that they may have been given elodea, a powder made from the kelosa plant. The powder results in a trancelike effect and can only be produced by a shaman. She says that the Niaka tribe was known for its use of elodea. Cutter realizes that Mendelson is out with a group of tourists and leaves to find him before he runs into any more of the drugged natives.

Sheena and Kali go to talk to Rashid, who is of the Niaka tribe. He says the use of elodea was forbidden years ago by his father, who was chief then. But he remembers one shaman, Kontee, who had resisted the ban because he wanted to increase his power. Rashid's father banished Kontee because he was "filled with darkness".

Cutter is trying to locate Mendelson's group but can't raise him on the radio.

Kali says she, Sheena and Kontee share a history. Sheena doesn't remember, so Kali tells her of the time when Sheena was brought to her as a five-year-old. Kontee and Kali argued over who should raise Sheena, since both could see she was destined for greatness. Kontee wanted to raise Sheena to be a warrior queen who would vanquish their enemies. Kali said no, she would raise Sheena to see with clarity so she could choose her own path. Kontee left the village in a snit, unwilling to challenge Kali over it.

Mendelson is driving the tourists in a jeep, pointing out monkeys in the trees they pass. Behind some undergrowth, some natives watch them with glazed expressions on their faces.

Sheena and Kali come to an area marked with a tribal sign, which would keep out ordinary wanderers. Kali says they don't need to regard it. They notice a strange odor, like musk. Suddenly they hear growls, and a snarling leopard appears in front of them. Sheena thinks it's a rogue since she can't get a manta from it. Kali says the fragrance is from the kelosa blossom and it causes illusions. The leopard charges and leaps right through Sheena. It was just an illusion. Kali makes a salve of peppermint and cheeka oil which can counteract the drug, and she and Sheena inhale the scent of it.

Mendelson's tourists are taking pictures of giraffes when some natives with spears rush at them from the jungle. The tourists all clap delightedly, thinking it is a show for their benefit. The jeep stalls, and Cutter pulls up just as the natives are about to drag the tourists from the jeep. He fights off the natives and yells at the tourists to get into his truck. They do so. One tourist to her husband "And you said this tour company was a rip-off!" They speed away, with the tourists thanking them for a great show.

Act II

Sheena and Kali see a hawk. Sheena recognizes it as the hawk that flew over the village earlier. Kali says it is really an extension of Kontee, like the familiar of a witch. They also see heavy truck tracks and decide to investigate further.

Kali finds a totem with unfamiliar symbols. Kontee appears and explains that the symbols denote the victory of force over reason. Kali is not impressed with this philosophy and says so.

Sheena follows the truck tracks and sees men harvesting and drying kelosa plants to make the elodea drug. She returns to Kali and Kontee and tells Kali what she saw. She says that Kontee is harassing the villagers along the river so he can have more land to grow the kelosa. Kontee says that Sheena has grown into a beautiful warrior, and she could yet become the warrior queen he wished her to be. Sheena says he should think again. Kali sees Kontee put his hand into a pouch at his waist and stops Sheena from saying any more. Kontee tells Kali that she was more powerful than he was 20 years ago, but now is a different story. He says he wants to see Sheena again so they can discuss what could have been and what might still be.

Kali tells Sheena that Kontee is challenging her for the position of spiritual leader of the LaMistas. Already some have accepted him. Those who don't, get the madness. But two things are holding him back -- Kali herself and his fear of the darak'na. Sheena: "Good."

Sheena, Kali and Cutter go to Rashid, who refuses to interfere with Kontee. Kali tells him she understands his fear.

Sheena tells Cutter she is going to show Kontee something he fears, since he doesn't seem to be properly afraid of Kali's powers.

That night, the darak'na attacks a group of Kontee's workers, slashing at them with its claws and finally blowing up their truck. The hawk trails after the darak'na and watches as Sheena washes off the mud. When the hawk returns to Kontee, he sees what the hawk saw. He tells his henchman, Michou, that soon he will control the most powerful force in the LaMistas.

Act III

Rashid comes to Kontee's camp to tell him to stop using the dark arts. Kontee is contemptuous of Rashid and throws some of his powder in Rashid's face. Then he tells Rashid he has an errand for him. Rashid goes to Kali. She can see that he is under Kontee's control, but before she can get away, he grabs her and carries her off.

Cutter and Mendelson are discussing Cutter's use of the word "zombie". Mendelson says he is confusing it with "tsambi", and it's not something you say in polite company. Sheena arrives to tell Cutter that Kali is gone. They set out for Kontee's camp.

Kontee is holding Kali prisoner. He accuses her of raising Sheena to be the darak'na so she could control the tribes of the LaMistas. Kali says it was Sheena who decided to become the darak'na to protect the people from men like Kontee. Kontee says he will soon be able to control a whole army of warriors.

Sheena and Cutter come into Kontee's camp and see Kali sitting alone. They run to her. When she stands up and faces them, they see powder on her face and know she is under Kontee's control. Before they can react, Kali throws powder in their faces, too.

Act IV

Kontee thinks now everyone here is under his control. He has sacred bowls brought -- the same ones the Niakans drank from the night he was banished. While he is not looking, Sheena rubs something into the rim of Kali's bowl. Sheena, Kali, Cutter and Kontee drink from the bowls. Kontee has Kali stand and then calls Sheena to him. He orders Sheena to kill Kali. Sheena takes her knife, but at the last minute throws it toward Kontee instead. He avoids it, but looks at Sheena with a shocked expression. Sheena: "A little tip -- never serve wine with peppermint and cheeka oil." Sheena and Cutter fight Rashid and Michou. Kontee starts to intervene, but Kali stops him: "Your fight is with me." Kontee and Kali engage in a spiritual duel. In their minds they turn into two super warriors and fight with glowing swords in a surreal dreamscape. Kali, of course, wins.

Epilogue

Rashid says he doesn't remember anything that happened after he went to Kontee's camp. Cutter says that's good, that Rashid was tough to handle, even when he was a zombie. Rashid is shocked and offended and leaves in a huff. Cutter goes after him apologizing: "I don't even know what it means!" Kali burns the last of the elodea. Sheena thanks Kali for taking her in, teaching her and loving her. Kali says she made it easy, except maybe during the teenage years. They smile and embrace.



SYNOPSIS 2:

This synopsis is by Loretta Miller .

Cutter and Sheena look about a village and glad to find nothing out of the ordinary. Apparently word had been spread from village to village that men from a third village were possessed. Cutter reports, "No zombies here." Sheena hears the word "zombie" and immediately reacts to it, like it’s a dirty word. She cautions Cutter not to use the word around children and the elderly. Cutter learns it’s tribal slang for a sexual position. A hunting party shows up with a white powdery substance on their foreheads. They are hallucinating and begin to attack the villagers. Cutter and Sheena have their hands full as they fight these men and as they do, another affected man spots a hawk flying above and uses his spear to run himself through. He falls over, dead.

Kali tends to an injured man from the hunting party as Cutter reports that the villagers are spooked and some are leaving. She says the milky perspiration is a sign of elodea, the white substance from the Kelosa plant. It produces a trance-like state and makes the person highly suggestible. The plant, she tells them, only grows along the river. The shaman from the Niaka tribe forbade its use because it was destroying its people. Kali suggests they go see a Niakan.

Meanwhile, Mendehlson is off on a tour with a jeep full of Americans eager to get an eye full. Cutter knows that he’s probably at risk and will head out to intercept them.

Kali and Sheena go see Rashid. We learn that he is a Niakan. He tells them that 20 years earlier his father was the Niakan chief. The tribe was made of deeply spiritual men and one disobeyed and his father made an example of him. Kali remembers and says, "Kontee." He was a powerful shaman but lusted for more. Rashid’s father brought Kontee in front of the tribe and said he was part of the "darkness" and banned him forever. Forever just ended, Sheena says sadly. While Cutter races through the countryside trying unsuccessfully to reach Mendehlson by radio, Kali remembers an encounter with Kontee when Sheena was a small child.

When Sheena first came to them, Kali gave her the name Sh’ayna, and called her the eyes of the future. Kontee counters by saying that she would make a great warrior. Kali is adamant that while she may be destined for greatness, the path will be her own choosing. Kontee wants Sheena to be his Warrior Queen. Kali becomes livid and tells him, "I am Kali. Do you choose to defy me?" Kontee backs down and leaves.

Kali tells Sheena that Naikan are different than Kayan but no less the threat.

Mendehlson continues his tour all of them unaware warriors watch them from the brush.

Kali and Sheena find Naikan ceremonial ground as Sheena tells Kali that Cutter called the men affected with the white powder "zombies" and Kali is shocked. When Sheena tells her that it’s a term used in the West, Kali says, "That could be confusing." Kali then stops, she asks Sheena if she can smell the aroma of musk in the air. It’s the aroma from the elodea plant.

Suddenly a leopard jumps in front of them, Sheena steps between the leopard and Kali protectively and figures to be a rogue as she can’t get a manta from it. Kali knows it’s an illusion. The smell makes one susceptible to illusion. She tells Sheena not to trust her eyes but her heart. Sheena wants to distract it but when she reaches out for a downed tree limb in front of her, her hand goes right through it. As she straightens up, the leopard lunges for her and passes right through her and disappears. Kali quickly pulls a small container out of her pouch she has on her and mixes peppermint and cheeka oils together and lets her smell it. It counteracts the affects of the elodea. Sheena is taken aback by what she just encountered and Kali cautions that illusion is only one of Kontee’s talents.

Mendehlson tells his tourists points of interest including a giraffe relieving itself when a spear lands in the passenger seat of his truck. Panicked, he puts the pedal to the metal to the absolute delight of his tourists but his truck gets stuck! Suddenly the warriors attack and Mendehlson tries to fight them off. The tourists LAUGH probably figuring the hand-to-hand combat is staged when in fact it’s very real. Cutter fires a couple rounds as he pulls up in his jeep and the warriors scatter. He orders everyone into the jeep which makes one lady comment that the tour is "fantastic." Cutter and Mendehlson talk about the fact that the radio is broken and that Cutter had told him long ago to fix it. "You never said by when".

A hawk flies overhead and Kali tells Sheena that the bird is an extension of Kontee. They believe that animals help humans. Sheena spots heavy truck tracks as Kali spots a totem pole sporting all sorts of symbols. The top one, unfamiliar to Kali is Kontee’s own creation symbolizing power over reason and Kali takes it as his need to control it.

While they chat, Sheena sneaks up on a truck and watches workers harvesting plants very quickly.

Kontee tells Kali that Kontee fears the Darak’na. Sheena returns as Kontee calls her Sh’ayna. Sheena corrects him. She doesn’t remember him but Kali had told her about him. Sheena reports the harvest as Kali and Sheena accuse Kontee of grabbing up all the land he can to grow elodea. Kontee tells them that the villagers trust him. He looks at Sheena admiringly. If he had raised Sheena himself she would be an unstoppable force. Kontee puts his fingers into a small satchel on his belt as he talks but then pulls his hand out, having second thoughts. He tells her to come back soon to talk of what could have been and what still can be.

Later, Sheena asks Kali if Kontee is more powerful than she is. "Maybe", she says. It’s his ease at tempting her that has her alarmed and cautious. Her very existence is a threat to him. He doesn’t want to be just the spiritual leader of Naika but of all of the La Mistas. Some comply the others get the madness. Two things hold him back, she tells Sheena. Kali’s power and his fear of the Darak’na.

At the ranger station, Sheena and Kali find Cutter arguing with Rashid to investigate his tour being attacked by warriors. Without enough evidence, Rashid tells him, he cannot. While Sheena is certain Rashid still balks. Cutter suggests that he bring him in on suspicion. Rashid tells him that he doesn’t operate on suspicion and besides it is out of his jurisdiction. Sheena tells him that it hasn’t stopped before. Rashid suggests Cutter take his complaint to Ingama’s provost which Cutter calls a creative way to say buzz off. Kali realizes Rashid’s hands are tied and tells him so as they leave. "I understand your fear," she tells him.

Later, Sheena walks with Cutter and tells him that she’s never seen Kali so vulnerable before. Cutter remembers when he first realized his Dad was just a regular guy. She has never seen Kali like that before. Sheena tells Cutter she’s going to show Kontee something that he does fear. The Darak’na, in the cloak of darkness, attacks Kontee’s men. The Darak’na places a wooden box under the muffler of the truck and within seconds is aflame. A moment later the truck explodes.

In the very early light of day, the Darak’na washes as a hawk oversees. Kontee sees into the Hawk’s eye and sees the mud come off and reveal Sheena. "Unbelievable." He smiles and says that soon he’ll control the most powerful force in the La Mistas.

Rashid is checking an area by flashlight as Kontee spots him and approaches. Rashid tells him that he’s not there as a ranger but a Naikan and tells him to stop using dark magic. Kontee calls him an errand boy for Ingama. His efforts had turned powerful warriors into sheep herders and city dwellers. His threats, Rashid tells Kontee, didn’t work on his father and they won’t work on him. Kontee quickly throws a white powder at Rashid’s head. He tells him that he’ll take his tribe back to the rightful place in the La Mistas and this is their rebirth. As Rashid goes into a trance-like state, he has an errand for the errand boy.

Rashid comes up on Kali and tells her that Sheena is injured having been hit by a car. Kali wants to leave but must get her pouch first. Rashid won’t let her, grabs her first and drags her off.

In daylight, Mendehlson and Cutter are trying to muscle their truck free. Mendehlson tells him that it’s not "zombie" but "tsambi" a term not be used in mixed company. Sheena runs up looking for Kali. They suspect Kontee has her and Cutter and Sheena run off leaving Mendehlson alone and thinking he’ll ask a passing hippo to give him some help.

Inside a cave, Rashid offers Kali some soup in a bowl but refuses it. Kontee orders Rashid go and get a mango right off a tree so that she’ll feel it’s okay to eat. He leaves. Kontee is pleased to know that Rashid in this trance would do anything he told him, even walk into quicksand for him. He tells Kali that perhaps he’ll have him do just that when he’s done with him. Soon, he tells her, he’ll command an army of Rashid’s.

Kontee asks Kali about the Darak’na and she tells him it’s a legend, nothing more. He says that it was made up in someone’s mind and therefore real. Kontee tells her that he knows Sheena is the Darak’na. It was her choice to become the Darak’na, Kali says, to protect the La Mistas from people like him. He laughs and says that he’s already won.

A hawk squeals from overhead as Cutter and Sheena walk. Sheena tells him that he doesn’t have to get involved if he doesn’t want to. Cutter calls Kali he’s friend and wants to help, besides he didn’t want to miss another opportunity at narrowly escaping death alongside a beauty. They enter the cave and find Kali with the white powder on her forehead. Kontee had gone looking for Sheena leaving her alone. Kali stands up and sprays the white powder on both of them.

Kontee finds Kali, Cutter and Sheena under a trance. "When you lose something precious, you’ll risk everything to get it back," he says. Kontee’s attention turns to Sheena and calls her the Darak’na, she corrects him…her name is Sheena. "No, you’re the Darak’na and you’re mine." Sacred bowls with tea, originally used by Rashid’s father long ago, are brought out for a ceremony. Sheena rubs something off her leg and onto the edge of the Kali’s bowl. Initially the bowls were used for banishment, now the bowls are used for homecoming. Kontee tells them all to drink and they do.

Kali is told to stand against the wall and she does. Sheena is told to come to Kontee and she complies. He tells her that she trusts him and that she doesn’t need Kali anymore. He asks her if she understands and she says "yes"… "then kill her". Sheena goes over toward Kali but turns and throws the knife at Kontee but it misses. She tells him never to serve tea with peppermint and cheeka oil.

A fight ensues as Rashid fights both Cutter and Sheena. Rashid pins Sheena against a wall and she winds up having to kick him in the crotch to get him to release her.

Kali and Kontee, meanwhile, are having their own face off. They stand opposite each other and each go into another world, a spiritual world where they fight in that realm. He’s the ram while she’s a princess or queen. They fight as cuts appear on them on their bodies. After a long battle, Kali wins and as she opens her eyes, finds Kontee on the ground dead.

Rashid talks with Cutter and Sheena, his head bandaged. He says he has no recollection of the events and it’s like a "black cloud". Cutter tells him that that’s better than the black and blue marks all over his body. Cutter says that he’s no longer a zombie, by accident, and Rashid takes offense and leaves. Cutter, realizing his mistake, chases him down trying to explain.

Sheena and Kali watch the last of the elodea leaves burned. Sheena knows from a lesson Kali had taught her that while Kontee is dead, evil merely finds another face to wear. She thanks Kali for taking her in, protecting, teaching and loving her. Kali says the last part was the easiest and that her being in her life gave her joy and otherwise her life would have little meaning. They embrace.



COMMENTARY 1:

This synopsis is by Mao .

Mind Games was pretty good. It has lots of Kali and Rashid, as well as Cutter and Sheena and Mendelson. Basically, there's another Shaman in the jungle who was cast out of Rashid's tribe years ago because of his desire for power who now thinks he has enough power to 'overthrow' Kali and her importance to the rest of the LaMistas. He plans on doing this by using a specific drug to control people.

It wasn't explained fully how long the effects of the drug last; it was used on Rashid to get Kali into the hands of the "bad guy" but we later see him fully recovered (at least, recovered from the effects of the drug - he's pretty banged up from Sheena and Cutter beating on him.)

Since it's Rashid who is sent to get Kali, I guess she hadn't had time to get prepared to defend herself against the drug. When Sheena and Cutter come to save her, she doses them but we discover later that they've prepared themselves -- Sheena, in fact, is able to aid Kali in fighting off the effects of the drug in time for Kali to engage the "bad guy" in a duel. While Kali is fighting on the mental plane (reminded me of Tron special effects) is when Rashid tries to kill Sheena and Cutter. Fortunately they manage to overpower him, and Kali kills the "bad guy." All ends well.

Except that Cutter can't seem to find anyone who will fully explain what z(s)ombie means to the tribes of the LaMistas. Sheena says that 'zombie' sounds like a slang term used to describe a "position" used by people in an "intimate setting" and that Cutter should refrain from using it around children and older women. Rashid takes great offense at being called a zombie by Cutter, who goes after him trying to get more details as to why it's such a big thing. Kali and Sheena just walk away laughing.

Some recognition that Cutter doesn't always do things for personal gain -- he goes looking for Kali with Sheena even though Sheena tells him that he can go back if he wants. Mendelson gets some sarcastic lines in with his tourist group, which gets attacked by a group of poor souls under the influence of the drug. (The tourists think it's a 'reenactment' -- of what, who knows?)

A good episode, showing some good exploration of Kali's character.



COMMENTARY 2:

This synopsis is by Loretta Miller .

The protectiveness shown by Kali and Sheena for each other really comes through in this piece. They act truly as mother and daughter. We get a little more background on Sheena and how much Kali truly appreciates her being in her life.

Mendehlson once again, appears as comic relief and boy, does he come through. Coupled with a troop of clueless American tourists unaware that their lives are in jeopardy, that whole sequence is wonderful. On the spiritual fighting sequence, I immediately thought of Xena: Warrior Princess and the fights between Alti and Xena on the spiritual plane. While I was uncomfortable with the wincing facial expressions displayed by both actors, the injuries in the physical were appropriate and the best: the evildoer was done in.




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