Dangerous Prey

Dangerous Prey

Written by Joel Metzger
Directed by Renee O'Connor

Episode synopsis:

Segment one:

An amazon, Marga, is being hunted in the woods. After being caught in traps, she is confonted by her pursuer. Meanwhile, Xena and Gabrielle arrive in the amazon village. They learn that the amazons have been disappearing one by one. Varia rushes out to find Marga, and Xena follows her trying to protect her. Together they find Marga dying with a challenge carved into her body.

Segment two:

Varia takes off after Marga's killer and is quickly caught in a trap by some ruffians. They reveal they have caught her for the sport of their leader, Prince Morlock. Xena rescues Varia, but leashes her to protect her from herself. Arriving in an abandoned building, Xena tries to teach Varia to control her anger, but Varia attacks Xena instead. Xena easily defeats her.

Segment three:

Varia agrees to be taught and together she and Xena set a trap for Morlock. He deduces the trap, though, and lures Xena into a cave. Varia tires of waiting for Xena and enters the cave to search her out. She is immediately captured by Morlock.

Segment four:

Xena blows up the caves and escapes. She then decides that rather than being hunted, she will now hunt Morlock. But he anticipates this and sets the forest on fire to flush her out. She bends down a tree and launches Varia over the fires, but Varia is caught in Morlock's waiting net.

Segment five:

Varia is taken to the "arena." Xena arrives and she and Morlock battle around the arena until Xena defeats him. Varia is given Marga's right of caste and becomes the new queen of the amazons.

Moments Of Subtext:

• Xena says: "Varia, this is where you get to do exactly what I say, when I say it."
  "Just give me the word."
  "Ready to take your clothes off?"

Commentary:

Boring. No subtext. Uninteresting. Getting the picture? Am I really concerned that the bad guy if the week is going to defeat Xena? Nope. What makes him different from every other bad guy of the week? Um... Well he's got that triangle chakram thingy... uh...

What really confuses me is that they keep insisting throughout the episode the Varia is the last hope for the Amazons. Should anything happen to her, there will be no more Amazons. They don't exactly explain why this is. I mean, when they start off and end up in the village, there sure seem to be plenty of Amazons to me. Are they all sterile or something?