Soul Possession

Soul Possession

Written by Melissa Blake
Directed by Josh Becker

Episode synopsis:

Segment one:

In modern times, a scroll is found in a sea cavern which reveals that Xena was married to Ares.

Segment two:

Revealing the contents of the scroll at a press conference, the Centre for Historical Accuracy of Key Research in Ancient Mythology tells of a period of time in Xena's life after Adventures In The Sin Trade II and A Family Affair. Xena finds Joxer who is still mourning Gabrelle and drags him on a search for Gabrielle, whom she now knows is alive due to a vision from Alti. Ares appears to her and offers information on Gabrielle if Xena will marry him.

Segment three:

Xena roughs up Ares but he insists that he wants to marry her in front of the Fates, an eternally binding contract. Xena, knowing it is her only way of finding Gabrielle alive, eventually agrees.

Segment four:

Joxer throws Ares a bachelor party where he reencounters Meg, who helps him get over his grief and believe that Gabrielle can be found. Xena, at the wedding, declines to marry Ares and instead throws herself into the lava pit where Gabrielle "died."

Segment five:

Ares saves Xena, and admits that he did the same for Gabrielle and Hope. He also tells Xena that in exchange for saving Hope, he owns Gabrielle's soul. He offers to release her soul if he can have Xena's. He'll let the two of them live out their lives, but he will own Xena's soul for all the rest of time, in her future incarnations. Xena agrees to this and signs a scroll, which she then steals from Ares and hides in the ocean. In the present, Ares arrives to reclaim the scroll and therefore Xena's soul. But Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer are there (in the forms of Harry, Mattie, and Annie Day from the episode "Deja Vu All Over Again") to battle him. Ares is tricked into accidentally blowing up the contract.

Joxer's natural process of elimination was harmed during the making of this motion picture.

Moments Of Subtext:

• Annie tells a couple of hand holding Xena fans that Harry and Mattie got married and they react "Xena and Gabby finally a couple!"
• Harry and Mattie are a very tight couple, and make reference to the joy of their honeymoon.
• Xena explains to Ares why she wants to get married next to the lava pit. "I should be as close as possible to the one person in the world I meant to spend the rest of my life with."
• Mattie approaches Annie, who now has Xena's soul. "Xena, no matter how hard Ares has tried he has never been able to break us up."
• Annie tells Mattie, "You know, I liked you better blonde, but I can go with this."

Commentary:

A cute episode that finally tries to deal with events that happened three years ago. I was pleased to see Joxer for one last time. It also reminded me about how good the show used to be, back when I actually cared about the characters. It is good nostalgia.