The Debt I

Okay...show opens, Xena is sleeping on the forest floor. She rolls over and reaches out her hand, feeling for Gabrielle, who isn't there. Xena gets worried. When Xena's "friend" dies, she and Gabrielle hold hands, Gabrielle comforting Xena. Gabrielle announces she cannot accompany Xena on her murder mission, Xena pulls Gabrielle to her and kisses the top of her head. Then there is Lao-Ma. There is a lot of tension between her and Xena at first, especially when she seems to be flirting with Barius. Xena warns her, "That's my piece of meat you're reaching for." (i.e. Barius.) Lao-Ma responds, "You're wrong. I don't eat meat." (i.e. I am not interested in men.) (Thanks to kjhall, i had not picked up on that interpretation.) Later, Lao-Ma is hiding Xena in her bathtub, but Xena is running out of air, so she submerges her head and gives Xena some of hers. Xena looks like she's chewing on Lao-Ma's mouth. What then follows are scenes of Lao-Ma washing Xena's hair, grooming her, etc. There's definitely a lot of sexual tension happening between these two. (Intentional or unintentional? Who cares!)