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A Solstice Carol Reviewed

A slightly sentimental Christmas episode sees Xena and Gabrielle in the kingdom of a mean old Scrooge-like King named Silvus, who has made celebrating the Solstice a crime and is planning on tossing a bunch of orphans out of their orphanage on Solstice eve. Xena and Gabrielle decide to try and help. The plan is Gabrielle`s and for once doesn`t involve cracking heads. Instead, Xena gets to dress up as the three fates and try out a few accents. Gabrielle gets a donkey, and there are lots of toys and children around.

This is a very light episode, and a lot of fans thought it was too lightweight and lame. I rather liked it though. There is a fair bit of physical comedy as Xena fights with toy swords and swings a Hercules puppet as a weapon. She also has fun doing yet more accents- although the last one slips a bit. The end of the episode has Gabrielle giving her donkey to a Jewish looking Joseph and Mary couple with a new baby. So that`s where they got the donkey! I wasn`t a huge fan of the carols and orphans, just a bit too twee. Derivative but mildly amusing.

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