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The Furies Reviewed

As is often the custom in US tv, this and Been There, Done That were actually filmed with series two and carried over- Gabrielle`s new outfit is a giveaway. The rumours were of a dark episode, and further rumours spoke of some actors` concern over the plot of this story.

Xena is sent mad by the mythological furies - at Ares urging - because she has not avenged her father`s murder, only the killer turns out to be Cyrene, Xena`s mother! We get to see a whole new side to Xena, a nutty crazy side, a wild and dangerous side and a deeply disturbed and suicidal side. However, even through her madness, Xena is able to save the day.

I am not a huge fan of the physical three stooges comedy- and it was interesting to see Lucy on Regis and Kathie Lee`s tv show cringe in embarrassment when they showed a clip of her doing her nutty act from this episode. The comedy is very much hit and miss - some very funny moments, some a bit over the top. Where Lucy Lawless` performance was especially good, I thought, was in the more serious scenes of madness, with Cyrene and Ares. At these times, it wasn`t Lucy plays nuts, it was a realistically disturbed person. I was NOT a fan of the Furies themselves. Poor acting from the lead girl, and chiefly an excuse for prancing around suggestively with not too many clothes on.

In some ways this carried over season two episode is like a microcosm of the season ahead - high comedy interspersed with seriously desperate situations, physical gags with a dark edge. The changes in tone jar a bit, but both are done quite well. Also Lucy gets naked - a recurring theme for series three(Reneé O`Connor too!). Many fans didn`t like the swings between comedy and drama in this ep - and the season itself actually - but I thought it was a strong episode that grew on me the more I watched it. Big revelations about Xena`s family, and the debate over Ares being Xena`s father was a fun one. I still think she is 100% mortal, and Ares infatuation with Xena in later seasons seems to reinforce that. Although in Greek myth, incest was an everyday thing!

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