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Kaitlyn

Awsome episode! Omg it feels so good to have them back! I've missed our group soooooo much the last few months, and this was an awsome episode to kick off the final episodes with our guys.

First of all- Thank God Ares and Xe just got back together. They might have missed each other, but I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that we missed them together WAY more, lol. I'm so happy they are good with each other again. Hoping for xe to get with baby during that love scene...And is there going to be a marriage between the two of them? We've all been waiting for that one, and after 40+ years, I think its about time to tie the knot (just hoping, lol)

Second- Haimons back!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!! haha He FINALLY knows about Gabby...omg poor Gabby is in for some reeealll drama soon, haha. I hope she won't be mad about Xe spoiling Hammy's big surprise.

Third- Very satisfying ending with Jerusalem. That one line really stands out- "Remember one thing--history is fickle. Who knows; maybe some day, the nation of Israel will still stand when the Roman Empire is just a memory"

-Very smart. Very nice way of ending it.

Although I admit to growing really impatient for this episode, it was worth the wait! I'm looking forward to seeing episodes focused on their lives and adjustments, esp. Hammy's response to Gab's baby.

LOVE THE WRITERS!!!!!!!!!!!!


sarinou

That was fabulous guys

And Aurora, some great manips again!!

I'm so happy the boys are back And Ares is definitely getting better with the GG thing...oh, btw, I just loved Ares and Xena interaction when they went up to the Romans and pretended to be merchants! I was laughing so hard I could hardly breath But poor Ares, the chicken remark had to sting...

Also, what Gabrielle said back in the beginning, about whether she'd be able to raise her child with Xena and the settling down thing...I'm willing to see how that turns out. After all it has to be a major personal conflict for her and it's not going to get better now that Haimon knows about the baby and is probably heading off to find Gabrielle. Can't wait to see what happens

One more thing about the last part : I loved the fact that Ares was the one telling Xena she should let Haimon know about little Samuel...and that she listened to him. After all Ares was right, the poor guy deserved to know about his son. I can hardly imagine what a shock it must be though, to get such important news like that, to know that you have a child and that if it weren't for the circumstances you might have kept ignoring all about it...

All in all : a great way to start the last season


KarmieVarya

YEAH!!! Thank you SO much Aurora and everyone that worked on this! The episode was wonderful! So many possibilities for this season, can't wait!

LOVE the photo manips Aurora, great job! Favorite part was the banter when they were merchants, and the fact that Ares played the hero along with Xena, that was great to see!


bunnykissinger

its was really good too!

great job guys!


guardian of existence

i love it!!! great job guys!!!!


XYZombieee

Wow it was great!
You all did an awesome job!

Oh and Aurora, I love your manips!


Elfrieda

That was really fantastic, guys! Way to start off the new season! The graphics look really great and the action was really exhilirating!

I like how you saved the bit with Xena telling Haimon about the baby for the end - that really moves the plot along nicely and leads into the next episode. I also liked that there was some more campy action - felt like classic Xena.

My only gripe is that Bar-Giora was killed off at the end of last season, so we didn't get to see Richard Armitage return . . . Maybe he has an identical twin?


ChakramGoddess

Loved it! Great job, everyone!

Ares is back! Obviously, I loved Xena and Ares working together to free the prisoners, and the fact that almost the entire ep focused on them. Their interaction more than made up for the lack of X/A in the S9 finale. I second sarinou's comments re: X&A pretending to be merchants. Yeah, Xena's chicken remark had to sting, but hey, it's true if we go by OAHAF. I loved the part where Ares saved the 12-year-old boy. I like seeing him play the hero. I'm glad Haimon finally knows about the baby. It'll be interesting to see how traveling with Samuel affects Xena and Gabrielle's life together (I'm guessing they're not going to be put on ice for another 25 years so he can age ).


XenAres

Again as I said, great opening episode. I'm glad to see Ares back in action and of course by Xena's side. I'm guessing that since Livia Sabina made an appearance we may see her in later episodes especially given Haimon's new traitor/deserter status. Perhaps she will be tasked with finding him and bringing him to justice which means she'll tangle once again with Xena. I'm so glad he finally knows the truth about the baby though. I can't wait for him and Gabrielle's interaction. I agree with Elfreida that it was fun seeing Xena use atypical battle strategies to achieve her goal (kids and the goats). She's so resourceful And maybe I'm crazy, but I'm kind of missing GOW Ares. I mean I like that he's mortal and he's sticking it out with Xena, but you've got to admit there is just this whole other level of hotness when he's in GOW mode. . Ok, I'll stop now. Just a little thought. Frankly I'll take Ares any way I can get him. The banter was great and I'm really excited to see how the group continues on with the baby in tow.


asere e

this was excellent! What a great way to start the season!


Scxin

Great way to start the season!

It's great to see Ares again, gauntlets or no gauntlets (and awww, by the way). Have to agree a little bit with those who say they miss the GOW, but it's still interesting to watch him as a mortal. Watching the interaction b/w Ares and Xena is great (especially the "merchants" part.... image ). There is no longer a question of whether Xena is happy to see him or not, no conflicting emotions in their reunion now that he is no longer a god. Sweet! image

I'm glad Haimon was told about his child, especially since he had already proved himself by that point. Gabrielle could use some support other than Xena's - and I feel bad for Darien, trying to take on all that responsibility att such a young age.

Great ep - I'll be looking forward to the next one!


Aurora

I just want to say how happy I am with this story as the season 10 premiere. It was an great concept and I was so happy that I got the chance to write for it. So, thanks all!

I really liked how Haimon was re-introduced. I've always wondered what exactly he has been up to over these months that he's been away (I still can't believe that it's been so long since we saw him--not since Ends and Means! Wow. )I am defintely interested to see how we work him back into the stories. There's so much that has gone on for both him and Gabrielle and it'll be interesting to see them interacting again. It's not been easy for either of them.

I also, of course, love that Ares had such a large part in this episode. I was going through a bit of Ares withdrawl while he was absent from the finale of last season. But he's gotta come back, of course, and I still love the fact that he travelled all of that way for Xena. It really shows some of the changes he's going through now that he's mortal.

And as a graphical standpoint, I absolutly loved creating the photo manipulations of Xena and Ares embracing in the desert. I think those are probably some of my best and the one with them in front of the ruins really turned out even better than I expected. I just love being able to bring a written scene to life with pictures if I can. The image of Haimon on a horse turned out better than I thought it would, too.

All in all this was a great episode.


Elaine

An enjoyable and satisfying start to the series. The episode was well paced and full of intruige. Enjoyed seeing Naomi and Sabina again. I thought with the flashbacks that markers for Haimon's return was being left but I was surprised it was so soon and absolutely stunned that Xena told him about Samuel. That will be interesting to see how that pans out.

I thought Gabrielle's crisis of confidence was well handled and was exaserbated by Xena trying to protect her. Consciously or unconsciously, Xena asked Ares to do the "side kick" role and I'm not sure that Xena realised how much that hurt Gabrielle. The dynamics between the three of them Ares, Xena and Gabrielle will be interesting to watch, as Gabrielle struggles to get a balance in her life of maternal and warrior duties and Xena will want to protect her, as Gabrielle did for her and Eve in S5. Ares role will be pivotal, and he definitely showed his more mortal side in his concerns for the boy and Haimon. Great start to the series, although I'm with Gabrielle as I can't wait for them to get back to Greece.