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Ryan

Alright, well I have to say while reading this episode I had very mixed feelings. I believe that the centaurs on Xena were basically to show another race. They were meant to show that people that are different still deserve to be treated equal and I have really liked how it was dealt with.

First off: the little things. This episode was really handled well when dealing with past issues. Belach is dead, committed suicide. And really I am glad (as horrid as it sounds). Last of the Centaurs didn't have a happy ending. Belach wasn't going to live happily ever after with his family. I saw suicide written all over him at the end of the episode. It's a tragic ending, but once he realized what he did to his daughter and his grandson, there was really no other way out.

Secondly, I like the touch of giving Nika and Xenan a HUMAN daughter. It just shows that centaurs aren't that different, they can have female offspring who are human. That was a very nice touch.

Alright before I go any further into the episode, I have to say, I am so glad we got to see Darion! What a kid he is I missed the little guy. I really liked Lykia too. Her wanting to go along on the adventure, share in the exciting travels Darion is probably always talking about. Plus it was pretty cool that she wants to be an Amazon. I would like it if they decided to live with the Amazons, I think it would be a good place for them for a while.

Now with the story, the portal idea was pretty cool especially tieing in Ares and the two armies. The birth of a girl centaur was cool too and I liked how it tied into the prophecy. I liked Lipi-whatyoucallher growth as a character. She started out not wanting the child then growing to love it. It kind of showed her developing in to motherhood although it was hard for her to accept the child at first she made the ultimate sacrafice in the end to go into the centaur world with her daughter which shows a lot.

I really had my doubts with the centaur world thing. I thought for sure that Xenan and his family were going to go into the world (wasn't it the original plan?) but I am glad that in the end they didn't. I am glad they reflected on Nika and how it would have been hard for her to accept leaving her homeland behind. I think if they would have entered the world it would have sent a wrong message.

The Xena/Ares stuff was good too of course. I love how the tension slowly begins to build up between them. Can't wait to see how it ends!

Anyways, overall the episode was great! I had my doubts but in the end you guys did the episode justice. Great job Aurora, LadyKate, and Tango!


DD1007

Anyway I finished reading the last episode of the SS, Promised Land, and it was a good surprise to me. To be very honest, I thought I couldn’t expect much of an episode that had anything to do with TLoTC that in my opinion should be the real "unmentionable episode" of XWP, but it turned out to be better than I thought it could be. I wouldn’t say that I couldn’t live without the flashbacks and all the other references to TLoTC, (only thinking of Xenan in that unfortunate ep makes me sick ) but I really liked everything else, and I think that the idea of a baby female centaur born from an human couple as the key to the portal that leads to the promised land was really great. And I was missing Darion. It was very nice to have him back in this episode.

Anyway, even if this episode hadn’t anything else to make it the nice holiday present it was, the Ares part in it would be enough to make up for everything that could be missing. I definitely love what the team of writes of the SS do with him.

And here’s my favorite Ares’ moments:

GABRIELLE: Where's Xena?

Even as she speaks, there's another flash of blue. Xena materializes, knocking down Ares and landing on top of him.

XENA (growls): You did that on purpose!

ARES (smirks): Well--there's gotta be something in it for me...

I absolutely loved Ares’ line here. Very Ares like.

ARES: Well--I think my work here is done. (He folds his arms on his chest and stands up straight, getting ready to disappear)

DARION: You could always give us a ride back to our village. That would be fun!

ARES: Sure, kid. But you'll owe me. Big time.

GABRIELLE (gasps and grabs Darion in a protective hug, glaring at Ares): Don't you even--

Ares smirks at her and vanishes with a "whoosh" and a flash of light.

Thank you Aurora, LK and Tango.


Akarnia

I loved the plot like I do all the shipper season eps. and the explanation of the centaurs was very creative. I really liked how it tied in with Ixion the evil centaur from OOF and PI. I had forgotten about that. They covered every angle in the story.

The mother not wanting her child was very sad as well as the villages treatment of her, but not a surprise, unfortunately that's how I would expect people to act.

I loved the end and Xenans decision to stay with nicha and his son.

minimal X/A interaction i'm ready for an episode that is X/A heavy but I did LOVE the line "i'm so whipped"

overall great episode, excellent job can't wait to read the next one!