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Ryan

I loved it as usual. Very clever episode, and I thought that Gabrielle's younger persona came across PERFECTLY! Its so amazing how you guys were able to capture the essence of S1 Gabrielle and show her differences.

Parts I loved:
Gabrielle and Haimon interaction. Haimon getting the chance to see what Gabrielle used to be like and even falling for her!

Xena's love for S1 Gabrielle as well as her conflicting guilt. It worked very well and I love the "I love you" scene.

Ares thinking he is back in time and trying a new route. Something I never even considered happening and I think it added a lot to his character. I also enjoyed the comparison to Evil Xena/Ares and Young Gabby/Xena.

Of course it was great to "relive" the character of Gabrielle from Season 1 and I realize even more how much she changed. Loved her transformation in the end and the reveal that Xena was the wisher and unwished it.

My only problem with this episode was that it seemed a little too fast paced and maybe a bit rushed. The beginning happened a lot quicker than usual, but the rest of the episode is so chuck full of goodness that I can forgive the fast pace.

And good idea on leaving Darion out of this episode, I don't think it would have flowed as smoothly with him. I really enjoy the Xena/Gab/Haimon/Ares interaction.

Anyways, amazing episode Sais and LK! Great idea and story! Hopefully we can let this be a learning experience for Gabrielle and keep a bit more of her spunk, upbeat attitude that she used to have.


Del

loved it!! (And, of course, great montage - Aurora, they're always amazing and fit the eppy's so well!!!)

I thought Ares' interaction in the whole ep just cut right to the point of everything - very insightful and Ares like at the same time. Plus, it was so cute when he thought they were all back in time and then Haimon walked up and Ares was all, nevermind then.

I think it was good for both Xena and Gabrielle to get to see the younger Gabby again - it might relieve some of their fears and help Gab to reconcile her new and improved! self with her older, happier self.

Plus, Haimon and Gabby needed the relationship boost.

I'm glad it turned out that Xena made the wish because it didn't make sense that Gabby would have - she seemed more irritated than wishful.


Katerina

wow i loved the episode!
1) i loved how haimon and gabrielle were STILL falling 4 each other even with gabrielle as she was in season 1
2) i love the interaction of xena/ares-its just liike them to argue again!
3) it was xena's wishing all along for gabby to be young again! great surprise for me with that!
4) of course gabrielle is the one who tries to fight back and tries to trick the bad guys. just like in season one

i loved the ep overall. cant wait till the next one!


CasualFan

This was a fun way to get back into the season! While the time-warp theme is a well-worn X:WP tradition, I found this to be an intriguing new variation – only one character reverts to her younger self, while everyone else stays in “real time.” It’s a great way to illustrate just how profoundly Gab has developed and changed over the years, while letting the other major characters (particularly Xena) look at themselves and their relationships with her.

Excellent job at capturing the essence of Baby Gab; everything rang true to her early S1 self, from her brash assertiveness to her non-stop chatter to her sentimentality. Even the sais-throwing exhibition was completely in character – young Gab was always good at trying to brazen out a situation. I also liked the way you were able to capture her essential intelligence and sensitivity – it’s very easy to portray Chatty Gabby as a ditz, when in fact she was anything but. She’s smart enough to read her scrolls and realize that something very strange is going on, and she’s aware enough to become heartily tired of being treated like a kid.

I got a good laugh out of Ares’ attempt to revise history with Xena, and his quickly tiring of the old Gabby – he was never a great fan of this version, was he? Xena was appropriately angsty, wondering whether her presence in Gab’s life was a net positive or not, and the twist with the wish at the end was a neat one. Haimon got some good development in this one ; while he’s not one of the most absorbing characters in SS9 for me, I liked the way he was able to gain some new perspective on his prickly relationship with the Battling Bard by seeing how she started.

Welcome back, SS9 !


Daughter of Tiaran

I just read this--it was great, a look back at just how far Gabrielle has come since S1. The characters were sensitively written with a great deal of nuance, and reverted!Gabby felt true to the Gabrielle of S1. It was both funny and kind of sad to see her--when she mentioned Perdicus, for example, it gave me a chill to realize that she didn't know Perdicus was dead. Xena's dilemma was well-portrayed--knowing that she should tell Gabrielle about what happened to her, while at the same time wondering if Gabrielle wasn't better off as she was now and enjoying what must have seemed like a return to a more halcyon time when their lives were less complicated. (While it's impossible not to sympathize with Xena's desire to spare Gabrielle the pain of all that's happened since S1, I found it also slightly creepy too--those are *Gabrielle's* experiences after all and a fundamental part of her identity; I found Haimon's interest in S1 Gab creepy for similar reasons.)

I thought the idea of how much of our identity is made up of what others see us as was really interesting, and provided a great deal of food for thought. Obviously, Gabrielle's relationships with those around her--Xena and Haimon--were powerfully affected by her change, and it's interesting to speculate about what would have happened if she had remained the way she was for a longer period of time. Xena obviously was powerfully moved by seeing Baby!Gabs again, but if Gabrielle had remained as she was for more than a few days, I can see Xena starting to miss the Battling Bard. And at the end, though she isn't aware of it, she *does* wish Gabrielle back again the way she was; how deep and rich would their relationship be if it hadn't been for all the trauma they had endured and overcome together? How rewarding would it be for Xena, knowing that she has all these memories--of good times and bad--with Gabrielle that Gabrielle no longer shares? There were also good moments of Xena/Ares interaction, where Ares tells Xena that perhaps she is trying to do the same thing with Gabrielle that he had tried to do with her earlier, and in fact the set-up reminded me a bit of Xena's innocent personality in "Chakram." This was a great ep!


Elfrieda

The episode was terrific. Shipper Seasons are back in business! I thought the premise was very good, and I think Gabrielle gets a better treatment on the SS than she often did on the show . . . who knew?

Her transformation into the innocent Gab of Season 1 rang perfectly true, as did the portrayals of Haimon and Xena. And her finding out about the past through her own scrolls was a great idea.

I loved Ares' reaction to seeing li'l Gabby again!

I also thought the twist at the end was excellent - I knew that it couldn't be as simple as all that!


Lucia H B

I’ve finally read it and I loved it as much as I thought I would. I love season one Gabrielle and how she was better talking than fighting then; and it was great to see her again in this episode.

I think her second time as young Gabrielle was very well done and her short scene alone with Ares was, to me, one of the best moments of the episode. I especially like that Ares line,

Um, Gabrielle--didn't Xena tell you to stay away from the henbane?

And I also love what he whispers to Xena when they are all sitting together by the campfire.

--the old Gabrielle. Yeah, yeah--short, blonde and preachy, but at least she knew how to be quiet from time to time. Xena, why don't we just give her some sais and let nature take its course?

I missed the SS and I’m so glad you chose such good episode to bring them back after the break. Thank you very much, LK, S2C and Aurora, for the good moment I had reading it!