Dreamworker - 1x03 (XWP)

First release: 09.18.95

Wow. Third episode and already such a clear picture of the themes that continued to be essential until the final episode.

The episode begins with Gabrielle with a sword in her hand, once again voicing her want of becoming a warrior and learning to use a sword (weapons). Xena plainly refuses and emphasises the difference between killing and surviving. She further states a belief that when holding a sword one needs to be ready to use it to kill, which she is certain Gabrielle is not. Thereby in many ways equalling being a warrior with being a killer. Gabrielle on the other hand does not appear convinced.

The story continues with the introduction of the first god of the show, an immaterial Morpheus who’s followers kidnap Gabrielle with the intentions of offering her as a sacrifice to their god. Xena uses the help of an old ex-mystic to find and retrieve her friend.

In the process Xena starts to have to deal with her past in a more tangible form. In order to save Gabrielle from death (all types of it) she embarks on a journey in the dreamscape and is faced with perhaps her greatest enemy, herself. In order to get to Gabrielle she has to face and overcome not only many of her victims, but her guilty conscious. To me this episode is a brilliant example that she was never a ruthless beast, no this was a warrior who remembered the names of her kills (otherwise Morpheus wouldn’t know them either). She more or less managed to repress this conscious for over 10 years which in itself takes a lot of strength, but to reveal it again and to start dealing with it…no wonder she was ready to give up in SOTP. And no wonder she is my hero and a symbol of female empowerment, there is a strength to this character that goes way beyond the physical.

Part of her wants to kill the past and the dark side, but as she discovers at the end, it is vital to whom she is today. Without the darkness she would not be Xena. A lesson that is repeated throughout the seasons and is revisited as late as the season six episode When Fates Collide. The other lesson she learns is that despite the darkness being ever present and important, she is ultimately the one to control it. The darkness does not exist on its own, as a separate entity from her good side, rather they’re two sides of the one.

Further of interest is that Morpheus tries to exploit Gabrielle’s innocence as a weakness of Xena’s. In order to prevent Xena from her goal (rescuing Gabrielle) Morpheus plays on her fear of Gabrielle picking up a sword and thereby losing herself. In her mind she fears that if Gabrielle would become a warrior she would be transformed into Xena and thereby be bound to repeat the same mistakes. Xena’s need for Gabrielle to remain innocent and separated from the world of war is in many aspects a way for her to try to right her own wrongs. This is also something we will see repeated throughout the series where Xena desperately wants to protect the innocence of others as a means of gaining back some of her own. The most obvious examples of this are Solan, Tara and Eve.

While Xena is busy battling her own self, Gabrielle is introduced to the concept of “blood innocence”, an individual without a human kill on their conscious and hands.

Gabrielle is kidnapped by Morpheus priests and is put through a series of challenges designed for her to lose said innocence and produce her first kill, and then in turn be worthy of sacrificing to the sleep god Morpheus. Before this point Gabrielle has not shown any remorse or obvious concern towards the death around them, such as Xena’s kill at the beginning of the episode. However during this episode Xena and Morpheus priests put a positive value in her blood innocence. Their actions produce the image of her life being worth more as long as her innocence is kept intact. At the end of the episode she is clearly effected by the consequences her killing would have, not necessarily because of the taking of a life, but how the world would start seeing/treating her. Don’t get me wrong the taking of a life most likely effects her as well, but there can be no denying that the perceptions of society matters as well. It is going to be interesting to see if this is the turning point from which the warrior is left behind and the bard is embraced. It would not surprise me at all. After all this is quite the trauma for a young woman and it would be surprising if it did not leave its marks. At the same time it sadness me. Moreover the parallels between this blood innocence and the importance our contemporary Western society place on women’s sexual innocence are as conspicuous as they are tragic.

We’re only at episode three and already we have developed an incredible intimacy between our two main characters who share a dreamscape. Without problem they find each other through their minds which is a delicious contrast to their interactions in the real world where they seem to suffer from a failure to communicate. They both live in their own worlds and do not appear to be able to see each other. Instead they only see their dreams and ideals reflected in one another. Gabrielle sees the strong and independent warrior in Xena, not the torn and tormented human being. Xena sees the inexperienced innocent in Gabrielle, not the ambitious and industrious woman with a self-interest.

Subtext
There’s not much to mention in this episode, because it more or less have them immersed in their own worlds and problems. However the intimacy of a shared dreamscape is a very pleasant stepping stone on the way towards the emotional subtext to come.

Though I guess I should mention the obvious, the breast dagger scene. No straight woman should be that aware of her friend’s boobs, period. And there definitely shouldn’t be any sporting of little smirks when your eyes are on your friend’s boobs. I’d say that falls outside of accepted heterosexual behaviour.

Conclusion
Surprisingly dark and depressing, but in my opinion a brilliant episode. It introduces important themes and develops both characters while providing us with a solid, if somewhat illogical, story adventure. The concept of blood innocence which will greatly effect future storylines is also introduced and touched upon. Gabrielle wanted to become a warrior, but the perceptions and reactions of the world around her forced her onto a different path. Her reasons for choosing other are not exclusively “noble” and morally correct as much as they appear to be a selfish decision based on her own personal gain (or in this case loss). I’ve written it before, and I’ll write it again, to simplify Gabrielle and paint her all white is a grave injustice to the character. No, this is a morally ambiguous and flawed character despite her worldly innocence.

“She has a fire about her.” -- I have to agree with the priests. Gabrielle’s got a helluva spunk. She wasn’t afraid to stand up to the physically superior slavers in SOTP. Here she’s captured by a God and she’s still got lip. At the same time ROC plays it brilliantly and there are subtleties to Gabrielle. She never loses her edge, but the fear and pressure can be clearly read on her face in some of the scenes and it is damn beautiful.

The final “ripples and churns” scene is a pearl and played beautifully by both actresses. Anyone claiming season one is only about finding one’s feet should definitely watch this episode.

Randomness & Memorable
- “Don’t be obvious.”
- Gabrielle doing the Xena war-cry.
- Xena referring to her dark side and the representation of it as “a disease I once had”.
- I also get a kick out of Gabrielle’s second “challenge” where we have a premonition of the birth and death of classical Gabrielle; tethering on the edge of a fire pit she modifies a spear into a staff.
- “She’s perfect,” in reference to Gabrielle :D
- As if Gabrielle hadn’t already made her point in the two previous episodes she now states “I’m not the wifely type.”