User Reviews

Teaming up with Autolycus, the King of Thieves, Xena and Gabrielle seek to return the world's most powerful weapon to its rightful owner. Xena and Autolycus make quite the humorous pair while on this mission.

SYNOPSIS

Xena and Gabrielle catch up to Autolycus the King of Thieves as he attempts to steal a bogus diamond from a religious festival. Xena asks him to team up with her to steal the world's most powerful weapon that has fallen into the wrong hands. This weapon belongs to a poor group of people who once helped Xena recover from serious wounds. They don't have much as far as wealth, and the weapon is a huge part of their group identity. A warlord named Malthus has the weapon and he plans to auction it off to the villain who offers the highest bid. Malthus does not fear the weapon since he understands how to make himself immune from its dangers. Autolycus is both recruited by Xena while also being forced into this mission. The plan is that Autolycus will pose as a legendary villain named Sinteres who is apparently far away and won't make it to the auction. Xena will accompany him and pose as his assistant.

Xena and Autolycus take a boat to Malthus' private island. Autolycus is a bit of a wise guy, and informs the other passengers that Xena is his in fact his concubine. Being a misogynist helps him blend in as the villain Sinteres when in the company of other villains. Once they arrive at Malthus' castle, they greet the warlord and are all informed that the weapon will be demonstrated the next day at noon before bidding will begin. Malthus makes clear that security at his place is tip-top, and no one will be able to steal the weapon over night. Xena and Autolycus immediately plan how they'll nab the thing over night. Autolycus has some ideas, and they approach the weapon under cover of dark. Suddenly they find Malthus' dead body where the weapon was! They run back to their room only to find the box containing the weapon in their bed! Someone has not only taken the liberty of killing Malthus, but has also worked to set Autolycus and Xena up.

After almost being caught during a room search, Xena and Autolycus must decide what to do with the weapon. They decide to sneak it back to the last place the palace guards would look for it, its original altar from where it went missing. They put it back after almost being caught by Malthus' security chief Arkel. Xena figures out which one of the punk villains stole it and tried to set them up, but this isn't really their biggest problem. The next morning Arkel decides to go forward with the weapon demonstration and auction as planned, but there are two surprise guests. It's the real Sinteres who is back from his travels, and he has Gabrielle held hostage! A brief fight ensues, and Xena, Autolycus, and Gabrielle are able to escape. Arkel is not worried, the weapon will still be demonstrated and sold to the legit villains present.

Even though they're in a tight situation, Autolycus is willing to help Xena out. He initially did this job for the pay (and because Xena forced him to agree), but he understands that it's important to get this super powerful weapon out of the hands of villains and back to its rightful owners. Arkel is about to test the weapon on innocent fishermen in a cave, but Xena and company crash their party. A battle ensues, and Xena kills Sinteres with some pressure point moves that he tried to use on her. Arkel unleashes the weapon in order to kill Xena, Gabrielle, and Autolycus. However, Xena knows how to stay safe from the weapon. Don't run away from it! The power unleashed strikes fear into the heart of Arkel, and he's roasted to a crisp as he turns to run away.

The weapon is returned to its box by Xena. It's tablets that include the commandments given to its owners presumably by their god. If you run from it you're screwed, but facing it can allow you to escape with your life. The items are returned, and the modest owners give Autolycus the rest of the pay they owe him. He bids farewell to Xena and Gabrielle, and we find out that Autolycus gives the last 2000 dinar payment back to the poor folk who paid him to help return their tablets. Turns out Autolycus, the King of Thieves, isn't so greedy after all.

NOTES

The truth can be more powerful than any weapon. Autolycus was recommended by Hercules, so Xena knew that he'd be someone who wouldn't be impossible to work with.

Enter: Autolycus, Sinteres

Enter Autolycus and Xena is so much better for him! Okay, unless someone can correct me the ancient Greeks didn't have sugar, they sweetened things using honey? Xena dips its' toe in Christianity for the first but by no means the last time, shamelessly ripping off Raiders of the Lost Ark (Indy also living in a polytheist world to judge by Temple of Doom). Here's a question, what exactly does Autolycus spend all the money he steals on? Maybe he sends it to his wife? LL dancing in a sexy outfit never goes wrong, I actually used to own a Xena concubine doll that spun around its' little plinth when you pushed a button. I think I might start counting up all the times Gabby ends up as a hostage? One more kill for Xena and she also stabs one of the guards in the crotch, quite viciously and bloodily. Some great lines, especially like; Autolycus (upon seeing Xena for the first time); "I know what you want but all I can offer is a broken heart".

Also like; Gabby; "You know one of the those headaches where you wish you were dead?" Xena; "Yeah" Gabby; "Well, I wish I had one of those about now" 8/10.

Xena wants to get a stolen chest back that belongs to some people that saved her life in the past. She enlists the King of Thieves, Autolycus, played by Bruce Campbell.

This was Bruce Campbell's episode. He shines as a lovable scoundrel, who is actually a pretty good guy despite being the King of Thieves. He takes such pride in his title, that it's hilarious. He'll go on to recur several more times in the show becoming a good friend to Xena and Gabrielle.

Autolycus, pronounced, "Auto-lick-us" or "a-tall-ick-us," is actually kind of sexist, but it's really kind of funny. I don't think this would work with any ol actor, but Campbell as Auto, plays him with such a devilish wink, that it's not something you get offended about. I'm referring to how he refers to Xena as his concubine, Cherish, and gets her to wear a skimpy outfit, and do the dance of three veils, as part of their undercover caper.

Lucy Lawless and Bruce Campbell have great chemistry which makes their interactions fun, and at times flirty, especially on Auto's part. Gabrielle also likes Auto a lot.

Love that they used the Peter Gunn score. Perfect music for Mr. Slick(Auto) to carry out his plan of duplicating the key while Xena does the dance of the three veils.

The chest that Xena wants back is none other than the ark of the covenant. Xena is everywhere in the ancient world, lol.

Xena fights with the real Sinteres, whom Auto was pretending to be. Sinteres is a master at pressure points. I thought this fight --looked-- a little silly to be honest. Really no excitement in it as there is when watching swords fights or hand-to-hand combat.

Both Xena and Gabs see that The King of Thieves also has a heart of gold, as he demonstrates his kindness at the end by returning the reward money, not to mention, earlier when he continues to help Xena after she tells him how the people who own the chest saved her life.

This is a pretty good adventure caper, with huge amounts of comedy thanks to Campbell. 10/10.

This was a colorful visually entertaining episode. We got plenty of action, exotic costumes, physical humor: pratfalls, slapstick, even a "pie"-in-the-face and of course - Bruce Campbell.

I really like this guy, but only in smallish doses. He was great as Sam Axe, brilliant as Santa, amazing as Ronald Reagan but I'm not fond of his longer works. He gets to be a little much. He put in a very credible effort in this episode and I'm looking forward to the upcoming 7 more episodes he'll be in.

Back to Xena - as concubine/assistant to Bruce's Autolycus, she seemed to be having a lot of fun and it is worth watching just to see her Dance of the Two or Three Veils.

All this garnished with some pretty good fight scenes. I give it 9/10.