Xena: Warrior Princess (TV Series) Altared States (1996) User Reviews

One of the best scenic episodes. Playful between Xena and Gabrielle. Drugged Nutbread. Underrated episode

[reb-warrior · 8/10 · 24 March 2021]

Xena and Gabs help out Icus whose father, Anteus, has been ordered by "God" to kill him.

I think this is one of the best scenic episodes of the series, if not the best. The New Zealand scenery is spectacular. There's so much they show in this episode.

Obviously this is a take on the Biblical Abraham story. However, the writers put their own spin on it. Here we saw how a person can hijack religious beliefs and twist them for their own agenda. That's exactly what Mael did. It's not unlike some things we see today with people using religion, particularly in politics, to twist things in a bad way to suit their own agenda. Mael is played by Karl Urban in the actor's first appearance on the show.

Love the comedy they introduced with Gabrielle eating the drugged nutbread. Too funny. Love the playful interactions between Xena and Gabrielle.

The ending was a little too cheerful tho wasn't it? I mean I know Mael was drugging Anteus and trying to get Icus killed, but he was still Anteus' and Zora's son. And he's dead now. Did Xena even tell them that Mael set the whole thing up?

This episode isn't lauded very much. I think because there weren't any personal stakes for Xena and Gabrielle. No growth here for the characters. It was about other people that they were helping out. But I really liked it, with it's spectacular scenery, the comedy of drugged Gabs, the playful interactions between Xena and Gab, and some good action scenes. I think it's an underrated episode and gave it an 8/10.

Salute to Xena - A 25th Anniversary Review

[skullface2020 · 7/10 · 29 March 2020]

A young boy runs from his brother and father who want to sacrifice him to their god, and he seeks protection with Xena and Gabrielle. Why is this god looking to convince the boy's family to kill him is quite the conundrum. Xena works to not only save the boy, but get to the bottom of this family drama.

SYNOPSIS

Xena and Gabrielle are skinny dipping in a pond while Xena helps Gabrielle master the art of catching fish using only her hands. Suddenly a young lad of 12 runs by their pond; he is being chased by a gang of men. Xena defends the boy and tells the men to get lost. They leave for now, but their leader promises that this isn't over. The boy, named Icus, tells Xena and Gabrielle that his own brother was the one hunting him down since their father plans to sacrifice Icus to their god. Icus' mother secretly helped him escape to safety. Xena wants to get to the bottom of why this family is bent on killing young Icus.

Xena travels to investigate and secretly speak with Icus' mother Zora who is visiting the alter of the goddess of family (which is against the current religion of her husband). Turns out that the father, named Anteus, has recently done a 180, and instead of bringing young Icus up to be his successor, he now plans on sacrificing Icus. Xena wonders who would have the most to benefit from Icus being sacrificed, and what in the world is wrong with the nut bread that the family eats. Upon returning to the cave where she left Gabrielle and Icus, she finds out. Gabrielle is drugged out of her mind since she ate all the nut bread that Icus carried with him. Icus didn't eat any, but he's nowhere to be found. Presumably he ran off to get help for drugged up Gabrielle. Xena insists that Gabrielle stay in the cave and play with her imaginary friends. Upon returning to the family's village, Xena finds that Icus came here seeking his mother to help the Gabrielle in her drugged state. However, the village is crawling with men looking to return Icus to the sacrificial altar, and they're surrounded.

Not following through with Xena's orders, Gabrielle walks into the village to find everyone else. She's still intoxicated. Young Icus has been captured and is being walked up to the sacrificial altar upon a mountaintop, and the gang of punks throw Xena and Gabrielle down a well. Fortunately, Xena's incredible strength allows her to climb out of the well with Gabrielle on her back. They rush to save Icus. Using trickery and a rope, Xena captures Icus from his kidnappers, but their luck doesn't last. Icus reunites with his father who believes god wants him to sacrifice his son. Anteus loves Icus very much, but he's convinced that sacrificing him is god's will. As Gabrielle's drugs have worn off, she and Xena go to save young Icus. Turns out that his evil older brother Mael has been drugging the family and then using some acoustic effects to imitate god at their family's holy site. He has been working to convince his drugged father to kill Icus so that he will inherit all authority when their father passes. Xena confronts him in his hiding spot, but it's too late, he has already convinced his father to sacrifice Icus. A brief battle ensues, and instead of accepting Xena's mercy, Mael falls off a cliff to his death. Xena is off to save Icus, and has Gabrielle try and salvage Mael's scrapped acoustic equipment in order to tell Anteus to abort the sacrifice of his son.

Xena rushes to the alter to prevent the sacrifice, but god's voice tells Anteus to spare his son since Anteus' faith is enough. Xena and Gabrielle leave the happy family whole (minus the evil brother Mael who is dead), and they're off on to their next adventure. Xena notes that it was a good thing that Gabrielle was able to mimic the god's voice and get Anteus to not sacrifice his son. Gabrielle says she tried to do that, but was unable to. Who told Anteus to not kill his son? Was it a higher power from above?

NOTES

This episode was taken from the Biblical account of Abraham being requested to sacrifice his son Isaac only to be allowed to spare his son at the last moment. Xena and Gabrielle often find themselves involved in the drama of other families, but they can always help by introducing understanding and justice to the sitaution.

Enter: Icus, Mael, Anteus, Zora

Altared States

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 26 May 2019]

Well this viewer nearly copped an eyeful as Xena and Gabrielle are in the water skinny dipping.

The episode is rather fishy and it is not because Xena beats up some villagers with a wet fish as they chase a young kid who is due to be sacrificed.

It is the reworking of the Abraham and Issac story.

Anteus believes in one all powerful god who is having second thoughts about sacrificing his youngest son, Icus. However it is all a ploy by his eldest son Mael who has drugged his father's food and pretends he is god by using a bullhorn to amplify his voice and making a loud gong type noise. Mael wants to get rid of his brother as he is seen as a rival.

A youthful Karl Urban plays Mael. It just about stays on the right side of camp. Anteus being is a drug induced state means Judeo-Christians are less likely to be upset.

Shark jumped

[crystlstar · 1/10 · 10 April 2019]

And this is where they went wrong. Not only the ark, but "god" speaking? Not in a bloody show in this time frame, thank you.