THE TITANS

GUEST STARS, CAST & CREDITS
PROMO TRANSCRIPTION
TV GUIDE PROMO
AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION
SYNOPSIS
COMMENTARY
WHIMPERS, MURMURS, AND A LOVE GONE TOO FAR
CHANGING TIMES
HIGHLIGHTS
TRIVIA
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
MORE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
SHOOTING SCRIPT DIFFERENCES
TRANSCRIPT
DISCLAIMER
WHOOSH! ARTICLES
LINKS

PROMO TRANSCRIPTION
coming soon!

TV GUIDE PROMO
The stage is set for a clash of the Titans when Gabrielle inadvertently releases three of the giant deities from a centuries-long entombment and one of them proceeds to terrorize a village -- against the wishes of the other two.

When Gabrielle unknowing utters a chant that releases three imprisoned Titans, Xena must figure out how to save innocent villagers.

Gabrielle unwittingly frees three Titans, imprisoned for centuries in stone.

AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION
1st RELEASE: 10-30-95
An AA average of 5.4
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
(1) STAR TREK DS9 8th with 6.0
(2) HERCULES 11th with 6.4
(3) XENA/BAYWATCH 16th with 5.4

2nd RELEASE: 02-26-96
An AA average of 4.8
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
(1) STAR TREK DS9 7th wih 6.5
(2) HERCULES 11th with 6.1
(3) XENA 18th with 4.8
(4) BAYWATCH/OUTER LIMITS 19th with 4.7

3rd RELEASE: 07-22-96
An AA average of 4.0
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
(1) HERCULES 9th with 4.5
(2) XENA 14th with 4.0
(3) STAR TREK DS9 17th with 3.9

4th RELEASE: 12-30-96
An AA average of 5.4
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
(1) STAR TREK DS9 12th with 6.0
(2) HERCULES 13th with 5.8
(3) XENA 15th with 5.4 ,br> (4) BAYWATCH 15th with 4.7

SYNOPSIS:

This synopsis is by Kym Taborn.

Gabrielle, due to her superior education and intelligence, frees three Titans from stone imprisonment and forces them to do her bidding by telling them that she is a goddess. The Titans find out about her deception and take it out on a village. After causing a real mess, Gabrielle turns the Titans back into stone while Xena dukes it out with the surviving male Titan.

COMMENTARY:

Commentary Kym Taborn.

This was the first inkling of how the character Gabrielle could grow apart from the all-encompassing influence of Xena. In the later episodes of Athens City and the Prodigal, Gabrielle was allowed to make mistakes and figure out how to atone for them herself without being under the watchful and overpowering eye of Xena.

WHIMPERS, MURMURS, AND A LOVE GONE TOO FAR

12-20-98. On the USA Thanksgiving Day XENA/HERK marathon (Thursday, 11-26-98), Lucy Lawless did pre-recorded bits between the shows. For the first TITANS break (7:00pm), she said "Here we go. Happy Thanksgiving to The Titans. In this episode it was the first time we had ever played with forced perspective. We were really learning on the job, and it works pretty well, no special effects, it's all done on camera." During the second break (7:30pm) she said, "I think the thing that strikes people most when they come onto our set is to hear us dropping in and out of accents, so, you know, Xena will be talking about something incredibly serious, and then we'll say [Lucy now shouts over her shoulder in her own NZ accent, in pretend anger], 'Oh, for crying out loud! Would you shut up!' So, a lot of that goes on. And it's quite difficult for us to do an American accent. It took a lot of practice, and every now and again you'll hear us mangle our vowels a little bit. I know when I come back from a holiday it takes me a week to get back in there. Hmmm, not a lot of people knew that!"

12-20-98. At the Burbank II Creation Con (01/98), Brad Carpenter gave a demonstration of how they do the Titan/Giant effects. It's done with camera work, not special effects.

12-20-98. At the Valley Forge Creation Con (10/05/97) Sharon Delaney mentioned that the "Titans" episode didn't use special effects. They filmed the "giant" up close and had Gabrielle standing several feet away and the camera perceives it as being a giant and a small girl, even though they aren't. Also, no special effects are used in episodes where Xena takes a drink and shoots fire from her mouth at her enemies ..Lucy ACTUALLY DOES IT!!! She drinks milk to line her stomach and inside of her mouth, then takes a mouth full of Kerosene and spits it out over the flame and we see the end result on film. [BTW, she no longers does them herself and since the third season they are done as special effects].

HIGHLIGHTS:

This episode is most notable for Gabrielle's radical retrograde personality change when she realizes she has the power of the Titans at her beck and call.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

These things are by Beth Gaynor.

Coming soon

MORE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR

12-20-98. From Takis Thanopoulos. In the episode "The Titans" Gabriella is actually speaking Greek. What she says is Greek but it doesn't make sense. If I had to translate in English it would go like that: "Thank you very much! So and so! Hello, Goodmorning! Hello Goodnight! Hello...." and then she says "Kalinotses" which in Greek doesn't mean absolutely nothing.

SHOOTING SCRIPT DIFFERENCES

Prepared by SheWho.

There are some *major* differences for this one. Why they wasted so much time with questionable special effects, while cutting important dialogue that explained the lead characters' motivations, is beyond me.

THE TITANS - 8/20/95 shooting script.

In the teaser, a minor line change. Hesiod asks Xena if she ever gives up, and she replies, "Only in your dreams." (In the televised version, she says, "On you, Hesiod? No." Maybe the original line was too racy.)

The initial Xena-Gab confrontation occurs a little differently. Xena whistles, and

"After a moment the horse trots out of the woods and comes up to her. She puts her foot in the stirrup, reaches for the reigns and gets nothing but air. Gabrielle comes running out of the forest with the bridle in hand. Xena spots her."

Xena: "What did you take the bridle off for?"

Gabrielle then indicates that Xena said to take care of the horse, and Xena responds that Gab has given him (Hesiod) a nice head start. Gabrielle says she's sorry.

"Xena doesn't have time for niceties and gallops away. Gabrielle looks frustrated."

Gabrielle: "I did it again."

The line 'don't be sorry, just improve,' isn't in this version of the script.

Some boring love-triangle stuff between the gods (mercifully) cut, and some exposition of Hyperion's bad attitude. Theia is attending to the hole Xena punched in Hyperion's foot, while Crias watches Theia with adoring eyes. Hyperion notices, and suggests that Crias is still in love with Theia.

Theia: "He loves me as a friend should."

Hyperion: "Was that a friendly look you were giving her just now, Crias? You never look at me like that. Aren't we friends?"

Theia: "Please, Hyperion, stop it."

Hyperion: "Crias, look how she jumps to your defense. Maybe you have a chance with her."

Crias: "She speaks the truth. I love her only as a friend."

Hyperion: "Have you really convinced yourself of that? Are you that much of a fool? I guess you are. You believed that little idiot was a goddess."

Crias: "I made a mistake. So did you when you destroyed that village. The humans will never trust us again."

Hyperion (disgusted): "I don't care what they think."

Theia: "Why this hatred toward humans?"

Hyperion: "Because Prometheus loves them more than anything in the universe. To war on humans is to war on Prometheus."

Crias: "Is that what our resurrection is about? Revenge against Prometheus."

Hyperion: "Yes. Crias, he fought against us in our war against the gods. What kind of Titan are you that you don't want to avenge that betrayal?"

"Theia finishes off tying the bandage on his foot."

Hyperion: "Thank you, my dear."

"He gives her a voluptuous kiss and then darts a smile at Crias."

Hyperion: "Your friend has the softest lips, Crias."

Hyperion then announces his desire to see the warrior woman dead, and leaves.

Crias: "The long sleep has made him more bitter than ever."

Theia: "Why shouldn't he be bitter? He was once Lord of the Skies."

Crias: "He doesn't deserve your loyalty."

Theia: "You don't understand him."

Crias: "You're right."

Theia: "You need to be patient. He's a great leader. You'll see."

When Hyperion demands the woman warrior, one of the villager says "Why don't you leave and take that evil virgin with you? It's you they want." Gabrielle: Evil Virgin.

The script characterizes Phyleus as "in love" with Gabrielle.

When Hesiod comments that Xena doesn't "rough up" people any more, he adds, "She used to do whatever it took to make a conquest."

The first of several significant bits omitted from the televised version: Xena hears about the children who will be going near the cavern, and begins tying Hesiod to a pillar in preparation for leaving.

Xena (to Gabrielle): "I'm going to be gone for a while."

Gabrielle: "You were right about the Titans, Xena. I should have listened to you. I'm sorry."

Xena: "You meant well. The trick is to just learn from your mistakes and move on to the next battle."

Gabrielle: "I *can* learn, Xena. Take me with you now and let me show you."

Xena: "Can't."

Gabrielle: "But I want to make up for what I did."

Xena: "Then help out around here. There are plenty of people who need caring for."

Xena then tells Rhodos to guard Hesiod . . . After she leaves, Hesiod suggests, "I think she might be taking my advice and going to make a deal with the Titans."

"A disgusted Gabrielle gets up and moves away," and Hesiod starts working on Rhodos.

Hesiod: "You like taking orders from Xena?"

Rhodos: "Shut up."

Hesiod: "The Titans are never gonna let any of you live, as long as you're providing cover for her."

Rhodos: "I told you to shut up."

Hesiod: "That Titan offered you a deal. You ought to take it."

"Rhodos shoots him a look."

Hesiod: "But if you want to fight alongside some warrior woman you barely know against three indestructible Titans, hey, go right ahead. Everybody makes choices in life."

"As Rhodos thinks about this, we . . ." go to scene of children on the road.

Hyperion chases Xena to the temple. As they enter, "she stays outside long enough to see: Hyperion appears. They stare at each other for challenging moment before Xena enters."

Xena's struggle when she is captured with the net is interestingly described: "Xena, even bound by the net, is putting up a hell of a battle. It's like a scene from a Frank Buck story. She's the wild tigers and they're the hunters." Xena's great curse at the end -- "Swine!" -- isn't in this version of the script; neither is Hesiod knocking her out with the sword.

On the road to deliver Xena to the Titans, Rhodos speculates about having Sparta and Argos as his kingdoms, and adds, "My first decree will be that the most beautiful girl in every village must be sent to my bed." Hesiod says that Rhodos is now thinking like a king. Meanwhile, as Xena struggles with her wrist bonds, "she obviously is in great pain but she doesn't make a sound. She then starts working on the ankle shackles."

After Xena escapes, she "is hammering away at her right footshackles with a large rock. Her other limbs are already free. Her left wrist and ankle are bloodied from the effort of pulling her hand and foot free. She succeeds in breaking the last shackle and is about to head back toward the temple when she hears Hyperion's voice booming out."

After Hyperion announces that they will soon awaken hundreds of other titans, he continues, "Many of them are also angry. Oceanus, Coeus, Iapetus, Epimetheus who hates Prometheus and humans more than I. They'll come alive with many others. First, we'll destroy humanity."

Theia (weeping): "No, no. We should leave here and let the others sleep on in peace."

Hyperion (oblivious to Theia's words): "Then we'll turn on the gods. Once again, we'll be Lords of the Earth."

Xena has a little difficulty getting out of the cave; Hyperion inadvertently blocks her escape route, but she spots a cave entrance, and crawls through.

When Xena shows up again at the temple, Gabrielle is "obviously happy to see Xena, but not as flabbergasted as Phyleus."

Phyleus: "The last time we saw her she was shackled in a coffin. Aren't you amazed?"

Gabrielle indicates that after you've been around Xena a while, you come to expect these things.

One of the villagers tells Xena that not all of them turned on her, that some of them know she's their friend. Xena says she knows that. After Xena explains Hyperion's plan to awaken the Titans, a villager says, "Forgive us, Xena," to which Xena replies, "That's not my job."

The interesting little look that crosses Xena's face when she sees Phyleus and Gabrielle holding hands is not in the script. (There's a continuity problem with this one in the televised version: Phyleus and Gab are holding hands, then they're not, then they are again. Gab looks at their hands for a second; Xena then looks at the of them, and down at their hands with a confused? hurt? look.)

The scene where Gab and Phyleus inform Xena of the other scroll is notably different in the shooting script. When Phyleus mentions the other scroll, Xena immediately says, "What are we waiting for?" Phyleus then explains that it needs to be read by someone with the proper understanding of Dorian rhythms, "In other words, me," Gab says.

Xena: "Forget it. It's too big a chance."

Gabrielle: "We've got to take it. The whole world's at stake."

Xena: "I think the reason that we don't have hundreds of Titans running around right now is that they need you to say another chant. If they capture you and make you say it, it's all over."

Gabrielle: "I won't be captured. I'll wait 'til they're asleep and then I'll sneak--"

Xena: "Forget it, Gabrielle! This isn't a kid's game."

"Xena walks away. Gabrielle fumes."

Gabrielle (to Phyleus): "Did you hear what she said? 'A kid's game.' She has no respect for me."

Phyleus: "I don't know about that. I just think she has a lot on her mind."

Gabrielle (oblivious to Phyleus' words): "Sure, I've made my share of mistakes but she said herself that's the way to learn. Maybe I'll just have to do something to make her realize I'm not a child anymore, I'm a woman."

Phyleus: "A wonderful woman."

"Gabrielle looks into his sincere eyes and smiles."

Gabrielle: "You're so nice."

Phyleus: "I'm not being nice. I'm being honest. I think you're very special."

Gabrielle: "Thanks."

Phyleus: "Let's find some place to get some rest."

Time for the wake-up call: "Xena gently wakes up the Second Woman and then walks around a corner to see Gabrielle and Phyleus lying cuddled up together in a corner. They're in a very intimate embrace." Gab asks Xena if she thought she "did something stupid," and Xena says it's none of her business if she did.

Gabrielle (a real chip on her shoulder): "You're right there. Maybe I just got tired of being a virgin. What do you think of that?"

Xena: "Listen, Gabrielle, if this is about what I said before, I'm sorry. I was tired and --"

Gabrielle: "This isn't about you. It's about me and a very nice man who thinks I'm special."

Xena: "He's right. You are."

Gabrielle: "Oh, come on. You think I'm a silly kid."

Xena says that's not true, but she doesn't have time to convince her right now . . .

Gabrielle has been captured in the cavern. Hyperion tells Theia he is very pleased.

Theia: "I captured her without hurting anyone."

Hyperion (reading a scroll): "You did indeed."

Theia: "You don't even have to kill the warrior woman now."

Hyperion (lying through his teeth): "Yes, that's true."

When Phyleus tells Xena that Gabrielle is gone, Xena is "angry with herself."

Gabrielle is stalling, and mentions that Atlas was appointed field general because he was the greatest warrior. Hyperion (disgusted) says, "Greatest warrior! Bah. It was all politics." Theia says that Hyperion would have made a much better choice, to which Gabrielle agrees. Theia then says, "But that was all pretty accurate. And you tell it well, too. Doesn't she, Hyperion?" After Gabrielle asks if they want to hear how Zeus got the thunderbolt, Hyperion asks Theia, "Can't you see that she's stalling?"

Incidentally, Xena and the others drag the contraption into the cave that she discovered earlier in escaping from the cave.

When Gabrielle says she's not a virgin any more, Hyperion says he's going to "turn her into sauce." (In the TV version, he says he's going to send her to Hades.)

Xena slings a stone at Hyperion's head. Gabrille's relieved cry -- "Xena!" -- isn't in the script. Hyperion turns to face Xena, who says, "Come on, big guy. Show me what you got."

Theia begs Xena not to kill Hyperion, and hands her the other chant. When Hyperion says it won't work now, Gabrielle says, "Yes, it will. (to Xena) Nothing happened between Phyleus and me. I deliberately mispronounced that other chant." Xena's little look of relief (my interpretation; watch her eyes) isn't mentioned in the script.

Hyperion frees himself from the mousetrap and lunges at Xena, telling her, "You've defied me from the beginning. It'll be a great pleasure to turn you into sauce." After Gab gets through the first "mupolita," Xena rolls to avoid Hyperion's fist, and he says, "You're not going to win. You can't beat the Titans."

In the goodbye scene, after Phyleus tells Gabrielle she was almost his first, she says loudly, "You mean you're a virgin, too?" The rest of the temple react to what she just said, and she says, "Sorry about that."

The final exchange between Xena and Gabrielle is very different in the script. I'm including the whole exchange as scripted:

Gabrielle: "We ready?"

Xena: "We will be as soon as you answer me one question."

Gabrielle: "What's that?"

Xena: "Why'd you want me to believe you weren't a virgin anymore?"

Gabrielle: "I guess I thought you didn't like who I was so I wanted to be somebody else."

Xena: "Don't worry so much what other people think. Just try to find what's true to yourself and stick with it."

"Gabrielle nods at this wisdom."

Xena: "And for your information, I like who you are just fine."

Gabrielle: "But I do irritate you sometimes."

Xena: "Not really."

Gabrielle: "How about when I thought I was going to save the world with the Titans? That didn't make you want to wring my neck?"

Xena: "No. You were wrong, but I understood where you were coming from."

Gabrielle: "What about when I ran off to the cavern without you?"

Xena: "It took a lot of guts on your part and it turned out fine."

Gabrielle: "How about when I took the bridle off the horse?"

(Pause.)

Xena: "The key is, you're my friend, and things like that don't come between friends."

"They share a warm smile. They walk toward the exist. Just before they disappear from view:"

Xena: "Gabrielle."

Gabrielle: "Yeah?"

Xena: "Don't ever touch my bridle again."

Gabrielle: "Right."

TRANSCRIPT

Click here to read a transcript of THE TITANS.

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