Some "things I liked" impressions:

-- Overall, the way the ep explored the interesting similarities in the varied rituals through which we express "pent-up energies" -- writing, martial arts, dance, religion, sex. And that this time, joyful vitality won out over war and suppression.

-- G's opening poem, in which the line "The despair of winter is followed by the hope of spring" reminded me of our warrior and bard. X's sniffing her underarms in response to the heat at the moment G is rhapsodizing about "life's brutal truths."

-- X's budding sensitivity demonstrated by her complimenting G on the poetry one minute, then thinking about Argo's shoes over G's the next.

-- G's airy, slightly smug, "My writing has allowed me to express my innermost feelings. Too bad you don't have anything like that." X reminding her that she pretty much gets to express herself every time she kicks butt. Both of them finding mutual expression in a different way -- through dance.

-- The scene with Tara and Andros, which reminded me of both the ice and ballroom dancing I love to watch.

-- Seeing X&G fight in tandem, just as they would dance together later. G's saying "Save some for me" and X's replying, "Take over." X's showing a couple of new moves in her careening-off-walls and rolling-over-heads repertoire. (Let's hear a round of applause for those stunt women!)

-- The ironic (and human) hypocrisy G shows when she assumes Tara is up to her old tricks and when G later warns that if T goes back home, she'll "be hurt." Unlike if T were, say, to run off with a former warlord. (Reminded me of Draco's comment to X in Sins, before G&X proved him wrong. Of course, I can see whereof G speaks, given the welcome X initially received in Amphipolis and G herself got from the pod people representing her own parents in Family Affair.)

-- The nostalgically (for some of us) warm 1950's stuff between T, Andros and Telemon, as well as between father and son. The way X's plan relied on confidence that the town would rise to the occasion and save themselves.

-- X's sneer when she lets the magistrate pass after staring him down, when you know she'd really rather let her chakram do the talking.

-- The flushing and zipping. Another meal that didn't agree, eh? (Had to get Jerkster in there somehow, I guess.)

-- G's feeling the urge to dance "ever since I learned it's not allowed," which reminded me of the rebellious streak she shares with a certain smart-mouthed juvenile delinquent. And with an equally smart-mouthed warrior.

-- G and the shoe guy. The aggressive way she habitually haggles with merchants certainly resembles the way her partner deals with bandits.

-- X's enormously self-satisfied payback to Autolycus for all the times he's put her in awkward situations "for the greater good."

-- G's tapping her feet in those ridiculously garish boots, as the camera pans up to her studiedly serious face.

-- X and G's incredulous expressions during A's performances, which gave me a little apprehension that maybe he was taking the plan too far in unplanned directions.

-- X's throwing up her hands in praise during A's sermon, while G refuses to play along. (Tsk tsk. What kind of role modeling is that for the WP, Gabby?)

-- "Extremism in the name of piety is not a disgrace." (Gotta love A's way with words. During his fiery sermon, I thought for a minute there that he'd have folks speaking in tongues.)

-- The way the magistrate's seeing "filth" in Telemon's painting said more about him than about the work itself. (Although his conception of the tower "thrusting" up into the sky does ring true when you think about certain tall buildings and the masculine motivation to create them.)

-- The young couple's sensuous shadow dancing, especially when he seems about to kiss her, then smoothly lowers his head and breaks away, to reveal his father's painting in the background.

-- The music.

-- The irony of X's telling the kids that running away means "no home, no family." Of course she and G are always "on a mission" in their road life, so I suppose that's different.

-- G's first appearance as Michaela Flatley in "Lady of the Dance," tap shoes and all. X doing her disciplined-with-a-hint-of-controlled-passion martial arts routine. Her "boy, what I suffer for the greater good" expression and slightly crippled gait after doing the splits.

-- A's new ability to perform gravity defying leaps, which he must have picked up from being in X's body and when she took him on that somersault in Vanishing Act.

-- X's look of astonishment when A snatches her up to dance. (He really gets away with a lot when it comes to grabbing, teasing and kissing the WP, huh?) X's competitive nature showing when she really gets into the dance once she's in it -- with all the fervor and glee she exhibits during a good fight. (That leather suit transforms into quite a tutu.) A's lifting X. X's flipping A. A's beckoning to her as if to say, "Oh, you think *that* was something; wait'll you see what else I got for you," proceeding to twirl a very vulnerable WP around on his shoulders. (I used my slo-mo to the max to catch many wonderful expressions during the last dance routine.) The competition extending to G&X, as G blithely dances rings around the WP, who's expression says "show off." X's making sure she gets the last "word" by doing her layout over G's head.

-- The 'Round the World in Five Minutes sampling of dances, with even a little Twyla Tharpe thrown in.

-- LL and ROC having a grande olde time both as themselves and their characters. (They deserve it; they work hard for their money.)

-- X&G once again frozen in joyful embrace, as they were at the end of Been There, the only two times I can recall freeze frame being used. Don't know how intentional that is, but it's cool with me. As much as I love the dark eps, this is how I want to remember XWP when the dancing stops.