Kathryn Morris UK

Previously on KM UK:  Crusader.

Najara’s back.  Makes a change from her front, which made up much of the focus of the earlier episode 😉

Again I have to display my ignorance of the Xenaverse.  I believe that the Najara character had such an impact that they decided to bring her back.  What I do know is that that means more Kathryn

Najara’s back and this time it’s slightly less personal.

More screencaps and a video clip can be found in the Gallery.

The main plot of The Convert (S04E18) revolves around the Joxer (Ted Raimi) character dealing with the consequences of his first kill, a warlord no less, in battle.  It was an accident, which is certainly believable of him.  He’s never killed anyone and meeting the man’s son, who doesn’t know what happened, freaks him out.  The lad, a large, strapping warrior-type, joining the ragtag gang and regularly saying he’s going to track down his father’s killer and…  Well, let’s just say that Joxer is not exactly keen to come clean.  Yikes!

It is during the initial fight, with Xena and friends coming to the aid of villagers battling this warlord, that we meet Najara again.  Gabrielle goes to the aid of a prone figure only to find out it’s the woman that tried to taker her away just 10 episodes ago.  Najara’s been injured wading in to help and requires care.  Gabby takes pity on her.  Xena doesn’t trust her though, not entirely buying this apparent change of heart, and insists she has her hands bound together with rope like handcuffs and is tied up at night!  Don’t look at me like that!  I didn’t write the episode.

Najara’s playing the sweet and innocent (a real stretch for Kathryn ) ‘convert’ in front of Xena and Gabrielle.  Going along with being restrained.  But Najara is stirring things up with the warlord’s son.  There’s a-plotting-and-a-scheming a foot.

As Xena faces-off against the angry young man, keen to prove himself, Najara takes Gabby to one side for safe keeping.  Keeping her for herself that is.  Luckily for action fans there’s only so long she can keep the ‘crazy’ in though.  Loon-city!  Fight!  (see image above).  Which leaves Xena with no choice but to kick Najara’s very cute butt.  What’s a Warrior Princess to do?

What an elaborate fight sequence it is too.  Lots of swinging on ropes in trees.  It does slightly stretch credibility that someone as slight as Kathryn is giving Xena a run for her money, but our gal really throws herself into the role.  I realise that stunt doubles are used extensively (I’ve tried to make sure that the screencaps are 100% pure KM) but there’s still a lot of physical work to do.

It was never going to end well for our crazy little convert was it?  The old ‘knife between them, one of them is stabbed, but which one?’ routine can only really go one way.  Can’t it?  But is this the end for Najara?  Not exactly.  She’s seriously injured but they didn’t fully kill her off.

Xena and Gabrielle left her somewhere she would be taken care of.  Would we see her again in any of the following two seasons?  No.  Which is a great shame