Xena's Look A likes! Part 1 - Warrior...Princess...

Ok,
So it's been awhile but I am back and with a new purpose which is to dissect episodes instead of simply rehashing them as that can be boring. I will evoke strong opinions and will welcome strong reactions to these opinions as I look at Xena with a set of new eyes since from back when I was 13 and first started watching. You may view my posts as sometimes controversial in nature, but hey, it's not a real party without a dab of controversy, is it?

Now for the first Xena ep featuring a look a like - "Warrior..Princess" from season one and ep. 15. This episode always makes me tear on the scene where Princess Diana meets the homeless man begging for food for his family. The music and everything sets me in the heartfelt mood for these actors as if they were truly needy!

 Especially when the little girl peeps through!

 

 Anyway in this episode we meet  Xena look a like, Princess Diana, perhaps a shout out to the real princess Diana? Diana has never left the castle walls and is very disillusioned about the struggles that the "little people" as she ignorantly calls them before being corrected by Gabrielle, live. She vows to be of assistance and make changes as soon as it is safe for her to return to the castle after the threat on her life has been thwarted.

REFLECTIONS:
This episode makes me think of the recent and continuous debates regarding the 1%, the wealthy and privileged. What I noticed is Xena is VERY reluctant to help those who are rich. See "The Path Not Taken" as well. Both in this episode and TPNT, Xena has to be  convinced to help even when two women's lives are in grave danger. Not very girl power, is it? I must admit that I was put off by her attitude both times looking back at the episodes. Like, so what if they are rich? They NEED your help or LIVES will be lost. Anyway, she did help in the end and kicked a lot of butt while at it.

ANOTHER LESSON:
Don't miss out on marrying the one you TRULY love! Diana almost did as she was to walk the aisle in an arranged marriage, but secretly had affections for another. In the end she followed her heart, good! That guy was a chauvinist loser!

SLAVERY:
This episode also speaks against slavery. The bad guys wanted to kill Diana because she was to end slavery of the kingdom from which her betrothed came. That's why the marriage was dangerous for the slave traders. So, yes, the needy and the slaves get sympathy in this episode all while serving up high kicks and laughter!

Coming up next:
We meet a 2nd look a like named MEG. Stay tuned!

Xena's Past

Xena's past is an interesting subject to delve into. We learn from her past just how deadly a warrior she once was. With travels, from Chin to Rome to even the Norselands as we saw in season 6, the evil Xena, really got around. However, it can be said that she was not born evil, but turned evil.

"Orphan of War"

Our first glimpse of Xena's past is in the season 2 episode “Orphan of War.” At the end of the episode we watch a flashback of Xena giving up her son Solan for adoption by the Centaurs. In this episode we first learn that Xena even had a child.

Next we see even more story background on Xena and what she became and why. As Xena lets Caesar know in season 2 episode 12 entitled , “Destiny:” “I will do anything to ensure the safety of my homeland.” This stems from experience with being on the receiving end of warlord attacks. So what was she to do? She chose to become a warlord herself. Destiny introduces us to Xena's past with Rome and how she came to hate the country and its ruler Caesar after falling in love and being betrayed by him. Really, did she think someone as prideful as Caesar would let her go on her merry way after having held him captive? Caesar's revenge was harsh to, say the least. He broke Xena's legs – ouch! A helpful stowaway, Milila, turned friend, is also killed. Then Xena vows to a new purpose, “death.” a chilling look at the future destruction that would come at her hands later.

"Destiny"

We receive a double helping of Xena's past much later in Season 3's The Debt I and II. We discover just how evil Xena became after her dealings with Caesar. In a way I think he made her become more violent than she would have been. After all, she only captured and sold in the Destiny episode. There wasn't any killing until the end. The Debt series was perhaps the first really violent episode as well. I remember watching and seeing the bloody heads on spears and thinking “oh my goodness”! It was around this time I had to start sneaking and watching the series too because my mom thought it was too violent. Only when I convinced her that a particular episode wasn't going to have much violence, would she let me watch. And this was usually the comedy episodes. Anyway this two-part episode also shows a challenge in Xena and Gabrielle's relationship which I plan to discuss in the future.

"The Debt I"

"The Debt II"

Adventures in the Sin Trade I and II were the season openers for season 4, my favorite season. Xena's dabbling in Shamanism made for an unexpected and bloody tale of her past. I think this episode fully set Xena apart from Hercules. Nothing of this type of episode ever came close to appearing on Herc. Herc I think was more family friendly and lightweight. This episode certified Xena as it's own show with the same format, but different. And Xena outdoes her past crimes in this one by killing many amazons in exchange for a false promise made by Alti to become the “Destroyer of Nations.” It's great that Xena's past was expounded upon on the series, but when you think about it, it seems unlikely that all this stuff happened in Xena's past between those 3 episodes on Hercules where she went from bad to good. Of course Lucy was playing a fresh new role at the time that she acted in quite differently than in the Xena series. She kept a bit of her accent and everything. She didn't know what was to come and just how big it would be

.Season four offers several more looks at Xena's past with Locked up and tied down, Past Imperfect, and Daughter of Pomira. Locked up follows a past misdeed on Xena's part for which she decides she should be locked up for. The theme of Xena's guilt is present and an interesting topic to discuss as I will in future. In Past imperfect we witness Xena giving birth to Solan. Again we had no way of knowing that all this occurred just before Solan was handed over in the aforementioned “Orphan of War,” but again it's all in the scriptwriting and great scriptwriting I would say. Daughter of Pomira deals with Xena's past with the Horde though with just a tiny flashback of a battle she had with them. It also seems that when Xena discussed this battle with the horde to Gabrielle the first time in the episode, “The Price,” she forgot to mentioned how she killed one of her own men for trying to call a retreat. ;)

Season five goes by without any glimpse at all of Xena's past. Then comes season six with The Rheingold and The Ring. I believe after having killed off the Greek gods the writers had to find another way of incorporating godlike characters. So, they wrote a story of Xena visiting the Norse lands in her past. I didn't too much care for these episodes. The seemed a bit contrived, but they were okay. 

 

Lastly there was the final episodes of the season and of the series. A Friend in Need, Part 1 shows a past crime Xena has never told garbielle about and that comes back to haunt her just like the Ring incident. Akemi is yet another young woman who was affected by evil Xena. This episode is the most violent yet and I have yet to every re-watch it. I did not like how gruesome it got. It's almost like they were trying to hard to let Xena go out with a bang and instead it was degrading to her. Needless to say there was utter outrage by many diehard fans. But what's done is done.

"A Friend In Need I"

So there you have it. All the episodes that show us clips of Xena's past. Re-watch and enjoy!

Episodes featuring Flashbacks of Xena's past:

1. Orphan of War
   
2. Destiny
   
3. The Debt, Part 1
   
4. The Debt, Part 2
   
5. Adventures in the Sin Trade 1
   
6. Adventures in the Sin Trade 2
   
7. Locked up, tied down
   
8. Past Imperfect
   
9. Daughter of Pomira
   
10. The Rheingold
    
11. The Ring
    
12. A Friend in Need I
    

February is the month of love so watch out for blogs on Romance, Love and Love Lost in Xena!

Xena and Gabby Cheat Death

the votes are in..It's a tie! OK so double duty here I will discuss Xena and Gabby's brushes with death and Xena's past. first up - death.

It all starts in season one episode 21, The Greater Good. Xena is struck by a poison dart shot by a later revealed Callisto and Gabrielle must accept her death while she and Salmoneous continue the fight against an evil warlord. Of course, the dart was only meant to act as a tranquilizer while Callisto, as we soon discover, went about reviving Xena's reputation as a wanton murderer.

Next it was Gabrielle's turn to die as she did in episode 24, “ Is There a Doctor in the House?” Gabrielle is shot by an arrow and slowly loses conscious until she dies. But Xena's resilient efforts to revive her finally work and Gabrielle springs back to life! Hallelujah!

Gabrielle, don't you die on me just cause I died on you last time!

Intro:

Hello and Welcome to the Website! This site intends to offer new ways to watch Xena: Warrior Princess and thereby keep it fresh and new to Xenites! I came up with this idea while pondering the different trials and tribulations Xena and Gabrielle experienced over the course of the show. An in depth analysis of these trials provides a new episode order to watch the episodes in so as to see the progression and long term effects of different situations that occurred.

The Vision

Up first I will work from season four because it is my fav season! Full of high action and drama and suspense! Season four featured amazing story lines, costumes, locations and new characters. The big theme running through this season, of course, was “The Vision”. This was the first season that the show actually had a running theme or certain destination that each episode was headed toward. Some may say season three's “Hope” storyline was the first, but not really it wasn't because we were lead to believe that Hope died as child and had no inkling that she might return as she did in Sacrifice. Anyway what a nail biter it was tuning in each week knowing that “the vision” was getting closer and closer to coming true or being circumvented.

It all starts in seasons four's second episode Adventures in the Sins Trade II. This is when Xena first sees the vision after Alti, allows her to experience it during their battle. In the vision Xena and Gabrielle are crucified by Romans at a location on a snowy peak. From here on out Xena is haunted by threats that the vision will come true. Continuing on, I will focus solely on those episodes which feature clips of the vision.

Xena makes it through a few episodes without the visions plaguing her thoughts. It's not until episode 8, Crusader, that she has another bout with the foreseeable future. Episode character Najara too has experienced the visions because of her spiritual connection with something she calls the “Jinn”.

Xena worries she will tell Gabrielle. Instead Najara offers to keep Gabrielle on as her own companion. Xena wants to leave Gabrielle with Najara to protect her from the vision not realizing Najara is not right in the head herself.

 Immediately following in the next episode, Past Imperfect, Xena sees the vision again as she battles a strange enemy who has led an attack on a village. Xena finally tells Gabrielle about the vision, but Gabrielle will not believe it. Xena tries to get her to stay behind, but Gabrielle of course refuses to let Xena go alone. Gabrielle then forbids Xena to speak of the vision again.

 

A few more episodes go by and then Xena is haunted again in episode 13, Paradise Found.  Xena is becoming more and more tormented and this alleged paradise has an opposite affect on her physically and mentally as she imagines herself driving the nails into Gabrielle. Once again Xena tries to leave Gabrielle with someone she thinks will be good for her, only to find out she's got another lunatic on her hands. I really like the deep spiritual feel this season's episodes have although they turn out to be negative pictures of religious/spiritual nuts like Najara and then Aidan. I do not believe the intent is to portray religion negatively, however. I myself am a Christian and believe the show was an equal religion opportunist when it came to exploring several religious beliefs. I will delve into that topic sometime in the future. For now, back to the vision.

Two episodes later in Between the lines, Gabrielle is shown the vision by Alti herself during another battle, this time with Alti reincarnated. Gabrielle gets a hair chop too, boo hoo! I always preferred it long and when did they start making it blonde? I liked it red like in Girls just wanna have fun! Anyway, I digress. Gabrielle takes seeing the vision with much poise and dignity and still wishes to remain by Xena's side no matter the outcome.

The duo continue on their way having their adventures with a few comedic episodes thrown in to lighten the mood and prepare for the ultimate tear jerker episode 21, The Ides of March. Xena desperately tries to prevent the vision from coming true, and just when it seems she will come out on top, Callisto runs everything! I remember watching this episode and thinking “oh no! They're dead! The shows over! This must be the last season because they weren't getting enough viewers!” I was 15 when this episode aired and I was saddened. Xena couldn't save them! How could she let that happen! I remember thinking it had all come to an end. But, alas they threw in Deja Vu All Over Again! But, still, I didn't know what to think until I saw the promos for season 5.

Okay, that does it for the vision episodes go back and watch those episodes only and experience the thriller all over again! Here they are:

The Vision Episodes

2. Adventures in the Sins Trade II

8. Crusader

9. Past Imperfect

13. Paradise Found

16. Between the Lines

21. Ides Of March

I'll see you next time where I will explore the topic you vote for in the poll at the top of page!