PATREON ONLY: Xena Warrior Princess 3x04 Reaction
Added 2024-09-01 01:43:02 +0000 UTC
Comments
🤯🤯 Wow!! This is it! I knew this one was coming up eventually. Not only is it just a fantastic episode, it kicks off so many things which also lead to fun crossovers into Hercules. Throughout the next season or two, I think?
Michael
2024-09-07 14:02:26 +0000 UTCYep. I agree. It’s also why ‘To Helicon And Back’ hits so hard but I think we should talk about these things elsewhere. It doesn’t belong here.
Girl4Music
2024-09-02 15:59:28 +0000 UTCThis is one of my favourite aspects of the show. Spoilers: I think it's interesting that gabrielle does seem to take xena off that pedestal in time, but I really don't think xena does for gabrielle. I think that's why xena can get past everything that happens in the rest of this season, because even after everything, she still sees gabrielle as innocent, I think even right up to their last moments in AFIN where gabs says she doesn't care about the consequences of bringing xena back and xena just gives her that look.. xena never actually believes that gabrielle is capable of being selfish or of causing harm intentionally. The pedestal that xena has gabs on is kind of the basis of her whole rehabilitation, she needs it and she clings to it for dear life. I love that part of xena's character and how it informs their relationship.
Greta mudie
2024-09-02 10:11:44 +0000 UTC“She’s not a murderer. She did that in self-defence.” Hmm. I don’t know if I would say that it’s entirely defensive. It’s more like manslaughter. Yeah, she meant to drive the dagger into Meridian but I don’t think she meant to kill her. She was just in the heat of the moment and chose to kill her. She was protecting Khrafstar sure, but I wouldn’t say she’s free from the action of murder even so. It’s a tricky situation because she did mean to cause harm. I just don’t think she realized in the moment just how much harm she was capable of doing by fighting back with a killing weapon. Which is kind of the point of her staff. She chose it because it doesn’t kill. It’s a weapon to use in defence/offence only. But she had a dagger in her hands and went for the plunge in desperation. So even if it still is murder, it’s not malicious murder. It’s manslaughter… I would say because did she choose to kill Meridian? Yes, even if she wasn’t thinking about it. The action is a kill. When a person kills in the heat of a battle rather than premeditated,… It’s still murder. I’ve been in direct communication with the writer of this episode about this scene and he does want you to think of it as murder. And it’s really really important that you do.
Girl4Music
2024-09-01 19:26:55 +0000 UTCThat’s just good plot-twisting for you
Girl4Music
2024-09-01 18:16:27 +0000 UTCSeeing & recognizing the idealistic pedestal Xena still has Gabrielle on is so important for going forward.
mary smith
2024-09-01 14:08:35 +0000 UTCAlso would say Gabrielle's boyfriends of the week are now Monotheism. That's the biggest competition/tension with Xena. Not a guy anymore...thankfully.
mary smith
2024-09-01 14:06:51 +0000 UTCLove the writing in this episode.. the whole time you're following Xena's A plot and sort of ignoring Gabrielle's B plot and in the end it turns out that the B plot was the A plot all along and it shocks you, just amazing
Herbert West MD
2024-09-01 12:54:32 +0000 UTCOhhh, the beginning of one painful, painful Saga. We all know what comes next. I'm not ready for what comes next! Damnit!
Lipaz
2024-09-01 07:25:29 +0000 UTCThe story of Boadicea is a fascinating one, even though the sources are rare and somewhat contradictory. "Boadicea´s chariot" by Antonia Fraser is highly recommended
Mats Viktorsson
2024-09-01 07:19:37 +0000 UTC‘The Deliverer’ is such a deceiving episode. It seems like a normal episode without anything especially important happening - just a cat-and-mouse Xena VS Caesar game -, until the last 5-10 minutes that change EVERYTHING. And the switch-up is striking! There’s something very significant that I need to touch on here… which is Gabrielle’s naivety/Xena’s idealism and how it informs and influences us about our lead characters. In the Season 2 episode, ‘The Execution’, Xena called out Gabrielle’s naivety with believing everything she hears from what Meleager tells her. Similarly, Gabrielle was holding Xena up to such high expectations too as a hero and it seemed that she didn’t even realize it. But this was also a part of her evolution into becoming a warrior. She had to learn to not believe the hype and to not take people at face value. When Gabrielle learns these lessons, she has a better judge of character and is able to see through manipulation and lies, saving her from pain. But I have to point out the hypocrisy with Xena’s lecture to Gabrielle on this. Xena actually held Gabrielle on the highest pedestal of all. And that’s why when Gabrielle lost her blood innocence in this episode, Xena couldn’t believe her when she told her that she murdered Meridian. She was outright in denial that Gabrielle could ever kill in cold blood or intentionally hurt someone. This idealistic viewpoint that she had of her being too pure and innocent to cause pain and damage is why she reacts like this when Gabrielle tells her what happened. If Xena didn’t hold her up so high on the pedestal of “goodness” and “light”, she would find it easier to allow her to grow and train as a warrior. And I find that so interesting because Xena’s not an idealistic person - unless it’s about Gabrielle. Then her emotions and basically entire personality changes course. This is how much Xena being with Gabrielle affects her. Gabrielle’s energy permeates into the nature of her very soul. Likewise for Gabrielle with Xena’s soul. This dynamic is so deep and profound it’s unlike any other TV relationship I’ve ever seen. It’s why I regard it as the greatest.
Girl4Music
2024-09-01 05:31:34 +0000 UTCThat scene where Xena explains why Boadicea and her don’t get along so well informs us on a lot but only because Xena is so open to give us all this information. And the only reason she’s so open to tell is because it’s Gabrielle that is her audience. Gabrielle is so attentive when Xena speaks about her past. It’s beautiful. She may not be understanding but she is listening. And that makes all the difference. That’s all Xena needs. Someone to listen to her when she so rarely expresses herself like this. And if you watch this very scene, Xena starts off barely audible and choosing her words carefully and then as she notices Gabrielle isn’t saying anything back, begins to open up more and more because of how much Gabrielle listens and does not judge or criticize her for what she’s telling her about her past. Gabrielle never vilifies her for the sins of her past and that’s really beautiful. An amazingly admirable and inspiring part of their relationship is the respect, acceptance and support they give each other in moments like this. In moments where they feel comfortable enough with each other to tell all - especially Xena - without fear of judgement or criticism. They have a very healthy relationship in this way. I love it.
Girl4Music
2024-09-01 05:22:46 +0000 UTCThe same door exploding was probably a way to save money, cause even though the show was had picked up in popularity it was still considered low budget, and it was still in the 90s at this point. But yes the story arc does get incredibly interesting, and kinda heart breaking too, it is was reminds me to take it easy on Gabrielle in her more self righteous moments
Bo D
2024-09-01 04:12:08 +0000 UTCAny time with Discord is a good time. I love that Karl Urban just gets to be Caesar and Cupid and it's just the way it is. These religious types really put a lot of time and effort in just to be horribly mutated and killed immediately.
James Parker
2024-09-01 04:11:18 +0000 UTCThat's kind of a big episode. And not just because Discord shows up for three minutes, or because we find out where Stonehenge came from. Khrafstar (whose name may have been a cue to some in the audience) turns out to be a fiendish deceiver, and then takes on a monstrous form (played by Anthony Ray Parker); some people were bothered by the shift to a supernatural affair involving gods and monsters, when they wanted to see Xena battle Caesar, but I liked it. It's funny that, aside from Xena having led Gabby into this situation by following her anger, she also should have listened to Ares in this instance. ... Yeah, that big wall of fire looked so cool, why not use it twice?
Koz
2024-09-01 03:33:53 +0000 UTCGabrielle's blood innocence is finally gone :( . Sh*t's about to get real! This episode set's off a very important arch for Gabrielle, for Xena, and especially for their relationship.
mary smith
2024-09-01 03:09:26 +0000 UTC
