u/Imissxena

Many have opinions about when Xena And Gabs relationship starts to evolve, but this is the episode I think that I notice Xena begins to show she’s falling for Gabrielle.

It’s also the one where I find myself locked in when watching the series. Like, oh ok. Hold on to your butts, this show is gonna have layers.

It’s got more depth, for both of their characters. I think it’s a hallmark episode for season 1. Plus, I just love old school Gabs in this one. Just my personal opinion!

This episode is.. well, not their best. HOWEVER,

Minya is one of my favorite rando recurring silly characters debuting in the crowd pleaser A Day in The Life, and she actually pops in 7 of the silly episodes ( I think 7 including Soul
Possession?).

That’s a lot for a seemingly unimportant recurring character in Xena.

While the episodes she emerges in are hit or miss. The hits really hit, and the misses…. Ag, well my opinion they were made better and watchable with addition of Minya!!

I don’t know anything about the actor, but I would recognize her a mile away. I don’t care it’s been 30ish years. No way I wouldn’t recognize her if I saw her.

Get it Minya, F Hower. After all, she’s just a thespian guys.

Hate on this if you must. I get its but also, I mean… come on. MINYA!!!

(I was unable to find a Minya GiF from this particular episode despite 30 mons of relentless searching. Forgive me)

I know it was mostly for budget reasons. But, I just love how IDGAF Xena production was about repurposing their cast & stunt hires in every episode/season.

I miss those TV days.. where one character would be like 7 different expendable characters within the same season. But, especially my fave production choices were using one actor in a serious recurring role, and then also have them play some random character in a one off episode.

Like how Thalassa is also the wife of Vercinix in season 3. Or, obviously Karl Urban played 3 -4 different recurring and one off roles in all 6 seasons 😂. Borias & Krafstarr.. I could go on for days.

I just love it. And they never changed the formula. From start to finish. We get who we get and we use what we got.

I love this freaking show!

I love 1 & 2 a whole lot. 2 is probably one of my favorite seasons. Not to disparage future seasons in anyway (bc frankly I love them all for their own reasons) but with season 2..It was just so solid and fresh at that juncture, while remaining mostly episodic and thus… embodied the joy that carries on within Xena, but it’s at its purest form- IMO

Anyway, whenever I transition into season 3, I can’t help but get a little excited?! Cause sh*t is about to get CRRRAAAAAAZY.

The pace & intensity of the show, just sorta really picks up at this point. There’s a shift, and not just because they start utilizing season arcs at this point.. it’s also the chemistry with the actors, and they are still enjoying themselves.

Do you agree? Or do you think it is something else? I have so many thoughts I can’t always jot them down in the moment. Tell me your feelings!! I love it. All of it.

I still have beef with Path of Vengeance.. bc at this stage of Gabrielle’s journey I believe her fighting skills would have been superior to Varia’s. I mean she trains with Xena… but, also she’s been at it a while. It just always bugged me that everyone knew she was going to lose, and that she did.

I think she should have won, or it should have taken Ares interference for her to lose.

Just my opinion. If Gabs is meant to continue Xena’s legacy as the girl with chakram, how could she be defeated by Varia in the same season?

I don’t buy it!! Gabs all day!!

Full credit to Hudson Locke, because Callisto lines legit are burnt into our memory banks. Not just because of the writing, but that DELIVERY.

I mean, let’s be honest.. many attractive….Blonde Actors could have had her role.. but Hudson Locke made Callisto immortal. Bc she just freaking delivered this sh*t like it was an old school project she forgot about and then turned it in for an A++ and won that scholarship.

Damn.

Tell me you couldn’t stand watching Callisto riff in any of her episodes. Tell me. I’d love to hear about it, I’d have to see it to believe it.

Just epic, Everytime.

Whenever I rewatch Xena, the Ides of March always has this very intense… Series Finale feel to it for me. Nothing will or can be the same after it. It’s so, full and complete in a way.

Xena and Gabrielle give us all the feels.. Joseph LoDuca freaking rips my heart open with the score, even more than usual. The subtext dissolves into confirming everything we’ve known for a while and they really hammer it home in this one. That their love for each other is unimpeachable.

Callisto gives us her final act as adversary & villain along side Xena’s other recurring villain-Caesar, and bc they can never understand what unconditional love really means… their respective characters achieve their own climatic finality. They think they’ve won and as Caesar’s Shakespearian end comes to fruition the irony unbeknownst to either of them is fully afoot!!

I am of the opinion that NOT all of season 5 is bad. There are some gems in there. Seeds of Faith was a fantastic episode. Goose bumpy at times with the emotions and one hell of a score. I also particularly enjoyed the use of Athena in 5. Season 6 is the farewell tour and every possible ending fan could ask for is provided. When Fates Collide is maybe one of my favorite alternate endings. (Which is prob no surprise given my thoughts on Ides of March.)

Personally, I usually stop after Many Happy Returns - I generally avoid ending on the dreaded AFN two part finale. That’s just how I do me. To each their own. Choices are plentiful that’s for sure.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s because after seeing AFN.. I always felt that if Xena’s redemption arc means that eventually she will have to sacrifice herself for the greater good, it shouldn’t also mean that Gabrielle has to suffer the loss as a consequence. That Gabrielle should have the choice whether to stay by her side or not, for the End.

Also, I just really love it. Disagree if you must!! This is one of my Faves!!

I had to do it. I was compelled. This scene 🎬 is just too good.

Ok, while it’s not the most important aspect of Xena. It might be one the silliest little gems you can find when rewatching a show without the auto-play feature.

Most probably know about it on here..but for those who don’t, it doesn’t begin until either end of first or start of season 2. Once it does.. you find yourself making sure you don’t miss it.

While not every episode’s credits are news worthy, there are several that surely hit the mark.

These are a few of the sneaky little quips I can’t help continually snickering at.

In a way, they exemplify the kind of Camp that made Xena so wonderful in the first place. 🥇

The worst part of the time jump decision for me… was what happened to our beloved Argo.

How could they kill Argo off after all those years of loyalty and dependability. After many seasons of Argo saving their skins, despite being referred to as both male and female (sometimes even in the same scene- Punch Lines), they just toss her to the wind!!

Sure, they try to make up for the loss by bringing in Argo II, her daughter, but then writers just abandon Argo’s daughter.. No one knows what even happened to her daughter, because Argo II just evaporates into the ether of season 6.

OG Argo deserved a true farewell episode. How could they, I say. How could they.