Xena: La princesa guerrera

Here's the thing, see, about XENA - the fantasy action show telling the tale of the formerly evil Xena, now a force for good, and Gabrielle the Amazon Queen, her warrior/bard partner.

You have two really beautiful women dressed in impractical leather goods flitting about the Ancient World wielding shiny weapons with great skill and nary a thought to chronology or historical accuracy. You have the relentless modern American speech. You have the over-discussed, over-analysed and highly subjective element of "lesbian subtext". You have campy humour, sly winks at the audience, over-the-top fight sequences, and more dialogue limited to the screaming of each other's names than the second half of Titanic.

You have re-used extras, recycled sets, a bikini-clad Aphrodite spouting Valley-girl speech, a penchant for killing off popular guest stars, TWO man-free pregnancies, high angst levels, a range of episodes that swing madly from dark violence to Andrew Lloyd-Webber style musicals and from intense drama to slapstick comedy.

You have strong female leads who accept responsibility for their choices and their actions, good and bad. You have really beautiful scenery in the form of New Zealand. You have great chemistry between the two stars, and you have enough smarts to know how to combine all of these things into a show that succeeds more than it fails.

Give it a chance. I promise, ten episodes and you'll be hooked. In short, XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS is smart TV pretending that it's dumb. Which is just fine by me, thanks.

Xena was one of televison's greatest shows. Encompassing in it, action, drama, humor, love, relationships, and life lessons. Xena had it all, even had sexy costumes for the 'lower class' viewer. But, this was more than beautiful women running around in 'appealing' costumes. This was a show about the strength of women, the power of friendship, and that even the smallest of us can become something great. Skilled actresses and actors took us all over history bringing the past alive. For many, Xena was an escape from our everyday 'normal' life. The main characters Xena and Gabrielle were easy to identify with. Over the course of six seasons, you see them grow as they learn what their truly made of and what their morals and beliefs are. Ultimately, it was a show about good triumphing over evil, but more than that, it was a show of groundbreaking themes and memorable characters. Take some time to watch a Xena episode, you'll be glad you did.

This was an amazing show that switched from comedy to high drama to tragedy to sword-fighting action and mayhem. All of this usually happened in the same episode. A great show for students of mythology, although the writers did incorporate their own ideas (into the mythological settings and characters) to give the show more texture and layers. The best part of the show was Xena and Gabrielle's intense affection, friendship and respect for one another. They are truly partners in everything they do and always willing to sacrifice for one another. However, there's plenty of comedy as well to keep the show from getting too serious. The more episodes you watch, the more you'll like and understand the concept of the show, and how it works on different levels simultaneously. Very highly recommended.

I loved this show from the first time it came out. The concept of a strong willed woman being able to beat up bad guys and smart was unheard of, until Xena. She seriously had many skills. I loved the direction the show took the two characters, but the final episode was disappointing. I lagged on watching it during the 7th season. It got too weird, but it's still my favorite tv show. Possibly of all time. Lawless gave Xena dignity and balance that was intriguing to see. I loved how they delved into Xena's past and the show wasn't always about kicking butt. It really did something for female heroes on television. This show pioneered that idea since Charlie's Angels on the 70's. However, it was way better. RIP to Kevin Smith as Ares. You'll be missed. Everyone whoever was on the show did a great job and made it worthwhile. Joseph Lo Duca, you're music was awesome. I miss this show alot and I don't have the Oxygen channel, so it sucks. Watch this show!

The six years that Xena appeared on American television and then in international distribution was the most marvelous ride on the entertainment merry-go-round since "Wonder Woman" premiered in 1975, twenty years earlier. This show had camp, pathos, mystery, intrigue, intricate character development and the invention of a magnificent new world through which the viewer was able to judge and measure his or her own living situation. If you ever get a chance, at least take the time to watch either the entire first or the entire fourth seasons of Xena (which had the most developed plots). It is a show that actually changed the world into a better place and that can be said of only a few shows in history.

If you like "Xena" you might also like "Queen of Swords", "Wonder Woman", "Supergirl" (maybe....), "Chameleon 1,2, &3", "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" or "Andromeda". You may also want to watch the direct to video cartoon release "Hercules and Xena: the Animated Movie: the Battle for Mount Olympus".