10 December 2014
Xena, Warrior Pioneer
From What We Owe Xena:
How was Xena a female pioneer? Let me count the ways. She had no male support or regular romantic interest. She didn’t, unlike Wonder Woman or the Bionic Woman, have a conventionally feminine day-to-day alternate identity, though on a mission she could pose as a Roman matron, a virgin priestess or an exotic dancer. Xena was not “strong but feminine”; she was unapologetically strong and unapologetically female, sexy and powerful, unafraid to get sweaty and dirty on the job, and all the more beautiful for it. Nor did she care about pleasing anyone: In one memorable exchange, a slick opportunist seeking to enlist Xena as an ally says, “I like you,” and she shoots back, “Don’t. I’m not a likable person.” (As Lawless once said, Xena is “a good person who doesn’t think she is.”)
How was Xena a female pioneer? Let me count the ways. She had no male support or regular romantic interest. She didn’t, unlike Wonder Woman or the Bionic Woman, have a conventionally feminine day-to-day alternate identity, though on a mission she could pose as a Roman matron, a virgin priestess or an exotic dancer. Xena was not “strong but feminine”; she was unapologetically strong and unapologetically female, sexy and powerful, unafraid to get sweaty and dirty on the job, and all the more beautiful for it. Nor did she care about pleasing anyone: In one memorable exchange, a slick opportunist seeking to enlist Xena as an ally says, “I like you,” and she shoots back, “Don’t. I’m not a likable person.” (As Lawless once said, Xena is “a good person who doesn’t think she is.”)
Labels: Xena
06 September 2013
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "The Play's The Thing" (4.17):
[Gabrielle is casting her play and is thrilled when Dustinus, a centaur, tries out for a part.]
Dustinus: Oh, by the way, I do not play quadrupeds. Make sure the role reflects that.
Gabrielle: What?
Dustinus: I do not play four-legged creatures.
Gabrielle: But you're a centaur.
Dustinus: I am An Actor. I refuse to limit myself.
[Gabrielle is casting her play and is thrilled when Dustinus, a centaur, tries out for a part.]
Dustinus: Oh, by the way, I do not play quadrupeds. Make sure the role reflects that.
Gabrielle: What?
Dustinus: I do not play four-legged creatures.
Gabrielle: But you're a centaur.
Dustinus: I am An Actor. I refuse to limit myself.
Labels: Xena
16 August 2013
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Locked Up and Tied Down" (4.07):
Gabrielle: What in Tartarus have you been carrying on these shoulders?
Xena: I wouldn't know. I try not to over-analyze my life like some people.
Gabrielle: Some people say that an unexamined life is not worth living.
Xena: Those people haven't led my life.
Gabrielle: What in Tartarus have you been carrying on these shoulders?
Xena: I wouldn't know. I try not to over-analyze my life like some people.
Gabrielle: Some people say that an unexamined life is not worth living.
Xena: Those people haven't led my life.
Labels: Xena
24 May 2013
Quote of the Day: BuzzFeed
From 11 Reasons "Xena: Warrior Princess" Is Better Than "Game Of Thrones":
3. Xena is a delicious variety pack of historical periods.
Game of Thrones is rooted in one time period: a sort of gritty medieval version of 80s kids’ TV show Knightmare (but with more incest and fewer geeky 11 year olds). Xena, on the other hand, isn’t restricted at all. One week she’s fighting in the Trojan War, the next she’s being crucified by Julius Caesar. Does she have a time machine? No. The writers didn’t have Wikipedia in the ’90s so they couldn’t check their facts.
3. Xena is a delicious variety pack of historical periods.
Game of Thrones is rooted in one time period: a sort of gritty medieval version of 80s kids’ TV show Knightmare (but with more incest and fewer geeky 11 year olds). Xena, on the other hand, isn’t restricted at all. One week she’s fighting in the Trojan War, the next she’s being crucified by Julius Caesar. Does she have a time machine? No. The writers didn’t have Wikipedia in the ’90s so they couldn’t check their facts.
Labels: Game of Thrones, Xena
26 March 2013
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts" (1.12), the episode about the end of the Trojan War:
Gabrielle: Do you want to go back for the horse? It's bound to be a collectors item.
Xena: Only if you're gonna pull it.
Gabrielle: Nah.
Gabrielle: Do you want to go back for the horse? It's bound to be a collectors item.
Xena: Only if you're gonna pull it.
Gabrielle: Nah.
Labels: Xena
15 March 2013
Quote of the Day: Xena
From the alternate universe episode "When Fates Collide" (6.18):
Xena: Leave us.
roman centurion: But Caesar said...
Xena: ...to enrage the Empress until she beats the tar out of you?
roman centurion: I must have missed that one.
Xena: Leave us.
roman centurion: But Caesar said...
Xena: ...to enrage the Empress until she beats the tar out of you?
roman centurion: I must have missed that one.
Labels: Xena
10 February 2013
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Crusader" (4.08):
Najara: Would you like to join our mission?
Xena: What's your mission?
Najara: To fight evil wherever we find it.
Xena: Can you be a little more specific?
Najara: Would you like to join our mission?
Xena: What's your mission?
Najara: To fight evil wherever we find it.
Xena: Can you be a little more specific?
Labels: Xena
29 December 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "King Con" (3.15):
Xena: Give me that hat.
Rafe: [in a sing-song voice] What do you say?
Xena: Or else.
Xena: Give me that hat.
Rafe: [in a sing-song voice] What do you say?
Xena: Or else.
Labels: Xena
06 December 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "The Quill is Mightier..." (3.10):
Ares: We were starting to warm up to each other there, weren't we?
Gabrielle: Yeah, we were.
[pause]
Ares: I didn't like it.
Gabrielle: Right back at ya.
Ares: We were starting to warm up to each other there, weren't we?
Gabrielle: Yeah, we were.
[pause]
Ares: I didn't like it.
Gabrielle: Right back at ya.
Labels: Xena
18 November 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Been There, Done That" (3.02), their "Groundhog Day" episode. I'd type it out, but it really only works because of Lucy Lawless's delivery. Thankfully some kind soul put the exact bit I wanted on YouTube:
Labels: Xena
24 October 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Is There A Doctor In The House?" (1.24):
Gabrielle: I can’t bear to think of all the innocents who suffer because of this [war]. Someone has to stop it. [Xena stands up.] Come on, Xena. Not even you can stop an entire war. All right, look, I did not mean that as a challenge.
Xena: Stay here with Ephiny.
Gabrielle: What are you going to do?
Xena: I’m gonna find a safe place for Ephiny to have her baby...and then I’m gonna stop this war.
Gabrielle: I’ve got to learn to keep my mouth shut.
Gabrielle: I can’t bear to think of all the innocents who suffer because of this [war]. Someone has to stop it. [Xena stands up.] Come on, Xena. Not even you can stop an entire war. All right, look, I did not mean that as a challenge.
Xena: Stay here with Ephiny.
Gabrielle: What are you going to do?
Xena: I’m gonna find a safe place for Ephiny to have her baby...and then I’m gonna stop this war.
Gabrielle: I’ve got to learn to keep my mouth shut.
Labels: Xena
09 October 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Married with Fishsticks" (5.15):
Joxer: Here's the grub for the spud.
Xena: What's this?
Joxer: You asked for baby food.
Xena: Babyback ribs are not baby food, Joxer.
Joxer: Here's the grub for the spud.
Xena: What's this?
Joxer: You asked for baby food.
Xena: Babyback ribs are not baby food, Joxer.
Labels: Xena
27 September 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "A Fist Full of Dinars" (1.14):
Gabrielle: So, what's this Petracles like?
Xena: He's a warlord. He's an ambitious, ruthless, dominating, conniving liar. He'll say anything he can to get a woman to fall for him, and then once he has her, he uses her.
Gabrielle: So you've met.
Xena: We were to be married.
Gabrielle: So, what's this Petracles like?
Xena: He's a warlord. He's an ambitious, ruthless, dominating, conniving liar. He'll say anything he can to get a woman to fall for him, and then once he has her, he uses her.
Gabrielle: So you've met.
Xena: We were to be married.
Labels: Xena
09 September 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "In Sickness and In Hell" (4.04):
Joxer: Hey, wait a minute. Those villagers hired me, and only Joxer the Mighty is going to stop the Scythians.
Xena: Joxer, I once knew a warrior who tried to stop them. They buried him in Sparta, Athens and Carthage.
Joxer: What do you mean?
Xena: They buried him in Sparta ... Athens ... and Carthage ... think about it, Joxer.
Joxer: Hey, wait a minute. Those villagers hired me, and only Joxer the Mighty is going to stop the Scythians.
Xena: Joxer, I once knew a warrior who tried to stop them. They buried him in Sparta, Athens and Carthage.
Joxer: What do you mean?
Xena: They buried him in Sparta ... Athens ... and Carthage ... think about it, Joxer.
Labels: Xena
19 August 2012
Quote of the Day: Tumblr
I saw this on Please don't do a special episode about me:
Sometimes people in fandom go:
I don’t care about the male hero at all
but I love that recurring morally ambiguous female character
she should get a spin-off
where she tries to stay on the good path
helped by a female sidekick
she’s clearly in love with
and I’m like
yeah, Xena was awesome.
Sometimes people in fandom go:
I don’t care about the male hero at all
but I love that recurring morally ambiguous female character
she should get a spin-off
where she tries to stay on the good path
helped by a female sidekick
she’s clearly in love with
and I’m like
yeah, Xena was awesome.
Labels: Xena
10 June 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Tsunami" (3.19):
[Gabrielle is getting her palm read.]
Gabrielle: Have another look... What? What is it?
Xena: Alright, Gabrielle, that's enough. Come on, please.
palm reader: No. There's danger, great danger... and death.
Gabrielle: Did you hear that? She just described every day of our lives.
[Gabrielle is getting her palm read.]
Gabrielle: Have another look... What? What is it?
Xena: Alright, Gabrielle, that's enough. Come on, please.
palm reader: No. There's danger, great danger... and death.
Gabrielle: Did you hear that? She just described every day of our lives.
Labels: Xena
28 May 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Dangerous Prey" (6.11):
Prince Morlock: If I had known how much fun you Amazons would be, I'd have come to this country years ago.
Xena: I'm not an Amazon.
Prince Morlock: But you're so tall!
Xena: It's the boots.
Prince Morlock: If I had known how much fun you Amazons would be, I'd have come to this country years ago.
Xena: I'm not an Amazon.
Prince Morlock: But you're so tall!
Xena: It's the boots.
Labels: Xena
10 May 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "The King of Assassins" (3.08):
Autolycus: [regarding Joxer] Why is he here?
Gabrielle: He knows Jet.
Autolycus: No, I mean on a grander scale, why is he here?
Autolycus: [regarding Joxer] Why is he here?
Gabrielle: He knows Jet.
Autolycus: No, I mean on a grander scale, why is he here?
Labels: Xena
15 April 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "When In Rome..." (3.16):
Pompey: So why do they call you the "Warrior Princess?"
Xena: Because "Caesar" was taken.
Pompey: So why do they call you the "Warrior Princess?"
Xena: Because "Caesar" was taken.
Labels: Xena
16 March 2012
Quote of the Day: Xena
From "Altered States" (1.19):
Gabrielle: I'm great. I can't see, but I'm good.
Xena: Try using both eyes.
Gabrielle: Oh, oh yeah that's better.
Xena: Think you can stand?
Gabrielle: You mean I'm not?
Gabrielle: I'm great. I can't see, but I'm good.
Xena: Try using both eyes.
Gabrielle: Oh, oh yeah that's better.
Xena: Think you can stand?
Gabrielle: You mean I'm not?
Labels: Xena
