XENA MEDIA REVIEW #30 (04-15-97) Borg 05 of 11 ================= CUT HERE =================== [553g] 10-09-96 THE ATLANTA JOURNAL AND CONSTITUTION. Wednesday. Page 04B. 857 words. "Netwatch. The AJC's Daily Online Guide. Surfers overwhelm Dole-Kemp site after the debate" By Art Kramer COMMENTARY: Promo of a Lucy Lawless' on-line appearance EXCERPT: ...If you want a Net Watch, go to http://www.ajc.com/netwatch /sendurl.htm and tell us about your favorite Internet address. If we pick your pick, we'll make you incredibly famous and send you an actual timekeeping device.... ...Today... ...10 p.m.: Lucy Lawless is Xena, the warrior princess. America Online Keyword: Oldsmobile.... Oldsmobile. [554] 10-07-96 VARIETY. Page 71. 1001 words. "Special Report. New Zealand. Focus. NZ Lures O'Seas Prod'n, Partners Indies Looking Abroad" By PAUL SMITH and DON GROVES COMMENTARY: In a discussion about how New Zealand is becoming a television production center, HTLJ and XWP are mentioned as key players which have a budget of $1 million per episode. The article also mentioned that "In August, the unit lensed 'Young Hercules,' a two-hour feature for home video that also could serve as the pilot for a spinoff series." And talk about a run of bad luck, "Young Hercules" has been sitting on the shelf for a year and a half and is only now slated for an early 1998 release. Let's hope the Hercules/Xena animated flick (which has already been postponed to a 1998 direct to video release), and "Amazon High" fare better. [KT] At this time, it appears that part of "Young Hercules" was worked into an episode of HTLJ shown at the beginning of HTLJ's current, 1997-1998, season. We're reprinting the article in full here because it provides a detailed overview of the New Zealand entertainment industry circa 1996. The NZ industry employs most of the supporting players seen on XWP. For example, the last paragraph mentions a production called "Topless Women Talk About Their Lives," which stars Danielle Cormack of Ephiny fame on XWP.[DS] And to end the story on a happy note, YOUNG HERCULES was picked up by Foxs Kids network for a Monday through Friday half hour run starting Fall 1998. [KT] REPRINT: Seven years after the broadcasting deregulation that boosted their business, leading Kiwi indies increasingly are going international. The reason: New Zealand's market of 3.6 million people is too small for high-fliers such as Communicado, whose "Once Were Warriors" underlined the depth of local filmmaking talent: Isambard and the Gibson Group. At the same time, the country continues to benefit as a favored location for U.S. producers. Pacific Renaissance's action series for MCA TV, "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" both are lensed near Auckland and have been renewed through March 1998, says producer Eric Gruendemann. Budgeted at about $1 million an episode, both series pump a lot of coin into the local economy, as well as employing largely Kiwi crews (apart from a few imported directors) and actors. In August, the unit lensed "Young Hercules," a two-hour feature for home video that also could serve as the pilot for a spinoff series. Auckland's Daybreak Pictures recently shot "Repeat Performance," a telepic wholly financed by the Billy Graham subsidiary Worldwide Pictures of Minneapolis. Written and directed by Kiwi Dale Bradley, it's the story of a gifted young musician on the run from the police after a hit-and-run auto accident. Joseph Manning, 18, and Lisa Crittenden head the all-Kiwi cast. Communicado's expansion plans were boosted in August by the injection of $ 2.4 million from new corporate partner Direct Capital, which took a 32.5% share in Communicado. Direct Capital is a Kiwi investment fund financed by big insurance groups that invest in growing, unlisted companies. "It's a significant step for us and removes any barriers to the dramatic and exciting expansion both domestically and internationally that faces our business," says Communicado chairman Neil Roberts. Communicado's latest pic, "Broken English," was released here Sept. 19. It next is teaming with the BBC and Television New Zealand for a 13-part, prime time miniseries titled "Greenstone." Framed in the culture clash of the colonization of New Zealand in the 1850s, it's the saga of a Maori princess, an English settler and his rival for her hand. At home, Communicado has a busy schedule with "The Way We Were," 22 half-hours of nostalgia screened by TVNZ and funded by license fee agency New Zealand On Air. A second series is now under way. In addition, Communicado produced four documentaries for TV3's "Inside New Zealand" slot and one about parenting for TVNZ. It's prepping one docu about the effects of welfare dependence, and another on defense, both for TVNZ. Another major project is "BiZZaRRo." When the one-hour pilot exploring the "wacky, the weird and the wicked" screened on TVNZ's TV2 in April, it beat TV3's "Murder One." It's now being developed as a series of 26 half-hours and deals are being negotiated with the Discovery Channel in the U.S. and with Pearson for foreign distribution, according to Communicado managing director Mike Hutcheson. He says the company also is looking to create a production services unit that would contract services, making series or telepics for overseas production houses. For the other major Auckland indie, Isambard, production was not as brisk as the previous year, although other activities such as distribution and facilities have generated revenue. "It's not been a great year mainly because it has taken so long to set up some projects," says founder Tom Parkinson. His major venture is Spellbound Intl. Pictures, a co-venture established by Isambard with Canal Plus' Ellipse and Allegro Prods. of Canada. The first film from that banner, "The Climb," rolled in July, toplining John Hurt. It's the story of a relationship between a cantankerous cancer victim (Hurt) who befriends an adventurous teenager (Canadian Greg Smith) with dramatic consequences. Pic is helmed by Bob Swaim and is the first of 12 aimed at the 8-18-year-old market being shot in Europe, New Zealand and Canada. Orion is aboard as North American distrib, Parkinson says. Production on the feature "Misty," about the real-life murder-suicide of a leading Chinese poet in New Zealand, was due to begin in April but now will begin this month. Locally, Isambard is best known for its comedy "Letter to Blanchy," which has been renewed for a second series. Isambard has just begun distributing its own product in New Zealand and Australia. Wellington-based Gibson Group is prepping "Alive With Evidence," pic based on a true story about a woman who fought the New Zealand medical establishment after she discovered she was used in an experimental program to treat cancer. It's been scripted by Gibson topper Dave Gibson and is to be helmed by Yvonne Mackay. Gibson has a busy TV sked, including drama series "Cover Story" for TVNZ, children's series "Mirror, Mirror" (co-produced with Australia's Millennium) and TV3's comedy skein "Skitz." TVNZ's Avalon Studios sees a big future in repackaging the broadcaster's vast library of holiday, lifestyle and other programs for cablers in New Zealand, Asia and Australia, according to Avalon managing director Rod Cornelius. Cornelius won't be part of that future, as he retires this month after 33 years with TVNZ. While a bunch of TVNZ programs are lensed at the studios, an estimated 50% of its business comes from external productions such as the $ 6.9 million "Enid Blyton's Adventure Series," the sequel "Enid Blyton's Secret Series" and "Swiss Family Robinson," all for England's Cloud 9. Avalon's the Film Unit processed Peter Jackson's $ 22 million thriller "The Frighteners," involving 570 separate f/x shots and digital sound mix. "We had to create a system to deal with a level of complexity we had not dealt with before," general manager Sue Thompson says. The Unit also processed local features "The Ugly" and "Topless Women Talk About Their Lives." [555] 10-07-96 REMEMBER NOTHING. Episode no. 26 (202). First release. EDITOR'S NOTE: What follows has to be the most complete, and I think, fascinating discussion of this pivotal XWP episode that I've ever seen. After two synopses of the episode, Kym Taborn and Tricia Heintz engage in a lengthy and spirited discussion of the cosmic significance of life and XWP. One warning for the spoiler allergic. There is a spoiler for the third-season episode, THE DELIVERER, cleverly hidden in an Editor's Note I inserted into Kym and Tricia's discussion. [DS] AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION. 1st RELEASE: 10-07-96. An AA average of 5.6. Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas: (1) ST: DEEP SPACE 9 ranked 7th with 6.0; (2) XENA ranked 9th with 5.6; (3) HERCULES ranked 11th with 5.4; (4) BAYWATCH. 2nd RELEASE: 12/02/97. An AA average of 5.6. XWP is number one the third time in the second season. Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas: (1) XENA with 5.6; (2) STDS9 with 5.2; (3) HERCULES with 5.1; (4) BAYWATCH with 4.4 GUEST STARS. Aaron Devitt (Lyceus); Robert Harte (Maphias). CAST. Stephen Tozer (Mezentius); Mark Ferguson (Krykus); (Clotho); (Lachesis); (Atropos); (Slave boss); (Storekeeper); (Minion); (Head Guard); (Guard #1); (Guard #2); (Caputius); (Boy). CREDITS. Story by Steven L. Sears and Chris Manheim. Directed by Anson Williams. TV GUIDE DESCRIPTION. The Three Fates offer Xena the opportunity to erase her past -- including her younger brother's untimely death -- but only if she vows to never shed blood in anger again. SYNOPSIS #1. Synopsis #1 is brought to you by guest synopser, Tricia Murphy (panthera@ix.netcom.com). Xena journeys to the Temple of The Fates to pray for her deceased brother, Lyceus. When the temple is attacked, she and Gabrielle defend it successfully, though Xena is distraught by having killed a young boy. Xena re-enters the temple only to encounter the Three Faces of Fate themselves: "The Maiden", "The Mother", and "The Crone". Her reward for defending the temple is to be granted a wish. Her statements are "I want that boy's life back" and "I wish I'd never followed the sword in the first place". This ultimately leads to The Fates transforming her back to a time before Lyceus was killed and Xena became a warrior. The one stipulation she is given is that she must never shed a drop of blood in anger, or all will be undone and fate restored to the path it was. The first person Xena (now wearing a dress and looking far from a warrior) sees is her brother Lyceus strolling towards her from the woods. All is as it was. The village echoes with the song of the women in the fields. People walk by and say "hello". Merchants display their wares in the streets. It is "as if Xena; Warrior Princess never existed". But not all is well. Unfortunately, as a result of her past having been changed, her mother is dead, and Gabrielle is living a far worse life as a slave girl to the domineering slave trader, Mezentius, who we first met in THE PATH NOT TAKEN (episode #5). Mezentius works in partnership with Krykus, the arms dealer introduced in HOOVES AND HARLOTS (episode #10). Having never known Xena, the Centaurs and the Amazons also no longer exist as a free people. With the bad, all the good was undone as well. Xena must weigh her own desires to be the woman she could have been against many issues, including a life of near passiveness with a friend who has changed into a beaten and bitter slave (Gabrielle). In the end, swamped in the middle of battling bad guys and trying her best not to draw blood, she sees Gabrielle viciously kill Mezentius (who was killed by Xena originally in THE PATH NOT TAKEN after Mezentius had killed Marcus). Lyceus turns to Xena and says "Don't fight destiny." This seems to be the deciding factor for her, as Xena grabs a sword and skewers a bad guy. Spilling quite a bit more than a drop. SYNOPSIS #2. Synopsis #2 is brought to you by guest synopser, Bluesong@aol.com. The show opens with Xena astride Argo, Gabrielle walking. They are on their way to a temple to honor Xena's brother, Lyceus. They reach the temple, and Xena goes in and lights candles to the 3 Fates. Xena tells Gabrielle how she feels responsible for Lyceus' death. Then there is shouting -- the temple is being attacked. Xena and Gabrielle rush outside; a fight ensues. Gabrielle shouts for Xena to look behind her and Xena turns, and sticks a sword into a guy's stomach. His helmet falls off, revealing him to be a very young man, if not quite still a child. Xena looks at the blood-stained sword and throws it to the ground in disgust. She goes inside the temple and leans against the wall, weary. Then the 3 Fates appear. They tell Xena they are in her debt because she defended their temple. What does she want in return? Xena says she wants that young boy to be alive; she wishes she'd never become a warrior, she spouts. And then her wish is granted. The Fates tell her all will be as if she never lived, so long as she spills no blood in anger. Xena goes outside the temple; there are no bodies, and no Gabrielle. There's a breeze ... and Xena is dressed in "normal" clothes, and suddenly from the clearing emerges ... Lyceus. Alive, for when Cortese struck in this dimension (?) eventually Xena and Lyceus fled, and Lyceus did not die. Xena is thrilled. Xena goes back to Amphipolis -- Lyceus is looking after the Inn -- and Xena finds that she's engaged, and has been for the last 11 years. She keeps putting the wedding off. :-) And then Xena learns that her mother is dead; she died of a broken heart because Amphipolis was taken and she lost her spirit. But, "at least in this time I did not shame you," Xena tells her mother's tomb. [This is a very moving moment & I cried here.] And then Lyceus comes. But ... trouble looms in the horizon. Several of Xena's former foes -- guys she killed in the other "dimension" -- are now banding together to take over all, including Amphipolis. Mezentius, the guy who ran the arms place when Xena first reunited with Marcus (THE PATH NOT TAKEN, episode #5), Krykus, the Warlord from the Amazons (HOOVES AND HARLOTS, episode #10), and Caputius (I forget where he came from -- sorry), are together. The Amazons and centaurs have fought, and lost, and the Amazons are all slaves. Several slave leaders go into Amphipolis to "obtain" goods, and Xena sees one of them attack a merchant; she pulls the rug out from under him (literally). This fellow looks a lot like Draco. But his slave is ... Gabrielle. He goes to strike Gabrielle and Xena stops him; then her fiance' steps in and stops Xena, telling her she has to play by the rules. Xena and Lyceus do not like the rules. Xena sneaks into the place where Gabrielle is being held and gets her out, even though Gabrielle has no idea who this woman is. Xena takes Gabrielle back to her "home" and gives her some of her mother's clothing; Lyceus and Gabrielle exchange some looks and signals that make Xena smile. Xena tells Gabrielle that she reminds her of her best friend, and then describes the Gabrielle she knew in the other "dimension" -- this Gabrielle isn't like that, though. She has no trust. However, Gabrielle has told Xena of the plan to attack, and so forces are being gathered, supposedly, for a defense. But Xena's fiance' sells them out, telling them all they want is the slave girl back. They come to get Gabrielle, but Lyceus draws his sword, and then Xena, Lyceus and Gabrielle are captured. The fiance' is conked on the head. Lyceus is mad at Xena, for she won't pick up a sword. She can't (or won't) tell Lyceus why she doesn't fight with a sword, and he's not a happy camper. The warlords have put the three in separate cages, and hung them above a pit. Lyceus tells Xena he'd rather be dead than living under the rule of a warlord. Gabrielle begins to cry. Xena calls to her and offers comfort. Gabrielle says, yes, it's you're fault I'm here, and it's even worse. I knew where I stood in life before (as a slave) and then you came along and gave me hope. And that is worse. I don't know whether to thank you or hate you. "Hate me?" Xena says. And her eyes fill with tears. "Oh Gabrielle, I'm so sorry." [I cried here, too.] The man who looks like Draco comes in, followed by another bad-looking guy, but he turns out to be Xena's fiance', who's realized he's screwed up. Lyceus goes to get the warlords; Xena follows. A fight ensues. Lots of good fighting, but Xena won't pick up a sword. And then Gabrielle picks up a sword, and she kills Mezentius. And Xena sees. And Xena says, "goodbye Lyceus" and stabs the man attacking her. Quick cut back to real dimension; Gabrielle shouts to Xena that someone's behind her. This time, Xena doesn't just stick a sword in the person; she throws him down, gives him a second chance. Gabrielle moves to stand beside Xena, and then Xena hugs her, and leaves her arm around her. Gabrielle looks surprised. "What's that for?" "For being you," Xena replies. [I cried here, too] "Are you alright? You don't seem like yourself." Gabrielle looks quizzingly at Xena, and the two start to walk off, but Xena doesn't return to the temple. THE DISCUSSION. KYM and TRICIA: Our discussion began on the subject of Xena "choosing her old life with Gabrielle over the life of her brother". TRICIA: I just don't see this as being an accurate conclusion. I don't see how Xena demonstrated loving one more so over the other. Just as much, yes. And in slightly different ways. And I agree completely with your synopsis below. KYM: I found that Xena actually merged Lyceus and Gabrielle. This was especially shown when Xena was looking at both of them when Lyceus was checking out Gabrielle. I didn't see Xena as caring more for Gabrielle than her brother. Her brother gave her permission to care about Gabrielle. Actually, there was some projection going on. Xena realized that Gabrielle was the continuation of her brother. When Lyceus went on about destiny that was the key. Then when Xena turned and saw Gabrielle kill, she knew she had to go back. I wouldn't say that was favoring one over the other. TRICIA: I wouldn't either. Let's not forget, too, that Xena's mother had died in the altered destiny. The two being Destiny No. One: Xena shames her mother by being the bad warrior and leading many to their deaths. Destiny No. Two: Xena's mother dies and never has to go through the heartache Xena had caused in #1. Yet she dies in the battle that the new Xena didn't stop. This was yet another choice to weigh in her decision to stay on the new path or return to what was her true destiny. KYM: Another irony. The Fates were obviously trying to get Xena to realize that she was who she was because of fate. Is that a pun, or what? This episode has given the Xena-Gabrielle relationship a mystical basis. The friendship now seems to be Xena's destiny. On one level Lyceus was talking about fighting the bad guys as Xena's destiny. But when Xena fought the bad guys before she became a bad guy first, then rediscovered her original path through GAUNTLET and UNCHAINED HEART, and THEN discovered that she had difficulties keeping away from her blood lust...that is where Gabrielle comes in. Gabrielle plays the function that Lyceus used to serve for Xena; that is Xena's moral bearing. When Lyceus made his destiny comments, what happened almost immediately? Gabrielle killed someone whom Xena killed in her original alternative life. Thus Xena-Gabrielle relationship has now taken on a deeper meaning. TRICIA: The new Gabrielle also had a troublesome choice to weigh. She wasn't the cheerful, wise, little bard destiny had made her. And worst of all, she had been caught on camera without makeup and a hairbrush! In a way, yes, she was swiftly becoming what Xena had been. A bitter soul who would seek revenge. KYM: And so was Lyceus. It was like the times demanded a warped person who would sacrifice their humanity in order to rid the area of their overage of warlords. Xena was that lamb. But she was extremely successful. Finally she "found her way" before she completely went over to the dark side. She basically took that burden from Lyceus and Gabrielle. Oh no, Christ metaphors again! The Three Fates allowed Xena to see that. However, why did they? She said all she wanted was the boy's life back. Why did the Three Fates make her go through all that before saving his life? Perhaps because she was to "protect" another youth from the killing way, just as she was to protect Gabrielle. TRICIA: Why? Because her wishes to the Fates were definitely connected. She says "I want that boy's life back." and "By the gods, I wish I'd never followed the sword in the first place." Xena was definitely tired of killing off young men, like her brother, who had been caught in ways of war. Thus, to go back and do nothing, (which would have been a better title for this episode, "Do Nothing") only left other, worse people, to do the killing. Only they killed the more innocent. KYM: Exactly. Xena took on the task for herself because, heck, that's just the kind of gal she is! After this episode, I am going to be very surprised if they ever have Gabrielle kill anyone. [Kym's note: Eek, that was found to be a bad call -- TWICE!!!] TRICIA: I wouldn't really. Imagine the episode where Gabby finally does someone in... (more than likely accidentally, in the heat of defense.) I could see that happening. I could also see the soul-searching she would be likely to do. Might just send her back to her home village as she did in THE PRODIGAL (episode #18). [Kym's note: In retrospect, Gabrielle did go back to her home village, at least metaphorically in THE BITTER SUITE, while dealing the loss of her blood innocence in THE DELIVERER and again in MATERNAL INSTINCTS.] KYM: I don't know. By tying this to an encounter with the Fates, and by Xena giving up Lyceus one more time for Gabrielle. It'd be a real slap in the face, eh? [EDITOR'S NOTE: Or should I call this, The Editor Butting In? Wayback-Machine Journalism is wonderful. From our perspective of more than a year later, we now know that Gabrielle does indeed kill someone in a later episode.(DS)] KYM and TRICIA'S COMMENTARIES. KYM'S COMMENTS: Xena is rapidly taking on "Christ-like" tendencies. How annoying since I have already written an essay on how Xena IS NOT Christ-like. Heh heh. Those writers must hate me! Anyways, back to Xena. Perhaps becoming "Christ-like" is the price of being so "self-sacrificing". Think about it. Xena killed the slavetrader, Mezentius in THE PATH NOT TAKEN. In the alternative reality Gabrielle kills him. Xena takes on Gabrielle's sins in the proper timeline, so she did not have to lose her blood innocence. Also, the idea of "eternal" bonding should be explored. The romantic in me likes that. In the REMEMBER NOTHING alternative reality, Xena played the part that Gabrielle played in the regular XENA "real world". The alternative Xena chased Gabrielle and slowly worked on building her trust; where it was Gabrielle who did the chasing in the original timeline. Like the original Gabrielle, the alternative Xena never gave up. Xena originally was the bitter and closed-in one, while in the alternative reality Gabrielle plays that part. This implied (among other things!) that no matter what TIMELINE we are in, Xena and Gabrielle would always fulfill a need in the other. See what I mean by mystical bonds now? TRICIA: Definitely. I agree. Yet on the other hand, just as it is with Callisto and their far less appealing bond, Mystical bonds aren't always good. But they are our destiny. Little loose ends that pop up to say "it's pay-back time!" I don't think Xena would have handled watching Gabrielle turn into what she had been and creating her own Callistos. If the mystical bond theory holds true, then even the bad ones must reappear with the rest.) TRICIA'S COMMENTS: TRICIA: To clarify, and to also wander off on another branch of the fate theory, I am saying that there is also a definite bond between Xena and the bad she did as well as the good. However, I am uncertain if Callisto would have then grown up good, or if Gabrielle would have created her in this alternate reality. If the fates hold true, Callisto was probably destined to be bad. Imagine yet another twist that would have been caused if Callisto had been in this episode. I am saying that, in the alternate fate, the bond between Gabrielle and Xena would not have been a good one, in my eyes. I think it could have easily become a living nightmare for Xena. Then again, I feel that the fates were irrelevant. We must keep in mind that you are speaking with someone who doesn't believe in the fate theory. To elaborate would make this episode discussion even more lengthy with side notes on "Fate vs We Are In Control of Our Destinies". (Perhaps you and I can write a lengthy article on this controversial subject for an upcoming issue of WHOOSH!.) To me, life is like trying to choose the correct goblet in the Holy Grail Scenario. You either "Choose Poorly" or you "Choose Wisely". To say that Xena is the way she is because fate said so just doesn't jive with me. KYM: Pooh pooh! What a sourpuss! I didn't mean fated to be together throughout time as a real event in our existence, but as a literary device. My point, and I do have one, is that the producers have raised some issues regarding the relationship between the two friends (Xena and Gabrielle, just in case I have already lost some one). As I mention below in the Highlights section of this wordy discussion, REMEMBER NOTHING, along with THE XENA SCROLLS (future episode), may support this theory of their souls being "gravitated" towards each other in each projected lifetime or timeline. [Kym's note: At least I was right on that!] KYM'S COMMENTS: I felt that Lyceus and Gabrielle were merging into the same person. Heh heh. Obviously Lyceus and Gabrielle were attracted. But they were also very similar. I think Xena realized that Gabrielle filled the function of her brother. I guess making her a sister. Anyways, the episode did make their bonds more strong. REMEMBER NOTHING is a very subtle Gabrielle-Xena story. And Xena has come to terms with some very weighty matters in her life. In DREAMWORKER (episode #3) Xena had to battle her old warlord self in order to rescue Gabrielle. Now, she had to battle her pre-warlord self to rescue Gabrielle! What does that leave in terms of personal growth...she has to explore the NOW. And who is that with? Gabrielle. TRICIA: Not to mention she again got away from that really annoying man she was supposed to marry!!! KYM: That was probably the real reason she stabbed that guy!!! From the first time I heard about the show, I had an inkling it would be a spiritual sequel to DREAMWORKER. REMEMBER NOTHING is from a Steven Sears story. Steven Sears wrote DREAMWORKER. Maybe I should write to him and ask him whether it was conceived of from the get-go as a DREAMWORKER sequeloid. The sequels in XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS are not traditional ones. They use concepts and symbols not plot and characters. E.g., THE RECKONING (episode #6) and TIES THAT BIND (episode #20) are clearly mirror image episodes. In RECKONING, Xena hits Gabrielle to gain consciousness; in TIES, Gabrielle hits Xena to do the same; in DREAMWORKER Xena fights her warriorself for literally possession of Gabrielle; and in REMEMBER NOTHING, Xena fights her pre-warriorself for the same prize. Interesting. ================= CUT HERE =================== XENA MEDIA REVIEW #30 (04-15-97) Borg 05 of 11