XENA MEDIA REVIEW #30 (04-15-97) Borg 06 of 11 ================= CUT HERE =================== HIGHLIGHTS: More thoughts on REMEMBER NOTHING from KYM: There were lots of balances in the episode: Xena is pretty brutal in both her first kill of the episode and her final kill. Both were anonymous skewerings, i.e., they were not the "cast name" bad guys. TRICIA'S COMMENT: Not to mention the sword was bloody.... Yes, folks, the sword was actually BLOODY!!! I mean, there was BLOOD! (Get my drift, yet?) This gave the brutalness of killing just enough emphasis to make it more "real" to us. In this way it punctuated the point they were trying to make. As for highlights, I liked the little "don't drink and drive" message the guard gave to the driver of the cart that Xena was hiding in. BACK TO KYM: What about the underlying moral dilemma of what happened to all those anonymous people the old Xena and her armies sliced and diced? It is implied that if the old Xena didn't exist, the other bad guys would pick up the slack. However, had the old not existed, the new Xena would neither (remember, the Xena that the Fates restored was a Xena living the life of the pre-pre-redemptive Xena -- meaning before the bad girl took over). It's the new Xena which would be sorely missed in the world and not have others take up the slack...except for people like Lyceus, but he was for spilling blood in defense. It's Gabrielle who informs her of the kid about to strike (before she knows he's a kid). Is this significant? Heck, everything else is. TRICIA: Well, then it must be. But why?... heck if I know. KYM: And The Fates say "draw a drop of blood in rage"...could she figure out a way to kill without rage, or does Xena only kill in rage? Was that what Xena and Toris were really discussing in the dungeon in DEATH MASK (episode #24)? TRICIA: Maybe she would have went mental and killed people in happiness. Who knows. #2)I haven't the foggiest idea. KYM: Was the temple the result of the bad Xena's existence, or did the Fates move her to another area? TRICIA: My opinion is that One had nothing to do with the other. But that is, of course, debatable. KYM: I found it interesting that they wanted to show that Gabrielle had been whipped but they didn't want to show it happening to her, so they had some poor bloke whom the audience had nothing invested in to show how horrible it was to be whipped. TRICIA: Yeah, though we must remember that that poor soul was somebody's son, brother, loved one. Somewhere there was a mother crying out during that scene and saying "Why is my Bobby (er,..whatever the name) always the one to suffer? Must he be their whipping boy whilst the prettier sort go unscathed?!?!". We must never forget the "little guy", Kym. The short-bit actor who takes on the brunt of the punishment so that we, the hungry audience, may watch in pity. KYM: The loss of Lyceus had an important impact on Xena. He apparently was her moral compass. Her loss of him made her more open to the temptations of power and violence. Gabrielle fulfills that role now. What happened between those two events to change Xena around? She meets Salmoneous; she rescues a baby (shades ala ORPHAN OF WAR (episode #25)?); her army betrays her; she gets exposed to Hercules; she goes off to seek redemption; and then who does she find? Gabrielle. Why did The Fates want Xena to learn this lesson? Was it actually their "gift' to Xena for saving the temple? They wanted Xena to know that she was on "the right path"; that "the path not taken" was not the best path for "the world". Was it mere coincidence that it was Mezentius who was killed by Gabrielle; the slave trader from the show titled THE PATH NOT TAKEN? TRICIA: Wouldn't a compass and a detailed road map of alternate realities been simpler? Do these Fate Women always have to do things the hard way? KYM: Yes, they do. It's in their job description. Lots of internal references: Lyceus' dirty face: SINS OF THE PAST (episode #1) Slight to wimpy Cortese: "if they think he was bad, what will they think of us?": DEATH MASK (episode #23) The Destiny angle: Lyceus: "I'd rather die fighting" - Lyceus was destined to die or be victorious. He could never be victorious in that timeline, and neither was he in Xena's original timeline. Therefore, Lyceus' destiny was death. He was the sacrificial lamb from which allowed Xena to fulfill her destiny (in both destinies). He also tells Xena "Don't fight destiny." He was talking about more destinies than he knew about! Some great Lucy Lawless "in flight" scenes: going up after the board fling and free-falling in dungeon. And then of course the whole Xena/Gabrielle joined at the hip theme, which I have already discussed. KYM On the cross-references of XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS to the show LOIS AND CLARK and the upcoming episode of XWP, THE XENA SCROLLS: REMEMBER NOTHING shared the same underlying plot as the LOIS & CLARK episode SOUL MATES. Strange that they were both released the same week! SOUL MATES stated that Lois' and Clark's souls were intertwined and that whatever period of time or soul-recycling they were involved in, their souls were always attracted to each other like magnets. REMEMBER NOTHING employed the same underlying concept but more subtle. The alternative timelime in REMEMBER NOTHING implied that Xena and Gabrielle would be together NO MATTER what the circumstances (and I think...oh I can feel it in my bones...that THE XENA SCROLLS will confirm this, that they will be together in the future as well!). Although I think they would have become grand friends in the alternative universe (which I might be the only person on Earth with this belief!), however, Xena felt she had a choice to make....a Gabrielle required to kill, or a Gabrielle who perhaps wouldn't have to kill. Xena took the latter. Once Xena realized that her brother was going to die fighting one way or another (his "destiny"), there was really no more reason to do nothing. In THE XENA SCROLLS I would not be surprised to find Gabrielle the alpha female and Xena the sidekick. Nonetheless...the souls are intertwined throughout space and time ala LOIS & CLARK. This seems rather unique. Aside from the sexual issues, I think this is the first time something like this has been done about friends. I have seen deep and meaningful stuff about bonds of friendship but never about it existing beyond the current material plane or time. I have seen it done as a romantic thang (ala LOIS & CLARK, etc.). But this time it is clearly presented as friendship based (even though it could be used as further evidence of a lesbian relationship...however, I think this theme goes beyond sexual preferences. Regardless of whether the friendship is sexual or not, the producers are definitely exploring this relationship in ways which I have never seen on TV. I know it's really appealing to lots of lesbians, but it's also extremely inspirational and fantasy-satisfying to platonic friendships between women. And the thing that gets me is that it was created and written mostly by a bunch of men!!!! Doesn't this kind of punch a hole in the men are pigs theory?????) TRICIA: Yet again, I agree! As we all know, Society and various producers have had a habit of exploiting women as weaker and making the man the one in control for decades. And to this day, in many circles, a woman who is aggressive and assertive is immediately labeled with a bad name, while a man receives no such label for the same characteristics. I am so happy to see this changing. I don't see XWP as being either an exploitation of the "Men are pigs!" theory, nor the "Male Bashing" one. Yes, men get bashed physically in the show. But Callisto didn't exactly get a hug from Xena either. KYM: Just so I get the last word, why is it called REMEMBER NOTHING when Xena remembers everything? I hope it is not as ominous as it sounds. DISCLAIMER: Xena's memory was not damaged or....what was I saying? [556] 10-08-96 EDITOR'S NOTE: LL Leno appearance promos. This was promoting the show on which LL would not appear because of her accident. [DS] [556a] 10-08-96 THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE. Tuesday. Page P6B. 75 words. 'WHO'S TALKING" COMMENTARY: LL Leno appearance promos EXCERPTS: ..."The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" - Ellen DeGeneres, actress Lucy Lawless, singer Luther Vandross. 11:35 p.m., NBC.... [556b] 10-08-96 CHATTANOOGA FREE PRESS. Tuesday. Page D6. 296 words. "TV Highlights" By Barry Courter COMMENTARY: LL Leno appearance promos EXCERPT: ...TONIGHT... ...11:35 p.m. TONIGHT SHOW Actresses Ellen DeGeneres and Lucy Lawless, singer Luther Vandross. (S) (CC) Ch.3... [557] 10-08-96 ABC NEWS REPORT. COMMENTARY: All we have is commentary on this one. We know there was a story about Xena and/or Lucy Lawless on ABC News on this date. Does anyone have any information on this one? Was this a report about the accident or something else? [DS] [558] 10-08-96 JAY LENO SHOW. NBC. 11:35pm. TV Show. COMMENTARY: Lawless' ill-fated appearance on THE TONIGHT SHOW. Instead of featuring her appearance, THE TONIGHT SHOW on this night featured Jay Leno reading a statement that had been written by two public relations officers. [DS] EXCERPT: ...JAY LENO: Folks, on a serious note, Lucy Lawless, who plays "Xena: Warrior Princess" on a very popular syndicated show, was supposed to be a guest of ours on the program tonight. She came in this afternoon to tape a comedy bit with us, and she got thrown from a horse right here in our parking lot and got some injuries. So she's laid up for a little while. I'm sorry to say, so she won't be with us tonight. From what I'm told, she's going to be fine. She's resting and we will have her back as soon as possible. I thank her for being a good sport and I'm sorry that happened, but we're going to keep you posted on how she is. It's terrible when those things happen. Okay, we'll check up this week and we'll let you know." [559] 10-09-96 THE BOSTON HERALD. Wednesday. Page 049. 678 words. "Xena; It's those thighs" By STEPHANIE SCHOROW COMMENTARY: Interview of Brenda Cox of Indianapolis, president of the Xenite Club Newsletter and known online as Jetthead, and Lillian Varrassi of New York, Xenite Newsletter co-vice president and known online as Brette, and Paul Hurd, a webpage XWP maintainer. [KT] The article does not mention Lawless' accident and was probably written before it occurred. Because the main source of out-of-town news, Associated Press, did not immediately send a story on the accident, it is likely that many editors were not aware that it had happened. One note courtesy of Wayback-Machine Journalism: The Xenite Club went through an odyssey of its own. By the end of 1996, Lawless had sanctioned the club and it changed it's name to The Official Lucy Lawless Fan Club. By spring 1997, Lawless apparently withdrew her support, and her fan interactions were turned over to The Official Xena Fan Club run by Creation Entertainment. By the end of 1997, the club, which was once again named The Xenite Club, closed down it's web site and ceased to exist. [DS] REPRINT: It's those thighs. Long, muscular and massive as a young oak. And the sneer, contemptuous and controlled, framed by inky tresses. And that iron breastplate, as inviting as a Gothic fortress. Don't let that metal-studded leather miniskirt fool you. This ain't no "Baywatch" babe. This is Xena, warrior princess, heroine of the cult-hit syndicated TV series that crosses "Wonder Woman" with "Thelma and Louise." You got a problem with that? "Xena: Warrior Princess," airing Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Ch.56, follows the adventures of Xena, (Lucy Lawless) and her plucky young sidekick Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), as they roam a mythical countryside battling barbarians, centaurs and the odd rabid horde. Xena first appeared in March 1995 as a power-lusting princess on "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." In later episodes, Xena and Hercules became allies, then lovers. In fall 1995, Xena pulled off a true feminist coup: She got her own series in which she protects the innocent and battles evil and the courtesy-challenged. A blend of costume-drama mythology, kung fu fights and campy one-liners, "Xena" has spawned a legion of fans - self-described as Xenites - making it the most successful syndicated show last year. Xena may look as if she sprang full grown from male-fantasy pulp fiction, but the character has become a '90s icon of female empowerment. Via the cult-maxing medium of the Internet, Xenites - ranging from young girls to middle-aged mothers - maintain fan Web pages, swap pictures and discuss the Gabby-Xena friendship. "It's hard to put a finger on what we love about Xena, but I think it's that she is able to take care of herself," said one of those middle-aged fans, Brenda Cox of Indianapolis, president of the Xenite Club Newsletter. "She doesn't have to depend on anyone else. I have gotten so many letters from women who have just about given up on themselves because of being overweight or bad marriages. Some women have been raped, some are terminally ill. But through Xena, they have found the courage to help themselves." Yet Xena is not all bicep and bravado. She's "someone who has had a dark past. And who hasn't?" noted Lillian Varrassi of New York, Xenite Newsletter co-vice president. Xena continuously wrestles with guilt over her Termatrix period. Sweet-natured sidekick Gabby not only acts the golly-gee, Holy Rabid Horde role, but her unswerving loyalty demonstrates the healing power of friendship. About that friendship. Ah, don't ask, don't tell. The show has attracted a huge following among gay women, and producer Robert Tapert has played coy in interviews when asked about Xena's sexual orientation. Read into it what you want, fans say. "If people want to see it, they'll see it," Varrassi said. "(Producers) want to include everyone, they don't want to lock out any one group." Xena has not only notched her lipstick case with Hercules' name, she has loved - passionately - a black warrior named Marcus. She also has a son. "I see Xena and Gabby as the best of friends, even closer than many sisters," Cox said. Said Varrassi, "I see a very strong character. I see a very strong friendship. I see that empowerment." In July, that PC arbitrator Ms. magazine trumpeted Xena as a wonderful feminist role model. For would-be Xenites, it was the equivalent of the surgeon general announcing chocolate fudge sauce was good for you. Men like Xena, too. Paul Hurd, 32, of Beverly, is a huge fan, complete with Web page. A desktop publisher, he was first drawn to Xena's comic-book aura, then he got into the characters. Unlike Wonder Woman, Xena never needs a guy to get her out of jam. He likes her attitude: "If you don't like it, that's too bad." Adding, "I like strong women personally; all my girlfriends have been very strong, opinionated people." Xena may be bodice-bolstering camp, but she does for a generation of women what James Bond did for a generation of men - provide a healthy dose of escapism with a twist of the topical. Contact the Xenite Club Newsletter via e-mail: brette4635@aol.com. [560] 10-09-96 XENA:WARRIOR PRINCESS NETFORUM. Universal Channel. http://www.mca.com/tv/xena COMMENTARY: This is merely the first example of how fan communication channels via the Internet provided quicker and more complete information about Lucy Lawless' accident than official channels. What follows is a reprint of NBC-TV and MCA/Universal's first official press release on the subject, which was released the day after the accident and posted to the Xena NetForum by Xenastaff, who was later revealed to be Robert Mellette, a production assistant who worked for Supervising Producer Steve Sears and Producer Liz Friedman. The night of the accident, Mellette posted a quick note to the NetForum, telling fans that Lawless had fractured her pelvis and would be OK. The irony is that any fan who was online at the time knew far more about what had happened, then people relying on either official press releases (like this one) or news reports. [DS] REPRINT: Xena: Warrior Princess NetForum - Universal Channel Official Press Release From: (Xenastaff) Date: 9 Oct 1996 12:07:23 This just came to our office, and I've been authorized to post it here. STATEMENT FROM NBC AND MCA TV REGARDING LUCY LAWLESS (XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS) Actress Lucy Lawless was injured yesterday (Oct. 8) when she fell from a horse after the animal lost its footing during the taping of a comedy sketch for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Paramedics treated Lucy Lawless after the mishap outside "The Tonight Show" studio and transported her to a local area hospital, where she was hospitalized in stable condition with pelvic fractures. During the show, Leno acknowledged the accident, saying, "Folks, on a serious note, Lucy Lawless, who plays "Xena: Warrior Princess" on a very popular syndicated show, was supposed to be a guest of ours on the program tonight. She came in this afternoon to tape a comedy bit with us and she got thrown from a horse right here in our parking lot and got some injuries. So she's laid up for a little while, I'm sorry to say, so she won't be with us tonight. From what I'm told, she's going to be fine. She's resting and we will have her back as soon as possible. I thank her for being a good sport and I'm sorry that happened, but we're going to keep you posted on how she is. It's terrible when those things happen. Okay, we'll check up this week and we'll let you know." That's the official press release issued this morning. I'm sure you're now upset because it doesn't tell you anything you didn't know already, but that's the way these things go." I'd like to clarify some confusion I'm seeing about "breaks vs. fractures." A "broken pelvis" is devastating and can be crippling. Lucy only has fractures (cracks). Not nearly as serious. [561] 10-09-96 XENAVERSE MAILING LIST. (xenaverse@umail.umd.edu) COMMENTARY: During the period immediately after the accident, the XenaVerse mailing list became one of the best places for information because it was the Internet home base to Tyldus aka Supervising Producer Steve Sears, who took on the role of unofficial spokesman during this period. Sears would post messages to XenaVerse first and ask that they be reposted other places, which fans would do. Within minutes, the information would be flashed around the world, once again giving online fans far greater access to information than those who had to rely on news reports. Ironically, MCA/Universal had forbidden staff to post to the NetForum, so Tyldus' messages had to be reposted there by fans. Sears posted this message after he visited Lucy Lawless in the hospital on the day after the accident. Note that Sears mentions that there will be "several weeks recovery time." Lawless returned to work about seven weeks later for the filming of THE QUEST, a light duty episode, which only required her to stand once. [DS] REPRINT: Subject: A Message From Lucy From: Tyldus@aol.com No, this is not a message from Lucy. But I did just see her and told her all the good thoughts the "Internetties" were sending her way. That brought a smile to her face. She said she felt guilty that so many had shown up to see her and she felt she had disappointed them. I told her that none of you had felt that way and only wished her a speedy recovery. She also commented that no one has fans like she does. She's right on the mark with that one. Anyway, she looked a little worse for the wear but was in good spirits. We're looking at several weeks recovery time, but she'll be up at around with no long term effects. Anyway, for all who have sent me personal e-mail, I hope you understand that I can't reply at the moment. Obviously thinks have gotten a little busier over here and my participation is going to be limited at best. Thanks again to all of you. Take care and keep the good thoughts. Tyldus [562] 10-09-96 XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS NETFORUM - Universal Channel Contributed by rudeboy COMMENTARY: Press release advertising HTLJ and XWP's successes. REPRINT: MCA TV GROUP NEWS RELEASE MCA TV's "HERCULES" and "XENA" PERFORM STRONGLY IN SEASON DEBUTS Action series finish One-Two in third quarter; Significant Major Market Upgrades This Fall. MCA TV's third-quarter ratings champs, "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" kicked off the 1996-97 season with strong ratings in the top metered markets, according to overnight Nielson results On WPIX-TV New York, the season debut episode of "Hercules" garnered an 8.5 rating/14 share at 8pm Saturday - placing second in the time period and marking its third best performance yet in the nation's top-ranked market - with a second run at 12:30 pm Sunday delivering a 6.6/18. The Sunday airing defeated the first and second runs of every other action hour for the week. "Xena", meanwhile, surpassed its previous high mark with an 8.5/14 at 9 pm Saturday, tying "Hercules" for the best first run action-hour performance of the week. It ranked second in the time period, beating network primetime lineups on the ABC and FOX stations, as well as baseball playoffs on the NBC outlet. In the no 2 market of Los Angeles, the strong man earned a record-setting 7.9/14 at 8 pm Saturday on KTLA. That placed "Hercules" first in the time period and second to "Xena" among all first-run action hours for the week. Companion "Xena" which airs at 9 pm Saturday on KTLA, led all action hour competitors, collecting an 8.7/15 for its best delivery ever in Los Angeles. Overall, "Hercules" also had an impressive first week metered market ratings in Dallas, Boston, Detroit, Houston and West Palm Beach. "Xena" harvested big numbers in Houston, Kansas City, Dallas, Boston, Detroit, Sacramento, St. Louis and Orlando. "As the ratings and a growing number of imitators indicate, 'Hercules' and 'Xena' are now firmly entrenched as the top action-fantasy hours in the first-run arena, " said Jim McNamara, president, MCA Worldwide Television Distribution. "The broad appeal of these two quality programs is reflected in the demographics, which shows them performing extremely strong among men and women of all age groups." During the third quarter of 1996, "Hercules" was the top-rated syndicated action hour with a 5.3 household rating in the Nielson national barter rankings. Through Sept. 22, it had topped "Star Trek:Deep Space Nine" for 11 consecutive weeks and led in most of the key demographic categories. "Xena" outpaced "DS9" in households with a 4.8 household rating. The ratings growth comes in the wake of numerous major market upgrades for "Xena", including KHTV HOuston, which moved it from 3 to 6 pm Saturday; KPLR St, Louis where it airs at 8 pm Tuesday after appearing in a midnight Monday berth on KTVI; and WNOL New Orleans, where it moves from 6 pm Saturday (first run) and 10 am Sunday (second run) to 7 pm Tuesday (first run) and 6 pm Saturday (second run). "Hercules", which received many upgrades last season, continues its good fortunes this fall. Among the stations moving it to better time periods are KPLR St. Louis, where it switches to 7 pm Thursday from 10:30 pm on KTVI. In fact, KPLR is providing both "Hercules" and "Xena" with second runs. [563] 10-10-96 to 10-14-96 EDITOR'S NOTE: Following are citations for the TV coverage of Lucy Lawless' injury. [DS] [563a] 10/10/96 ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT. [563b] 10/10/96 AMERICAN JOURNAL. [563c] 10/10/96 E! NEWS DAILY [563d] 10/10/96 ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT [563e] 10/12/96 KTLA [563f] 10/14/96 ET [563g] 10/14/96 CNN Headlines [564] 10-10-96 to 11-10-96 EDITOR'S NOTE: Following are citations for the newspaper coverage of the accident. [DS] [ a] 10-10-96 NEWS TRIBUNE. Thursday. Page A18. 493 words. "Xena Star Lucy Lawless Hurt on 'Tonight Show'" By Stephanie Reader COMMENTARY: Fandom's very own Stephanie Reader may have broken the story of Lawless' injury to the print media. Looking at this from a sociological point of view (I'm not kidding), this is the single most important article that was written about the accident. I make that somewhat pompous claim because this article shows the impact the Internet is having on our society. In some ways, the Internet has already begun to usurp the role of the mainstream news media. Stephanie Reader's article is the proof. Before her article appeared, the Associated Press had ignored the story. After her article and a Boston Globe story was published, AP picked up the story, and it was reprinted and broadcast around the country. The actions of AP are particularly significant because AP is the central source of information for all mainstream media in the United States. In other words, if a story does not appear on AP, it often does not appear in news broadcasts, newspapers and magazines around the country. To make the situation even more interesting, Reader's article was based on information gathered from the Internet. She quoted accounts posted to Xena mailing lists by fans who watched the filming of the skit and saw the accident. One more note: Some fans at first thought the horse had fallen on Lawless. Later, Lawless said in interviews that the horse had not. [DS] EXCERPT: ...Action star Lucy Lawless has a new role - Xena: Wounded Princess. Lawless suffered a broken pelvis when she was thrown from a horse Tuesday night while filming a comedy bit for "The Tonight Show." Needless to say, she didn't appear on that night's show. An apologetic Jay Leno said she would be on "as soon as possible." A producer of the show said Lawless will be fine "but she has some recuperating to do." The injuries may delay production of Lawless' show, "Xena: Warrior Princess," a syndicated hit seen locally on Channel 13. The show is on a break that was supposed to end in two weeks, an MCA TV spokesman said. However, there are 10 episodes already filmed. Some fans of the Xena ("Xenites") came from around the country for the show. One said he saw her horse skid on the pavement outside an NBC entrance, sending Lawless flying over its head. She fell, arms forward to protect herself, then the horse landed on her.... ================= CUT HERE =================== XENA MEDIA REVIEW #30 (04-15-97) Borg 06 of 11