Xena Media Review #19 (12/08/96) - Part 3 of 4

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[261] 05-01-96
   SPECTRUM. Vol. 1 No. 5. Page 2. 1947 words. "Xena:
Warrior Princess"
   COMMENTARY: Other than various items in XMR and
WHOOSH, the SPECTRUM articles are to date the most
significant published material about XWP. SPECTRUM #5
(May 1996) contained a general essay on the nature of
the show, a detailed episode guide on the HTLJ's 'Xena
Trilogy', a detailed episode guide to the first ten
aired episodes of the first season (part two, covering
episodes 11 through 23 -- missing, IS THERE A DOCTOR IN
THE HOUSE -- was printed in SPECTRUM #6), and a list of
"Gabrielle-isms".
   I had written a detailed analysis and review of the
general essay (which took about four days to write) but
I erased it somewhere in San Diego. So, I am going
offer a quick one day knock-off instead and make a few
observations in the commentary.
   The essay consisted of six parts, four of which are
sub-titled: Xena: Superhero Princess?; Bleak Action and
Enjoyable Acting; Xena: Anachronistic Princess?; and
Mythological Adventures. The non-subtitled parts were
the introduction and the epilogue about the episode
guides.
  The introduction explained how XWP is currently
considered a raving syndicated success and explored the
nature of XWP's competition with HTLJ, BAYWATCH, and
the old war horse, STAR TREK (in it's DEEP SPACE NINE
incarnation). A critical observation was that "the
meteoric rise of both of these shows is somewhat
astonishing, given that they basically came out of
nowhere and are not carbon copies of the popular
network fare."
   The introduction concluded with, "Of course, that's
part of their appeal.  Neither would have survived the
cut with a network -- they're too hard to pigeon-hole
into easy categories.  The shows are just -- there's no
getting around it --really, really weird."
   This is a critical point. The artistic and business
decisions to keep the projects syndicated aided the
development of a show not bound by the more
conservative requirements of a network television show.
By going with syndication, the producers surrendered
the chance at the bigger piece of the ratings piece for
more control and more profit. If working with the
networks is akin to making a pact with the devil;
making a syndicated show would be cutting a deal with a
corporate sponsor. Now, some would consider working
with the suits to be analogous to working with the
devil, but the issue is control.
   In the section entitled, "Xena: Superhero
Princess?", the essay begins with a utilitarian
description of XWP, writing, "If reduced to a bare-
bones outline, Xena is easy to describe and actually
sounds fairly generic.  In an ancient time, grim Xena
and her bubbly, talkative sidekick Gabrielle travel the
countryside fighting crime and helping citizens in need
of a protector.  A female version of Batman and Robin,
right?"
   The writer then observed that although XWP embraced
the finer traditions of the comic book genre, it was
more reminiscent of the comics of the sixties: "some
adventure, a little melodrama, and a lot of humor,
treading the thin line between genuine drama and
tongue-in-cheek campiness."
   The writer next observed that XWP although may
appear at first blush to be "a sort of 'Conanette the
Barbarian'", it really was a direct descendent of the
superhero series of comic book. The writer cited Xena's
superpowers as leaping ability; gravity neutralization;
hands of steel; and the "Xena touch" that cuts off the
blood supply to the brain.
   Ending the "Xena: Superhero Princess" section, the
writer also noted the recent comic book fad of strong
female superheroes who are "usually a bit nasty and
able to fight with the best of her male counterparts". 
The writer continued with, "Grim fighting females are
all the rage.  Of course, comic book readers' tastes
don't necessarily reflect the much larger television-
watching audience, but the comic book sub-culture is
showing that there is a market for heroines on the
rampage."
   In the section "Bleak Action and Enjoyable Acting",
the writer concentrated on the backgrounds of both the
character Xena and the actress who played her, Lucy
Lawless. He also discussed Renee O'Connor.
   After reviewing Xena's villainous history and her
past atrocities, the writer stated, "Her [Xena] bleak
history sets the tone for the series and establishes
the personality for Xena, who rarely smiles but sets
about her life as one on a serious mission."
   He then juxtaposed the humor used on the show. He
attributed this to the character, Gabrielle. Again, he
brought up the Batman and Robin similarities: "It's a
well-established formula -- think again of the grim,
mission-oriented Batman accompanied by the carefree,
slightly irresponsible Robin."  He continued,
"Gabrielle, facing marriage to a "dull and stupid" man,
seeks adventure by accompanying Xena.  The pairing
works well.  Gabrielle is a talker who loves telling
stories -- a perfect complement to Xena's overall
silence.  Xena is the wise, well-traveled adult with a
wide range of experiences; Gabrielle is the (relative)
youngster full of innocence."
   There was a fullpage posed picture of Xena with the
caption: "Lucy Lawless as Xena".
   The writer then complimented the acting in the show.
"[D]espite the constraints of the character, Lawless
has proven to have enough of a screen presence that,
following her stint on Xena, she should find a wide
selection of roles available to her.  Far from the
overacting that adventure roles usually exhibit,
Lawless manages to imbue Xena with remarkable subtlety
and depth -- a haunted performance necessary for
viewers to believe that the character actually does
have a less-than-honorable past.  She can express more
with a raised eyebrow or slight smile than many actors
can with complete body language."  He then cited the
episode WARRIOR...PRINCESS (#15) as an example of Lucy
Lawless' range on the show.
   Concentrating on Renee O'Connor, the writer obsessed
that "Renee O'Connor also is wonderful as Gabrielle. 
The role doesn't have the range of Xena.  Often, her
purpose in an episode is merely for comic relief -- or
to fall in love on a weekly basis with the good-
looking, gentle males that the two constantly
encounter.  These combine to make Gabrielle a more
shallow character than Xena, yet O'Connor makes the
most of it.  One episode, 'Athens City Academy of the
Performing Bards,' she virtually carries on her own. 
In another, 'Hooves & Harlots,' she has a major role. 
In both -- plus in numerous brief scenes throughout the
series -- O'Connor shows an impressive comic ability. 
Even if she never gets offered another dramatic role
(and she's been in many, including 'Follow the River',
which we reviewed in 'Wrapped in Plastic' 17), we could
easily see her establishing herself as a major star in
comedy roles."
   There is a picture of Xena holding a sword.
   In the section "Xena: Anachronistic Princess?", the
writer observed that "One of the strangest aspects of
Xena is its use of mythology from a variety of sources,
regardless of the time or place of the original
stories.  As such, the show thrives on anachronism." 
He also noted that the anachronisms were usually used
in the show to make humorous references to contemporary
life.  This was true for the most part for HTLJ. But
XWP actually used anachronisms for dramatic fodder:
Troy, Goliath, the Ark of the Covenant, and the
promised Julius Caesar were not done (or will be done)
necessarily for cheap laughs, but for added depth,
texture, and nuance for the stories.
   The article mentioned Salmoneus as existing
predominately for this satire of contemporary life.
This observation was based in part because of
Salmoneus' offer to Xena of a theme song in THE
GAUNTLET (HTLJ #12). This theory is also supported by
Salmoneus' "wolf pack" speech in THE BLACK WOLF (#11),
and as his Lord Selzer role in THE GREATER GOOD (#21).
However, Salmoneus played a deeper role in XWP than he
ever did in HTLJ, where he ironically has appeared more
often. It was Salmoneus who first recognized that Xena
was capable of redemption and change; he encouraged
Hercules to accept the new Xena, and also aided Xena in
her own self-resolve to seek redemption.
   The writer continued that the shows were set "in the
golden age of myth, long before ancient Greece or Rome,
on the distant frontier of known civilization far away
from the land of mighty Hercules."  He observed that
this timeline placing was "vague enough, yet clearly
elements of Greece and Rome dominate the episodes
(although with no specific time reference)."
   The writer then brought up what I call THE GREAT
TEMPORAL ANOMALY of XWP: how could Homer in ATHENS CITY
ACADEMY OF THE PERFORMING BARDS (#13) tell the
spellbound crowd the story of a slave revolt which was
to happen at least 700 years after Homer's death. The
writer's solutions were: "there were two Spartacuses,
and the second, more famous one (as depicted in the
Stanley Kubrick film) used the first one as a role
model!  Or here's another theory: Xena is, unbeknown to
her, a time traveler.  As she walks the countryside,
she's slipping through different time portals."
   And you thought STAR TREK was the only show with
this problem!
   The writer concluded this section with "In fact,
such dilemmas aren't meant to be given serious thought. 
The show is treating myths and historical elements as
game pieces to be moved at will into a particular
episode if they will create more entertaining stories. 
Sometimes multiple myths will be combined.  "Cradle of
Hope" merges the story of a baby (who is remarkably
similar to Moses) with the Pandora legend -- with Xena
as the link.  Sometimes the myths are re-written by
simply adding Xena's influence.  For instance,
classical mythology tells that Hercules (Heracles)
freed Prometheus from Mount Caucasus.  In the world of
Xena, however, we learn that Hercules had assistance
from the warrior princess."
   There is a graphic of Renee O'Connor with caption:
"Renee O'Connor with Sheryl Lee (top) and Tyler Noyes
(bottom left) in the ABC TV movie 'Follow the River'
(1995)"
   In the very short section called, "Mythological
Adventures", it was stated that the mythology notes in
the episode guide would "provide only a rough overview
of some of those aspects of any given episode."
   The last part, which was un-subtitled, were notes
about the episode guide.  The writer first apologized
for not assigning a rating to each episode. Apparently,
the magazine does not individually rate episodes of
fantasy shows. They state, however, "Most of these
episodes would fall into the three-star (or "donut")
category (see page 26)."  Three stars on Page 26,
stated: "Enjoyable and entertaining, particularly to a
fan of the genre of show that may fall into this
category; worth taping and keeping, although the
writing is sometimes only average. Examples: Wild
Palms, the 60s Batman, and the early Beverly Hills,
90210."
   I must admit I cringed at XWP being compared with
WILD PALMS (which raised incoherency to an artform; XWP
is far from being incoherent); the 60's BATMAN (which
was pure camp; the campiness of XWP is not inflicted
upon the viewer like it was in BATMAN, but is of a more
mild, implied campiness); and the early BEVERLY HILLS,
90210 (I can't even think of anything that would
compare between this show and XWP!). The point, though,
SPECTRUM is making, was that XWP is a true cult
treasure. This I have no disagreement with!
   The essay ended with the statement "because the end
credits are presented in microscopic type (and thus
presumably not meant to be seen or read -- much like
the legalese at the bottom of car commercials), we are
omitting listing those credits below.  Third, we've
tried to get the spellings accurate on the various
characters, but we can't guarantee that we were
completely successful on everyone. As mentioned in our
editorial, we could not fit the entire feature in this
issue.  Following is part one of the episode guide. 
Part two will appear in Spectrum 6."
   The microscopic end credits are a pain in the
proverbial rear end and cause much anguish amongst fans
who need this information to obsess further about their
love affair with the warrior princess. Luckily, the
fans with BIG SCREEN TV's share this information with
the smaller tv'ed fans periodically. Else, it would be
even more painful. Why do the production people allow
this travesty to go on? Obviously they are sadists.
   Commentary used parts of a transcription by Stacy
Van Stipdonk.
   NO REPRINT OR EXCERPT: Back issues of SPECTRUM #5
can be purchased for $6.50 from Win-Mill Productions
(Dept. S5), 1912 E. Timberview Lane, Arlington, TX
76014.


[262] 05-01-96
   SPECTRUM. Vol. 1 No. 5. Page 5. 1978 words. "The
Xena Trilogy on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"
   COMMENTARY: This essay on the infamous Xena Trilogy
(WARRIOR PRINCESS, THE GAUNTLET, and UNCHAINED HEART)
presented the subject matter in the guise of an episode
guide (this manner was repeated in the XWP first season
episode guide which part one followed this article). 
The format was: name of the episode; list of the guest
stars and the production staff; synopsis; notes on
mythology; and commentary.
   THE WARRIOR PRINCESS (HTLJ #09)
   The summary was concise and related most of the main
action without bothering with motivations or
conjectures. 
   In the mythology notes, the writer of the article
reviewed briefly Hercules and Iolaus' place in Greek
and Roman mythology, and noted that "We don't know of
any Xena in classical mythology."
   The commentary bemoaned the fact that Xena's
seduction of Iolaus was not "convincing for an instant.
The lack of suspense removed any real drama from the
episode." However, the article added, "All is not lost,
however, as Xena proves to be a captivating outlaw."  
   It further observed that it was Xena's tortured soul
which was the compelling component of the story.
"Although [Xena] does not remain a criminal for long,
the success of the Xena series rests on the foundation
that the audience believes she could be -- or, more
accurately, that she could have been.  The underlying
darkness in her series (absent in the Hercules series)
arises from Lawless's grim, tortured demeanor.  She
convinces the viewer that Xena is capable of
atrocities, so the viewer can appreciate the struggle
within herself to gain absolution."
   The commentary included a detailed analysis of
Xena's murder of Estrogon as an example of Xena being
"perfectly at ease with her own malevolence." 
   The commentary concluded with a pondering of what
Xena might be a princess of. (Later episodes would tell
us that 'warrior princess' was a nomiker given to Xena
by her adulating armies.)
   The graphics used were of Xena standing in her camp
with the caption: "Xena's first appearance at the
beginning of the Hercules episode titled 'The Warrior
Princess'" and a posed picture of Hercules with the
caption: "Kevin Sorbo as Hercules".
   THE GAUNTLET (HTLJ #12)
   The summary covered most of the major plot threads
and added some humorous detail.
   The mythology notes were dedicated to the background
of the character Salmoneus. 
   The commentary began discussion about the high level
of violence in the episode, especially where Xena
walked the gauntlet. 
   The writer also picked up on the "softening" of the
character of Xena. The writer also cannily noticed the
"won't kill women and children" credo which was
introduced in THE GAUNTLET. He observed how although
WARRIOR PRINCESS did not go against it, it was that the
emphasis did not highlight the new code and also gave a
rather different impression of the warrior princess.
   The author of the Spectrum article felt that the
writers of the show used some artificial contrivances
(and is this so shocking? XWP is basically one BIG
artificial contrivance. The issue, in my opinion, is
not that the writers of XWP periodically reduce
themselves to artificial contrivances, but the fact
that when they do, they do surprisingly well and relate
them always to the ur-theme, one way or another, of the
entire series).
   Quoting the writer of the screenplay and co-creator
of XWP, John Schulian, the author observed the darkness
of THE GAUNTLET. "The Gauntlet...was not consistent
with the atmosphere of Hercules."
   The graphic consisted of a picture of the season
premier newspaper advertisement for Xena and Hercules
"#1 Action Is Back To Back!". The caption stated "Xena
premiered alongside the second-season Hercules premiere
in September 1995."
   UNCHAINED HEART (HTLJ #13)
   After a perfunctory synopsis (after writing enough
synopses to appreciate the difficulty in doing so, I
want to add that by calling it perfunctory is not an
insult; I meant the synopsis is extremely adequate),
and skipping any mythological observations, the author
jumped into their disappointment of the conclusion of
the trilogy in the comments section.
   The writer blamed "wretched sentimentality" for
ruining it for him. Also, although he was greatly
excited by the challenge of Xena and Hercules having to
kill someone who is already dead, he was disappointed
by the fact that no one, especially the viewer and
including Xena and Hercules, really understood HOW
Gragus and Darphus died. (To defend the episode,
Hercules did mumble something about only evil being
able to kill evil while he and Xena were fighting
Gragus. I admit it wasn't the best of explanations, but
at least an attempt was made.) 
   The article ended on the writer's consistent
disappointment in HTLJ's special effects. The writer
noted that even network shows can have bad special
effects (e.g. first two seasons of LOIS AND CLARK), but
used M.A.N.T.I.S. as an example of excellent use of
special effects. (It was not noted in the article but
the Raimi-Tapert team of Renaissance Pictures was
responsible for M.A.N.T.I.S).
   OVERVIEW
   These Spectrum articles have the historical
privilege of being the first serious media reaction to
XWP. The reviewer only saw the redemption theme of Xena
as the only thing that really worked in the trilogy. He
also observed that the acting skills of Kevin Sorbo and
Lucy Lawless saved the trilogy from becoming
unbearable.
   The trilogy did have its problems. First of all,
three different Xenas were presented in each of the
episodes. Ms. Lawless coped well, but the audience
easily could have problems with this. Second, HTLJ as a
show was still in its infancy. It is difficult to raise
a show, but the HTLJ almost had twins! HERCULES started
as a movie series in 04/25/94. Almost nine months
later, it premiered as a series on 01/16/95. Xena was
introduced in the series less than two months later
03/13/95. By the time the trilogy was resumed,
05/01/96, less than two months later, the decision to
make it a series had been finalized and pre=production
had started. A little over four months later, SINS OF
THE PATH was aired as XWP's first episode on 09/04/95.
There had been only 13 HERCULES shows aired by the time
XWP started. The producers were clearly working
overtime on these projects and were no doubt running on
fumes for a while.
   Transcription by Stacy Van Stipdonk.
   EXCERPT:
   THE WARRIOR PRINCESS [Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys]...
   ...COMMENTS: The main idea of the story -- to turn
Iolaus against Hercules -- isn't convincing for an
instant.  The lack of suspense removes any real drama
from the episode.  All is not lost, however, as Xena
proves to be a captivating outlaw.  Although she does
not remain a criminal for long, the success of the Xena
series rests on the foundation that the audience
believes she could be -- or, more accurately, that she
could have been.  The underlying darkness in her series
(absent in the Hercules series) arises from Lawless's
grim, tortured demeanor.  She convinces the viewer that
Xena is capable of atrocities, so the viewer can
appreciate the struggle within herself to gain
absolution.
   This capacity for evil is unsuccessful in the
seduction of Iolaus -- as previously mentioned, that is
never convincing.  A few other scenes, however, work
wonderfully in capturing her despicable character.  The
best is her cold-blooded murder of Estrogon.  It
succeeds well on several levels.  First, it reveals the
extent of her brutality.  Second, it's performed with a
cool weapon, her chakram (a Frisbee-like disc with a
hole in the center).  Third, the director's staging of
the event is perfect.  Finally, it concludes with a
shot of Xena, calmly standing, but with a face full of
rage.  Subtly, the shot presents a psychological
portrait of Xena: perfectly at ease with her own
malevolence.  It's no surprise the writers brought Xena
back.  Clearly, much could be done to utilize Lawless's
great portrayal of an interesting character.
   The episode never addresses one important question:
of what is Xena princess?  Arcadia?  She seems to be
more of a wandering renegade who has assembled a group
of men to follow her....
   ...THE GAUNTLET [Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys]...
   ...COMMENTS: Pretty violent stuff -- would the show
be more extensively edited if it were on a major
network instead of syndication?  The battle scenes are
intense, but even more so the Gauntlet sequence --
perhaps in part because it's a woman being attacked.
   This episode muddies the portrait of Xena's
personality and psychology; already there's a softening
taking place.  Her early admonition -- they are
"warriors, not barbarians" -- seems like a distinction
without a difference, given the context.  The
prohibition against killing women and children doesn't
conflict with her earlier appearance, although the
emphasis here gives viewers a considerably different
impression of Xena from what was portrayed in "The
Warrior Princess" (where she could have held those
beliefs, but they weren't emphasized).
   Why didn't Xena accompany Hercules to Parthus? 
Their separation seems to have been written merely to
create some (very) artificial suspense and to give her
a "dramatic" re-entrance.
   This episode's tone is quite different from the
usual Hercules fare much darker and more violent. 
Here, the Xena tone takes over.  Writer John Schulian
told Starlog that this episode was "a little too dark
.... [in] Hercules ... there is violence, but it's ail
done in a way that doesn't make you cringe."  "The
Gauntlet" episode, he continued, was not consistent
with the atmosphere of Hercules....
   UNCHAINED HEART [Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys]...
   ...COMMENTS: Part three of the "Xena Trilogy" comes
to a disappointing and muddled conclusion.  The
Hercules/Xena love plot is okay and a reasonable
extension of past events, but a couple of times the
staging of the scenes approaches (perhaps attains)
wretched sentimentality (i.e. when Iolaus comes upon
the two after he returns from a scouting expedition). 
Fortunately, the strength of Sorbo and Lawless as
actors saves many scenes that would have been
unwatchable with lesser performers.
   When that's not going on, the writers have to figure
out how Hercules and Xena are going to kill an enemy
who's already dead.  The idea of such a battle is
interesting.  Unfortunately, the conclusion falls flat. 
Gragus eats Darphus and bursts into flames.  Why?  Even
the characters watching the event have no explanations
reflection, we believe, of the thinking of the
episode's writers.
   Hercules has often been plagued with bad special
effects, and Gragus is no exception.  Quality effects
are always difficult on a television budget, and even
more so on a syndicated series budget.  The effects on
the first two years of ABC's Lois & Clark were awful
and only started to improve in the third season.  Yet
the work on Fox's M.A.N.T.I.S. was much better.  We
aren't expecting (or even asking for) Terminator 2-like
effects on Hercules, though we hope the effects team
are striving for better work than this episode
portrays.


[263] 05-01-96
   SPECTRUM. Vol. 1 No. 5. Page 6. 5949 words. "Xena:
Warrior Princess Episode Guide"
   COMMENTARY: Guide to episodes 1 through 10. Part 1
of two parts. Discussed each episode separately and
included comments about mythology. 
   The episode guide provided a short production and
guest star summary; a complete synopsis; a note on
myths where relevant; commentary on the episode; and
end-credit disclaimers where applicable.
   1. SINS OF THE PAST
   The synopsis section quoted the following lines of
dialogue:
   Gabrielle describing Perdicas as "dull and stupid".
   Xena's mother saying that Xena had brought "shame
and sorrow" to her.
   Draco asking Xena, "Celebrate your dark side; ride
with me." 
   In retrospect the selection of these lines was quite
canny. We now know the fate of Perdicas, from his
subsequent escape from Poteidaia, through his change of
heart in fighting for the Trojans at Troy (not to
mention the finding of a new body), through his
disillusionment with war and warriors, and finally to
his brief marriage to Gabrielle and senseless death at
the hands of Callisto (the Perdicas episodes being:
SINS OF THE PAST (#01), BEWARE GREEKS BEARING GIFTS
(#12), and RETURN OF CALLISTO (#29)).
   We also know more about the depth of pain that Xena
carries because of the shame and sorrow she brought to
her mother. That was made evident in the episode
REMEMBER NOTHING (#26).
   Finally, Xena's inner battle with her dark side is
what fuels the entire series.
   The mythology note noticed that there was no
Gabrielle in classical mythology and also pointed out
the name was neither Greek nor Roman. 
   FYI, the name Gabrielle is a feminized version of
the ancient Hebrew name Gabriel. This may have
significance along with the fact that Xena had contact
with ancient Hebrews (ROYAL COUPLE OF THIEVES (#17),
ALTARED STATES (#19), and GIANT KILLER (#27)).
   The commentary criticized SINS for being more like
HTLJ than the later darker XWP. I believe the reviewer
picked up on the similar feel that SINS had with THE
GAUNTLET (HTLJ #12), but was confused because the
grittiness and brutality of THE GAUNTLET was less
infected by the internal comedy relief of Salmoneus,
than SINS was by its cyclops encounters and the
introduction of Gabrielle.
   2. CHARIOTS OF WAR
   The Synopsis section quoted the following lines of
dialogue:
   Gabrielle, describing Xena to Sphaerus: "Maybe
you've seen her? Six feet tall, dark hair, lots of
leather; she fights like the harpies in a bad mood."
   No mythology notes were given.
   The commentary focused on (1) the arrow removal
scene; (2) a conjecture that the episode's message was
"peace through strength"; (3) the wimpiness of both
Darius and Sphaerus; and (4) some of Gabrielle's better
lines.
   3. DREAMWORKER
   The synopsis section quoted the following lines of
dialogue:
   Morpheus' high priest describing Gabrielle: there's
a "fire about her," but she doesn't "stain herself with
blood".
   The Blind mystic tells Xena that Gabrielle will be
forced to lose her "blood innocence", and that Xena
must use a "dream passage" to rescue Gabrielle.
   The Mythology notes mentioned that Morpheus was the
God of Dreams.
   The reviewer called DREAMWORKER the "quintessential
Xena episode." I cannot help but agree. Also, the later
episodes of REMEMBER NOTHING (#26), RETURN OF CALLISTO
(#29), and INTIMATE STRANGER (#31) added greatly to the
themes developed in this early episode.
   4. CRADLE OF HOPE
   The synopsis section quoted the following lines of
dialogue:
   Gabrielle after finding the baby: "Xena, can we keep
him?"
   The Myth notes found the show's disregard for
consistency or unified continuity amusing. It reviewed
the Pandora myth (with an editorial note that "none of
[it] makes much sense, even on a symbolic level") and
criticized the episode for the ending joke that there
was nothing in Pandora's box to begin with.
   The commentary focused on (1) the threading of
various myths in the episode; and (2) the appearance of
another wimpy sensitive man (the King). The writer also
marveled over Xena's hands of steel when she caught
Nemos' sword with her bare hands. Ouch! The writer
mentioned that Xena repeated this feat in THE BLACK
WOLF (#11). CRADLE OF HOPE (#04) was also the first
episode with those "weird disclaimers that often appear
during the end credits".
   5. THE PATH NOT TAKEN
   The Myth note explored the historical Mezentius, who
was a king of the Etruscans.
   The commentary noted that CRADLE OF HOPE (#04) and
THE PATH NOT TAKEN (#05) were related plot wise. The
episode made the reviewer wonder where Xena got her
money!
   6. THE RECKONING
   The mythology notes stated, "Ares, the Greek god of
war, is the half-brother of Hercules.  (Ares is the son
of Zeus and Hera; Hercules is the son of Zeus and
Alcmena.)"
   The commentary noted a change in the presentation of
men in the show and discussed the strong allusions in
the episode to the temptation of Christ.  The reviewer
concluded that "On the other hand, this parallel (and
others) should not be over-emphasized or over-analyzed. 
Xena is certainly not an allegory, and we doubt that it
employs, or even attempts, symbolism.  The writers
simply pull story elements from a wide variety of
sources for whatever occasion suits their needs."  
   In XMR I wrote an editorial in XMR #12 (June 21,
1996) which took exception to the comment, "Xena is
certainly not an allegory". I have rewritten it in part
below.
   XENA AS ALLEGORY
   I finally got a copy of the May 1996 issue of
SPECTRUM (#05), which contains the first part of an
episode guide (episodes 1 through 10) and a seasonal
review of XWP. It is a wonderful effort and I applaud
an "off-Broadway" journal for beating CINEFANTASTIQUE
and SCI-FI UNIVERSE to the punch of putting together an
episode by episode review and analysis of XWP.  Much
thought and care to detail went into the production and
some very good issues were raised.  I feel somewhat
disappointed that WHOOSH! did not beat SPECTRUM as the
first journal to present XWP as an artwork worthy of
such analysis, but I am also heartened knowing that
WHOOSH! will devote it's whole being to XWP and not
just ten pages out of forty.
   In the analysis for THE RECKONING (where that wild
and crazy god Ares attempted to seduce Xena back to the
dark side while Xena was being tortured and put on
trial for murders she did not commit) Craig Miller (the
editor, writer, and publisher of SPECTRUM) wrote:
   "Just as 'Cradle of Hope' seems partially inspired
by the story of Moses in the Old Testament, 'The
Reckoning' brings to mind the incident in the New
Testament where Satan tempts a weakened Christ. This
parallel might seem like a bit of a stretch, although
Robert Tapert told SCI-FI ENTERTAINMENT, 'For both
shows [Hercules and Xena], we'll start to raise a few
stories from the Bible.' On the other hand, this
parallel (and others) should not be over-emphasized or
over-analyzed. Xena is certainly not an allegory, and
we doubt that it employs, or even attempts, symbolism.
The writers simply pull story elements from a wide
variety of sources for whatever occasion suits their
needs."
   There are several issues raised by this paragraph I
should like to discuss.
   First. The theme of temptation is firmly established
in our literary traditions. Its historical antecedents
include not only Christ's temptation but also is found
in our own time in STAR WARS, westerns, and many other
popular artforms.  It easily joins in with the themes
of redemption and the hero's quest, which are also
themes found in great supply in XWP. 
   Many of the themes found in the Bible are found in
earlier tales and, or course, later ones. These themes
are used in the art of storytelling.  The story-teller
uses themes as tools to weave their craft. Thus, it is
not really that much of a stretch to read the episode
as an essay in temptation. Ares uses a variety of
techniques to convince Xena to join him as his Queen.
That he would go to that much trouble clearly
establishes that temptation is a major focus, if not
THE focus, of this episode.
   Since the anticipated audience for this episode
would be primarily western Christian, it does not take
a rocket scientist to make the connections between this
episode and the other great tales of temptation in our
past.  The Temptation of Christ is a major theme in the
art of western civilization.
   However, Christ's temptation was of a lower force
trying to bring down a higher force. Xena's was higher
force trying to manipulate a mere mortal. Christ was a
spiritual truth that Satan wanted to test and
eventually break so that Christ would fail on His
mission. The temptation of Xena by Ares had more of a
sexual context than spiritual one, although the
spiritual aspects cannot be denied. Furthermore, Xena
was not at that time a "Christ figure". She was a
reformed violent and evil warlord. She had "found the
path to good" and was warily treading it. Ares wanted
her back. Satan did not want Christ back, Satan wanted
Christ to fail. Ares tested Xena's resolve, and Xena as
a mortal, was very susceptible. Whereas Satan was
doomed to fail by definition; Xena had no such
definition. She could fail and Ares knew it. That added
to the overall drama of Xena's quest. She could fail
and she indeed did so a couple of times (THE RECKONING
(#06) and TIES THAT BIND (#20)); luckily for the show
however, Gabrielle (Xena's current moral compass) was
the agent of her return to the proper path.
   Second. Such parallels seem to abound in XWP. The
writers and the producers are very canny people. They
have made a very intelligent parody that has a firm
foundation in many themes exalted by western and
eastern civilizations. The fact that XWP can be
analyzed in progressively deeper levels (as is being
discovered on several of the mailing lists about XWP)
demonstrates that there are things in it worthy of
analysis.  Things which perhaps are capable of
surviving over-emphasis or over-analysis (well, I hope
so!!).
   Third. XWP is an allegory. An allegory is "a
literary, dramatic, or pictorial device in which each
character, object, and event symbolically illustrates
an idea or moral or religious principle." (from
Webster's).  
   XWP is not an allegory as perhaps Dante's Inferno is
(which, to give Mr. Miller a reasonable doubt, I shall
assume this is what he meant by saying XWP is not an
allegory).  Of course not, because XWP is a television
show which must make money and entertain at the same
time. It also gets made weekly with a possibility of
continuing another year if it's lucky. It is not
written by one person, it is not guided by one creative
power, and it is not likely to be completely self-
consistent.  However, there are classic themes involved
in the story-telling in Xena. These are great themes
found in all literature and all stories of all cultures
on earth (and even in Klingon opera!): redemption;
temptation; loyalties of friendship; the hero's quest;
moral battles; family duties; and, tests and
difficulties, to name a few. These themes are played
out through characters, objects and events in XWP. It
happens with such a great frequency that one can only
conclude that the writers and producers are aware of
this and are cultivating it (hmmm, sounds like a
conspiracy to me! Quick call Oliver Stone!).
   Fourth. XWP not only utilizes symbolism, but in fact
embraces it. Perhaps given the inspiration of the fuzzy
pre-classical Greek timeframe, the show reaps symbols
from all over the world from ancient times to the
present.  The show is a cultural moshpit: racially
diverse cast; Asian marital arts; middle eastern
weapons; Southern California accents; popular culture
references; use of American slang; European medieval
clothing; permed hairstyles; anachronistic set design;
etc.  Through all this confusion, the use of symbolism
and allegory have become one of the most important
unifying devices of the show.
   All of this is too prevalent. This prevalence is
evidence that it is being done purposely and is being
developed and cultivated. I would say this is strong
evidence that the writers and producers not only are
attempting symbolism, but that they are successful at
it.
   Fifth. True, "the writers simply pull story elements
from a wide variety of sources for whatever occasion
suits their needs."  On a level which is concerned with
the integrity of the individual story elements, that is
true. However, one must ask what are the writers'
needs? How do they use these elements? Do they produce
something which is unique to that episode? Or do they
try to build on something that has already been
started? Do they employ the devices of symbolism and
allegory? Do they hearkened back to a previous
tradition or allude to a moral theme? Do they implement
macro-themes or micro-themes? Is the macro-theme an
allegory? Is the micro-theme a symbol?
   I obviously disagree with Mr. Miller's observation
that XWP is not an allegory or that it attempts to use
symbolism. XWP is a very witty and canny television
show. It is also campy and silly. However, many of the
underlying themes and continuing plots employed by the
show are indeed expressed through allegory and
symbolism.

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Continued in Part 4

