Xena Afternoon
Jun. 4th, 2009 02:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
exhilarationWell, apparently I've never seen the first half of the first season of Xena, cause I watched it this morning and it was all new to me. Prolly seen season three and four about five times, but I guess never the entire first season. Interesting watch it's been.
2. Chariots of Fire
Well, okay, so, we see Xena's underwear again, who would have thought? I've never seen this episode before either. Xena has lost the odd headband and her hair is that regular old Xena-do, but twice we see her hanging about without her armor on, and this doesn't include when she wore the blue dress either.
Gabrielle is still pretty much a pest - she calls Xena her "best friend" which is just kinda odd, I mean, they just met. I'd say that Gabrielle's got a mad crush on Xena but I don't think that's what it is. I never saw these first episodes - I didn't know if we'd see them locking eyes and seeing their destiny or what ever - we don't. Gabrielle has a mad crush on excitement. She's got a wild imagination and she's dead set on living up to it, and that's what Xena represents to her.
Xena's battle cry does not have an echo in this episode like it did in the pilot. I guess they decided it's better without it, cause the pilot's the only time I've ever heard an echo.
Also we hear about Ares but we don't get to meet him yet. AAaaaannnd, we see Gabrielle talking the Cyclops into lift the cage off of her, which is a scene from the opening sequence.
3. Dreamworker
So, Gabrielle had six toes on her right foot, when she was born, eh? Hah! I am such a sucker for polydactyly! Extra toes and fingers are totally hot! Xena doesn't take her armor off once in this episode, btw.
Xena meets Evil Xena in Morpheus's realm and she says some wise words to Gabrielle at the end which she then tries to brush off as just saying what she thought Gab wanted to hear. The episode was kind of where we first get to see how Xena finds it important, even when she barely knows her, to protect Gabrielle's innocence.
4. Cradle of Hope
Ah, here we see the "king" from the opening sequence! Cool that. And yeah, anyway, Gabrielle, who sends a baby down a river in a basket? Foreshadow much? Aaaannnd we have Xena breathing fire! Awesome!
I love how Xena's a really awkward dancer. She dances at other points in the series too and it always looks really strange. It makes me giggle :P
This is also the second time that Xena has said, in a very sad, flat voice, that she didn't do her good deed for payment. She's a pretty conflicted character, even though she seems so sure of herself when she says "I'm not that person anymore" or "I'm not that Xena" - she's doing all these good deeds to atone for all the other atrocities she's committed, so really, she hasn't left her past behind at all. It's her motivation for everything she does.
Evidence that Xena is part god: she doesn't have any battles scars, does she? And yet she gets shot with an arrow and knows exactly what to expect, so obviously she's been wounded many times. Yeah, there are people who are quick healers. But I think she's a bit above us mere mortals. Even a few episodes into the series there's evidence to support that. Also, I always thought Xena was a little crazed. She's really calm and stoic in the beginning, and that's her holding it in for the time being. As the series goes on, she lets it show a little more. Being part god can do that to you, drive you mad like that, I bet.
5. The Path Not Taken
Xena's such a badass. And Gabrielle, as enthralled as she is by Xena's life, seems to miss half of it! She comments that it seems like there's always a seat for them whenever they go into a tavern, barely noticing Xena breathing fire in some guy's face and pounding another - I guess two women in a busy tavern like that would draw a lot of negative attention and Xena just deflects it all without breaking a sweat, and Gab's just all "blah blah blah look a seat for us!"
This episode seems to hold the distinction of the first appearance of the hot tub. Xena always seems to find a place with a tub :P Or in this case, a spring, but we know it's all the same piece of the set :P Looks like it's also the first time we hear Xena sing, and the first mention of one of Xena's past loves. I think in the first ep we know she had something going on with Draco the warlord, but with Marcus she seems to genuinely care about him.
6. The Reckoning
Hmm, Xena's got her sword on her back in this ep. Is it going to stay there or is she going to switch back and forth for a while? Aaannndd Xena is in her underwear yet again! How ever did I miss all this? Here's something interesting: is this episode really the first time she actually sees Ares? I thought their pre-Hercules history was a little more intimate than that!
I'm having trouble with her character here - I don't really get why she's refusing to defend herself against the accusations mounted against her. It's not because of her guilt over her past deeds - I don't buy that one. Is it because she knows this was all set up by Ares and he's playing her for something? From the very beginning? She'd have to know him pretty well to play the playa, so... again, this is the first time they met in person? I dunno, this one didn't quite make sense to me.
Another notch on the Xena's-half-god belt, though, is her ability to pull her chains right out of the prison wall - and conveniently right after Ares mentioned her super-mortal strength. Yeah, he knows. She's in denial, but he knows what she is.
2. Chariots of Fire
Well, okay, so, we see Xena's underwear again, who would have thought? I've never seen this episode before either. Xena has lost the odd headband and her hair is that regular old Xena-do, but twice we see her hanging about without her armor on, and this doesn't include when she wore the blue dress either.
Gabrielle is still pretty much a pest - she calls Xena her "best friend" which is just kinda odd, I mean, they just met. I'd say that Gabrielle's got a mad crush on Xena but I don't think that's what it is. I never saw these first episodes - I didn't know if we'd see them locking eyes and seeing their destiny or what ever - we don't. Gabrielle has a mad crush on excitement. She's got a wild imagination and she's dead set on living up to it, and that's what Xena represents to her.
Xena's battle cry does not have an echo in this episode like it did in the pilot. I guess they decided it's better without it, cause the pilot's the only time I've ever heard an echo.
Also we hear about Ares but we don't get to meet him yet. AAaaaannnd, we see Gabrielle talking the Cyclops into lift the cage off of her, which is a scene from the opening sequence.
3. Dreamworker
So, Gabrielle had six toes on her right foot, when she was born, eh? Hah! I am such a sucker for polydactyly! Extra toes and fingers are totally hot! Xena doesn't take her armor off once in this episode, btw.
Xena meets Evil Xena in Morpheus's realm and she says some wise words to Gabrielle at the end which she then tries to brush off as just saying what she thought Gab wanted to hear. The episode was kind of where we first get to see how Xena finds it important, even when she barely knows her, to protect Gabrielle's innocence.
4. Cradle of Hope
Ah, here we see the "king" from the opening sequence! Cool that. And yeah, anyway, Gabrielle, who sends a baby down a river in a basket? Foreshadow much? Aaaannnd we have Xena breathing fire! Awesome!
I love how Xena's a really awkward dancer. She dances at other points in the series too and it always looks really strange. It makes me giggle :P
This is also the second time that Xena has said, in a very sad, flat voice, that she didn't do her good deed for payment. She's a pretty conflicted character, even though she seems so sure of herself when she says "I'm not that person anymore" or "I'm not that Xena" - she's doing all these good deeds to atone for all the other atrocities she's committed, so really, she hasn't left her past behind at all. It's her motivation for everything she does.
Evidence that Xena is part god: she doesn't have any battles scars, does she? And yet she gets shot with an arrow and knows exactly what to expect, so obviously she's been wounded many times. Yeah, there are people who are quick healers. But I think she's a bit above us mere mortals. Even a few episodes into the series there's evidence to support that. Also, I always thought Xena was a little crazed. She's really calm and stoic in the beginning, and that's her holding it in for the time being. As the series goes on, she lets it show a little more. Being part god can do that to you, drive you mad like that, I bet.
5. The Path Not Taken
Xena's such a badass. And Gabrielle, as enthralled as she is by Xena's life, seems to miss half of it! She comments that it seems like there's always a seat for them whenever they go into a tavern, barely noticing Xena breathing fire in some guy's face and pounding another - I guess two women in a busy tavern like that would draw a lot of negative attention and Xena just deflects it all without breaking a sweat, and Gab's just all "blah blah blah look a seat for us!"
This episode seems to hold the distinction of the first appearance of the hot tub. Xena always seems to find a place with a tub :P Or in this case, a spring, but we know it's all the same piece of the set :P Looks like it's also the first time we hear Xena sing, and the first mention of one of Xena's past loves. I think in the first ep we know she had something going on with Draco the warlord, but with Marcus she seems to genuinely care about him.
6. The Reckoning
Hmm, Xena's got her sword on her back in this ep. Is it going to stay there or is she going to switch back and forth for a while? Aaannndd Xena is in her underwear yet again! How ever did I miss all this? Here's something interesting: is this episode really the first time she actually sees Ares? I thought their pre-Hercules history was a little more intimate than that!
I'm having trouble with her character here - I don't really get why she's refusing to defend herself against the accusations mounted against her. It's not because of her guilt over her past deeds - I don't buy that one. Is it because she knows this was all set up by Ares and he's playing her for something? From the very beginning? She'd have to know him pretty well to play the playa, so... again, this is the first time they met in person? I dunno, this one didn't quite make sense to me.
Another notch on the Xena's-half-god belt, though, is her ability to pull her chains right out of the prison wall - and conveniently right after Ares mentioned her super-mortal strength. Yeah, he knows. She's in denial, but he knows what she is.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-05 12:12 am (UTC)Didn't realize she was half-god though.
Yay Xena recaps!
no subject
Date: 2009-06-05 02:05 am (UTC)I think i've made it clear which interpretation i support :P
no subject
Date: 2009-06-05 02:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-05 12:39 pm (UTC)S1 is calling you
(in response to your post) DONT go see Terminator, it's awful!
no subject
Date: 2009-06-11 12:42 pm (UTC)