Xena: Episode 2x01, "Orphan of War"

[helloladies]

In a time without a Black Widow movie on the horizon, two fans in turmoil cried out for a heroine. She was Xena, a mighty female protagonist forged in the fires of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. The action, the camp, the queer subtext. Her adventures will rock their worlds.

Clare: Did everybody have a good summer of 1996? I hope you did, because the second season of Xena goes from zero to sixty in no time. Back in ye olden days, before Netflix and chill (ask your parents), season premieres had to be able to appeal to both regular viewers and reel in new viewers. (I mean, they still have to, but it was imperative back then.)

What makes Xena a compelling television show? Well, there’s Xena’s ongoing quest to to atone for her sins during her past as a ruthless, near-genocidal warlord. There’s snarky but kind Gabrielle, now with added bo staff action. There’s their beautiful love affair friendship. And then there’s the bizarro kind of Greek myth world they inhabit and its hysterically bad special effects. ( Read more... )