11: 1x21 "The Greater Good"

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Gabrielle steps into Xena’s boots (and boobs?)! We’ve reached 1x21, "The Greater Good" and it is A BIG DEAL, so much so that we’re devoting a whole episode of the podcast to it. (1x22 "Callisto" gets the same treatment next week, don't you worry.) Join Vera, Katie, and Livy for an in-depth conversation about the subtle power of Renee O’Connor’s acting choices, the distressing vulnerability of Xena without her physical strength, the necessity of comedy to underscore tragedy, and the many, many uses of fizzy water!

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10: 1x19-20 "Altared States" & "Ties That Bind"

Daddy issues abound on this week’s XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! First Vera, Katie, and Livy talk about 1x19 “Altared States,” notable less for its ripped-from-the-Old-Testament plotline and more for its insinuating teaser, which, uh, is so NOT about fishing. (Also hello, Karl Urban!) Then it’s on to 1x20, “Ties That Bind,” where Ares pretends to be Xena’s dad and Freud has a field day. We discuss the gorgeous on-location cinematography, Gabrielle’s evolution from comic relief to co-lead, and the symbolic meaning of Ares’ stupid little earring.

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09: 1x17-18 "The Royal Couple of Thieves" & "The Prodigal"

The Bruce is loose this week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! Bruce Campbell makes his first appearance as Autolycus in 1x17, “The Royal Couple of Thieves,” bringing with him his signature comedy stylings and Robin Hood-y charisma. Vera, Katie, and Livy discuss his screwball chemistry with Lucy Lawless and his unique ability to play the role of leading man without pulling focus from the leading lady. Then we move on to 1x18, “The Prodigal,” an important Gabrielle episode in which she gets her own leading man, down-on-his-luck warrior Meleager. We discuss the war trauma that underscores their bond (Gabrielle so has a damaged hero fetish...) and how her experience with Meleager helps Gabrielle overcome her crisis of confidence. We also talk about the return of Lila and the importance of sisterly -- and not so sisterly -- relationships on the show. Cue our “Be More Gay” song!

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08: 1x15-16 "Warrior...Princess" & "Mortal Beloved"

Take a stroll with us through (Tartarus) the Elysian Fields on this week’s XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! Vera, Katie, and Livy laugh it up at the first purely comic Xena ep, 1x15 “Warrior...Princess,” a Mark Twain mash-up of mistaken identity and courtly intrigue. We discuss Xena’s performance of femaleness and the apparently really elaborate tests she’s been administering to Gabrielle behind the scenes?? Then it’s on to 1x16, “Mortal Beloved,” which marks the glorious return of BFOTW Marcus, who, despite being dead, still looks damn good without his vest! We discuss this episode’s two grand romances: Xena and Marcus’s love connection that crosses the boundaries of life and death, and Gabrielle’s unspoken devotion to Xena that leads her to wait (and wait and wait) for her beloved’s return.

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07: 1x13-14 "Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards" & "A Fistful of Dinars"

Uh-oh, this is a week of contrary opinions on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST. Vera, Katie, and Livy wax poetical over the improbable gem, 1x13 “Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards,” which despite being a clip show -- that much loathed episode format usually considered a waste of valuable tv plotting space -- actually breaks a ton of new ground! We talk about Gabrielle’s surprising choice to leave Xena behind, the utopian ultra-supportive artists’ collective she establishes with her many charming BFsOTW, and the imaginative editing techniques this episode uses to depict the bards’ different storytelling styles. Then we go against the fandom grain in 1x14, “A Fistful of Dinars,” and give this seemingly well-liked episode a big thumbs down. We puzzle over why Petracles’s hair is the way it is, why the gods created ambrosia in the first place, and why this episode is named after a spaghetti western when it’s more of an Indiana Jones serial?? Just...so many why’s.

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