…and she’s still changing the world

Today marks a special day in history.

A day that goes down in LGBTQ+ history. The day Xena Warrior Princess premiered on TV! A truly wonderful day in LGBTQ+ history and television history.

One that everyone should remember and honor.

Today should be a freaking holiday. Everyone should take the day off and watch Xena reruns in celebration. There should be parades and we should honor everyone who wrote this show and worked on this show.

I love this show so much.

I know I haven’t completed my reviews on the series. I haven’t even finished watching it with my girlfriend due to the whole my house burnt down thing. You know. That kind of gets in the way of things.

However, I have my set up again and while I initially planned to do something more leading up to this fine day in history. Life had other plans though, I still wanted to honor this day, and this gem of a show.

My ability to thank the creators, actresses, and writers will never be enough to convey how much I adore this show.

Everything about this show is amazing.

Xena, Gabrielle, and their relationship. The writing.

Episodes like A Day in the Life are simply stunning. There’s no real action taking place, but Gabrielle and Xena carry the entire episode with just their relationship.

Is There a Doctor in the House is another example where little action takes place, but their relationship takes center stage. It makes the show sing.

It’s what makes the show what it is.

The campy atmosphere, the humor, the redemption, other characters, the setting, and so much more are wonderful. Everything about the show is wonderful.

But the best thing, the thing that makes the entire show so amazing, so enduring is the timeless love between Xena and Gabrielle. Because yes, they’re in love with each other.

It’s impossible to think otherwise.

Like saying this shit is gay is getting redundant in my reviews.

There is no other way to interpret their relationship. Why else would Xena look so sad that Gabrielle got married? Why else would he not make it out of the episode alive?

I mean, let’s be honest, this show kills more straights than anyone else. It’s crazy. If you fall for Xena or Gabrielle, you’re most likely to end up dead than anything else. Even if you don’t end up dead, you’re definitely not getting the girl at the end of the story.

No matter what the end result of the adventure is, Xena ends up with Gabrielle. And Gabrielle ends up with Xena.

They’re always together.

They always choose each other.

Even when a curse is at stake.

When they’re lives are on the line.

When there are less dangerous options. Over family, friends, allies, and so on. There’s nothing more important to them than each other.

Their bond, their relationship makes the entire show.

The chemistry between Lucy and Renee is amazing. Every moment they’re on screen is amazing. They’re funny together, sweet, kind, caring, and honest together. Their dynamic is amazing fun no matter what they’re doing. Even if they’re playing a silly game while walking down the road.

Or fishing.

Nothing else matters. The inconsistencies in the timeline, the random historical events.

Joxer.

So much Joxer. Too much Joxer.

This show means the world to me.

It’s chaos and good fun and feels like fanfic come to life. There’s nothing else like it on TV. Maybe Hercules, but we’re not talking about that or the actor who helmed that…

Anyway, moving on.

Xena is the type of hero we need on TV. Right now. Someone who stands up to the little people. Who proves that it’s never too late to change. That darkness isn’t always a bad thing. She’s strong, but kind. She’s ruthless but fair. She loves and loves freely to the people she trusts. She’s a whole person.

Not just written like a woman who punches stuff.

I mean, she does.

But there’s more to her than just punching.

She’s a friend, a person. She gets scared, nervous. She loves. She changes and grows throughout the show. The person we meet in the pilot episode who wants it all to end. The one who buries her armor and her sword in an attempt to leave her bloody past behind but is unable to stand by when she witnesses Gabrielle stand up for what was right.

Gabrielle is this innocent woman, who wishes she could be someone else. Someone stronger, more like Xena.

While Xena knows for a fact that that is the last thing she wants.

Gabrielle wishes to take up a weapon only to discover that she does not have the capacity to kill. Inside of a sword, she takes up a staff and proves useful in other ways that Xena isn’t entirely skilled at.

She can talk to people. Tell stories and use her brain to understand the world around her, even if she sees it through rose-colored glasses.

While Xena wants to preserve all the goodness, kindness, and all the things Gabrielle represents to her. Everything she fights for. The reason she keeps taking up her sword. The reason she gets out of her bedroll every morning.

Gabrielle matures through the two seasons I’ve watched. Going from this yappy, happy go lucky, overly chatty girl who follows Xena around like a puppy to a formidable fighter and woman in her own right. One at the beginning of season two is entrusted with her son’s safety during a battle.

Something I would not have expected from the first episode Gabrielle.

Or a woman who successfully defends her hometown.

Instead of that frightened woman standing up to warlords and having no real defense against them, she stands against an army rallying her town to ward them off successfully. She’s strong and kind and smart. She doesn’t rely on weapons to win the day nor Xena any longer.

But I think one of the most interesting things is that Xena likes protecting Gabrielle.

Being needed by her.

She even says it when they’re ambushed and Gabrielle freezes. Xena insists that she doesn’t mind that Gabrielle brings little more danger to her life because she must watch over both of them now.

And on the flip side, Gabrielle doesn’t like it.

Even when she first travels with Xena, she tries to make herself useful. Wanting to learn to fight and wield a sword to help Xena.

Xena insists that it’s not the answer and I love this continued dynamic.

Even though Gabrielle is more than capable of coming to her own defense, Xena enjoys being her protecter. Her guardian.

It never bothers her.

Not even when she could lose her eyesight.

Not when she could be cursed aboard a ship forever.

And in return, I love that Gabrielle wants to be as much help as possible, though understands she has limits.

Dealing with a cursed ship?

Xena better handle this.

She encourages her to come aboard despite the warnings, believing beyond doubt or reason that Xena will save them both.

It’s a core dynamic throughout the show that I simply love so much. It makes the show work so well as each character grows and adapts and we see them in the same situations in new ways.

Because finding themselves in a war in season two is different than season one.

Xena wanted to stop the war in season one. She wanted to win it in season two.

Gabrielle knew very little about war, healing, and the ramifications, relying heavily on Xena in season one, and nearly dying because of it.

In season two, she’s an apt healer. She understands Xena is letting men die by diverting resources and is angered by it. She wants to end the war through compassion as Xena did during the first season while Xena forgets that and is being consumed by her darkness.

Gabrielle takes a risk that doesn’t get her hurt because she understood the other side better. Convincing Xena to do what was right.

I love the subtle changes and arcs that appear.

This show was truly one of a kind and one of the best ever made. And if you’ve never watched it, you should.

Right now.

GO!

Thanks for reading! Spread the love and read on!