Time loops.
Gotta love a good time loop.
They did one on Legends of Tomorrow I simply adored and this episode of Xena is fighting for top billing on time loop episodes.
It plays on the camp of repeating the same day over and over and over and over and over until you lose your mind just a little.
I really love that take on it.
Because you would.
Unable to move forward, to stop the events from unfolding, not knowing why this is happening. I’d lose my marbles too.
And Xena’s unhinged trip through this day was hilarious and wonderful.
I loved that she just straight up murdered Joxer one day. Killed a chicken without second thought in case it was the chicken’s fault the day was repeating. Let an entire town murder each other without caring at all as she plotted out her Chakram throw to save everyone.
She tied up Joxer and Gabrielle. Told them the entire shocking story one day leaving them utterly speechless. Slept in on another day.
Tried everything she could think of to change the events.
Got little old ladies to tell her all the juiciest gossip.
Answered questions Joxer and Gabrielle had before they could ask them because she lived through the day so many times she had it memorized.
Which made me wonder how many days she’s lived through. Has it been an entire year’s worth of days? More? Less?
I’m really curious about how long Xena was trapped in that sort of hell trying to understand why this was happening. Because that truly sucks.
She’s completely alone in this mess for the longest time before she realizes someone else knows what’s happening as well.
Until that point, she spends many, many days alone in her suffering. Desperately trying to explain to Joxer and Gabrielle over and over that she’s lived through the day already.
Much to their confusion and thoughts that Xena is losing her mind.
Which, she pretty much is.
Imagine it, reliving one day forever.
How lonely would it be? How depressing? How frustrating to know you need to save everyone trapped in the time loop but are unable to piece together how?
And the only one who could tell you everything, well, he’s forbidden from telling Xena shit.
Because you know, Greek gods are asses.
Also, the guy didn’t know Xena was the hero he needed. He thought he’d get Hercules. Well, sorry dude, wrong show. But you do have the better hero of the two. Sorry Hercules.
I love Xena just too much and she has overcome a lot to be the hero she is now. One could take on this challenge and succeed.
Would anyone else have been able to accomplish this feat?
She’s got the Chakram.
Could anyone else have stopped all the bad things from happening and shatter the glass vile preventing a woman from killing herself without that little bouncy circle she carries?
I doubt it.
Brains beat brawn. Yes, I’m quoting Lex Luthor. But you know, he’s right. He just always underestimates how smart Superman is.
The day repeats. An repeats. And repeats.
Each with a different outcome.
The first, Joxer dies. The second, Argo is lost. Then Gabrielle. The entire town, etc.
I also must thank the writers for not showing Argo’s death even though I’m mad it happened regardless. Even though it was undone. I hate animal violence. Even on TV shows. Makes my blood boil.
Moving on.
Joxer’s death was surprisingly sad.
While I’m not entirely convinced the show needs him, I’m somewhat used to him like a fungus. I don’t think I mourn his death too badly, but I am sad he dies at all.
It’s a weird feeling.
I don’t dislike him as much as I did in the beginning, but I also don’t freak out as much as when we lost Argo or Gabrielle. I’m still sad. Just less so.
He’s growing on me.
Leave me alone.
I do think he needs to work on his Gabrielle crush. It is a fruitless thing that’s going to go nowhere. After all, ‘is that a hickey?’
A literal sentence followed by Gabrielle looked shy…? Guilty?
She definitely left that hickey there.
Also, they were sleeping together multiple times in this episode.
At the start of each morning in the stables. Then together by the fire after the funeral for Joxer. They were snuggled together, mirroring the lovers watching on.
I mean, the censors would not allow for outright statements, but this show’s bread and butter comes from the subtle moments.
Cuddling together could be two friends comforting each other. But when, not too far off in the distance two people we know to be in love and in a romantic relationship are posing in the same fashion – is it really just friendship we’re seeing?
No.
Not at all.
Not to say they aren’t friends. They are.
But there’s so much more here.
Apparently, involving hickeys.
I don’t even think I need to clarify that one any further. There is no other way to take Joxer’s innocent question combined with Gabrielle’s face when he mentions it. Just nope.
In the words of Sam Reigel about Imodna “They f*cking.”
Plain and simple.
Now, I love the so much about the two of them here in this episode. Despite alternating between thinking Xena’s losing it and trying to find a reasonable explanation, Gabrielle just rolls with it.
She reasons and ask reasonable questions but when push comes to shove she listens to Xena as they handle the repeating day.
Sure, some things don’t make sense. Sure, it’s weird. But it’s Xena. How bad could it really be?
She’ll follow her anywhere.
It’s positively amazing to me the trust bestowed on Xena by Gabrielle at times. Because Xena sounds absolutely insane this episode. Babbling about feuds and nightsbane.
Loved the shopkeeper. Little details like that make the show.
“I should label the bottles. Of course, I can’t read.” Dude, I love you. Please be in every episode.
Welp, the vile must have been stolen. Cool. Alright. Xena’s wild question pops in “Anyone drop dead lately?”
His cheery, “Nope!”
That interaction was just awesome. I love that in the midst of the crazy, we can still get even sillier and funnier for no reason other than we just could. We’re show that doesn’t care about how it looks or comes across sometimes, so we’ll mock an already messed up situation because why not?
Back to Xena and Gabrielle, there is no straight explanation for the way Xena says ‘good girl’ to Gabrielle when she takes a guy out with her staff. Xena was having trouble keeping it in her pants right there.
I mean, if people weren’t dying around her and she wasn’t losing it and the censors would allow for it… Well, there’s plenty of fanfic about what happens when the cameras aren’t rolling. See for yourself.
Overall, this is a stand-out episode!
We get a zany and wacky adventure with no real consequences. Xena saves the day and we have a wonderful moment where Xena sucks her thumb and holds turnips like they’re boobs in front of Gabrielle.
I personally believe the people who wanted to censor the show were blind because there were no women just making out on screen. They missed all the nuance of storytelling these writers and actors gave to the characters, because I’m aware that Lucy Lawless improvised several of the key moments in this episode.
The hickey. The thumb. Turnips.
I must send a shout out to Lucy Lawless for knowing the audience she was playing to and telling the story for and it is greatly appreciated even 30 years later. I feel she ought to know how important she and this show is to people in the LGBTQ+ community.
It was an incredibly enjoyable experience to watch this episode and lean into the camp and the goofiness of living in ancient Greece where gods intervene but not in the most helpful of ways sometimes. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
But most importantly for this episode, love wins out.
A much important and common theme for this show of the importance of love. That it does not matter who it is for. Last names, women, men, and so on.
Love is a good thing, and this show never shies away from telling us that.
Love is love. And as long as no one is hurting anyone, it should be celebrated.
I love this show, and I think it should be celebrated as well. Please take a moment and tell me one of your favorite scenes or episodes from Xena Warrior Princess.
Thanks for reading! Spread the love and read on!
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