Xena: Warrior Podcast

KILL BILL SIRENS, KILL BILL SIRENS! This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Vera, Katie, and Livy journey to the Land of the Rising Sun for 6x21 “A Friend in Need Part I,” the first half of the spectacular series finale. HOOOOMG, heavy breathing… We discuss why Japan is an appropriate setting for Xena’s last adventure, the cinematic influences that aren’t just an homage but a full circle of exchange, and divisive new character Akemi, whose compelling mix of innocence and guile keeps us guessing. Then there’s LEWKS LEWKS LEWKS including boat bikinis, Aaliyah realness, the scene-stealing hat, SEXY SAMURAI, grown-up warrior Gabs, and more. Plus: Gabrielle’s final lesson, the surprising moment that had Katie in tears, and *Borias voice* Daddy... The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodg

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we’ve got mail! It’s the fifth installment of our fabulous Hermes’ Hermès Mailbag, and Vera, Katie, and Livy are answering your questions! We talk about our favorite episodes and lewks, pitch alternate universe concepts, discuss S6’s use of color, mourn the loss of the When Fates Collide kiss, and examine the big question that started it all, why does Buffy gets more critical attention than Xena? Plus: we give you a behind-the-scenes look at making the podcast, and flail emotionally about how close we are to the series finale. Like omg…so close. The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, here comes the bride! Vera, Katie, and Livy are pulling a major retcon with 6x20 “Soul Possession,” a weird grab bag of an episode that makes a tangle out of its many loose threads. We discuss Joxer as this episode’s emotional center, its puzzling decision to return to the events of Adventures in the Sin Trade and Déjà Vu All Over Again, Ares’ nonsensical contract, Xena’s last long con, and yet another in-show portrayal of Xena fandom. Plus: Ares’ wig, Xena’s leg slit, Jesus’s tomb, Operation Varsity Blues, souls have thumbs, Josh Becker spills tea one last time, and the show’s true end is... Joxer farting?! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, things are getting Sapphic! Vera, Katie, and Livy are partying it up with 6x19 “Many Happy Returns,” the show’s final comedy, which also happens to be one of its giddiest and most moving. We discuss this ep as a nonstop nostalgia fest with its many references to A Day in the Life, Callisto, Chariots of War, and more. Then, don your bell bottoms and platform shoes because we’re trapped in the disco inferno of “Last Chance,” Melissa Good’s script for the unproduced Sappho episode and it is A LOT!!! Plus: the best warlord ever?, a callback to good sitting, we don’t know what’s going on with Anthrax but we don’t like it, go watch Kimmy Schmidt!, Gabs gets a strap-on for her birthday, and also a sex squid! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hol

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, it’s love at first sight! Vera, Katie, and Livy are stepping into an alternate timeline with 6x18 “When Fates Collide,” one of Xena’s most romantic episodes. We discuss how writer Katherine Fugate found her way to Xena, why alternate realities are such a popular storytelling trope in fandom, the bold revisiting of “The Ides of March” that actually manages to match the original’s intensity, why this villain team-up works so well, predestination vs. free will, and all the amazing Roman LEWKS! Plus: Neil?, fajinking, running foundation, Tipping the Velvet, Altications, soft back touching, and washing your hands in the clip! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarch

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Son of Borias, what have you done? Vera, Katie, and Livy are horsing around with 6x17 “Last of the Centaurs.” We discuss the glorious, nostalgic returns of Marton Csokas and Danielle Cormack, Xena having surrogate sons all over the place, the episode’s parallels to ‘Last of the Mohicans’ and its use of Holocaust imagery, and Gabs going murderous all of a sudden. Plus: Centaur genetics, Marton’s very extra screaming, Xena throws her cane away, does Gabs look good in hats?, shipping Belach/Xena, and oh no, not another horse baby birth scene! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, life finds a way! Vera, Katie, and Livy are working some weird science with 6x16 “Send in the Clones,” a modern-day set clip show that directly takes on fan culture. We debate whether this was a good idea (spoiler alert: it was not!), discuss other depictions of fans in movies and TV (ilu Galaxy Quest), and ponder whether the three types of fans that appear in “Clones” are true to life (ew Joxer fan!!! *coin*). Plus: Dr. Alexis Los Alamos, Xena discovers the bathroom, the difference between subtext and talking about subtext, how does Joxer fan know how to give such good haircuts, the history of fanvids, Stoogefan, Xena forgot to watch the DVD that teaches her how to say lines, and Gabs should be Ides of Marching all over the place! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast —————

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, war is hell! Vera, Katie, and Livy go once more into the breach with 6x15 “To Helicon and Back,” the show’s biggest battle epic, and the grim conclusion to the Amazons’ storyline. We discuss the many references to WWII films including Saving Private Ryan, They Were Expendable, The Longest Day, Patton, and… Jaws? Plus: Michael Hurst’s decision to shift the tone from the triumph and bombast of Liz Friedman & Vanessa Place’s original draft, the references to earlier Xena eps including “The Price” and “A Good Day,” and the many hard decisions Xena has to let Gabrielle make as she takes this huge step in her journey as a warrior. To a strong Amazon Nation! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@Pondero

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, fables have never been sexier! Vera, Katie, and Livy are reckoning with 6x14 “Path of Vengeance,” an episode that goes back to the show’s roots with a plot full of Amazon justice and juicy moral dilemmas. We discuss Eve’s final appearance on Xena and how her character arc differs from her mother’s, Xena’s hypocrisy whenever someone she loves is facing punishment, Varia’s beatdown of Gabrielle as a necessary step in Gabs’s journey, and the episode’s many parallels with “The Reckoning.” Plus: Varia’s 80’s aerobics tape; Ares reverts and it’s very problematic (coin!); Eve did it first, Melisandre!; telephone poles and cabbages; don’t get kicked by Varia, WHY IS THERE IDES OF MARCH MUSIC; and Renée flubs a take and for some reason that’s the final shot?! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenaw

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST: You! Are! There! Vera, Katie, and Livy investigate 6x13 “You Are There,” a comedy experiment that stretches the show’s tonal boundaries. We discuss the forerunners of the fourth wall-breaking reporter, including X-Cops, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and of course the original You Are There, we debate whether this device actually works in the Xenaverse, and we discuss the episode as a satire of media misbehavior and paparazzi culture. Plus: this episode is weirdly connected to FiN???, Michael Hurst’s delightful turn as Nigel, Eve gets catharsis and so do we, what would a serious version of this premise look like?, Gabs loves the limelight!, winks without subtext are annoying, and the Knights Who Say Bend the Knee! They’d have still picked up their audio! THEY’D HAVE STILL PICKED UP THEIR AUDIO! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarrior

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, welcome to our bacchanalia -- try the grapes! Vera, Katie, and Livy enjoy some late Roman decadence with 6x12 “The God You Know,” a messy rollercoaster of giddy highs and problematic lows. We discuss Alexis Arquette’s carefully modulated performance as Caligula, Aphrodite down and out in Rome, the parallels between Xena and Caligula, the show’s infuriatingly sudden descent into queerbaiting, the technically masterful chariot race sequence, and Christianity’s newly sinister depiction. Plus: God Powers 101, the mechanics of face scooping, what do you wear while bowling with Adam Sandler, Xena’s abs make a surprise appearance, Caligula’s horse 2020, eww feet-washing, and Gabrielle’s hat is bad but not as bad as her rope dance! The girlfriend of my girlfriend is...my girlfriend? The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Fac

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, the hunt is on! Vera, Katie, and Livy are stalking 6x11 “Dangerous Prey,” Renée O’Connor’s second outing as a director. We discuss the strategies Renée used to beef up this episode’s weak script, the terribly-named Prince Chesnick Bloodicarr Morloch who was just the worst on screen and off, and the many better versions of this premise they could have gone with including: Eve putting Varia on a leash, Gabs graduating from student to teacher, and Michelle Yeoh and/or Claudia Black doing the whole ‘I hunt humans’ thing. Plus: Gabs is bad at babysitting Amazons, Renée loves Lucy’s muscular thighs, our French bulldog Phil really hates Morloch, Chad Magathon Bumblebum, what Renée learned from Michael Hurst, and Coffee Talk #5! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ————————————————

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, *cue banjo*. Vera, Katie, and Livy are making hay with 6x10 “Old Ares Had a Farm,” one of the show’s final, and most lovable, comedies. We discuss its use of nostalgia, not just in the subplot about Xena’s childhood, but also in its hiring of director Charles Siebert, who directed many Xena eps in the first two seasons and whose style here recaptures some of that early-show goofiness. Plus: Kevin Smith’s finest hour, R.J. Stewart’s character-based comedy, Gabrielle and Xena love milkmaid roleplay, the glorious return of GOONS, so many animal reaction shots, sound effects galore, Greba McEntire, Gabs gets into character, and that classic fanfic ‘there’s only one bed’ scenario. The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katet

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, go on and kiss the girl! Vera, Katie, and Livy are living a fairy tale with 6x09 “Return of the Valkyrie,” the conclusion to the show’s ambitious Rheingold trilogy. We discuss the complicated question of what aspects of Xena’s essence and values were removed by the Ring, Wealthea’s intriguing similarities to Gabrielle, the return of fire and water as thematic symbols, and that swooning Sleeping Beauty kiss, which rings in a new era of the show that embraces and celebrates Xena and Gabrielle’s romantic relationship. Plus: Gabrielle goes on The Bachelorette; who the heck is Wiggles; Waltraute gets smoked; XENA’S DR. ZHIVAGO FURS STOP TRAFFIC, TIME, AND OUR HEARTS, Brunnhilda’s fire arms braided Gabrielle’s hair; and OMG Xena and Gabrielle just got married! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/x

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, is this burning an eternal flame? Vera, Katie, and Livy are tracking more monsters in 6x08 “The Ring,” the second installment of the show’s Wagnerian mashup. We discuss how this ep compares to the middle chapters of our favorite movie trilogies, what special qualities director Rick Jacobson brings to this material (hint: rhymes with FOMO), Brunnhilda as an exemplar of the show’s two versions of love: the possessive egocentric and the purely selfless. Plus: always read the fine print when handling all-powerful rings, why did baby Grindl forsake love?, should good hurt/comfort happen more often or does its rarity make it special?, Maternal Instincts jokes, Odin is a close talker, Xena’s illogical and anticlimactic bout of amnesia, and the power of Deadly Hugs! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.c

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we’re Ringing in the new year with 6x07 “The Rheingold,” the first installment of the show’s most ambitious serialization experiment yet, a three-parter! Vera, Katie, and Livy discuss the story’s roots in Wagner, Norse sagas, and Beowulf - plus Tolkien, probably; director John Fawcett’s experience with creature features and aerial battles; and some confusing quirks in the Dark!Xena timeline. Plus: thirsty nymphs, so many Nordic mullets, I am Grindl, Vera cannot handle the knowledge that Lucy Lawless almost played Galadriel, Gabrielle cannot button her coat, Brunhilda’s heart eyes, lipstick marks, and Xena’s magnificent Valkyrie lewk! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, you’re looking good enough to eat! Vera, Katie, and Livy are hungering for some flesh with 6x06 “The Abyss,” which features three fantastic cave scenes surrounded by...cannibals and Virgil? We discuss the highs and lows: the shippiest shippiness to ever ship; the final, very satisfying return of the Rift; the greatest, most shivery hurt/comfort since One Against an Army; Gabrielle’s tendency to bare her soul only while delirious; the conclusion of Gabs’s violence arc (for now); Xena’s sad faces; and this episode as an incoherent follow-up to “The Price.” Plus: nibbling on Gabrielle’s thighs, Zoe Bell loses her wig, Marco Rubio, Xena presses Gabs to her neck chest area, and Vera finally has a Virgil meltdown. The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we’ve got sand up the wazoo! Vera, Katie, and Livy discover strange beauty in the desert with 6x05 “Legacy.” We discuss this episode’s moral questioning as it returns to the wellspring of the show’s most potent ideas: the consequences of violence, the greater good vs. individual desire, justice vs. redemption, don’t venerate your heroes, hot tubs. Plus: Gabs’s long overdue identity crisis, what the scrolls left out, butts!, Missy Good’s salute to Conqueror fic, Neigh!, desert Melosa, and bad hats. I don’t like sand; it’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets EVERYWHERE.  The power, the passion, the podcast!  Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/

We’ll take “Let’s Fill Up the Problematic Jar for $1000,” Alex! This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Vera, Katie, and Livy analyze 6x04 “Who’s Gurkhan?,” one of the show’s bloodiest outings thus far and the phenomenal kick-off to a Gabrielle-centric trilogy of eps that center around her ever-evolving relationship with violence. (And VENGEANCE! And very sexy dancing!) Plus: Michael Hurst’s amazing directorial choices, the Joxerification of Virgil, so many harem lewks, the progression of graphic violence on television, and fans on set! The power, the passion, the podcast!  Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we live to sin! Vera, Katie, and Livy wrangle with the infernal 6x03 “Heart of Darkness.” We discuss our problems with this episode, its wonky take on Xena’s character, its reductive moral determinism, and the total lack of chemistry between Xena and her new beau, Lucifer a.k.a. Lucy (?) a.k.a. Big L (???). Really? Him?? Plus: pegging, what’s in the box?, lazy angels, the male gaze, so many lewks, go away Virgil, and that dance, you know the one! The power, the passion, the podcast!  Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/