Is NO ONE gonna talk about the CHEMISTRY between Lucy Lawless and Manu Bennettš©. Have yāall seen this episode? Did you know they worked together after this?
Posted by Owl_Queen101@reddit | xena | View on Reddit | 62 comments
Context Season 5 Episode 18 Manu Bennett plays Marc Anthony while Lucy plays Xena AS Cleopatra (who just died). Their Chemistry in this episode was off the charts š (helps that Bennett is FINEE) thereās a scene where theyāre eating fruit šš©. It was stemy asf. Why is this extra juicy/interesting? Well for those who donāt know Manu Bennett ALSO played Crixus in a show called Spartacus starring Lucy Lawless as Lucretia. In Spartacus he plays her āloverā(has no choice but I digress)
The Chemistry is š§āš³š What do you guys think? Rant is over Also I put NSFW only cuz itās kinda stemy but nothing over the top
amok_amok_amok@reddit
to be fair, Lucy Lawless could have chemistry with a plank of wood
Successful-Issue-450@reddit
she has it with everybody
IseQween@reddit
Speaking of which, you saw chemistry between her and Sorbo?
jdpm1991@reddit
Much more than I did with her and the guy who played Ulysses I loved Xena and Herc's dynamic from enemies to lovers to platonic friends
IseQween@reddit
Huh. Never felt that dynamic. Could be partly because I saw the trilogy after seeing Xena with Ares, which for me set a high bar for chemistry.
jdpm1991@reddit
Did you watch the unrated version of the Xena trilogy on Hercules? It shows more of their short lived romance in the Unchained Heart that wasn't seen on TV
IseQween@reddit
I expect decent actors to do decent kissing and rolling-in-the-hay scenes. For me, it's more the extra sizzle beyond that, when maybe they're just looking at each other. I didn't get that from Herc/Xena, whereas I almost always felt the electricity between Xena & Ares, even when they were trying to knock the crap out of each other.
CardiologistFit3531@reddit
This is true for both of these beautiful people!
jdpm1991@reddit
She worked with a plank of wood in Ulysses lmao
Agent8699@reddit
I wish I was that plank of wood!Ā
amok_amok_amok@reddit
get in line buddy
Agent8699@reddit
I am in the line for planks of wood - just behind the actor who played Ulysses!Ā
amok_amok_amok@reddit
šš
Gonzale1978@reddit
Spartacus was an awesome show. Aparently Lucy is doing another one. Well according to her husband and Lucyās IMDb page.
Agent8699@reddit
I would posit that she just appears in the first episode of the Ashur ā¦ multiverse / alternate timeline (?) series.
Lawless is pretty busy with producing and filming MLIM, her directing projects and her rewilding farm.Ā
Holiday-Guarantee-32@reddit
My life is murder had its series finale
Gonzale1978@reddit
Didint know she had a farm?
Agent8699@reddit
Itās a rewilding project. Sheās talked about it often. She started it during COVID when her original plans to move back to LA and take another crack at Hollywood were scuppered.Ā
megararara@reddit
So freaking stoked
SnooMarzipans8970@reddit
Im going to have to say it. Since no one else will. Many queers do not like the over saturated amount of hetero sex scenes like this in a queer coded show. Because hetero sex scenes like this is a daily thing. It's everywhere. And they get it for nothing. They do nothing, it's just there for them. A gold star for being like everyone else.Ā
XWP is probably the most sapphic coded show in existence and yet here I am breaking it down in the simplest terms why ...no my gay ass hates scenes like this.Ā
We get one lesbian scene like this and our ship dies after season 1. I watch this show for Xena and Gabrielle. Not Rob's insistence in the 90s on reminding you his wife is straight. We know this.Ā
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
ReLAX omfg. Thereās more to this show than the possibility of them being gay. Do you ACTUALLY like the show? Or do you just want to see two chicks date? Watch Carol or something (highly recommend). Itās canon that Gab and Xena both like men. You can choose to ignore that but still itās part of the show. If you want an āunambiguousā lesbian show watch the L word (recommend not highly tho) instead. I think itās reductive to only be interested in this show cuz you think theyāre gay
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Iāll reply to myself because she blocked me. I have no issue w gay ppl. Iām simply saying thereās more to the showš¤·. I have gay movies I really enjoy (Carol).
It doesnāt make sense to be pissed about my post that I liked her w this guy. Just cuz yāall like her w a woman.
SnooMarzipans8970@reddit
You're being homophobic on a page about a queer show. Do YOU even like Xena? Because I've noticed every comment you make gets deletedĀ due to downvotes.Ā
It's not possible, THEY ARE. Lucy says so. The fact it's 2024 and you're still using an excuse to exclude queers from the 90s is sad. Are you old or just dumb?Ā
DaniDoesnt@reddit
I skip that episode š
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
lol why?
SnooMarzipans8970@reddit
Because we're fans of the show.Ā
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
sure
DaniDoesnt@reddit
Canāt stand the straight washing š
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Oh I donāt agree at allš she definitely likes men since season 1. Bi at best lol
DaniDoesnt@reddit
Yeah but she was in a relationship
hermit198388@reddit
It'd not be attacking her sexuality then, but her monogamy to Gabrielle. But I'd argue the show is full of instances of them (well mostly Xena) being enticed by and semi-involved with men, so you could make a case for them - if they're together - having a somewhat open relationship, sexually at least. They're each others' primary partners, and probably only allowed to eye other men, not other women.
DaniDoesnt@reddit
I donāt like to watch her liking on men I like gay monogamous Xena
hermit198388@reddit
Fair enough. I might prefer it that way myself, even though I enjoy some of the scenes myself. There is something about monogamy that seems to make a relationship more special, I think, a "you're the only one for me" thing.
Confident-Club1310@reddit
because Gabrielle probably not very happy in this episode!
DaniDoesnt@reddit
Exactly. Hurts my heart
JackofAllStrays@reddit
Hate the straight washing in this ep but love Lucy in it
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Straight washing?! Sheās bi at best friend. Xena is attracted to men sheās been w them since season 1 š . She mentions one of them during her rant to the Death Chick. Itās not straight washing she just likes men and women (you could argue)
SnooMarzipans8970@reddit
Saying she's bi at best kind of says a lot about what you're going for with your post.Ā
What sexuality is best and worst? I'm curious.Ā
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
What sexuality is best or worse is a silly question like actually silly
JackofAllStrays@reddit
Yes she is and thatās fine, Straight washing by the producers in a season that heavily commits x&g to each other. It doesnāt fit their story arc.
Rude_Run_7642@reddit
Manu is going to host a new survivalist reality show on CBS that starts soon.
LibertineDeSade@reddit
I agree! I love this episode. She really liked him, and didn't want to have to do that to him.
Also, this episode got me into Natalie Merchant. Carnival is still one of my favorite songs.
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Howād it get you into her?
LibertineDeSade@reddit
This is it:
https://youtu.be/xc7LErFbivM?si=8xevlc_sNL6gg4DA
LibertineDeSade@reddit
The song, Carnival, by her is featured in this episode. The part where she and Antony are hanging out, eating figs or grapes or whatever.
mely15@reddit
electric chemistry which I find funny because Lucy has mentioned on more than one occasion that she found it really difficult working with him due to his acting methods lol
IseQween@reddit
I believe she referred mainly to his going all out during fight scenes, posing dangers to both her and stuntees. It's like his passion was a double-edged sword that could also produce some great moments. In her commentary, watching the finished ep, I recall her praising his performance of the final battle with Xena.
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Well sheās an AMAZING actor cuz it really looks like sheās enjoying itš and the fact that she worked w him again in a more intimate way later, while her hubby is the producer of both shows?! Thatās crazy lol
Naive-Ad7499@reddit
Onde consigo ver essa sƩrie?
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Amazon Prime for Xena and Tubi for Spartacus. NĆ£o tenho certeza se eles tĆŖm disponĆvel no brasil
IseQween@reddit
Yep, of all Xena's redshirts (and I include Hercules among them), the attraction to Antony was the most believable to me. In XWP and Spartacus, Bennett exuded both a fierceness and vulnerability that seemed to keep Lucy intrigued and on her toes. He never came across to me as one-dimensional.
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Yesss!! Like everyone else just kinda read as ābf of the weekā this tho this was passion lol
SixdaywarOnSnapchat@reddit
manu bennett as antony was a formative part of me growing up as a baby gay lmao
Agent8699@reddit
No, I never noticed the copious amounts of sparks causing the screen to catch alight and quickly be engulfed in flames whenever these two shared a scene.Ā
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Yooo that made me laugh out loud!!! Cuz damn youāre SO right?! Iām like Robert howād you okay this ššš
Agent8699@reddit
I think many actors have commented (or confirmed via their dating history) that sometimes onscreen chemistry = offscreen chemistry, but just as often (if not more so), it can be the complete opposite.Ā
For all we know, Lawless endlessly complained about Manuās bad breath : )Ā
crashdown27@reddit
That actor had NO business being so obscenely beautiful! š©
megararara@reddit
Heās so talented too!!
Stella_Noire_2008@reddit
I got to meet them both at DragonCon when they were doing Spartacus! Man when I tell you how hard I fangirles over them!
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Honestly Iād do the SAME thing! Were they nice? I know silly question but still lol
Stella_Noire_2008@reddit
Lucy Lawless was phenomenal and she really cared for her OG Xena fanbase even when we all came to support her for Spartacus! The panel questions were so respectful and interesting. Manu Bennett was cool to see cause he did his usual Crixus manner for his fans!
Owl_Queen101@reddit (OP)
Thatās so awesome Iām happy you got to experience that! :D