I'd like to know: what are your TOP 3 Xena moments (I know its hard just pick the 1st 3 that come to mind)
Posted by Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit | xena | View on Reddit | 37 comments
Mines are
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Calisto BREAKING the Chakram on Xena's spine making Gabby go BALLISTIC
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Xena officially becoming THE DESTROYER OF NATIONS when the Romans kill Mililah, with the theme music playing
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The ENTIRE episode of One Against An Army with Xena and Gabby fighting over sticking to their vow to fight for the greater good:
X: "First things first."
G: "The first thing is the greater good-- you taught me that. You taught me that there are things in life worth dying for-- things that hold a higher meaning than our own existence."
X: "Not your existence."
G: "Why? 'Cause I'm your friend?"
X: "Yes!"
DrNerdyTeacher@reddit
Without spending hours debating it first (and thoroughly agreeing with all the answers I've already read):
When Xena is in the bath in Chakram, just after Joxer has left having asked for advice about how to tell Gabrielle he loves her, she says "Course, you could just kiss the girl" and the face she makes like she's remembering a super happy memory of having done just that at some point in the past.
In Been There Done That when Xena tosses Gabrielle her staff back, watches Gabrielle fight for a moment, then says "Good girl!"
At the end of A Tale of Two Muses when Xena and Gabrielle are laughing and hug in the midst of the dancers.
round_killing_thing@reddit
Well, Xena did just that in "Destiny", didn't she? When she and Gabrielle meet in the realm between life and death. š At least that's my correlation to that line she so casually added (almost like an afterthought) in "Chakram". Seems to have worked out for her.
DrNerdyTeacher@reddit
I also like to think she's referring to that specific moment too!
hermit198388@reddit
I'm going through other people's posts, too, and trying to think, okay, which of my moments haven't been mentioned yet, and I was going to post about the end of Tale of 2 Muses, too! There's just something about how happy they are, the music, the way it goes real slow and freeze frames at the very end. It brings up this sort of nostalgia and longing in me, and sometimes even makes me cry. Love it.
thecannoli2@reddit
I love this question and reading everyone's answers! My 3 (in no particular order):
1) Callisto breaking the Chakram on Xena and Gabby going absolutely feral (in my opinion, possibly the best 2 minutes of television lol) 2) Xena reviving Gabrielle in ITADITH - seeing Xena just fucking break in that scene was so moving/powerful 3)Gabrielle finding Xena in the woods after surviving Grindl in The Ring. The emotions were so raw in that scene.
Honorable mention: One Against An Army - the argument about what to do and Xena pacing. We rarely see her so conflicted/nervous
cestlavie_69@reddit
I love your choices. Theyāre all centered on the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, which is fitting to me. I believe the whole series is really Gabsā story. Rather, it tells us the story of Gabsā life with Xena.
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
https://youtu.be/IHjidXymfs0?si=7UD4IDXxQLTSmA-8
The fact the Lucy Lawless busts out crying watching her own acting just proves that scene really was Lucy crying over the thought of losing Renne (she DEMANDED they give her a credit in the intro for season 2)
thecannoli2@reddit
Thank you for posting that! That scene is still so gut wrenching. I timed it once. Gabby wasn't breathing for 2.5 minutes - thats why it felt like a damn eternity lol
hermit198388@reddit
Most of mine that I can think of have been covered here already, except a HUGE one I can't believe you're all forgetting (or I'm tired and it's the middle of the night here and I somehow missed it)... the "scratch my nose" scene from The Debt II, the way Gabrielle breaks down in relief. I cry every time...
Another for me not mentioned is Gabrielle saying "I don't care" to Xena in A Friend in Need II, about the souls being redeemed. It just breaks my heart (more crying, lol).
Let me think...
Oh, I know! Xena on the boat in Destiny, when they're playing that song (I think it's referred to as M'Lila's theme, she's singing). That song stirs things in my soul. So maybe not top three exactly (that's so hard to choose!!), but a moment that I love in this show.
I love moments where Joxer is pulling through for his friends, which he hardly ever gets credit for in this show. His bravery in insisting on getting them down from the crosses and bringing their bodies back to Greece in Fallen Angel, retrieving the Hind's Blood dagger in Sacrifice II, and there are others I can't think of at the moment but I always notice them at the time!
Gabrielle struggling with tough decisions: deciding to let Crassus be killed and reflecting on it later with Xena, and the dropping of his ring into the ocean (the rock that's always in the lake, forever changed, from Dreamworker). Throwing the javelin and missing because she couldn't choose to kill in A Good Day, and the turmoil it caused her that Flanaghan died because of what she couldn't do. And then of course when she didn't struggle to decide at all, the moment a bunch of you have already mentioned from Ides of March when there's no question she'll do what it takes to protect Xena, and Xena's heartbreak at her abandoning what she had set out to do with the way of love.
Xena's journey and heartache in Adventures in the Sin Trade I, especially the very beginning when she's travelling alone. There's something so raw in it and you really get the sense of her having been at this for ages, how lost she is without Gabrielle..
Believe it or not, the family and home life vibe they're enjoying (or rather Xena's itching to get away from, lol - I wish she had managed to relax and settle into it more!) in Kindred Spirits. I could have enjoyed a few more episodes of that personally. Fun times raising Baby Eve, light-hearted campfire chats, visits to the swimming hole, teaching those younger Amazons a thing or two.
The look and feel of the Ring trilogy stands apart, too, and I'd have liked more Northern region episodes (both in Norse lands and with the Northern Amazons), and for goodness sake give these women proper winter gear, lol. Hard to focus on the story when you're constantly thinking about the frostbite they would have in real life..
Some more of that homey feeling in Old Ares Had A Farm, too. I like Ares as a complicated character in this show and wouldn't change this episode, but would have enjoyed seeing Xena and Gabrielle doing this sort of thing on their own, too - sorry if I've somewhat drifted from the original intention of this thread, lol. Oh, more laidback vibes in Animal Attraction - going to the spa, strolling through the woods in winter. Again, this is not all really top three exactly, but just stuff that sticks with me about the show that I love.
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
That scratch my nose scene is so good, all of these really.
hermit198388@reddit
Oh, I just remembered another cozy scene I love though I can't remember which episode it's from now. Xena, Gabrielle, and baby Eve are lying on their bed rolls, looking at the stars, and Xena's making funny sounds to amuse Eve. Very brief but sweet.
cestlavie_69@reddit
Itās hard to answer this question. I donāt think in terms of moments and their importance. Instead, I think about episodes. But, Iāll give it a try!
Agree with your first: Gabrielleās violent murder spree to save Xena in Ides of March was a pivotal moment of the show. Itās one of those scenes that evokes butterflies, not unlike the feeling you get when youāre riding a roller coaster and your heart drops into your stomach as you crest the first big hill. Every time, Iām yelling āyes!!!ā when she starts killing.
Xena reviving Gabs in Is there A Doctor in the House? Thatās the moment Xena realizes she is in love with Gabrielle and that Gabs is a guiding force in her life.
Bitter Suite: the Gab drag. It was shocking to watch the first time. It was devastating. I watched when it first aired in the 90s and I remember thinking it was something that a relationship couldnāt recover from. It completely changed the way I viewed the show and Xena as a character. I almost stopped watching. Iām glad I didnāt! (I stopped watching before the series finale)
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
I was in SHOCK....yes Gabby no longer fighting was annoying BUT to see her violently kill those guys was gut wrenching when you remember who she started off as. Even Xena was like NOOOOOO STOP!!
hermit198388@reddit
Xena's heartbreak at seeing Gabrielle give up the way of love (or what she thought it meant, because I think her actions and rationale for them could also be described as a way of love)... the look on Gabrielle's face when she makes the decision to intervene to save Xena, I agree this is one of mine, too.
docinajock@reddit
āI chose the way of friendshipā ššššššš
hermit198388@reddit
I think of it as choosing the way of love for a specific person, and no doubt there are others she would do the same for, and it could go as broad as doing the same to save any victims of evildoers, etc. Eli's way could be seen more as a way of love for all of humanity that refuses to lift a hand against anyone, even if they are going to harm another, as a way to advocate for the rejection of (and reject yourself) all violence against humans, living that life no matter the more immediate consequences to try to build a future world where violence no longer occurs, or occurs far less.
So I get that they wanted to name her way something different, but to me, she absolutely acted in the service of love.
bbofpotidaea@reddit
X: what about your family? G: I love them, Xena, but Iām a part of you. I want it to be that way forever ā¤ļøāš„
G: donāt ever leave me again. Look at you! X: Yeah I know. Itās all right. Donāt fuss. G: proceeds to fuss
and
B: fangirling over evil xena X: well Iāve gotten a lot smarter since then. Iāve learned to respect life, love, and peace. B: why, what happened? X: exchanges loving look with gabrielle Lots of reasons
and as a bonus, Gabrielle telling Brunhilda in Return of the Valkyrie that she and xena are soulmates and they are meant to be together ššš
These are just my top three that I havenāt seen mentioned yet, I totally agree with everyone else about the rest:
one against an army (g: want to be like you; x: and I want to be like you); the sacrifice part ii when gab takes out Hope ugh heartbreaking; is there a doctor in the house is an obvious amazing one, but also the counterpart to this scene in The Greater Good when xena is poisoned by Callistoās dart and everyone thinks she is dead and Gabrielle gives her a little kiss; speaking of Callisto, all of her scenes and episodes take the cake as top-tier xena moments, including the ides of march moment when the chakram breaks on xenaās back; been there, done that and a day in the life in its entirety; the moment when xena finally shows Gabrielle the pinch in the series finale and she tells her that if she were going to die this is how she would want to do it, looking into Gabrielleās eyes; and many many many more
Quiet-Childhood7533@reddit
OAA is one of my favorites as well as ITADITH and when Xena walks away from Solan. The music, the slow down, her face, just tears everytime from me. That's probably one of the saddest parts of the whole series, the fact that Xena never got to raise either of her children through childhood.
When Xena finds Solan after what Hope did, ugh brutal.
tambobo@reddit
This is such a tough question! Argh. Aside from 1 Iād probably have different responses tomorrow.
1) Gabs destroying the Fatesā loom in When Fates Collide. I love it whenever Gabrielle totally loses it because something has happened to Xena.
2) The kiss in Return of the Valkyrie. Yet another confirmation that theyāre soulmates, and super romantic imo.
3) ITADIH - that scene is so hard to watch but only because itās so good. Lucyās acting is top notch.
Iām a huge fan of the comedic episodes, so a lot of my other fav scenes are from those. BTDT kills me, as does ADITL and FFG.
OrangeClyde@reddit
Ahhh way too many, and Iāve been busy upvoting everyoneās answers bc Iām reading and Im like yes yes me too! lol
Okay these are 3 that just come to my mind/stick out in my mind but may not even be my top 3, just ones that stick out/favorite scenes:
1.) Xena and Queen Melosa chobos fight 2.) Gabrielle putting on Xenaās costume and the camera panning up like on the opening credits 3.) Joxerās tiny little dagger
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
omg and when her breasts arent big enough it unbuckles š ššš
OrangeClyde@reddit
And of course 4.) Xenaās popping out her breast dagger is also an honorable mention!
beaudebonair@reddit
Xena's head on display (that was gut wrenching and horrible when it very first aired)
Alexis Arquette as Caligula
3 dancing Gabrielle's running around with that funky music
Owl_Queen101@reddit
Ngl Xena and Lao Ma changed my brain chemistry š¤£. Her kissing her/ givjng her air was TEW much for my teen brain lol
IseQween@reddit
-- Xena and Gabrielle's interactions in SINS, which I never tire watching.
-- The chakram break, Gabbinator and prison scenes in IDES.
-- X&G's goodbyes together in the flesh and when the WP is a ghost in AFIN.
Agent8699@reddit
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
Xenas warrior outfits in that Her Trilogy are UNMATCHED...she looked amazing...esp.the gold one.
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
keep em coming ya'll!! Im trying to get my bf to watch so Im looking for a consensus on what episodes to show him, obviously OAA is one :)
banana-bread-toast@reddit
I canāt think of 3 at the moment but the moment that always stuck with me is when time slows down at the end of Sacrifice II. As Gabrielle takes Hope down so Xena may live.
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
the fact that I can replay that scene perfectly in my mind proves that scene is possibly the BEST scene in the show....lmao they really had us thinking Gabby was gonna die at any moment throughout the show hahaha
banana-bread-toast@reddit
Like the acceptance on Gabbyās face as she goes breaks me. Xenaās confusion and possibly hurt at betrayal for a split second before itās clear whatās she is doing.
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
all I kept thinking was "If Gabby didnt trade Xena's whip for a frying pan she could have saved her!!"
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
I REALLY thought they were gonna kill Gabby in OAA after EVERYTHING that happened between them and fans of show couldnt get over Gabby's betrayal, but this episode solidified their deep love for each other.
cestlavie_69@reddit
Interesting. Were you an OG viewer? I was but I was completely unaware that some viewers didnāt like Gabrielle. Sheās half of the show! How could you be a fan of Xena and dislike Gabs?
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
I started watching when it was airing. My FIRST episode was with my grandma and it was "A DAY IN THE LIFE" hahaha. After that I was hooked.
Yeah I remember reading about a lot in TV Guide (granny had a subscription). I really think Callistos "irritating blonde" was a dig at what the fan base referred to her as. People couldnt understand how Xena, a MOTHER, can forgive Gabby and move on so quickly. I think thats why the show had to do the episode that revealed it was Ares who helped Gabby betray Xena to get some of that hate off of her, they couldnt have Gabby responsible to Solan AND the green dragon.
CaptainQueen1701@reddit
Walking away from Solan in Orphan of War
Callisto breaking Xenaās chakram on her spine
Xena kissing Ares in the temple in Amphipolis.
Automatic-Adeptness4@reddit (OP)
I was gonna mention Orphan of War....I think this was the BEST acting she'd done up to that point in the show (I know it was only season 2 but still) she showed SOOOO many mixed emotions walking away from him.