Rewatching Xena in my 30s and… wow, this hits VERY differently 🗡️💔😅
Posted by giveherawinkforme@reddit | xena | View on Reddit | 93 comments
Hi Xenites!
I recently decided to start a rewatch of Xena. I remembered catching episodes as a kid when it originally aired, but I really got into it properly when I was around 18. Now, as an adult in my 30s, I’m giving it another go and honestly, it feels like a completely different show.
I still love Xena just as much (if not more), but what surprised me the most is Gabrielle. Back then, I used to find her annoying and felt like she caused 99% of the problems 😅
This time around, I see her very differently. I actually really appreciate what she brings, her empathy, her growth, and how much she shapes Xena’s journey. Their dynamic hits way deeper now.
As I was finishing season 1 this morning, something unexpected happened: out of nowhere, memories of the finale came flooding back… and it turned into a full ugly‑crying session 😭
I understand the finale. I get what it means thematically and could go on about it but did I like it? NO I DIDN’T 😂
But I think I needed to finally face it, to grieve it properly so I could move on and keep enjoying the rewatch without that weight sitting in the back of my mind.
Despite that emotional ambush, I’m having an absolute blast rewatching the show. I’m picking up on so much more depth in the characters now, even through the occasional clownery of some episodes.
Part of what helped me process it was watching HOURS of interviews of Lucy & Renee but mostly Lucy. Not just about Xena, but about her life. She’s fearless, funny, and lives fully, and it healed a bit of my soul when she said we can 'ignore' the finale and imagine a better ending. Some fans also suggested that the show should’ve ended with When Fates Collide (I haven’t rewatched it yet, but I’ll see when I get there). Add in the fact that there were talks about a Xena movie that never happened, it really leaves a little bit of hope for imagination and 'what could have been' which is comforting in a weird way.
So here I am, wondering: are there still fans around? People rewatching, discussing, loving (and arguing about) this show decades later? I missed the whole subtext back then and now I def see things here and there that bring some interesting spices to it! :)
Because I’d love to chit‑chat with others who still carry Xena in their hearts!
PS: sorry that was too long right? ugh sorry!
annakou@reddit
I haven't watched this show since I was a kid, following it as it aired, but it holds some truly core memories from my childhood. I also remember various aspects of the plot and characters making it actually ahead of its time, so I was just now wondering how it would hold up rewatching it in my late 30s, both for the nostalgia factor and also in hopes of catching on to more details I wasn't equipped to back then.
That's how I came across this thread and everyone has me convinved I should get the series and enjoy it once more!
mataharichronicles@reddit
Am a fan and think it's one of the only truly empowering shows for women. Still hits. Power isn't novelty on the show it's a way of being.
Reasonable_Big8493@reddit
There's so much I want to say but my energy is low due to PMS 🥴😖
But I feel the same. Literally watching now because I had such an aggy day and needed the comfort. On my first rewatch in chronological order as an adult.
I'm in my late 30s, just fully came to terms with my queerness a few years ago. I will always love Xena and I'm excited to finish the rest of the series with adult eyes. On S4 E5 now
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
I've been going through this https://jacksonupperco.com/category/xena/ for the past few days and i thought it was very interesting to see when the episodes were shot, when they aired (in case someone wants to do a full rewatch as it was back in the day \^\^ why not right?) but above all read Lucy & Renee's comments on the episodes... some insights from back then, pretty cool :)
also EVERYONE had a thing for Xena :)
Reasonable_Big8493@reddit
Ooo thank you so much for sharing. Ima check out that link. I feel like I've become more of a fanatic now in a sense rediscovering the show.
And I mean how can we not she's so HAWT!!!
There were so many phine azz women though. Rewatching now I'm like geeesh lol
How did I NOT know I was queer back then jaja
Left_Repeat_6172@reddit
Welcome to the club! I finished another annual rewatch not long ago myself (early 40sF here) did indeed stop before the finale with Many Happy Returns. Xena is such a timeless show, and no matter how often I rewatch it, I am amazed at the characters, their growths, their failures, and the fact there has never been another like it. I agree, a big part of that is Lucy and Renee themselves, but also the creators and writers who pushed boundaries to tell the tale they wanted to see, censorship be damn. At least a quarter of my saved fanvids on YouTube are xena / Gabrielle centric 😆.
Xena2025@reddit
Same! I have a playlist of Xena and Gabrielle fanvids on YouTube too. I always watch some of those when I need a fix. Ha. I was just starting college when Xena was airing. I just happened upon The Bitter Suite and saw these two beautiful women singing to each other and then their embrace in the waterfall - and I was hooked! (Funny that this is the first episode I discovered by accident, ha.) My gf and I were “in the closet” at that time and we loved watching their relationship evolve together. And over the years, I just keep loving the show more and more. I am so happy to see younger generations are still enjoying the show too. 💕
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
oh my gosh, annual rewatches, that's passion, very impressive :) I'm glad to know you skipped the finally, I really think I will do that too. No need to in order to enjoy and honour the show :)
Yes of course, back in the day it was so rare almost non existent to have such characters... the oldest lgbt couple i remember as a kid was willow and tara in buffy and it didn't end well but xena was years before that and they were brave to do it. i'm so glad they didn't try to add another male interest just to fit the usual patterns. It's always been about these two :)
Left_Repeat_6172@reddit
Lol, not sure it is passion or the fact I was a teenager when Xena aired, a gay teen at that, in an era where some of us had to quietly fight for the rights we have today. It's a reminder of the chess game we were playing. The private sites hidden online to keep us safe, to share stories because it was a constant give and take just to put them on a book shelf, or prime time cabel. I suppose it is a reminder to not lose the ground we worked hard for and that we are never alone.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
that was so beautiful and deep... thank you for sharing that. It's also why I wanna pay attention to the subtext and X&G's relationship in this rewatch, I didn't fully understand what it meant back then but now I can and it's overwhelming to see how many people held onto it and still do today, even new fans. This show was and still IS important for so many reasons and i wanna cherish all of them. XWP really is a gem. Unmatched, no matter what remake they ever try to cook lol
LilyofTheValley_7@reddit
I totally understand (I'm not 30 tho, early 20s) I first started watching Xena when I was around 10-12, because my mom was/is in love with the show, and have been obsessed ever since.
When I was younger I was also extremely annoyed by Gabrielle. Especially with the hope arc, but as I got older, and became a mom, I saw more of myself in her, and understood her decisions.
Honestly this show really shaped me as the person I am today, and taught me so many lessons, and I'm sure I'll feel the same years from now as well.
I can't wait til my own daughter is old enough to start watching the show, and enjoy it
FeedOk8085@reddit
I just finished rewatching in my late 30s. I absolutely loved the show as a kid and now I understand why. The messages seems corny at times and some episodows can be ridiculous, like that underwater eps with Gabrielle weird children. That being said, watching it again, healed something in me. Will forever love that show! Now my little sister wants to watch it. Cheers on passing on a great show to the newer generations!
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
The next generation of Xena fan is secured hehe
meanlesbian59@reddit
I love this post 🥹 I have sort of a similiar journey with Gabby. Rewatching it last year, I was so much more drawn to her character. I only started watching the show 10 years ago but I think the intense and deep character arcs are so timeless! Certain episodes take me to different emotions each time.
Salt_Step3399@reddit
I'm rewatching in my 30s as well and hits a lot better
hereforagoodtime42@reddit
I just started watching from the beginning! I used to watch it with my dad when I was a teenager, but wouldn’t have seen the whole thing. I just bought the box set (digitally) and am on season 1 ep 13. Looking forward to seeing it all with a much deeper understanding.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Yaaaaaaay buckle up, you're in for a treat 😊 it may change your life forever ^^
ObnoxiousConsistent@reddit
did i ghost write this? im in the same boat friend, rewatching for the first time since my teens, and man it hits different, but still so good. and i have so many thoughts on the show, but all anybody wants to discuss is like stranger things or whatever. ok, fine, but have you seen this 30 year old campy show? 😁 i am actually up to the finale now and i am dreading it, but wanting to see it at the same time (as we say in my country, want it even while it stings!) i feel like if i watch the finale, i will need to immediately cleanse my palate by restarting the series, and then i will simply spend the rest of my days in an endless xena rewatch loop (which, eh, there are worse ways to live!)
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
hahaha yeah ST is pretty strong atm but i'm dodging everything until it dies down and then i'll watch the last season, just to finish it cuz i kinda lost interest in it (: i will send good energy and strength so you can get through with the finale haha, i decided to delay the rest of my rewatch for a few days because i'm getting the upscaled 1080p version because why not lol i fell in love with 420p LL so i'm ready for 1080p LL to hit me like a tsunami and i would love that kinda of loop to happen to me tbh haha some people love to rewatch one show over and over again and enjoy every second of it, i have to try new things and eventually go back to classic because let's be honest, i haven't find a show like xena in the 30y that passed \^\^ some got close, some had potential but Xena remains unmatched!
ObnoxiousConsistent@reddit
ooh sweet, is it a remaster? idk anything about which version i am even watching but im wary of remasters because of Buffy the vampire slayer which was done dirty by the HD version
and second that on ST, i will watch it eventually, but ehhh. it’s for small talk. xwp is for deep 3 am talk 😁
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
It's AI generated so I'll see what it's worth ^^ I'll forever keep the original version. It has its charms.
3am talk hahaha true true the deep serious stuff w a touch of clownery here and there :)
jayveedees@reddit
Can't say I relate fully (being a fan of Xena as a guy and reading a lot of the threads here is something lol) but I definitely like the contrast between Gabrielle and Xena, and the way they both compliment each other's faults. I haven't watched the series in a long time so my memory is very foggy, but that's what I always thought! Though it's about time that I also went for the rewatch to be honest!
archaicArtificer@reddit
I consider the “fabric eps” to be not quite canon, and also largely stopped watching the show after the 25-yr jump, so I don’t see the finale as a “real” episode.”
MusicIsLife81@reddit
I began watching the show the day the first episode aired and have been hooked although I have only been able to watch the series finale twice because I literally think I have some PTSD from the way the show ended. The show started right along with my 9th grade year of high school and my only year of high school in a severely abusive DV home. I was allowed no friends so no one would know what was going on behind closed doors. I truly believe that the show saved my life because I would get lost in daydreams of adventures with Xena and Gabrielle when the arguments with my parents got to much or worse. It also led to me being a writer because I would write Xena fanfic. Trying to figure out my sexuality and being transgender also didn't help.
8 days after the series finale aired I had the courage to speak up and finally get out of there thru Victim's Crisis Center. I honestly credit that show with saving my life and I hope one day that I get to meet Lucy and especially Renee (I am a die hard Gabrielle fan) and tell them that.
But if you are looking for folks to discuss Xena with (as long you don't mind me being a flamboyant man), I am a die hard who watches Xena still on the streaming services like Amazon Prime and Xumo Play and I love discussing my favorite show! 🫶
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Thank you for sharing that story, it's so precious to hear all of those and i'm glad you at least at that show to hold on and that it guided you to get break free. Very proud of you for surviving :) And yeah sure, we can chitchat about xena anytime \^\^
Solarsido27@reddit
I will never not be watching Xena. I’m in my 30s and I just started collecting memorabilia, and I fully plan on attending the convention in New Jersey. I feel like my love for the show has only increased as I’ve gotten older as it is very much a source of comfort
brinrex89@reddit
Also in my 30s and considering going to the convention. I've never gone to anything like it, but it may be fun!
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
that's nice to read :) what have you been able to collect so far?
ugh i wish i could attend a convention \^\^ must be such a fun experience! i hope you have the best time!
Agent8699@reddit
Yes, there are still hardcore nutball Xenites! Both OG and new fans.
Welcome to the fandom!
There is an awesome Opinionated Episode Guide on Jackson UpperCo’s website which I would recommend checking out after each episode or season. And whoosh.org still has lots of classic essays / articles from back in the day which can be illuminating to read.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
OMG! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE WEBSITES! I've been catching up on the cast and crew reactions to the episodes i've rewatched so far and it's so interesting to see reactions from back then also things i missed from the coffee talks that i never watched. THANK YOU A THOUSAND TIMES!
VRT303@reddit
Quick tip: switch a few episodes in the last season with a fan order, trust me it will be much better
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
But what is that fan order? Please tell me so I can maybe try it when I get to S6 :) not sure it will help much but I'm curious ^^
VRT303@reddit
When Fates Collide is my finale. There were a few guides of how to best mix it up.
Actually, last time I even skipped the Ring trilogy and added it right before and WFC as the last 4 episodes. That felt really nice.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Thanks you very much for taking the time to write me a map \^\^ very grateful!
Popular-One-7051@reddit
I don't know the rest of th fan order but I always end at WFC. it shows how much they love each other and doesn't leave me crying.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Thanks ^^ it confirms what I've read :) thanks I will def keep it in mind 😊
summer_james2@reddit
Fan spaghetti order is AFIN, when Fates collide, many happy returns.
I chose WFC as my finale
spacecolony227@reddit
I’m in my 30s also, and I have a vivid memory of being little and watching the season 1 finale on my grandma’s little old TV and being so distraught and enraptured! I was obsessed with watching it every week when I was little. It definitely turned me into a tomboy lol. It was so nostalgic to rewatch the episode again when I was older and remember how magical it was to watch it as a kid.
I feel as though the fandom is growing again with younger generations discovering it. I’m jealous you get to watch it all again the for the first time!
There are still Xena conventions where the fans gather, it’s so fun and worth saving up for. A lot of the OG 90’s Xena fans go. I’ve only been once in LA a couple years back but I’d love to go again.
amazonv@reddit
I am also doing (another) rewatch now in my 40s!
Fuzzy_Ability8284@reddit
The emotional damage was so real for me as well that now When Fates Collide is the series finale as far as I'm concerned. Xena never returned to Japan and if they did it was for the relaxing hot springs, nothing more.
I liked the Evil Xena flashbacks we got in the Japan Arch, loved the wig. The CGI fight was cool, letting Gabby take the reins was very sweet but holy fkn shit all of these things are vastly outweighed by the emotional devastation.
I'd sooner watch Brokeback Mountain again than revisit those episodes and that movie left me wondering if I should be on Prozac.
P.S. Xena's samurai armor was pretty ridiculous, I guess it looked cool (did it though???) But her whole torso may as well have "STAB HERE" painted on it. Girl, bye.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Oh you guys have me curious about WFC, i know i watched it but can't remember it now haha i'll get to it shush but i like your vision and i fully agree haha Xena never returned to Japan, done! Where do i sign?!
I also like a dark xena haha might be an unpopular opinion idk but i'll always cheer for some dark xena energy, it just slaps!
LMAO! emotional damage indeed!
oh gosh yeah the outfit, THAT i remember very well, it was my least favourite tbh, def too exposed haha and it sure didn't help her much in the end 🤡
Popular-One-7051@reddit
WFC is one of my favorite episodes from the series. Absolutely should have been the finale
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Fighting hard the urge to go refresh my memory 🤡
Fuzzy_Ability8284@reddit
If you haven't seen the series in awhile you definitely want to see Alti & Caesar get introduced & resolved before watching WFC.
Popular-One-7051@reddit
Resistance is futile. Go watch. S6 next to last
Fuzzy_Ability8284@reddit
WFC could've been better, I wish Hudson Leick was available to reprise Calisto because I would've loved a 2 or 3 episode Arch of her, Alti & Caesar colluding together for an amazing series finale.
It's still good though and has a much more satisfying climax than A Friend In Need. imo.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
I like your idea 👀 WFC might really become my new finale ^^
Popular-One-7051@reddit
It's mine
Popular-One-7051@reddit
That's an interesting. premise. AFIN was so out there with the really strange location and some random character thrown in to bring Xena down.
TawnLR@reddit
Still one of my fave shows ever and always happy to discuss it on forums or dm's etc. glad you're enjoying it! Looking forward to more of your opinions on it as you go.
Confident-Club1310@reddit
I'm almost 50! I've loved Xena for 25 years. And I rewatch it every few years. The show has been a source of inspiration for me the entire time I've known it.
IseQween@reddit
I was almost 50 when it first aired. I accidentally caught maybe the 3rd or 4th ep on a rainy day while I was vacationing in Mexico. All I remember is my shock at seeing a dark-haired, healthy-sized woman with a sword, rolling around in the dirt, looking ferocious and independent. What the ?!!! I'd never experienced anything like that on screen. Thankfully, turned out to be on a channel originating from my hometown Chicago, where I'd missed the launch event or any news whatsoever about XWP or Hercules.
Soon as I returned home, I made it my business to watch XWP every Friday or Saturday. It inspired my foray into the newly developing internet, VCRs, then DVDs, the only fan sites, discussion groups, publications, memorabilia I've ever cared about to this day (except for keeping up with Lucy and whatever productions she appears in). Over the years, I've continued full rewatches on my DVDs, kept up with (even met) a few of my online fellow Hard Core Nutballs.
Oh, I definitely mourned the show's end. Maybe it was my maturity at the time, but I accepted that as part of life's cycles. I knew that -- no matter devastating -- "this too shall pass" in terms of my capacity to continue on, to carry inside and be inspired to move forward by who/what I loved. With XWP, I felt enormously grateful I still had the physical entity, along with its spirit. I knew conventions were still being held, even got to attend one locally. But until joining this subreddit a couple years ago, I had no idea how alive the show remains for so many generations.
Now, not a day passes when I don't dabble in the show through an ep, fanfic, these discussions. I'm as obsessed as in the beginning and thrilled to discover new aspects because of other fans' perspectives. I'd say you have definitely come to the right place to chit chat.
rockandrollfun@reddit
Wow, thanks for your perspective! I’m almost 47 and thought I was one of the older ones ‘round here ;) I’ve found that I really enjoy reading some of the original essays written back during the original airing (Whoosh!, etc.) It’s impressive to me what an intellectually leaning fan base the show attracted/attracts (myself probably excluded, haha) and how many good perspectives were presented right off the bat.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
25 years, congratulations, i wish to be able to say this one day too \^\^ you got to experience it as an adult at it's peak too then, you must have great memories!
Confident-Club1310@reddit
It's hard to overstate its influence! It united, made friends, and even "married off" a whole lot of non-traditional girls at a time when we were all watching it for the first time. There was nothing like it on television back then. But most importantly, this show helped many people accept themselves and their own identity.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
i hear that a lot, i'm so happy you had that :) i can see how it meant so much back then and still does today.
Confident-Club1310@reddit
And you know what makes me endlessly happy? That the series remains interesting to new generations! To be honest, it even surprises me :)
Popular-One-7051@reddit
I watched in first during its first run in my 30s. I still rewatch roughly every year or so. will offset pull out a DVD to look up an episode or two that will make me smile. WFC is my finale. I can't rewatch AFIN.
I got to go to a con in '97 and still have the autographs and other things I got there (including a Grease program signed by Lucy). I also have the boxed fan kits 1-5 with the magazines and a blooper VHS (stop laughing), and other stuff.
it amazes me that this show still has cons after 30 years, and this year Hudson comes.
AXEtheMercenary@reddit
I also did a recent rewatch as a 33-34 year old a few years back. I had done an adult rewatch in my early 20s and then a Callisto arch & full S6 rewatch with an old friend and while I enjoyed it, the cheesiness kinda made me feel like it didn’t hold up well. Watching it in my 30s with 10 years of more TV viewing, damn it was that shot full of TALENT! From the actors to the stunt actors to the writers and directors, to camera crew. The show was so ambitious and adventurous.
Popular-One-7051@reddit
The fight choreography was overall so good. Yeah some of it was the cheesy tap their face and go flying stuff ( reminded me of NBA flopping) to actually being really convincing. Renee fling around with that staff was always good to watch.(besides her abs).
Some of the "minor" characters were so good. I loved M'lia. well-defined for someone who had little screen time but lots of meaning.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
it's like each decades it ages like fine wine \^\^
Pwaise_Hestia@reddit
I had the literal same journey as you. Used to watch as a kid, did a rewatch in college, then spent my entire 34th and 35th year on this planet literally watching nothing but xena. It’s amazing media and the fandom/community is top tier. 10/10 everything about xena warrior princess is amazing.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
spaghetti order? haha
I honestly think that i will just skip the finale, maybe just watch some scenes idk but i think it's too soon, i literally just came to term with it today, my eyes and head still hurt from the crying haha it’s painful, unfair, and impossible to forget, no matter how much I understand it. Maybe in my 40s or never haha i don't i need to rewatch it to honor and enjoy the show i think...
Popular-One-7051@reddit
I can't watch it either for multiple reasons, but especially because it was manipulated by that little snake Akemi and it was over an accidental fire that Xena didn't even cause. I kept wondering what Gabrielle started doing afterwards. She hadn't been a warlord where she needed to ask for redemption. I guess go be a bard?
when I rewatch WFC is always my finale. It gives them a chance to ride off into the sunset after the timeline is recreated. What can I say? I'm a mushy kid.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
I'm really considering stopping after WFC now 👀 for comfort and don't worry I understand ^^
StyraxCarillon@reddit
I skip the finale too. I watched it when it aired, and I'm still a little salty about it. Will not watch it again.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
not blaming you :D that's a mood! i get it, really, i saw it once, it's still very fresh in my head, no need to turn the pain into PTSD haha
BoniMarce@reddit
i have rewatched a handful of times and have always stopped before AFIN, partly because i never wanted it to end. guess Lucy supports it!
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Another one skipping the finale \^\^ thanks, i'll feel less guilty doing it haha
yes she does! and i'm so happy about it because it leaves some room for imagination, especially since they planned to do a movie but that never happened so somewhere, at some point in time... somebody wrote smth about xena coming back, something, anything and that possibility is precious haha
Popular-One-7051@reddit
I can't rewatch either. It just makes me cry y for many reasons. WFC is my finale
StyraxCarillon@reddit
I've been watching some interviews with Lucy (thanks whoever posted the links!). I don't think Lawless realized how attached people were to her character.
I still remember the Ms Magazine interview with Lawless, where she was asked if she was a feminist and she said no. That was back in the 90s. I wonder if she would still give the same answer now.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Oh I think she had time to process everything, she's down to earth but I think she gets it now. Maybe she was working too much back then to fully see it but she was def an icon and a feminist and still is. She stands up for others, i heard a story in which she stood up against some director that wasn't nice to Renee on her own show, yikes! i think she's maybe too humble to brag about it idk \^\^
StyraxCarillon@reddit
Calling yourself a feminist back in the 90s meant taking a lot of flak, and fighting a lot of stereotypes. I'm sure she meant it when she said no. I suspect she has a better handle on what it means, these days.
multiplecats@reddit
So many layers I never noticed as a first watch all those many moons ago, but that now LEAP out. The ever so slight tug of war in their relationship, so many discussions about secrets, motherhood, blood innocence, abandonment, commitment, soulmates, all just in the FIRST season! And I realized so much is going on in the backdrop of the world they're in, as it seems beset by mercenaries looking for war and profit and all flowing towards Troy, whilst going in the other direction are families fleeing tyrants. In the mixing where these groups meet and struggle, the gods use their power and station to play with people for sport, and that's where the whole story is playing out. That's just the first season! I love this show.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
it is a very interesting universe once you take time to dive into it for sure :)
stellababyforever@reddit
I started watching at about 13, right as season 5 was coming out, and I was hooked immediately. Re-runs of older seasons would play on cable while I was at school, so I rigged the VCR to record them. My sister and I would come home from school every day and watch the recording before our parents got home from work.
It was so important to me at that point in my life. I was just figuring out my sexuality and this show was my first exposure to two women being together. It really transformed me. And because my sister was watching it with me, it was sort of this way I could talk to her about the new understanding I was developing about myself. It helped me feel safe with her. She ended up being the first person I came out to.
I also recently came back to the show after years away. My wife doesn’t like the show and never really watched it with me. I think she’s jealous because I told her that Lucy Lawless was my first celebrity crush. My wife went on a month long trip, and I watched the whole show through twice.
Watching it now again at 38 was so different. I think I love the show even more than I did as a kid. I studied literature and writing in college and I have a master’s degree, so I’ve really been thinking about things like the nature of narrative arcs, the history of the hero’s journey, and so on.
And I’m so much more appreciative of the little things in Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship. Like Xena hearing Gabrielle’s desire for recognition as more than just a sidekick and Xena being intentional in giving that to her. Oof, my heart. If we could all be so lucky.
I could talk about this show for hours, so I’ll just leave it there for now, lol.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
oh gosh, your story is so heartwarming, precious! i could hear such stories for hours. all this time i spent fangirling by myself with nothing and no one haha it's nice to see how others enjoyed it. i might not have a super analytic understanding of the show but i like how it somehow touched so many different people and left idk smth that somehow makes us gravitate back to XWP one way or another. In your defense, your wive should be able to understand Lucy Lawless is a celebrity crush for MANY people, she was FIT dayuuum and she still looks good idk 60 is the new 40 in a way \^\^
The latest episode I watch was The price and i think it's the first time i actually noticed something special was happening between this two. Now i'm sorry if there were signs before that i missed but this scene with these two in the hospital and xena goes 'you don't know how much i love (pause) that' sure got my attention and i'm looking forward to more :D
stellababyforever@reddit
Oh, yes. Lucy is my enduring crush forever. She’s in this new Kiwi murder mystery show and I’m dying to watch it.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Oh yeah My life is murder? it's on amazon prime video in my country, i was thinking about watching that later this year. I haven't seen much of her work outside of xena, for childish reasons really haha but this looks interesting :)
SakuraTacos@reddit
I also came back to the show in my 30s after being a fan as a kid. How I got back into it is kind of a funny story too: I found the 24/7 Xena channel on Prime and was plopped into the middle of S4 and was like “Wow, this is a lot deeper and darker than I remember!”
So later that day, with Xena fresh on my mind, I YouTube searched Lucy Lawless interviews cuz it’d been years since I followed up with what she was up to. I was watching a long interview of her talking about her whole career when she started talking about Xena and said she regrets them killing Xena in the finale. Me, who never made it past a couple of S5 episodes as a kid was like, “I’m sorry WHAT?!???”
So I decided that day to watch the series from the beginning and omg what an emotional roller coaster. Knowing Xena’s fate had me an emotional wreck throughout my whole watch, the more Xena discovered happiness and fell in love with Gabrielle, the more I cried thinking about how it wouldn’t last hahah
I’ve been watching it since my first watch with much less tears now lol Also have been marveling at all the subtext and love and deeper lessons I missed as a kid. This show was so very special, I’m so grateful I came back to it!
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Oh no that must've been a shock! haha
I think the ending felt like a door closing in your face and I didn't really see deeper than the surface until the rewatch I'm currently doing and my defences were down so it got to me like a tsunami but I really needed that. I feel relieved, I cried for Xena and I really rarely cry haha I honored her and respected her and if I didn't care about her and Gabrielle and their journey, I wouldn't have cried so they were ugly but proud tears haha
How many times did you rewatch the show? because it's my first rewatch ever and it took me over a decade to get back into it 🙈
SakuraTacos@reddit
I was so shocked! And until the credits rolled on the finale, there was a part of me that was like “She was just kidding, right?”
Even as hard as I cried, I’m one of the few that enjoys the finale. As a matter of fact, it’s one of my favorite episodes. Gabrielle’s journey coming full circle to becoming a warrior in her own right. From Xena telling Gabrielle “How would you fix this? Show me.” to Gabrielle catching the chakram. It’s the end of Xena’s journey but it’s the start of a new life for Gabrielle.
From when I started my first full rewatch this past August and say I’ve seen it about 4 times since (but not always in order, and skipping an episode here or there). I can’t stop watching it, I want to like… absorb every detail of every episode into my brain. 😅 Totally obsessed!
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
I can't say that I enjoy it but I respect it. Some characters in other shows even nowadays didn't get that grand ending. She deserved that much but I was hoping for something different i guess, and i can't quite put it into words sorry :) but i'm glad she finished her arc with honor and peace of mind, she's free as for gabrielle.... idk, my views on her are still changing, it's too early to tell but thank you for sharing that with me!
4 times since August damn! Tbh I think it's great as long as you enjoy it :) it's great when you find something that makes you vibrate so ENJOY while it lasts!
Warrioress_@reddit
I understand all your feelings! As someone who saw random episodes briefly when I was like five and then got the dvd boxset in my early teens and absolutely made it my entire personality for years (still do tbh) and then had a big gap where I didn't watch it for years and now I'm nearly 30 and I decided to rewatch this year... What is it with every one starting or rediscovering xena this year? There's something in the air! It's definitely hit me different but no less deeply as an adult and it's been really interesting to interpret everything with my adult experiences now.
And I agree so much with the finale, I understand it and see its point but I still hate it because it HURTS SO MUCH 😭😭 I've been rewatching super slowly and am definitely going to watch the alternate order for the final episodes... If I can bring myself to watch AFIN at all 🙈
I've really loved coming to realise how active the community still is and have made some lovely friends from connecting with fellow xenites here and on other platforms!
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Cheers :)
ugh, my eyes and head still hurts from the ugly crying gosh! but when you say alternate order what do you mean?
Like I said, some fans on twitter i think suggested that the show's best end was when fates collide so i'll guess i'll go all the way to there and then i'll see if i push a little bit or not. If I start to get too emotional, i'll just stop and wait before doing a full rewatch again! How far are you in your rewatch atm?
Every year is a good year to discover or rediscover XWP :) i wish they'd remasted all the episodes to make them HD if possible, because that would just give me a good reason to re-rewatch the show haha Lucy's beauty in HD would slap even more :)
nancys911@reddit
Watching them now. Some episodes I haven't seen. Like the ones in India and when Gabby hair got cut. Literally watching them episodes now. And also realized I don't remember seeing some part. Especially end of Fallen Angel (I believe) or episode after when Callisto finds her family finally. Omg I cried like a damn baby
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
oh yeah i remember that era \^\^ i'm looking forward to it, gabby did a lot of personal growth in that era :)
Away-Living5278@reddit
This show is one of the more still discussed from the 90s/early 00s. Lucy and Renee have also been very giving to the fans. I have not been to a con, but watching them online looks really fun and I enjoy being able to see them.
I watched as a kid/teen, and with re-watches, I mostly stick to episodes that are not the finale. I've watched it maybe 4 or 5 times total.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
Yeah actually I heard there is another convention later this month in LA, more goodies heading our way i guess :) I wish I could go to a con but it's usually either the USA or NZ and i have adult money but not that kind of adult money haha so i rely on online links \^\^ and it's fine :) can't relive the past anyway!
CeeUNTy@reddit
I was in my 20s when this show came out and I immediately loved it. I started watching the DVDs with my niece when she turned 10 and we watched every single episode together on my weekends with her. If she misbehaved her punishment was losing an episode, lol. It never happened because I wanted to watch it too! My license plate says Xena on it and my 31 year old niece has a cat named Xena. So yeah, still fans!
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
oh my gosh, i love this cute little story! the other day i was thinking about how nostalgia makes you wish impossible things like i wish i had been an adult back when the show was airing, to collect everything and join the fanclub and enjoy when it was at its peak and be a part of the magic but i was just a kid back then :(
it moves me that you were there back then and still around now :) shows how deeply it impacted you. thank you!
CeeUNTy@reddit
Think about how lucky you were to learn the lessons from this show while you were still a kid! I would have loved to see strong women kicking ass back in the 70s and 80s! We had Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman, which were cool, but nothing like what they did with Xena. That's why I was so excited to share it with my niece and why it remains such an important part of our lives. I'd say that this post reminds me to watch it again but it's on the Roku channel right now so it's on at some point every day, lol. I'm glad you got a chance to revisit it.
giveherawinkforme@reddit (OP)
there is a website out there where it is possible to watch upscale versions of the episodes but i must confess i'm using another way to watch a dvd version of the show that isn't l3gal sorry not sorry but i need to have that show ready to be watched whenever i feel like it and in my country it's just not available anywhere atm :'(