What era of Xena was the best?

Posted by Designer_Stage_489@reddit | xena | View on Reddit | 17 comments

Everyone probably has their favourite season of Xena, but what about a favourite era, as the show (and tv in general) changed a lot over the course of the show. I'd probably define the show in three different eras:

Era one (season 1-2) This was obviously how the show began, really original at the very beginning, but very 'Wonder Woman for the 90s.' Each episode was a standalone; Xena didn't have the nuance in the writing or performance she did in later eras. But this is probably the most iconic era people remember Xena for, a fun show with a kickbutt hero and goofy sidekick.

Era two (season 3-4) This is where the show really started to develop its stories with the rift in season 3, the India arc in season 4, etc. It lost some of the innocence and simplicity from the first two seasons, and Xena almost became less of a focus as Gabrielle stepped out of the sidekick role and had some major stories that evolved around her. She also undertook a complete transformation. Classic Gabby (and Xena as a show) was long gone.

Era three (season 5-6) The show really had some big hurdles in this era, Lucy Lawless becoming pregnant and lots of the crew heading over to work on The Lord of the Rings, which totally changed T.V and film forever, its influence impossible to ignore. The show had got a lot darker and racier by this point.

So what's your favourite? I feel the wheels never really came off during Xena's run, but the thrid era certainly had its issues. The early era had teething issues too, which is why I feel the show really peaked during its middle run. The finales of seasons 3 and 4 were really big highlights and nothing ever really surpassed that for me

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BoyInKemmer@reddit

I disagree with the idea that the writing and performances lacked nuance during Era 1.

If anything, there is a lot of subtlety to Lucy's performance during Season 1 precisely because the character is a lot quieter, still warming into her relationship with Gabrielle. She's slowly thawing out, and you see her gradually finding ways to peak through that stoic exterior. As a result both actors lean a lot more into smaller expressions, things left unsaid etc. As the character becomes more open in latter seasons, Lucy gets to go bigger, with perhaps more complicated emotional plotlines, but I wouldn't sleep on the really deft and quiet stuff going on in the earlier seasons.

Playing the game though, I probably would say Era 2 as you have it. I find it hard to split the show in the way you have, but Season 3 is probably always going to be the pinnacle for me, even if some of my absolute favourite moments come earlier on.

Pop_Stensbold@reddit

Agree with your comments on Season 1 especially about Lucy's performance.

Seasons 1 and 2 and Seasons 5 and 6 are my favourite eras, 3 I have found over the years harder and harder to watch with its really dark spin and the amount of suffering Gabrielle endures, 4 is my least favourite season because a majority of the episodes are just not favourites of mine. 1 is very underrated and this may be a controversial take but Lucy's performance I like more in the earlier seasons as its more subtle, later I felt her whispered delivery and her rage a little overplayed at times in some stories. I love 5 and 6 more for the development of Gabrielle and some very underrated stories in both seasons even though the last few episodes of 5 are problematic for me with the time jump/losing Joxer and Livia. Overall if i was going to rank the best season I would say 2 in the sense that its a season with pretty much great episodes all through maybe bar one.

Valuable_Detail_4531@reddit

Season 2-3 actually

Hour_Dog_4781@reddit

I'm the same. I love, love, LOVE seasons 2 and 3. It was after they figured out what they wanted the show to be, and before they started running out of ideas and getting really weird.

Imissxena@reddit

I’d call 1 -4 my go to. I don’t think it’d put 1-2 in 3-4 in separate eras. Maybe say 1, then 2-4? Bc every show’s first season is generally episodic until the tail end when it starts to.. for lack of a better term, “get it together”.

I think it’s more about who the writers were. I always felt that bits and pieces of where it was heading showed up here and there during season 1. Then, at the tail end of season 1 it began providing overarching themes with some continuity and character development that built up slowly and then faster throughout the first four seasons. Then, in 5, the show shifted in tone and direction a LOT. Most likely bc Writers changed, and so the depth/complexity that had been building for so long got put on pause a bit, or dismissed entirely. It’s why I think 5 was so confusing. Half serialized, half episodic. Not as much care given to the previous character development that had been going on for years.

Six I think was supposed to reset it all, but since it was being cancelled they shifted to wrapping it all up and providing a farewell tour of endings.

Steven L. Sears wrote some of my very favorite episodes. As did Chris Manheim. All I know.. is whenever I rewatch.. I can stop after 4… but I can’t ever skip season 1 😂. It feels wrong!

IndependenceRich8754@reddit

Seasons 2 and 3

Nicoler37@reddit

My personal rank is 3,2,1,6,5

NoReach1699@reddit

Era 2, with honorable mention to season 6

IseQween@reddit

Your eras remind me of stages of childhood, teens and 20's. I liked the freshness, missteps, "what next," "who are these characters and what might they become" aspect of Era 1. I found Era 2 interesting, if sometimes annoying -- X&G bumbling into who they thought they were/ought to be doing, having conflicts both together and pursuing separate courses, doing things that made my hair stand on end and sigh with relief when they made it through, watching each develop with more confidence despite the missteps. Era 3 had them dealing with issues as mostly formed people, embark on a variety of new journeys and overcome new obstacles. I felt nostalgic about some of what liked about them previously (e.g., innocent Gabs as bard with a staff, unreadable Xena who generally seemed to know what she was doing), while curious and more detached about the situations they got themselves into. Though my favorite is Era 2, I wouldn't have wanted to miss what I saw before and after that.

antealtares@reddit

S3 Disc 1 (episodes 1-3). Top tier.

SakuraTacos@reddit

I’m gonna kinda cheat because my eras are separated pre and post Sacrifice.

My favorite is the first half, S1-3. It’s got the coziest Princess Bride feeling. It feels really comforting to watch because those are the episodes I grew up on. These are the episodes I have always, and still do, play on the tv in the background while I do housework or when I can’t fall asleep.

But I do love S4-6 very very much, it’s just got entirely different vibes. Much more dark and serious. It’s actually kind of challenging to focus with these in the background or try falling asleep because I get sucked into the drama much easier. I accidentally let a pot on the stove boil over by accident last night because I was watching To Helicon and Back and I just had to watch Gabrielle’s crash out after Varia tried to kill her

BlueSonic85@reddit

Season 1 was finding its feet to an extent but Season 2 was sprinting with those feet. Nearly every episode is a winner, Lucy and Renee come into their own and the show had the perfect blend of dark and light.

Era 2 was more experimental, some of which worked for me, some of it not so much.

Era 3 was eh. Season 5 starts decently but the Twilight storyline is just nonsensical garbage. 6 is better but it kinda felt tired.

seventy912@reddit

Era 2. I like season 1 and 2 but the show still kind of feels like a spin off in those. It hasn’t properly developed an identity of its own and Xena and Gabrielle are still at the beginning of their development.

Seasons 3 and 4 containing actual arcs that lead into each other makes it work so well as fantasy television. It feels less fractured and episodic even though it is the same format.

Both Gabrielle and Xena as characters and their relationship have clearly developed and progressed since season 1. The Hope storyline is definitely controversial but it was a pretty common thing to see in fantasy shows at the time and AFAIK there weren’t a huge number who stopped watching over it.

I also think the amount and obviousness of the subtext in season 3 and 4 is only really surpassed by season 6 but season 5 was so poor that I know a lot gave up on the show — I still regularly see people talk as if the gayness dropped off as the show went on and make weird implications about it that just are not true.

Regardless of anyone’s opinion on season 5, season 6, or the finale, I don’t think anyone can pretend they were/are very popular. They clearly have a higher budget and are leaning into darker stories which sometimes results in cool episodes like Fallen Angel, When Fates Collide, The Haunting of Amphipolis, the Ring trilogy but also a lot of bad episodes that feel like style over substance or “we have a fuck ton of money and don’t really know what do with it so let’s just throw it at a wall and hope it sticks” syndrome.

Agent8699@reddit

My opinion varies between seasons 1 and 2 for the … simpler storytelling with Xena and Gabrielle versus the world and seasons 3 and 4 with the incredibly dramatic and heartbreaking exploration of Xena and Gabrielle’s bond, while also pitting them against many enemies.

It really depends on my mood and whether I want … lighter / less melodramatic fare or whether I want the DRAMA! 😭

I am not a fan of season 5. And while season 6 was an improvement, the lack of a strong season long storyline and repeat of many story beats without really furthering the characters makes me feel like the season had a lot of wasted potential, especially as it was the final season and TPTB seemed to be relatively free to do whatever they wanted.

bks1979@reddit

Era 2, for sure. The episode where they fight Alti and she kicks the everloving crap out of them is one of my favorites.

I also actually really like when Xena could kill the gods, and the episode Motherhood in particular. I like the Haunting of Amphipolis and Heart of Darkness in S6, despite not liking the time jump or Eve in general.

My favorite singular episode is To Helicon And Back. I just think it's so good, and felt kind of new for the show. Loved Bellerophon too but the "Saving Private Ryan" beach shots are primo.

But, overall, Era 2.

Jahon_Dony@reddit

1 and 2, but nothing wrong with the whole show. A little less interesting without the other Hercverse shows still around, but still a fun ride. Season 6 had pretty high production values.