A commentary on one of the DVDs has Renee mentioning how fortunate she and Lucy were as actresses to play on a show that had so many strong women characters, both as protagonists and antagonists.
Episode 38, season 2 #14 is a case in point, and this clip doesn't even include Ephiny or Solarie.
(ETA: Replaced discontinued vid)
"You don't just kill me... and walk away!"
Rob Tapert and or Lucy Lawless said in another commentary that if you want your heroes to look amazing, you need to pit them against strong villians.
Even as a fan of Voyager with very strong female protagonists... Xena has us beat in spades when it comes to evil ladies, we just have "a Queen".
"A Necessary Evil", another episode created to deal with Lucy's fractured pelvis, is another great example of alchemy in the TV writer's room.
But before I wax nostalgic about the ep... perhaps i should say one more thing about the previous ep... "The Quest". The "A" story, as far as I'm concerned, was Xena's Quest to return to the land of the living and to her friend who beseeched her..."I know you can hear me-- wherever you are. I know you always told me to be strong. I can’t be, not now. You
can’t leave me. I know it’s not your time. I can feel it in my heart. I feel this
emptiness that
I’ve never known before, and it scares me. Xena, above all, just remember
your destiny. Remember it and fight. Just, fight to come back. This
world needs you.
I need you."
But there WAS another story, one involving the evil Velasca. An Amazon who killed the true Queen of the Amazons... and someone who also just happened to be her foster Mother.
Well, the evil Velasca who didn't have the opportunity to meet Xena and Gabby during their previous visit last year, simply expects Gabrielle to hand over the Masque of the Queen's office to her, legalizing her grab for power.
Obviously, she doesn't know Gabrielle too well.
Gabby keeps the title and is enthrowned as Queen. Then the "you know what" hits the fan... Autolycus steals Xena's body, Gabs runs off with him, there is a schism between the followers of evil Velasca and of good

Ephiny. Evil Velasca throws the good guys into jail, and captures Autolycus and Gabby. Velasca figures out our heroes are after the Ambrosia... the food of the gods which we learn can turn "dead people" into live people, and "live people" into Gods.
Now, perhaps, you can see where this is going. Gabby (under the control of a really pissed off Warrior Princess) fights Velasca, causing the evil Amazon to fall from on high, onto a floor covered in sharp spikes. The ambrosia she was holding has fallen into the fire pit... except a small piece which is captured by Gabby's brassiere. (You had to be there!

) Gabby climbs down to find the good

Amazons have brought Xena's coffin and her body into the temple, where she force feeds Xena's corpse the ambrosia and yet another mournful plea...
Gabrielle: “... Xena. Xena, if you can hear me... come back. Please, come back.”
Xena: (The Warrior Princess' eyes flutter open and she struggles to focus on the blond leaning over her) “
Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle: “I know. Let’s get you out of here.”
As we see them leave... another piece of ambrosia falls from the opening in the ceiling, and hits the masonary next to the fire pit. A bloody hand, attached to a bloody evil Amzonian body lying among the sharp spikes... rises shakily towards the object of her evil

desire.
SO!
That was the end of the "B" story of
"The Quest".
And now you can guess what "A Necessary Evil" is all about....
CALLISTO!!!!!!!!!
Gabby is back at the Amazon's camp... and she is giving away her right to be Queen to her good friend Ephiny. Great lines in the teaser... not to mention throughout the ep. The first one that comes to mind was when Ephiny insisted Gabby remain Queen. She would only rule in Gabs absence. Gabrielle turns that cutesy "evil" grin of her's onto Xena and asks...
Gabrielle: “
Queen Gabrielle. Hmm. Does an
Amazon Queen beat a
Warrior Princess?”
Xena: (mock growl) “Do you
really wanna find out?”
Everything was going so well for a change... and then Velasca shows up, dripping in blood, dragging a foot behind her, and fixating herself on that stupid masque which confers queenship. Well... she's not just fixated on Queenship right then... GODHOOD looked pretty good to her right about then and she gulps down a handful of ambrosia, healing her wounds, turning her irises white and allowing her hands to throw lightening bolts.
She attacks the Amazons, she tries to kill Gabrielle and Ephiny, and both are (naturally) saved by Xena. Away the tribe runs, seeking shelter to regroup and figure out how to fight a God.
Some great lines are spouted when Xena sends Ephiny out to distract/slow Velasca down while she and Gabrielle go for help.
Xena: “Yes-- I need as many Amazons as possible to delay her. Don’t get anyone killed-- just slow her down. Gabrielle and I need time.”
Ephiny: “Shouldn’t be a problem--
I think I’m high on her list of things to do. Xena, that arm’s dislocated.”
Xena: “Ah, yeah."
(Xena runs her right shoulder into a wall) All better now. See?”
(She waves the arm she'd been holding all day.)
Ephiny: “Yeah.”
(She leaves)
Xena: “You all right?”
Gabrielle: “Yeah, yeah, you know? Ephiny may be high on the list,
but I’m on top. I’ve never been a target before... I mean, I’ve never been hunted. Xena, what are we gonna do... against a god?”
Xena: “Well, we need some help, that’s for sure-- and to fight an immortal, I need an immortal.”
Gabrielle: “Do you know where you can find one?”
Xena: “Yes... yes I do.”
Now... had I been smart and taken Forbin's suggestion the frst time around, I would have seen the
Hercules ep where Callisto came back from death, and ate from the tree of life in order to turn herself into an immortal.
Now... WHY someone who WANTS to die, decided she had to turn herself into an immortal.... well. THAT'S why I have to buy
Hercules: Legendary Journeys!
But right now...WHO CARES WHY!!!!
She's back!!!!!!!
Love
love loved the way Callisto tried to doublecross Xena in her first fight with Velasca.
Adored the way Callisto put Velasca in a headlock, making her drop Xena from the choke grip with yet another great line... "You
don't just kill me... and
walk away!"
Truly loved the scene where Xena and Callisto are teamed up to sword fight the burgeoning goddess Velasca. Kewl

I wanted to warn Gabby from trying to "talk" to Callisto, and laughed despite myself when Xena asked Callisto what was wrong with Gabby as she ran from the campfire and Callisto shrugged...
“We played a game of truth or dare, and she’s not very good at it.”
There were a lot of quiet moments in this ep... even one between Gabby and Callisto... before she got all witchy on our young Bard.

Ones between Xena and Callisto over the campfire as they plot how to take down Velasca...
Xena: “No, no. No, she’s grown too strong. We have to lure her there.”
Callisto: “Well, we have perfect bait for that. It’s your
precious little Gabrielle she wants.”
Xena: “I know.”
Between Xena and Gabrielle, as the young Amazon Queen decides she must die for the greater good.
Gabrielle: “I’m the bait. If it means getting on that rope bridge--”
Xena: “Sacrificing you is
not part of the plan... not even close. And it’s
not just Velasca we need to get on that bridge, it’s Callisto as well. If I’m right, they’ll be so busy fighting one another, that they won’t notice me cutting the ropes.”
Gabrielle: “Let’s do it.”
Humor has followed us throughout this ep... and I love it when Callisto jumps Velasca from behind, and cuts the purse hanging from Velasca's belt. Gabby scoops up the purse with its Ambrosia, and is kicked halfway across the rope bridge by Velasca. Callisto stabs the "Goddess to be" and runs out to where Gabby is hanging from the bridge. Velasca pulls Callisto's dagger from her midriff and utters...
Velasca: “Oh... she’s
gotta go.”
And Callisto, after chomping on the Ambrosia that Gabby threw her... utters that other famous line as her eyes turn god-white..."Here comes
trouble!"
But the REAL
God of the story, the Mary Sue that even when she does do harm, can somehow get away with it in the end... is the Warrior Princess who owes more than her life to Gabrielle. She shows us yet again that you
don't just stand there... you
ACT!
Gabrielle: “Xena!”
Xena: “Hold on, Gabrielle!”
Gabrielle: “I can’t hold on! Hurry! Just do it! Cut the rope!”
Xena: “Hold on!”
Gabrielle: “Do it! Xena, I can’t hold on!”
Xena: “Gabrielle--
don’t take your eyes off me!”
Gabrielle: “Hurry!”
(Xena has tied a rope about her waist... she has taken her chakram in her hand and cut 1 of the 2 hand rail ropes that the godesses were holding while they fought each other... causing them both to fall into the river of lava below. She then takes one step back... and a FLYING LEAP FORWARD just as Gabrielle's grip on the rope bridge fails and she falls towards that fatal fire of molten rock.)
Xena: “I got’cha! I got’cha!”
Of course you do...
Xena.
Its like what Gabrielle told you at the end of
"The Quest".
Gabrielle : “You know, for a few moments, I knew what it was like to be you.”
Xena: “And?”
Gabrielle : “It was warm, friendly,
loving--”
Xena: “Gabrielle, it was a
fight.”
Gabrielle : “I
felt protected. The world
needs people like that ... right?”
Xena: “Right.”
