You must be very brave... "early years" Gabrielle probably comes with jealous Xena who will beat the tar out of you, and later years Gabrielle will just beat the tar out of you on her own.
Oh, right, thats the idea!
Now what makes you think my
fantasy Xena wouldn't be into it too?
Sooooo... your fantasy Xena is actually
Meg?
Sadly, there aren't a "lot" of good Meg vids on Youtube...
However, this one might amuse....(especially like the last line..."She's planning my
DOOM, I know it!"
Had fun revisiting part of season 4 today... the whole trip to India with a side stop in "Paradise".
I really liked the Yin & Yang motifs through "Paradise Found", especially since it paralleled our two women so well. Xena being "evil" with a touch of "good" during her formative years, and Gabby being Good with a touch of evil. (Hey, don't forget, Gabby has killed by now) Loved the bed with the motif, and the women dressed all white/all black. And of course, loved the end, when Gabrielle admits that she always looked at Xena's dark side as a disease, but without it, Gabby would have ended up a blue statue and Xena would have joined Lt Gar's roving band of
mad men.
Of course, I loved India since it saw the return of
Alti, the Shamanesse we
love to hate.
Also loved the idea of these
two souls reconnecting through the years, or as the producer said when he quoted "The Muppet Movie" (Glad I'm not the only one who does that) "there isn't a word for old friends who've just met." Xena as the ancient "Mother of Peace" and Gabrielle as the hot young Warrior Sultan... who'd a thunk it? I have to admit, I don't think the painting scene would have been quite as sensual if the Sultan and Mother were depicted instead of our 2 Greeks.
(There are at least 2 versions of this song on the xena playlists, but this is the best IMHO)
Sigh.
Poor old arthritic peace loving Xena before the battle.
Xena:"Here, You're the
hero."
Gabrielle: "Xena, the
'Mother of Peace' would have been a
Goddess to me."
You know, Xena had a lot of close calls in India.... she nearly offed herself with her own Chakram while fighting Alti, and she got her arms cut off when fighting Indrajit.
Man, that HAD to hurt!
I did like the arc they had this season, where both women are trying to find their
"way", and how Xena thought Gabrielle's "choice" at the end of the final India ep; "The Way" meant they should no longer travel together.
(Xena has just watched Gabrielle walk down to the river and toss her fighting staff away into the water.)
Xena: "So, it's the way of love for you, huh?"
Gabrielle: "Yeah. Yours is the way of the warrior. I think I've always known that."
Xena: "And I've always known that it was wrong for you. I'm sorry I took you so far from your truth."
Gabrielle: "Don't be sorry. Xena-- do you think I could have understood the power of selfless love-- if it weren't for our friendship?"
Xena: "Still, I think maybe you should travel with
Eli for a while."
Gabrielle: "No. You and I
stay together."
Xena: "Gabrielle, we're headed in opposite directions in life."
Gabrielle: "All rivers run to the sea. We'll end up in the same place; I'm sure of it...... Thank you."
Xena: "For what?"
Gabrielle: "For
not mentioning dams."
Xena: "You're
welcome."
Eventually they'll discover what Xena said in "Family Affair" was true for both of them.
Gabrielle: "It's over-- or is it? Xena? Do you ever? Do you get the feeling that sometimes-- nothing is really over? You know, it just-- keeps coming back around, but it's-- it's wearing a different face. It's-- it's the same underneath. Do you know what I mean?"
Xena: "Sure. I was trapped in a cycle of violence and hatred. And no matter how I tried to break free, something always pulled me back-- until you."
Gabrielle: "Xena-- "
Xena: "No, it's true. You talk about trying to find your way, but to me, you are my way."
Gabrielle: "How can I be your way, when I-- I'm lost, myself?"
Xena: "I'm searching for answers, too. But how we look for them doesn't matter-- as long as we look for them together-- you and me."
Yes, season 4 had some "not so great" eps ("The play's the thing" comes immediately to mind), but these and others make it a stand out. Look at "Crusader", aka "When Joan of Arc goes wrong", and its sequel "The Convert". We see the "searching" Gabrielle AND the "guilty" Xena initially fall for Najara's line of bull... and then we see Xena literally fall under the zealot's brutal attack, saved only by the love of her friend.
Najara: "In the name of the light! I
smite the darkness!"
Gabrielle: "What?!
No-o-o-o-o! You'll have to kill us both."
Najara: "You don't understand, Gabrielle-- that darkness inside her will destroy you one day."
Gabrielle: "Put the sword down. Najara-- you and I-- we'll walk out of here together."
Najara: "You're
just saying that to protect her."
Gabrielle: "Xena's dark side frightens me. I need to move on, but I could never live with someone who killed her. There would be no going back from that."
Xena was so much quicker than I at understanding Najara's motivation when she came "to" after that beating. Then again, I didn't carry that particular "millstone" around my neck that Xena did for 4 years.
Xena [Sighs]: "Some water. (Pulls a molar out of her mouth) I hate that. I got my butt whipped, didn't I?"
Boy: "Uh-huh."
Xena: "Well, it serves me right for trusting someone who talks about being _good_ all the time. You know what? She's a tough girl-- but she's got a weakness. It's the same one I've got."
Half a season later, Najara thankfully returned. It was nice seeing the "villian" as being Xena's competitor not just in physicality, strength, tactics, but as a competitor for the thing Xena seems to value most... Gabrielle.
Najara: "You're awfully quiet, Xena. But then, you never were one to waste words."
Xena: "Nothing's changed."
Najara: "Including me-- is that it? You're wrong."
Xena: "New outfit-- new religion--
same old wacko underneath."
Najara: "Yet you claim to have changed. Why can't I? After all, we both had the same inspiration-- Gabrielle."
Xena: "Ih."
Najara: "But unlike you, I've changed my whole life for her. You've just changed sides."
Xena: "You hurt Gabrielle, and I will change you in ways that are anything _but_ peaceful."
Najara: "You forget-- hurting Gabrielle is _your_ job. Or have those visions gone away? You know, the visions of your death _and_ hers? I wanna share a life of peace with Gabrielle. You wanna share a violent death. You tell _me_ who's the villain here-- me or you."
And later, Najara becomes an oracle, telling Gabrielle what will happen "soon" in "Ides of March"... if only Gabs would listen.
Gabrielle: "Najara-- I think what you're doing is wonderful-- giving up fighting, working through peace-- and starting a hospice would be good for you. But it's not for me. My place is with Xena."
Najara: "I know-- and it always will be-- until her continuing violence -- finally makes her do something even _you_ can't
excuse."
Gabrielle: "That's not going to happen."
Najara: "It has to. And then you will have to choose-- not between me and Xena-- but between
Xena-- and your own soul."
Gabrielle, you chose
wisely.
Perfect.
I bet Xena's armor and Gabrielle's outfit wouldn't be that hard to find or make, but Joxer's goofy helmet and armor would be a challenge.
I blame my error on Lucy's accent! 
Hopefully he's rectified that oversight by now.
