Hercules and Xena...thoughts?
- Thread starter RoJoHen
- Start date
I was a big fan of Hercules The Legendary Journey from the first original TV films and Xena was great until the last couple of seasons. I also enjoyed the Young Hercules series with a young Ryan Gosling.
I've only watched "Xena". I really enjoyed it. Some say it's "trashy" and some criticise the inaccurate historical dates, e.g. Xena meets people which she shouldn't have met because they would have lived in different centuries. But I would give it a try. Just watch two episodes or so 
and you get a feeling for it and whether you like it or not.
and you get a feeling for it and whether you like it or not.
They're not shows that are easy to define. The one consistent trait about them is that they didn't hold back. They could be insanely goofy and lowbrow one week and tell a wrenching, thought-provoking tale of tragedy the next. Whichever way they went, comedy or drama, they turned it up to 11 and did whatever they wanted without embarrassment or restraint. Especially Xena. So they were both insanely brilliant and unapologetically silly. Sometimes it didn't work; there were comedies that were just plain stupid and unfunny, and dramatic episodes that were turgid and overblown. But when it did work, it was spectacular. And even when it was embarrassing, you had to admire their sheer chutzpah in being willing to try some of the things they pulled.
But the early seasons are generally better, especially in Xena. The problem was, doing everything in top gear like that means they burned out faster and had to strain to top themselves thereafter.
But the early seasons are generally better, especially in Xena. The problem was, doing everything in top gear like that means they burned out faster and had to strain to top themselves thereafter.
darkwing_duck1
Vice Admiral
Xena was definitely the more "serious" of the two, playing it's material straight for the most part whereas Hercules had a more tounge-in-cheek tone much of the time.
Xena suffers badly in it's last season or so. I think, as Christopher suggested, that the writers were just burned out. Also, some people objected to the way it depicted Christianity (under a different name).
Xena suffers badly in it's last season or so. I think, as Christopher suggested, that the writers were just burned out. Also, some people objected to the way it depicted Christianity (under a different name).
Yes.
Without spoiling the series for you, a few things about the shows ... Hercules started out as part of the "Action Pack" along with Tek-War, Time Trax, and others. It was a series of five tv movies (well, four movies and a clip show movie). In these movies, we meet actors who will become regular characters in Hercules and Xena, though not as the same characters. Probably easier casting that way.
The five movies were such a ratings hit (and so cheaply made) that they decided to go with a series, and they came out with the first season, which is about 13 episodes long. In the second half, they introduce the character of Xena. She then got her own spin-off.
Characters introduced in one series frequently showed up in the other, and there was a lot of crossover between them.
The tone of each show is quite different, even though they are set in the same universe. It's sort of like imagining a serious medical drama and a light-hearted buddy comedy set in the same neighborhood. They look at the same events, through different eyes.
As you probably know, Hercules is the son of a mortal woman and the King of the Olympian gods, Zeus. The gods have more or less turned their backs on him, so he does the same to them. He fights to make the world a better place. He tries to teach people that they can do the same. If you want a better world, don't rely on others to do it for you, do it yourself.
It's a fun romp. Don't take it seriously, just go along for the ride. There's a LOT there (xena - six seasons, hercules - six seasons plus the five movies, the crossover animated movie, young hercules - movie plus one season but this series isn't on dvd, just the movie) so if you enjoy what you see, there's tons more.
Oh, one more thing ... The producers responsible for X&H are the same ones doing Legend of the Seeker, and it's filmed in the same locations X&H were. Though a bit darker, it does have the same kind of feel.
That's a subject for a spoilery thread. Since I have only two episodes to go on my current re-watch of the series, it's all fresh in my mind. If you'd like to start such a thread for that topic, I'd be interested in seeing what others have to say on the matter.
I like Xena, but not Hercules so much.
I could be jaded by my dislike of Kevin Sorbo though.
I could be jaded by my dislike of Kevin Sorbo though.
darkwing_duck1
Vice Admiral
Not intending to start a debate on the merits of the objections, just pointing out that there is material he may or may not find problematic, just as I would point out content that was ultra-violent or had lots of gratuitous "adult situations".
This is an absolutely perfect review.
My personal take is that Xena was much better than Herc. Herc was almost always childishly goofy, while Xena more often tried to be dramatic, adult and more serious (except when they went for a comedy ep, which usually came right after a heavy dramatic ep to give us a breather).
Xena had some truly heart-wrenching drama and utterly brilliant dramatic performances. The thing about a show like this is that it gives its stars an insanely broad range of situations to play, and great actors like Lucy and Renee take the opportunities to truly deliver. The Hope storyline is simply shattering. You'll see.
And yes, the show kinda loses its way in the last season or two, much like Buffy did. The Eli saga is difficult to slog thru. But Lucy and Renee NEVER dissapoint.
Oh, and, Callisto is still the single most delightful villian EVER.
I'll agree that on the whole, Xena was a darker, more intense and dramatic series than Hercules, but Herc certainly had plenty of effective dramatic episodes. I mean, this is a show that began (as a weekly series) with the murder of the protagonist's wife and children. It had its share of serious and dark elements.
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Like others have mentioned, the two shows were different in tone and I generally favored Xena, and not just because the two leads were ridiculously hot. I did however enjoy the occasional cross overs between the two shows. I'd say if you aren't hooked about two seasons in, it may not be your type of thing.
I never really got into "Xena," but I did like "Hercules"---but it is unabashedly silly and really falls under the "dumb entertainment" label. However, I have to say that a few of Hercules plots were fairly good. What I liked best about it, though, was the character of Iolaus--Herc's best pal and sidekick. I thought he was a far more interesting person and much more fun (or perhaps just a better actor). I found his storylines to be the best.
Yes. They're really crazy shows. Christopher really defined it best by saying that they always take the one step further.
The difference between Xena and Hercules though is that Hercules stays in a safe spot in seasons 2-3. Hercules has a really great start with 5 telemovies and first season, but season 2-3 are too 90's. Herc starts to get really crazy with season 4. Season 4 had an episode which was about the writers of the show and their inability to come up with anything good. It was just crazy. Also Michael Hurst. That guy is doing some pretty crazy stuff in Hercules. In one episode he played a woman and it was awesome.
Xena however has a weak start with season 1, which is too 90's. But starting from season 2 it goes into crazy territory and never looks back.
They're crazy quirky shows. If for example you've ever seen Lexx and liked it, then there's a big chance you'll like Xena/Hercules too.
Michael Hurst's skill as an actor is undeniable. He's regarded as one of New Zealand's greatest actors. His Hamlet is considered authoritative.
But I thought there were episodes of Hercules that really brought out the best in Kevin Sorbo -- like one where he was visiting the graves of his wife and children, delivering a monologue that was really very well done. Sorbo can be an excellent actor when he has a good director keeping him focused, though not so much when he's allowed to get self-indulgent.
I loved XENA and enjoyed HERCULES. At their best, they were wildly entertaining and giddily over-the-top. They made every other show on tv look staid by comparison. You should definitely check them out.
(And TREK fans should note that Karl Urban, the new Dr. McCoy, appears in several episodes as either Cupid and Julius Caesar!)
(And TREK fans should note that Karl Urban, the new Dr. McCoy, appears in several episodes as either Cupid and Julius Caesar!)
^Awesome. Love Callisto.
The five Hercules TV-movies aren't absolutely necessary, but they do introduce you to the universe, the characters and their relationships, etc. Plus, they have Anthony Quinn as Zeus, which is kind of neat. I'd say check them out if you can find them (hey, if you didn't live hundreds of miles away, I'd totally let you borrow my DVDs
).
Christopher's review was very spot-on. These two shows were definitely... different. I think that's one of the main reasons why I liked them so much. One thing I'll say, though, is that you really must be able to appreciate camp, otherwise you might find the series too absurd for your liking.
I agree with the sentiment that, on the whole, Xena was the darker of the two (which is fitting, considering the character's past), but both series had their fair share of comedy (often zany, screwball comedy) and surprisingly effective drama. They really went to extremes in these shows.
While they certainly both had some dud episodes (and yes, like many shows, some seasons were generally stronger than others), overall I quite enjoyed them. So in my opinion, yeah, they're worth a shot.
The five Hercules TV-movies aren't absolutely necessary, but they do introduce you to the universe, the characters and their relationships, etc. Plus, they have Anthony Quinn as Zeus, which is kind of neat. I'd say check them out if you can find them (hey, if you didn't live hundreds of miles away, I'd totally let you borrow my DVDs
). Christopher's review was very spot-on. These two shows were definitely... different. I think that's one of the main reasons why I liked them so much. One thing I'll say, though, is that you really must be able to appreciate camp, otherwise you might find the series too absurd for your liking.
I agree with the sentiment that, on the whole, Xena was the darker of the two (which is fitting, considering the character's past), but both series had their fair share of comedy (often zany, screwball comedy) and surprisingly effective drama. They really went to extremes in these shows.
While they certainly both had some dud episodes (and yes, like many shows, some seasons were generally stronger than others), overall I quite enjoyed them. So in my opinion, yeah, they're worth a shot.
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