Xena: Warrior Podcast

Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! This week, Vera, Katie, and Livy ain’t afraid of no ghost in 6x02 “The Haunting of Amphipolis,” the show’s Halloweeniest Halloween episode. We discuss its many horror homages including Evil Dead, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, and The Haunting of Hill House; the effective use of sound design and editing to craft a freaky atmosphere; and the real darkness and psychological terrors underpinning the silly ghosts, the foremost being Cyrene’s truly awful ending. Justice for Cyrene! Plus: this ep as a thematic bookend with the series finale, Renée gets her Deadite on again, Eve does Dreamworker, blood innocence symbolism is totally there, everyone’s hair is blowing nicely in the hellwind; and Gabrielle learns half the Pinch! The power, the passion, the podcast!  Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarrio

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we’re baaaaaaack! Vera, Katie, and Livy are kicking off Season Six with 6x01 “Coming Home.” We discuss the show’s weird decision to change its credit sequence so late in the game, screenwriter and fan-turned-pro Melissa Good and the fandom phenomenon of BNFs, Tsianina Joelson (aka Darcy from Bring It On) kicking butt as Varia, and Ares’ toxic masculinity meltdown. Plus: TV CPR is back to save the day, our new ship Evaria, the chakram takes a lunch break, the flippidy-flippidy doo, Lucy and Renée wrote a thing, and slo-mo mouth blood fisticuffs. The Bees is buzzing! The power, the passion, the podcast!  Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, it’s question time again! Vera, Katie, and Livy weigh in on the Xena reboot, favorite OTPs, Gabrielle’s hair, and so much more in Hermes Mailbag 4 (Part 2) – Starring Vera Farmiga as Joxer! Join us as we answer such questions as ‘What color lightsaber would Xena have?’ and ‘At what point in the series did Xena and Gabrielle definitely become ancient Greek wives?’ Plus: problematic ships; how to treat celebrities; Argochokes; and watch your back, Alanis, you’ve got a rival!  The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we’ve got mail! Vera, Katie, and Livy are taking your questions in Part One of our supersized Hermes Mailbag. This week, we’re only answering questions directly to related to Season 5, so get ready as we discuss our favorite and least favorite episodes, Kurtzman and Orci’s alternate vision for the show including Xena on the Russian steppes and Gabs as Luke Skywalker, Eve spinoff ideas, Callisto and Xena as the yin-yang, how a sympathetic Ares becomes problematic (coin!), and why Xena should have been responsible for the fall of the Roman Empire. Just do it™! The power, the passion, the podcast! Support us on: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/  

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Hope springs eternal! Vera, Katie, and Livy have reached the season finale, 5x22 “Motherhood,” which fulfills our Hopes by ending the often-lackluster Season 5 with a bang—actually many, many bangs. We discuss Athena as a sympathetic figure doing her best while everyone around her screws up; the tremendous pathos of the usually comic Aphrodite finding herself in a tragedy; the good, the bad, and the ugly god deaths; the importance of Gabrielle’s quiet seething rage, how editor Rob Field’s use of cross cutting builds narrative tension, why that chakram throw was the best mistake Rick Jacobson ever made, and the plot twist we always Hoped for but never dreamed we’d get! Plus: Questionable desert lewks, Fury Faces, Nor Beast, Gaphrodite returns, so much dragging, Eve’s favorite cocktail, why Artemis why, and we Hope you love pain cuz we sure do! Support us on: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tu

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we have seen the light! Vera, Katie, and Livy experience a revelation with 5x21 “Eve,” the emotional continuation of Season 5’s final story arc. We discuss director Mark Beesley’s masterful use of camera movement; the dense tangle of thematic callbacks to “Callisto,” “Return of Callisto,” “Fallen Angel,” and The Rift; Xena’s moral dilemma and the complexity of indirect responsibility; the biblical overtones of Eve’s redemption; the importance of naming; Joxer’s quiet death scene; and what Livia’s drinking reveals about her mental state. Plus: Gin martinis that aren’t paid product placement we swear, cry faces galore, best supporting actor: the wind, Ares talks to John Cena?, one of the coolest fight moves in all of Xena, and Gabs gives Xena so! Many! Pep talks! Support us on: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawar

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, all roads lead to drama! Vera, Katie, and Livy continue our journey through the final arc of Season 5 with 5x20 “Livia.” The show makes a time jump and (surprise!) the future ain’t great, as we’re reintroduced to Eve, now enfant terrible Livia, and her two creepy boyfriends. We rank the many amazing zoom-ins on Xena’s distraught face, plus we discuss Chris Manheim’s last gasp of heterosexuality, how Livia allows the show to re-examine its core themes of trauma and redemption, whether Augustus can be both a good man and a gross-o, Ares ruins everything yet again, and Virgil, the perfect man, ugh. Also: our new favorite character Info Dump Lady, did Joxer fail Eve?, excellent eye makeup, Callisto callbacks, Meg’s Tavern a.k.a. Xena: Warrior Podcast HQ, and Katie really REALLY wants to rewatch Spartacus! Support us on: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarrio

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, it’s a trap! Vera, Katie, and Livy take on 5x19 “Looking Death in the Eye,” the tricky kickoff of the four-episode arc that ends the season. We discuss this episode’s long con and whether it works on second viewing, the framing story and its use of Old Man Joxer’s point-of-view, how authentic are the emotions in a scene where the characters themselves are acting, and the challenge of portraying powerful gods in a story that depends on them failing. Plus: Hades is the best-dressed god but also the ultimate flop, Athena takes charge, Xena’s many arm wounds, Hephaestus’s Counting Crows lewk, Ares ruins everything, and how the ending subverts its fairy tale romance imagery. Also: Brad Dourif sex dreams??? Support us on: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawarriorpodcast.com —————————————————

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, walk like an Egyptian! Vera, Katie, and Livy are cruising the Nile with 5x18 “Antony & Cleopatra,” a sultry and extravagant romance unafraid to show Xena and Gabrielle in a morally ambiguous light. We discuss director Michael Hurst’s use of close-ups and slow motion to visually tell a story of manipulation, intimacy, and violence; the importance of Gabrielle’s reaction shots; the many nods to Shakespeare and Elizabeth Taylor; the parallels between Gabrielle and Brutus; and the infamous ‘Carnival’ scene. Because who doesn’t love oral fixations paired with Natalie Merchant? Plus: Vera won’t shut up about ancient aliens!   Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawarriorpodcast.com ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we were on a break!!! Vera, Katie, and Livy find domestic bliss with 5x17 “Kindred Spirits,” a mixed bag of Joxer nonsense and Xena/Gabs amazingness. We discuss the return of our favorite tea-spiller Josh Becker and his insights into this episode’s eleventh-hour overhaul, Xena and Gabrielle renovate their dream home, the importance of private looks, “you read my scrolls?”, the most polite breakup in history, our favorite subtext-y line maybe ever, and just how comfortable would it be to sleep in a shamaness outfit? Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawarriorpodcast.com ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we’re going back in time, all the way back to 1997 when Rob Tapert thought he could sell the world on ‘Selma Blair goes to Prehistoric Times to Teach the Amazons How to Dance!’ Vera, Katie, and Livy are listening to their ancestors with 5x16 “Lifeblood,” a clip show cobbled together with footage from Renaissance Pictures’ unsold pilot, Amazon High. We discuss the surprising reason why Katie has affection for this episode, Amazon High’s all-star cast, our fave Selma Blair movies, and the weirdness of TV pilots. Plus: Xena and Gabs are also there, sort of, doing not much of anything; baby Eve steals the sai and the scene; and we love Claudia Black, Claudia Black’s voice, and also Claudia Black’s hair. Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawarriorpodcast.com ————————————————————————

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST!!! This week, Vera, Katie, and Livy break out their bikinis and put little umbrellas in their Tiki drinks for 5x15 “Married with Fishsticks,” which according to some fans is the worst Xena episode ever made, but according to us is a work of unrivaled genius. Get ready for a Party Podcast as we dive into this heteronormative nightmare land of fishfolk, synchronized swimming, and water beds! We discuss this ep’s surreal visualization of Gabrielle’s inner life and past trauma, its immersive worldbuilding through production design, its pastiche of sources as varied as Esther Williams, the Simpsons, and Overboard, and its criticism of the romantic comedy genre as inherently creepy and abusive. Plus: guest hosts Salmonia, Crawfia, and Tuna with a cameo appearance by Lil Prawn, Jane Holland finally finds her niche, prejudice and the patriarchy in Bikini Bottom, and our favorite character, BABY ROE!!! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http:/

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, it’s a battle on the home front! Vera, Katie, and Livy return to where it all began with 5x14 “Amphipolis Under Siege,” a rousing episode that marks the beginning of the show’s return to form. We discuss comeback kid R.J. Stewart’s strategic use of Xena continuity to remind the audience why they fell in love with the show in the first place, Xena back in her beloved Warrior Princess duds!!!, Ares as an object of pity and sympathy, and the long overdue introduction of Athena, a magnificent character underserved by not enough screen time and not enough costume. Plus: dusty temples, Cyrene remains the greatest, our frustration with long cons, textual girlfriends, Casablanca, and what an Ares/Xena/Gabs threeway would look like. Glede ma glede! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawar

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Chris Manheim is at it again! Vera, Katie, and Livy are getting hot and heavy with 5x13 “Eternal Bonds,” a.k.a. A Very Hetero Episode that is nonetheless very attuned to the characters and kicks off the quality upswing as we enter the back half of Season 5. We discuss the show’s handling of Baby Eve, poopy diapies and all, the moral complexity of exposing a child to a life of violence and the intimate beauty of the breastfeeding sequence. Plus: The B word, Ares goes downtown in dreamland, Xena chops it out, the Beesley dunes, Gabrielle and Joxer resolve their issues through the magic of hurt/comfort, and Ares reduces Vera to singing boy band hits of the 90’s. The power, the passion, the podcast! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawarriorpodcast.com ———————————————————————— Vera

Oh baby, it’s time for another episode of XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! Vera, Katie, and Livy have a special delivery with 5x12 “God Fearing Child,” and ARGH get out of the way, Hercules!! We discuss this episode’s mothers and fathers, as Xena reckons with the specter of Solon just as she’s about to give birth, and Hercules reckons with his daddy issues which no one cares about. Plus: the dysfunctional family unit of Zeus, Hera, and Ares; Meg Foster on Cagney and Lacey; Ares’ manipulative sincerity; Gabs is invisible which is awesome but also we can’t see her arms anymore, boo; the afterlife makes no sense; and Xena lost her pants just in time! "Heeeeeey!"   The power, the passion, the podcast! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawarriorpodcast.com ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy:

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, live free or pie hard! Vera, Katie, and Livy are horsing around with 5x11 “Punch Lines,” a clip show celebration of Xena’s comedies. We discuss how this episode fits into the tradition of Gabrielle-focused clip shows, the cinematic history of pie fights, getting laughs out of Xena’s pregnancy, the very problematic (coin!) ‘romantic comedy’ supercut, Gabrielle’s writer’s block, and Aphrodite’s therapeutic seduction. White chocolate, anyone? The power, the passion, the podcast! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawarriorpodcast.com ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and_a_Hacksaw/

Welcome, all you baddest mama jammers, to another episode of XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! Vera, Katie, and Livy are rocking out to 5x10 “Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire,” the show’s second, way-more-mediocre musical episode. Season FIVE! *shakes fist* We discuss our fave jukebox musicals (of which this is not one!), the thematic cohesion (or lack thereof!) with the song choice, RenPix’s obsession with Bye Bye Birdie, our long history with the Jace dance, how the male gaze can be challenged in an all-female space, whether Cyrene’s obsession with finding Xena’s baby a father is in character or not (it’s not!), and whether Gabrielle’s jealousy over Joxer is in character or not (it might be?). Plus: Vera performs a dramatic reading of the Xena rap (what Xena rap?) and Gabs shimmies to freedom! The power, the passion, the podcast! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagra

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Vera, Katie, and Livy are in the soup with 5x08 “Little Problems” and 5x09 “Seeds of Faith.” We discuss what these two episodes have in common: reflective surfaces conveniently placed everywhere you need them! We also discuss how these episodes differ: one is a fairly serious meditation on belief and sacrifice, the others is about Gabrielle and Aphrodite impersonating conjoined Scandinavian twins. Check out those moosels! Plus: our fave ships Gaphrodite and Gares, Gabrielle’s fall from grace gets cut for time, a new vision of all-female family, the Rift Part 2, and forgiving your enemy means loving them like they’re your child (because they actually are your child, plus they’re also the father of your child, yes it’s confusing). TOUCHING! The power, the passion, the podcast! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, you spin me right round baby right round! Vera, Katie, and Livy put up a force field to protect themselves from 5x07 “Back in the Bottle,” the staggeringly lazy, tone deaf conclusion of the Chin two-parter. And you thought “Purity” was bad! We discuss the terrible script, so busted that the writers tried to save it with the last minute addition of...Ming T’ien? Also: Gabs has her first Boyfriend of the Week in YEARS and the sparks aren’t exactly flying, Voldemort and Quirrell stand on a Roomba, Genghis Khan subscribes to the Green Dragon newsletter for some reason, romantic psychic links, and the cowardly awfulness of having your hero declare she has “no choice” in a beyond-serious moral dilemma. The Problematic Jar is overflowing!!! The power, the passion, the podcast! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xena

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST -- ugh, next slide! Vera, Katie, and Livy take on 5x06 “Purity,” the first half of the show’s misguided return to Chin. We discuss the shallow characterizations of new characters Pao Ssu and K’ao Hsin, Joxer’s blatant racism, and the writers’ infuriating retcon of “The Debt” -- seriously, since when has Lao Ma been Xena’s MOM? Plus: Gabrielle is really good with her feet, Be Less Gay :(, YAAS, Rick Jacobson uses his powers for evil, that’s not how the Force works!, and we give up covering these episodes in a single podcast halfway through. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The power, the passion, the podcast! Patreon: patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast Instagram: instagram.com/xenawarriorpodcast Website: xenawarriorpodcast.com ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/A_Hawk_and