Xena: Warrior Podcast

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, we’re not in Kansas anymore. Buckle up, Totos, we’re going on a magical mystery tour through the land of Illusia! That’s right; Vera, Katie, and Livy have reached the musical masterpiece, 3x12 “The Bitter Suite.” Join us as we explore the rich symbolism and dense cinematic referencing of this seminal episode of television. We discuss its hugely influential place in the history of TV musicals (SIT DOWN, Once More with Feeling!), its connection to tarot, Qabalah, and the occult; and its very eccentric use of CGI. Plus, a hot take on where reality ends and dream begins, the pros and cons of Broadway Gabs, Ares’ best lewk, and what REALLY caused the rift between Xena and Gabs. So click your heels thrice and repeat after us: "There’s no place like Xena’s bosom! There’s no place like Xena’s bosom! There’s no place like Xena’s bosom!" The power, the passion, the podcast! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/xenawarriorpodcast  iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod T

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Vera, Katie, and Livy take on a real mother of an episode, 3x11 “Maternal Instincts.” The conclusion to the trilogy begun with “The Deliverer” and “Gabrielle’s Hope,” “Maternal Instincts” picks up the dangling threads of the Rift arc and weaves them into the most devastating tapestry ever. We discuss the catharsis of a good tragedy, the Rift’s deconstruction of Xena and Gabrielle’s characters, the futility of Callisto’s vengeance quest, whether Hope was born bad or just born with bad hair, and finally we debate the ultimate question: what time of day is it during Gabrielle’s suicide attempt? #YIKES    The power, the passion, the podcast! 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/

Something smells fishy this week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! Vera, Katie, and Livy discuss the final comedy before the Rift resumes, 3x10 “The Quill Is Mightier…” This episode features some of our favorite XWP all-stars, with Ares, Aphrodite, Joxer, and Minya all cracking wise to distract us from Xena’s absence from Greece (cuz she’s too busy starring on Broadway...in Grease). The presence of so many secondary characters means that a lot of new ships are launched, our favorites being Aphrodite/Gabs...and, shockingly, Ares/Gabs. We defend those choices, plus we chat about Gabrielle’s writing style, Rob Tapert’s ultimate fish fantasy, and Go-Go-Gabrielle(s). Go-Go to the caves! The power, the passion, the podcast! 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/

We’re seeing double this week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! Vera, Katie, and Livy catch a doppelgänger double-header of 3x08 “The King of Assassins” and 3x09 “Warrior…Priestess…Tramp.” Is it weird to watch a bunch of comedies in the middle of the pitch-dark Rift saga? Yup! Are those comedies funny? ...Yup? Admittedly it’s a mixed bag with “Assassins,” but at least it features the easy-going bromance of Bruce Campbell and Ted Raimi, plus the utterly magnificent Gina Torres as Cleopatra. But “Priestess” is divine from beginning to end. We discuss its introduction of a new Xena doppel, Leah, who sounds like Church Lady if Church Lady were from Mars, its exploration of womanhood and sexual mores so characteristic of the multi-Xena comedies, and its many, many masturbation jokes. Real talk: if Xena deflowers Leah, does that count as self-love?   The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast —

Girls just wanna have mail on this week’s XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! Vera, Katie, and Livy dip into our Hermes (Hermès?) mailbag (it’s fancy! AND delivered real fast!) to answer your Qs! Topics include: how we would reboot XWP (and, more importantly, would there be bangs??), femslash’s place in fandom, Xena's and Gabrielle's definitive Hogwarts House, our thoughts on Wonder Woman, podcasting influences and recommendations, and so much more! Plus, Xena: Warrior Podcast’s origin story! How did the three hosts meet? The answer may surprise you!    The power, the passion, the podcast! 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/

Pack your bags and don your fashionable winter cloak, we're going on an adventure on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! This week Vera, Katie, and Livy travel to the kingdom of Chin for 3x06 "The Debt" and 3x07 "The Debt II." This classic two-parter has a winning combination of lush spectacle, swooning romance, and moral ambiguity. We discuss the elaborate production and costume design, and the debt (har har) to wuxia cinema this storyline wears on its elegant sleeve. And there's plenty of character motivation to pick over as The Rift continues to wreck us: in these eps Xena attains new layers of emotional complexity in the past and in the present, and Gabrielle makes a deliciously human mistake. Plus: the introduction of ~THE GREAT BORIAS~, who is and will always be a problem, little bitch Ming T'ien and his love of antiquing, and Lao Ma, who is a gloriously three-dimensional character with a really awkward bathing routine. The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tum

Things take a dark turn this week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST. Vera, Katie, and Livy find themselves at a major crossroads with 3x04 “The Deliverer” and 3x05 “Gabrielle’s Hope.” Together they mark the beginning of one of Xena’s most ambitious, dramatic, and polarizing story arcs, one that would ultimately redefine what kinds of stories the show could tell. First we talk about “The Deliverer”’s devious bait-and-switch structure, its epic rematch between Xena and Julius Caesar that takes a backseat in the shocking last act when Chekhov’s blood innocence goes off. We discuss awesome warrior queen Boadicea, BFOTW (or IS he?) Khrafstar, and Gabrielle’s rape, with its profound repercussions for the characters moving forward. Then it’s on to “Gabrielle’s Hope,” where we discuss the episode’s horror film inspirations, its use of problematic mystical pregnancy tropes to tell a story of female agency and choice, and the painful moral dilemma that sets Gabrielle and Xena against each other. *sadly throws coins in jar* The

*rooster crows* This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Vera, Katie, and Livy are experiencing some serious déjà vu (with a side of subtext) in 3x02 “Been There, Done That.”  *rooster crows* This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Vera, Katie, and Livy are experiencing some serious déjà vu (with a side of subtext) in 3x02 “Been There, Done That.” *rooster crows*  This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, Vera, Katie, and Livy are experiencing some serious déjà vu (with a side of subtext) in 3x02 “Been There, Done That.” Then it’s on to 3x03 “The Dirty Half-Dozen,” or should that be “The Dirty Six?” Personally we’d rather watch “The Dirty Two.” We talk nature vs. nurture, the battle of the sexes, and Gabrielle’s fabulous new lewk. *rooster crows* The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http://fre

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, why I oughta…!!! Revenge tragedy meets the Three Stooges in 3x01 “The Furies.” Vera, Katie, and Livy discuss this polarizing episode’s eccentric depiction of madness through slapstick comedy, heartbreaking callbacks, and too much hairspray. Plus: Xena calls Ares ‘Daddy’ and it makes us feel weird for so many reasons, but it’s really motherhood that takes center stage as Cyrene (LOVE U) continues to be one of the fiercest, most nuanced TV moms around. Why is motherhood so important all of a sudden? Hmm...Put a pin in it! The power, the passion, the podcast! 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, love is in the air -- and so is Xena, flipping like she’s never flipped before. Vera, Katie, and Livy are flipping, too, because this is the final podcast for Season 2! First we take to the high seas with 2x21 “Lost Mariner,” which, with its nautical setting and dashing hero, plays like a much-needed do-over of the worst episode ever, “Ulysses.” We discuss sexy Cecrops’ moral complexity, Gabrielle’s unfortunate love of calamari, and Xena’s flip to end all flips. Then it’s on to the unconventional finale, 2x22 “A Comedy of Eros.” We talk about this sex farce’s hetero agenda, fruit-based innuendoes, Draco as a romantic lead and object of the female gaze, and Joxer, the mighty tragic third wheel. So long, Season 2! The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) M

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, the horror, the horror! Vera, Katie, and Livy plunge into the heart of darkness with 2x20 "The Price." We discuss the anti-imperialist war films that inspired this very ambitious episode, the subtlety of Xena's inexorable slide into evil, the problematic *coin in jar* presentation of the Horde, and pretty braided hairdos. Who let the Gabs out? [who, who, who, who?]  The power, the passion, the podcast! 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/

‘Til death do us part this week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! Vera, Katie, and Livy tackle a couple of Season 1 throwbacks: the entertaining standalone 2x18 “Blind Faith” and maybe the worst episode ever??? 2x19 “Ulysses.” Both episodes feature our leading ladies contemplating marriages to men: Gabrielle against her will to King Solus, who’s just dying to be her husband (*wink*), and Xena to Ulysses, who is The Actual Worst. We discuss the mixed signals of Xena’s punky nemesis/junior gunslinger Palaemon, Gabrielle as a boobalicious Pygmalion, the eternal debate of “them” vs. “him,” the suspenseful conveyor belt climax, and the many reasons why Ulysses is the absolute WORST, did we mention? He sucks so much he can’t even string his own bow. But at least we’re on a boat, motherf*ckers! The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@ka

Ring a bell and flip it out for XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! This week Vera, Katie, and Livy talk love and war and Law & Order. First it's 2x16 "For Him the Bell Tolls," in which Ted Raimi is way sexier than he has any right to be. We discuss Joxer's self-awareness or lack thereof, Gabrielle's insecurities about being a sidekick, and the delightful introduction of The Californians (a.k.a. Aphrodite and Cupid). Then it's on to (DUNN DUNN) 2x17 "The Execution," the return of washed-up warrior Maleager. We discuss the way this episode's clever plot challenges the audience's loyalties; Xena's favorite coping mechanism, flipping; and why court fandom is the scariest. Galeager Forever!!! The power, the passion, the podcast! 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/

The subtext is text this week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST. Vera, Katie, and Livy let it all hang out in 2x15 "A Day in the Life." We discuss this beloved episode's break from formula: its handheld camerawork, fearlessly goofball performances, and self-referential dialogue creating a new level of intimacy not only between Xena and Gabrielle -- and my goodness what a level of intimacy that is!! -- but also between the audience and the show itself. That's why this ep is the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time)!!! Plus: the male gaze as it applies to hot tubs and hair flips, relationship advice for Minya, Vera's favorite goon returns from the dead (sort of), and Xena's completely unforgivable choice of toilet paper -- that's a DEALBREAKER, ladies! The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy: (@PonderousLivy) Music: http:/

Oh my Goddess, it’s time for another episode of XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! This week Vera, Katie, and Livy embark on a quest: 2x13 “The Quest,” that is! This integral ep is a wild ride, with tragic soliloquies following right on the heels of screwball silliness. We discuss Autolycus’s swaggering return to the Xenaverse, Gabrielle’s emerging leadership skills, Xena’s lookalike coffin, and most importantly, THE KISS. The plot is so epic it continues into 2x14 “A Necessary Evil.” We compare/contrast the ep’s two lady villain-gods: the thinly sketched, high camp Amazon autocrat, Velasca, and increasingly complex, self destructive live wire, Callisto. Plus: Gabrielle moves on from dead BFOTW Perd (finally!), Callisto goes full Gollum, and nothing good ever happens near a lava pit! The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci)

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend your ears to a new episode of XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST! This week, Vera, Katie, and Livy flash back to ten winters ago in 2x12 “Destiny,” an episode that delves deep into Xena’s past and has huge implications for her future. We discuss Rob Tapert’s directorial signature (boats! fish! Lucy!); Julius Caesar, a.k.a. world’s worst boyfriend, whose introduction kicks off the show’s longest and most ambitious narrative arc; Xena/M’Lila, a tragic ship that never sailed because Xena was too enamored with the peen; and sharpened logs, which for some reason are Xena’s Kryptonite? Plus Renée O’Connor makes us cry again!    The power, the passion, the podcast! 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/

She's beauty, she's grace, she's XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST. This week Vera, Katie, and Livy get their pageant on in 2x11 "Here She Comes...Miss Amphipolis," a deceptively light episode that has big ambitions, tackling gender and gay culture directly, sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much. We discuss artifice and performativity, why beauty pageants were such a *thing* in the '90s, and what happens to the male gaze when both the writer and director of the episode are female. Plus our french bulldog Phil has strong opinions about human trafficking.  The power, the passion, the podcast! 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 beginning to look a lot like...Solstice? Vera, Katie, and Livy get into the holiday spirit (yes, even though it’s April) by watching 2x09 “A Solstice Carol.” We chat about our favorite TV Christmas specials, praise the magnificent acting talent of Tobias the donkey, and debate whether or not Julia Child’s voice is sexy. *purrs* Boeuf Bourguignon… Then it’s on to 2x10 “The Xena Scrolls,” a clip show light on clips and heavy on... sets, costumes, and action? Um, guys, I don’t think Xena understands what a clip show is, and thank god for that because this episode has a significant impact on the show’s mythology. We discuss the gender masquerade of Melinda “Mel” Pappas and Dr. Janice Covington, how the introduction of the Xena Scrolls adds levels of intertextuality and subjectivity to the show’s narrative, and the important framework this ep laid down for Xena fanworks. Plus Vera just will not shut up about Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.   The power, the passion, the

This week on XENA: WARRIOR PODCAST, who will be the next God of Waaaaar? /reality show announcer voice. Vera, Katie, and Livy attempt to solve the mystery of 2x08 "Ten Little Warlords." This mediocre ep, with its half-baked Agatha Christie premise (like anyone was clamoring for the return of King Sisyphus and his Haunted Mansion?) would be pretty unremarkable if not for the fact that Hudson Leick is playing Xena to a T. We discuss her heroic, incredibly seamless performance, the psychologically rich implications of this predicament for both Xena and Gabrielle, and the Season 2-that-could-have-been had the producers extended it. Plus we talk about Rob Tapert's favorite boat set, new developments in the Xena/Ares relationship, and Gabrielle the hangry bargain hunter. The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ———————————————————————— Vera: (@hollywoodgrrl) Katie: (@katetocci) Livy:

This week on BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE PODCAST, get ready for --*record scratch*-- wait, what? Who are we?? Which series is this?!?! Identity crises are the name of the game because Vera, Katie, and Livy are talking about 2x07 “Intimate Stranger.” With the show's first foray into body swap territory, this Xena and Callisto classic sure has an uncanny resemblance to another famous body swap episode at the time...you know the one. We lose our minds over how great Lucy Lawless and Hudson Leick are at inhabiting each other’s roles, try to puzzle out why feeling guilty always leads to SPINNING INTO A ROCK, navigate through the minefield of consent issues that is the Callisto/Ares hook-up, and discuss the terrible extenuating circumstances that forced the ep’s unnatural ending into existence. (Y'all, Gilbert Gottfried is always bad news.) The power, the passion, the podcast! iTunes: http://apple.co/2f0NAIM Twitter: @xenawarriorpod Tumblr: xenawarriorpodcast.tumblr.com Facebook: facebook.com/xenawarriorpodcast ————————————