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Move over, Hothead! TV's Xena: Warrior Princess is big, busty and brave,
vanquishes foes, rescues damsels and it fast becoming the hottest dyke cult hero around.
Cheap effects, wooden acting and cheesy fight sequences are the first things you'll notice about MCA/Universal's syndicated hour-long show, Xena: Warrior Princess. You'll then be amazed by the great writing and brilliant performances of Lucy Lawless as Xena and Renee O'Connor as her wisecracking sidekick, Gabrielle.
This fantastic period action drama seems an unlikely candidate for feminist, lesbo-friendly cult status, but take one look at the chemistry between Xena and Gabrielle and you can't resist cheering them on.
A spinoff of the popular syndicated Hercules, this Golden Age mix of mythology and martial arts tells a simple moral tale of good against evil as Xena braves the bad guys and saves the damsels in distress. In her earlier appearances Xena was a power-mad warrior bandit; now she has been transformed (by an act of compassion) into an Amazon Robin Hood whose mission it is to "help people free themselves from tyranny and injustice."
Xena's superhero power and accoutrements include her trusty chakram (a razor-sharp disc she hurls at opponents), and the famous Xena Touch (a sort of adaptation of Spock's Vulcan deathgrip). Nearly six feet tall, the blue-eyed, brawny man-stomper is a continual pleasure to watch.
One of Xena's San Francisco fans, Arwyn Moore, explains Xena's popularty: "She's a chick with a sword. That's it right there. She goes around kicking guys in the balls. You can't get much more righteous than that." Indeed, the first episode this viewer saw began with no less than five acts of violence against men - provoked by the ogling of Xena and Gabrielle.
Although there have been male love interests for Xena, and she does seem to have a hetero past, her devotion to Gabrielle is effusive and undeniable.
Moore, who has been watching the show since the first episode (and was a fan of Lawless on Hercules) thinks that Xena's intelligence and genuine independence from men is what sets the series apart. "She has no male influence or help at all on her show. There's never some guy who comes in at the last minute. She does it all herself. That's why she's so awesome."
Moore's enthusiasm includes the recruitment of new viewers, and, although she hasn't started a fan club, she hopes someone else will. "Xena rocks. She's not just some busty babe in armor. She rocks."
Digital Queers board member Elizabeth McLachlan is another new Xena fan. "She's six feet tall, she kicks ass on all these men. She's kind of hot, actually."
Yes, there are Xena action figures (though they're hard to find) and other memorabilia. There's an online Xena mailing list (ask for the Xena mailing list at xena-request@ugcs.caltech.edu).
One Xena script is available at a temporary Web site (http://www.indirect.com/www.rcarter/xenatemp). Xena even has her own web site (http://www.mca.com/tv/xena) where you can read about the show and chat with other fans.
Lucy Lawless's Web site bio tells us that the native New Zealander was once a gold miner and was once married. Sidekick O'Connor is single. Both live part time in Los Angeles and in New Zealand. Hmm.
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