eason three of Xena: Warrior Princess turned out to be very important dramatically, as the show's producers set their sights on stretching the limits of Xena and Gabrielle's friendship through terrible secrets, betrayal and motherhood. The deluxe collector's-edition eight-DVD and
one-CD-ROM set has the season's 22 episodes in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and nine hours of extras, as well as commentary in what amounts to a mini-documentary for each episode.
The season, fueled largely by the birth of Gabrielle's first child, begins with "The Furies." It's a weak opener that questions Xena's (Lawless) parentage, but things pick up quickly. In "The Deliverer," a malevolent force preys on Gabrielle's (O'Connor) innocence, attempting to use her to bring a great evil into the world. The events that spring forth resonate throughout the rest of the season.
Several strong episodes follow as Gabrielle gives birth in "Gabrielle's Hope" and Xena's past is explored in the two-part episode "The Debt." Only a third of the way into the season, Xena and Gabrielle's invincible friendship has nearly been ripped apart through betrayal and lies. It all comes to a head in "Maternal Instincts," which takes each woman to her darkest place as a mother who will do anything to protect her child. That episode is a tough act to follow; however, "The Bitter Suite" manages in a wonderful musical that hits all the right notes.
Beyond the devastation Gabrielle and Xena face, there are plenty of humorous episodes ("Been There, Done That") and guest appearances by Ted Raimi (Joxer), Kevin Smith (Ares), Hudson Leick (Callisto) and Bruce Campbell (Autolycus). By the time this season is over with the two-part episode "Sacrifice," Xena and Gabrielle's world has forever changed in a way they never could have imagined.
The DVD set also includes interviews with the cast and crew for each episode, video and audio commentaries on selected episodes, a blooper reel, a retrospective on "Sacrifice" with a tribute to the late Kevin Smith, and deleted and alternate scenes. The CD-ROM offers cast and crew bios, trivia, original production designs and sketches, and directors' notes and storyboards.
A dramatic season worthy of a warrior
When Xena: Warrior Princess was good, it was very, very good, and season three was the series at its height. Mixing wacky comedy, over-the-top action and powerful drama to its best effect, the season soared, giving depth and layers to the characters in a way the series never had before. Of course, there were a couple of episodes that were pretty bad ("Vanishing Act"),
but that happens with just about any series.
The season three DVD set is worthy of this terrific season, providing fine production values for the episodes and excellent commentary from the cast and crew. The "Interview" section for each episode provides excellent insight into the behind-the-scenes thinking about the development of the episode, what challenges the cast and crew faced and how the episode fit into the season's
themes.
Additional video and audio commentary is offered for selected episodes by
the cast and crew, including Lucy Lawless, Renée O'Connor, Ted Raimi and Hudson Leick. While the commentary is the same for both, the video shows those giving the commentary watching the episode, while the audio has the episode with the standard voiceover. The video is most interesting when two people are commentating, especially with Lawless and O'Connor, who chat like the old friends they must be.
It all provides a deep look into this dark and rich season, especially since those being interviewed feel free enough to speak their minds, whether it's about an episode they didn't like or when they didn't feel their character had a motivation they understood. Other DVD features, such as the entertaining blooper reel, the deleted scenes and the "Q&A Retrospective" featurette will look pretty familiar to the DVD viewing audience. However, the CD-ROM offers some nice extras, including some very cool production designs and sketches and "Chronicles," which is a nice resource about who is who and what is what in the Xena universe.
It's all put together in a foldout-style box set, and while eight DVDs folded out are a bit tough to manage when switching from one DVD to another, it is nicely packaged with terrific pictures, the episode list and the season's storyline printed on the packaging.
