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Xena: Warrior Princess | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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n the third-season finale of Xena: Warrior Princess, Xena (Lawless) witnessed her best friend, Gabrielle (O'Connor), make the ultimate sacrifice to save the world from her evil daughter, Hope (also played by O'Connor) by thrusting them both into a pit of lava. Thus, as the fourth season begins, we find Xena mourning the loss of her beloved partner and seeking a way to visit her in the afterlife.
In the two-part season opener, "Adventures in the Sin Trade," Xena crosses paths with an evil shamaness named Alti, with whom she shares a past. It seems Alti was a sort of dark Merlin-esque figure to Xena during her evil conqueror days and once promised to make her the "destroyer of nations." With all that badness behind her, Xena pledges to destroy Alti, which she does (at least for a few episodes), but not before receiving a premonition from her that's both good and bad news.
The good news is that her vision of the future includes Gabrielle, meaning she must be alive somewhere. The bad news is that it shows the two of them being nailed to crosses side by side. This future crucifixion looms heavy over the entire season as Xena wonders whether she is condemning Gabrielle to this fate by association.
After reuniting with Xena and witnessing the (presumably final) death of Hope and her offspring, the Destroyer, Gabrielle begins her own spiritual journey. Is she on her own path, or is she just following Xena's? Does her inherent pacifism conflict with Xena's warrior nature? In a multi-episode arc beginning with "Paradise Found," the two travel to India for the answers and discover new philosophies, old enemies and the concept of reincarnation.
The final episodes of the season take the duo to Rome, where they become entangled in the historic power struggle between Brutus and Caesar, leading to the season climax in "Ides of March" and the realization of Xena's worst nightmare.
More than the sum of its parts
Season four of Xena started out on a weak note, delaying the inevitable reunion between Xena and Gabrielle with the heavy-handed "Sin Trade" episodes and the introduction of the evil shamaness Alti, a throaty, one-dimensional caricature that wouldn't feel out of place on a Power Rangers series. Fortunately, the season improves as it progresses, culminating in the stunning climax "The Ides of March," which features the brief but welcome return of Callisto (played with relish by the wonderful Hudson Leick), newly released from hell and determined to crucify Xena and Gabrielle, quite literally.
Powerful as "The Ides of March" is, it's the four-episode India arc that ultimately proves to be the highlight of the season. For many, this collection will provide the first opportunity to see the original version of the controversial episode entitled "The Way," which was temporarily pulled from circulation after Hindu groups protested the show's content and the portrayal of the deity Krishna. These episodes mark a turning point for the character of Gabrielle, whose spiritual quest is the true core of the fourth season.
Of course, there are also the standard comedic detours. Some of them manage to induce a few chuckles ("If the Shoe Fits," "The Play's The Thing"), others fail miserably ("In Sickness and in Hell"). While the writers lamentably tend toward the kind of broad slapstick most appealing to the Gymboree set, they do make good use of frequent guest stars Ted Raimi, as the bumbling warrior wannabe Joxer, and Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, "King of Thieves" (Campbell also guest-directs the marginally successful episode "Key to the Kingdom").
Raimi and Campbell, longtime friends offscreen, also star in the DVD's best offering, a featurette entitled "Bruce and Ted: 'Cabin Fever'" in which they interview each other, goof around on camera and talk about their experiences working on the show. The rest of the extras, spread over a whopping 10 discs, add value to what is already a respectably entertaining season of television. The quality of the picture is excellent, with the exception of the gag reel, which is difficult both to see and to hear. The commentaries are fewer than in previous releases, but there are 10- to 15-minute interviews with cast, writers, producers and other crew members on the majority of episodes.
As guest star Robert Trebor (best known to Herc and Xena fans as used-chariot salesman Salmoneus) says in "Déjà Vu All Over Again," you never know what you're going to get with this series. "One week it's melodrama," he says. "The next week it's The Three Stooges." In the fourth season, the gap between the two could not be more wide. — Cindy
Also in this issue: House of Flying Daggers, Angel Season-Four DVD and 12 Days of Christmas Eve
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