Xena and Gabrielle were without a doubt my first "oh, I am a girl who likes girls" moment.
I remember my dad being so weird about me not liking the Hercules show that ran around that time and trying to be like, "Come on, he's so big and tough! Don't you wanna be that?" And all I could think about was whether or not I wanted to be Gabrielle or Xena more.
Because Xena has a more roundish face and Gabrielle looked more feminie by that times beauty standards and it takes some time for us to overcome the standards society has burdened us with and develop our own taste.
At least that's what it was for me. Today I think they're both absolutely stunning women. But at that time I was 14, living in a relatively conservative home and felt threatened by strong women.
Actually I think it's because Xena covers up more in later episodes and Gabrielle always showed more skin. And in some seasons had shorter hair than here. When was OPs picture from I wonder?
Hercules show was so dedicated to being meat and potatoes it forgot that it needs to go somewhere to keep viewers engaged. Xena show simply had more going for it and better narrative structure that maintained engagement long-term. Compare Xena and Gabrielle to Hercules and Iolaus dynamics - simple as that.
I think we're the exact same person. Side question, Ive been thinking about rewatching this show. Does anyone know if it holds up or will i tarnish my fond memories?
Xena quickly became way better than Hercules. The characters were just more interesting. Her outfit looks vaguely Japanese, but I never saw that season. It was hard to keep a steady watching schedule as a kid. I should go back and rewatch this! I hope it's not just nostalgia.
She also did a great job on Battlestar Galactica and Spartacus. And Parks and Rec! I'm glad she's the one that got more exposure instead of Kevin Sorbo. He chewed a lot of scenery in Hercules, and being a MAGA asshat didn't endear him to his old fans.
Hercules series started off strong (the tv movies and season 1) and then kinda stuck in its ways and never really went anywhere. You get villain of the week, wham bam, thank you, next. In contrast, Xena had depth and they had all these storylines running throughout the show - it rewarded long time viewers a lot.
The katana thing is from the latter seasons when the show went beyond their basic cultural template.
her weapon,chakram is indian, make sense she would have indian arc in the show, plus her last episode was in japan. the only thing that dint do justice was the angel/christian arc. needed more dehak exposure, as he was the opposite of "god"
She's so slim in this picture. In my memory of the show she is like a strong body builder body type like the female version of Kevin Sorbo's Hercules. Weird how wrong such a clear memory can be!
Looking at her standard outfit I think they use a few tricks to present that image: cuffs around the biceps, shoulder thingies (there more like epaulettes than pauldrons), and bracers all either hid the thinner parts or made them look larger.
It is a god damn crime that we never got Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman. She would have absolutely killed it if the superhero boom came about 20 years earlier.
It's amazing how much higher the bar has been raised to be a "muscly woman".
She looks fantastic and athletic and sexy in this picture, but I remember seeing that in the 90s and thinking "wow strongk!"
And I don't think it's about gear, I think it's about aesthetics, I remember women being really careful not to exercises that could make their arms or shoulders bigger, and it just feels like women care about that a lot less now.
its before hollywood, required the hollywood face and body. aka plastic surgeries, botox. and roids/peds for the men to be ripped at thier 40+yo. isaip, rob mac(cringey name change) and kaitlyn were totally unrecognizable as of recently.
I never realized how much of a smoke show she was/is when I was younger. She's still great in the most recent stuff I've seen her on. Great counterpart to Ron on Parks and Rec and also great on Curb when she briefly dated Larry. Does the Xena show still hold up?
I used to hate the show as a little kid, made me feel like I needed to pee but then when I went to the bathroom, I didn't need to pee anymore.. Yet I couldn't stop watching. Later on I turned out to be gay.
103 replies
Xena and Gabrielle were without a doubt my first "oh, I am a girl who likes girls" moment.
I remember my dad being so weird about me not liking the Hercules show that ran around that time and trying to be like, "Come on, he's so big and tough! Don't you wanna be that?" And all I could think about was whether or not I wanted to be Gabrielle or Xena more.
I'll also mention that today, Lucy Lawless is a badass and Sorbo is a whiney pissant.
Lucy wins. Then and now.
Edit: and have you seen her today?? She's stunning and an awesome person.
he held a grudge against her to this day. making shitty christian movies with other "nutty washed out actors isnt helping your image.
Meanwhile, all the manly straight men preferred Xena for the exact same reason you did.
Well, I preferred Gabrielle to Xena - but I still preferred the Xena show to the Hercules show.
I wasn't peeky. They sadly have not stole me away to their den of iniquity.
I remember thinking Gabrielle was hotter, but after seeing this picture I can't imagine how
Personality? Changing type? You don't have to choose if you go the femslash way.
Because Xena has a more roundish face and Gabrielle looked more feminie by that times beauty standards and it takes some time for us to overcome the standards society has burdened us with and develop our own taste.
At least that's what it was for me. Today I think they're both absolutely stunning women. But at that time I was 14, living in a relatively conservative home and felt threatened by strong women.
Actually I think it's because Xena covers up more in later episodes and Gabrielle always showed more skin. And in some seasons had shorter hair than here. When was OPs picture from I wonder?
Xena is wearing a Katana, she only aquires one in Episode 133 of 134.
That's S6E21 "A Friend in Need Part I"
So OPs picture must be from the last or second to last episode.
Gabrielle was a smoke show. To quantify it, I would say she was more classicly feminine.
I dunno if I agree once she had the short hair and abs popping, more tomboy
Hercules show was so dedicated to being meat and potatoes it forgot that it needs to go somewhere to keep viewers engaged. Xena show simply had more going for it and better narrative structure that maintained engagement long-term. Compare Xena and Gabrielle to Hercules and Iolaus dynamics - simple as that.
I think we're the exact same person. Side question, Ive been thinking about rewatching this show. Does anyone know if it holds up or will i tarnish my fond memories?
Currently rewatching. It mostly fucking slaps. I mean, it's silly but it do be slappin.
Xena quickly became way better than Hercules. The characters were just more interesting. Her outfit looks vaguely Japanese, but I never saw that season. It was hard to keep a steady watching schedule as a kid. I should go back and rewatch this! I hope it's not just nostalgia.
She also did a great job on Battlestar Galactica and Spartacus. And Parks and Rec! I'm glad she's the one that got more exposure instead of Kevin Sorbo. He chewed a lot of scenery in Hercules, and being a MAGA asshat didn't endear him to his old fans.
Battlestar Galactica! I was just thinking about how I loved her in another show and that was the one.
Wait who was she in bsg?
I watched that in the hospital. BIG MISTAKE. Season number last is enough of a mindfuck on its own. Damn thing gave me hospital psychosis.
She's one of the human Cylon models. I forget which number.
She's number Three. But she's known as her alias in the series: D'Anna
Well now I'm gonna rewatch and expect some ayiyiyis from the cylons
I always do, that's for sure lol
Might want to put a spoiler tag on there.
The show has been over for 20 years.
Yeah, but you're answering someone who asked a question about the show who may not have watched it yet, and has an interest in watching it.
I answered a direct question. Don't ask a question if you don't want the answer.
Kevin Sorbo is technically in many, many more movies... terrible Christian movies that no one heard of. Lol
Glad Lucy Lawless ended up being fairly normal.
Andromeda was fun enough until they decided to make kevin sorbo space jesus
Hercules series started off strong (the tv movies and season 1) and then kinda stuck in its ways and never really went anywhere. You get villain of the week, wham bam, thank you, next. In contrast, Xena had depth and they had all these storylines running throughout the show - it rewarded long time viewers a lot.
The katana thing is from the latter seasons when the show went beyond their basic cultural template.
And "Ash vs Evil Dead", she was super in that one, too.
Since the series is leaving Ash behind, I would have guessed she'd be the new main character
She had multiple outfits to match whatever area she was in.
her weapon,chakram is indian, make sense she would have indian arc in the show, plus her last episode was in japan. the only thing that dint do justice was the angel/christian arc. needed more dehak exposure, as he was the opposite of "god"
SORBO was so jealous of her, he became a looney right winger after his strokes. he even fucked up his own show on andromeda.
the takeover of Andromeda was really-really stupid.
he tried to make trance to be more slutty for some reason. while shes a useful OP character in the show.
one of many questionable decisions that tanked the show. it started off well and then just kept falling off a cliff
DISAPPOINTED!!
She's so slim in this picture. In my memory of the show she is like a strong body builder body type like the female version of Kevin Sorbo's Hercules. Weird how wrong such a clear memory can be!
Looking at her standard outfit I think they use a few tricks to present that image: cuffs around the biceps, shoulder thingies (there more like epaulettes than pauldrons), and bracers all either hid the thinner parts or made them look larger.
That's interesting. I never would have thought to look at the clothes like that.
This is also an earlier picture. She deffo put on muscle as the series went on. Compare:
it's because she projects power
It's that jawline. It. Just. Doesn't. Quit.
facts
oh
Goddamn
yeah
It is a god damn crime that we never got Lucy Lawless as Wonder Woman. She would have absolutely killed it if the superhero boom came about 20 years earlier.
Xena style Wonder Woman series would've been peak
I have good news:
i've been meaning to check out Absolute line for a while and it seems like i'm finally going to do it. Is it good or really good?
I quite enjoyed it. Lots of mythology
It’s on Hoopla too
Here in Greece, the series along with Hercules used to play every evening at 2-3 o'clock when I was a kid. She is well known.
same in Ukraine.
I love Lucy, she's the best.
facts
It's been so long, I don't remember she had a fucking katana.
Looks like a normal katana to me but what do I know.
Same.. just that frisbee disk
chakram, is a indian weapon, naturally she an indian story arc going on, indian had some good lores too.
i might remember it wrong but i think it was from the latter part of the show when they started to branch out into different cultures more.
It's amazing how much higher the bar has been raised to be a "muscly woman".
She looks fantastic and athletic and sexy in this picture, but I remember seeing that in the 90s and thinking "wow strongk!"
And I don't think it's about gear, I think it's about aesthetics, I remember women being really careful not to exercises that could make their arms or shoulders bigger, and it just feels like women care about that a lot less now.
As a sapphic person I completely approve.
PE sexism galore.
its before hollywood, required the hollywood face and body. aka plastic surgeries, botox. and roids/peds for the men to be ripped at thier 40+yo. isaip, rob mac(cringey name change) and kaitlyn were totally unrecognizable as of recently.
That was such a good show at the time.
except for that weird batch of episode when they died and then came back.
Was that after Xena had a baby, and they came back and her baby was an adult?
i don't remember. it's from the latter part of the run
before sorbo ran off the og showrunner and took it over. since it was created gene Roddenberry.
I never realized how much of a smoke show she was/is when I was younger. She's still great in the most recent stuff I've seen her on. Great counterpart to Ron on Parks and Rec and also great on Curb when she briefly dated Larry. Does the Xena show still hold up?
She was actually smoking hot in both Spartacus and Ash vs The Evil Dead. I think she even looked better older than younger, dressed as Xena.
i was shocked to see her in X Files when i was doing a rewatch. She was, quite aptly, a superhuman terminator.
Were you blind as a child? I was 9 in 1995 and knew it. She has several topless scenes in Spartacus, which is a legitimately fun show.
My brother, I was 22 in 1005. Xena was nice eye candy, but redheads really eo it for me, so I was all about Gabrielle.
Bro you old as fuck
I prefer to think of it as "experienced."
ETA: 1005, lol! Bro, my typos are out of control today!
As Patton Oswalt said: "Two moon faced lesbians beating people with a stick? I can't tell ya how many times I conjugated the verb to that show."
You can't create a show with that much skin and ridiculously good-looking people, and not crack a few eggs.
yay
Can I tell you something, Jerry? It's all crap on TV. The only thing I watch is Xena, the Warrior Princess. She must be about six-six.
I was more of a Gabrielle guy.
Por que no los dos?
Now you're talkin'.
That's the real fantasy
Lucy Flawless
statement of fact
facts
That's the female "Atlas", but someone stole the globe she was holding up.
would!
happens to the best of us
was this a promo because I don't recall the outfit looking like that or her having that suicide sword.
it is from the later seasons when the show started to branch out
I used to hate the show as a little kid, made me feel like I needed to pee but then when I went to the bathroom, I didn't need to pee anymore.. Yet I couldn't stop watching. Later on I turned out to be gay.
happens to the best of us
probably a lot.
A wizard did it.
yup