"Intimate Stranger"

The biggest deal here was Lucy being injured on The Tonight Show and replaced by Hudson for an ep. Hudson was better at being Xena than Lucy was at being Callisto, IMO. Proves that one didn't have to look far for a good replacement. Proves that getting a younger actress to play Xena if they remake the show should be pretty easy.

Xena has certain personality traits that Hudson did well. Xena isn't an Emmy Award acting nightmare. The depth of the character is subtle, maybe more so as we were introduced to the character mostly thru flashbacks. Hopefully if there's a new series they will start Xena off pre-warrior and give the actress playing her some room to stretch.

"Ten Little Warlords"

Xena- in Callisto's body- helps Ares get his godhood back (not for the last time either).

Best: Hudson as Xena; cinematography on final scene; nice campfire scene

Worst: How & why of lost godhood seemed lame; Gabrielle reduced to comedy distraction along with Joxer

Redemption score: 0. nothing here

X&G ying/yang score: 7, Gabrielle should have channeled her anger better than Joxer

Greater good comment: Xena helped ppl by getting Ares back his godhood though the reason ppl couldn't control their anger when there wasn't a sitting god of war seemed lame

Rating: 8

"Ten Little Warlords"

Let me get the story right:

Sisyphus steals Ares' sword which makes Ares without his godhood. Lame! This makes me wanna rewatch old eps and watch closer newer eps with Ares to look for his sword! How long does he have to be away from his sword to lose his godhood? i thought his godhood was his birth right? How lame!

Sisyphus claims first that the warlord contest is to make a new god of war. Later he or Xena claims he wants to be god of war. He also claims to just want immortality. He hopes whoever wins the sword makes him immortal. But why should they?

Sisyphus also claims that Hades made him a deal for bringing 10 warlords to Tartarus that he'd get immortality. But why steal the sword? Or better yet, why not keep the sword, become the god of war and get immortality too? Why risk the sword by hiding it in plain view- especially with Xena & Ares there?

If by there being no sitting god of war, it means ppl can't hold their anger, this did not happen in later seasons when Ares again lost his godhood.

Also, how did Gabrielle know the monster in the cave was called a Baracchus when she was left behind with Joxer?

This seemed to be a hastily written ep that no-one double checked for poorly written continuity.

"Ten Little Warlords"

Ha! My post above makes me wanna lower the rating from 8 to 6. But still it's an enjoyable ep.

Maybe i should rate the eps on diversity of themes which would include comedy, drama, redemption, the X&G yin yang thing. subtext, action, Xena as inventor/discoverer/etc, the time travel plot conflicts, Greek gods/goddesses, historical figures, etc etc.

If i start rating on diversity now then i gotta go back & rate all the eps i seen so far in this thread.

Hmmm lemme think bout this...

"Ten Little Warlords"

i have decided i will add a diversity rating to each ep & will go back and add that rating to eps i already seen this time round. i know so many ppl read my posts & are anxious for a new rating, he said sarcastically.

i will add the new rating later in the week. Don't rush me.

As for "Ten Little Warlords", what woulda made it better? That next time...

"Ten Little Warlords"

i think it would have been better without Joxer. Better if the story was less convoluted. Better if Hades appeared and we saw a feud between him & Ares. Hades was an underused character who had more potential. Better if the monster in the cave were real.

Starting the diversity rating. Not sure how to explain how i do this but i gonna do this.

Sins of the Past -5.5 only slightly above average as this is the origin ep

Chariots of War -4.5 slightly below average as i'd expect the first few eps to be

Diversity rating:

Dreamworker- 6.5

Cradle of Hope - 7

Two good early eps that had many skills!

"A Solstice Carol"

Xena & Gabrielle goes Dickens on some Scrooge-y king.

Best: Gabrielle; reworking of Santa Claus story; Xena holds off kicking butt for Gabrielle; the king's redemption

Worst: the silly fight with the guards was too cheesy

Redemption score: 4- for the king

X&G ying/yang score: 9- a high point so far season 2

Greater good comment: Xena and Gabrielle help reform the king, save the orphanage & make Senticles a hero. Gabrielle was much more effective this ep than of late.

Diversity rating: 6.5

Rating: 8.5

"A Solstice Carol"

This was a pretty nice lite/comedy ep. It wasn't too silly, except for the fight scene.

It was nice to see equal time for Gabrielle where she was helping out in a positive way as well as being a bard. She wasn't just the comic relief that she'd been of late (other than when Joxer was around).

"A Solstice Carol"

i liked the Santa Claus/Senticles story mixed in with a rework of the Charles Dickens story.

The ep looked good too. The night scenes were particularly well done.

Not much to say bad about this ep except the silly fight towards the end which too cartoonish.

Diversity rating:

The Path Not Taken -6

The Reckoning -7

"The Xena Scrolls"

In 1940, descendants of Xena, Gabrielle & Joxer fight Ares & nazis.

Best: Mel & Janice; Mel vs Ares; the flasbacks; the ending of the Mel-Janice story; the very end introducing Xena

Worst: the ridiculous, cartoonish gunfight at the beginning; the worse than cheesey monster movie scenes

Redemption score: 0, nothing here

X&G ying/yang score: 8, still strong in the descendants

Greater good comment: Mel & Janice save each other; Mel as Xena keeps Ares entombed

Diversity rating: 8

Rating: 8.5

"The Xena Scrolls"

i probably rated this too high but i'll kept it as i rated it.

Mel & Janice should have had another ep. Maybe at the end of the series to revive Xena from the AFIN fiasco. They'd have to bring back the original chakram which would be okay with me.

"The Xena Scrolls"

Some folks elsewhere think that Mel & Janice aren't to be counted as official Xena canon. But i think otherwise. i say- like i did above- they should've had M&J in another ep. Maybe they would have had the show not lost it's way in S5 & S6.

If M&J were descendants, i wonder if there were any reincarnations of Xena & Gabrielle alive at the same time? We see their reincarnates later on in Deja Vu All Over Again. i liked these kinda eps exploring this idea of X&G living on in others, whether descendants or soul transfers.

Diversity scores:

The Titans- 7.5

Prometheus- 6

Overtime begins for me in a few weeks so i probably have to either put XWP watchin on hiatus til OT is over or else watch it less frequently til it's over.

Plus new tv shows startin & old ones get new season. i watchin more tv shows now then in many yrs. i don't like sittin in front of boob tube too long especially when there's better music to be heard. Maybe i give up a couple shows, i dunno.

More diversity scores:

Death in Chains -6.5

Hooves and Harlots -6.5

Diversity scores again-

The Black Wolf- 7

Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts- 6

"Here She Comes... Miss Amphipolis"

Xena & Gabrielle are contestant/sponsor for the Miss Known World beauty contest.

Best: Miss Messini; the very beginning was ok

Worst: boring story; Miss Artiphys; Salmoneous attempt at singing

Redemption score: 0, nothing here, yet again

X&G ying/yang score: 8, though nothing special here

Greater good comment: Xena's entry & saving a couple ladies prevented a war, i suppose

Diversity score: 5.5

Rating: 4.5

"Here She Comes... Miss Amphipolis"

What a dull ep!

The beauty contest thing wasn't much. Except for Xena & Miss Messini, the contestants weren't that pretty. Then there was -ugh- Miss Artiphys. What a drag!

Gabrielle's accent wore thin quickly as did Salmoneous' same ol same ol tirade. In fact, the entire ep wore out it's welcome soon after the opening credits.

Was Lucy still in pain from her accident at this time? Did the audience have to suffer til she got better? If so, they should've kept Hudson as Xena longer. Or maybe it's just a case of poor poor writing.

How could they have improved on this mess? That'll be next time...

"Here She Comes... Miss Amphipolis"

This would've been better IMO had it started off with the war or conflict that the beauty contest was a result of it's ending.

Better if Aphrodite was involved but in a small way.

Better if the contestants were more beautiful & had hidden agendas or something more than what was shown.

Better if it was a talent contest.

Better if TPTB hired better writers.

Diversity scores-

Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards- 4, ha not much here

A Fistful of Dinars- 6.5

Diversity scores...not done yet

Warrior...Princess- 6

Mortal Beloved -7

yet more diversity scores-

The Royal Couple of Thieves- 7

The Prodigal- 6.5