Category: TV Reviews

The Xena Scrolls – Director: Charlie Haskell/Story: Robert Sidney Mellette/Teleplay: Adam Armus, Nora Kay Foster

This one starts at an archaeological dig in Macedonia in 1940, where a digger discovers a tablet with ancient writing on it. A car arrives at the dig site and a woman (Mel Pappas, who looks a lot like Xena but with glasses and a 1940s wardrobe) gets out. Mel goes to the main tent and finds armed thugs inside who demand her briefcase. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 10”

A Solstice Carol – Director: John T. Kretschmer/Writer: Chris Manheim

This one starts with King Silvus sentencing a family to the poorhouse for non-payment of taxes and for celebrating Winter Solstice, which Silvus has banned. Silvus also passes sentence against an orphanage that hasn’t paid its taxes. The King’s assistant (Sinticles) reluctantly records the sentences, though it’s obvious his heart isn’t in it. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 9”

Ten Little Warlords – Director: Charles Siebert/Writer: Paul Robert Coyle

Throughout this episode, Xena is stuck inside Callisto’s body, so whenever I refer to Xena, she’s actually played by Hudson Leick. Gabi is still getting used to Xena being in the body of her worst enemy, but she’s trying to adjust. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 8”

Intimate Stranger – Director: Gary Jones/Writer: Steven L. Sears

This one starts with Xena tracking Theodorus and the rest of Callisto’s gang to bring them to justice. She runs into her mother (Cyrene), who makes her feel guilty for letting Callisto die in the quicksand last episode. “Cyrene” turns out to be Ares in disguise and he piles on the guilt even harder. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 7”

Return of Callisto – Director: T.J. Scott/Writer: R.J. Stewart

This one starts with some guards tormenting Callisto in prison. They figure they’re safe since she’s strapped into a chair, but karma’s a bitch. She manages to steal a dagger, frees herself, and massacres the guards. She frees her lieutenant (Theodorus) and tells him to liberate all the strong prisoners and kill the weak ones. She also orders him to bring the chair she was confined in, since she has plans for it … plans that involve Xena. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 6”

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Director: T.J. Scott/Writers: Adam Armus, Nora Kaye Foster

This one starts with Joxer being chased through a forest by wolves. Elsewhere in the forest, Xena and Gabi learn about six local girls who have disappeared lately. Xena tells Gabi this is the Bacchae Forest, where Orpheus’s singing is supposed to keep the Bacchae under control. But Orpheus is missing, so Xena figures the Bacchae took the missing girls. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 5”

Giant Killer – Director: Gary Jones/Writer: Terence Winter

This one starts with Xena and Gabi strolling through a Giants’ graveyard, which is weird because Giants don’t bury their dead, so they’re surrounded by huge skeletons and scattered bones. Xena tells Gabi about a battle ten years ago against a Giant named Gareth and how she was saved by a friend. Now she’s meeting the friend at the graveyard. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 4”

Warrior … Princess … Tramp – Director: Josh Becker/Writer: R.J. Stewart

This one starts in King Lias’s castle, with Lias seemingly on the point of death (although we’ll see later that Lias is a bit of a hypochondriac) and worried about an assassination plot. Lias tells Diana to send for Xena. In a tavern not far away, Joxer is telling everyone an exaggerated story of how he helped Xena defeat Callisto. Gabi comes in to set the record straight and learns Joxer saw Xena at the tavern not long ago. That surprises Gabi, since Xena was supposed to be in Thebes and wasn’t meeting her until tomorrow. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 3”

Remember Nothing – Director: Anson Williams/Story: Steven L. Sears, Chris Manheim/Telepay: Chris Manheim

This one starts with Xena and Gabi going to the Temple of the Fates, something Xena does every year to honour her brother Lyceus, who died helping her fight Cortese eleven years ago. The temple is attacked and Xena and Gabi fight the invaders. Heeding a warning from Gabi, Xena kills a swordsman who turns out to be very young, barely a teenager. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 2”

Orphan of War – Director: Charles Siebert/Writer: Steven L. Sears

This one starts with Xena and Gabi in centaur territory, talking about an imminent attack by a warlord named Dagnine. Dagnine used to be in Xena’s army and she knows how dangerous he is, but she isn’t sure if the centaurs will welcome her help, since she fought them too in her evil days. Continue reading “Xena Reviews: Season 2, Episode 1”