Xena Warrior Princess: Season Six (Deluxe Collector's Edition)

I've been an unconditional Xena fan from day one & I'm convinced there will never be another show as noble, profound, rare and all encompassing as Xena: Warrior Princess was. With that, I own all 6 box sets & this season, hands down, is my FAVORITE for more reasons that I can express. The chemistry between Xena (Lucy Lawless) & Gabrielle (the brilliant Renee O'Connor) was always unsurpassed but they both just ILLUMINATED every adventure, every script, and every moment of this season like it was nothing. The acting was immeasurable and flawless, the plots were salted with idealism, stories of retribution and forgiveness, everlasting love, inexplicable sacrifice and unrelenting bravery, the profound depths of one's being exposed...EVERYTHING was touched upon this season. The special effects were top notch, the sets were lush and rich, the guest stars were excellent, the dialogue consisting of nothing but the best & their devotion to one another the strongest it ever was.

6th SEASON FAVES INCLUDE:

Who's Gurkhan?
When Gabrielle learns that her niece has been captured by the vicious raider Gurkhan, she sets sail for North Africa on a rescue mission with Xena, Eve, and Virgil.

Legacy
Xena and Gabrielle intervene to help two tribes unite against their Roman enemies in the North African desert.

The Abyss
Xena and Gabrielle are forced into a deadly confrontation with cannibals when they go in search of Virgil. Contains the famous cave scene where Xena embraces the very hypothermic Gab

The Rheingold
Xena embarks on a deadly mission involving her dark past when the Norse warrior Beowulf approaches her for help.

The Ring
Xena must battle a monster of her own making to recover the destructive Rheingold ring she forged in her evil Xena days.

Return of the Valkyrie
Xena battles to regain her memory and reverse the curse of the Rheingold ring.

You Are There
In an ancient world meets modern-day satire, a tabloid TV reporter stalks Xena and Gabrielle, determined to get a juicy scoop on the Warrior Princess.

When Fates Collide- BEST EPISODE EVER
Xena finds herself empress of Rome when Caesar chains the three Fates and cuts the strands of time. Mad surprises await....

To Helicon and Back
When the Amazon Queen Varia is kidnapped by a masked warrior, Gabrielle leads the Amazons to Helicon on a bloody rescue mission.

Many Happy Returns
On Gab's birthday, the two prevent a group of religious fanatics from sacrificing a virgin and teach her the ways of the world along with Aphrodite. Features the BEAUTIFUL Sappho poem written for Gabrielle.

Soul Possession
When an ancient scroll chronicling the life of Xena surfaces in the present, conflicts arise among the reincarnations of Xena, Gabrielle, Ares and Joxer. (also has clips)

Season 6 would have ranked in the top two seasons for me with episodes like: Old Ares Had A Farm, To Helicon And Back and the wonderful When Fates Collide. The downside was having to endure the two-part series finale, A Friend In Need. If you haven't seen the last season and you're looking for a happy ending, DON'T watch the two-part finale, it will disappoint and possibly disgust you. It's a gory, pointless schlockfest which introduces Xena fans to a new character, complete with a time consuming backstory revolving around a character you can neither like nor justify the sacrifices made on her behalf. A sad ending to an otherwise wonderful series.

Xena can only be described as one of the most pivotal characters in television history - whether you loved or hated the show, she became a cultural phenomenon, the first true action hero that was a fully realized person with a sense of humor, flaws, and a sense of noble purpose. The show built from a rather schlocky Hercules knock-off into a full-fledged original, and that's doing quite something.

As always in this series, shows are character-driven much more than plot-driven. So while there's an over-arching story and mythology, if a story seems to illuminate or use a character to good effect, the story is presented. Best episodes this season were "Who's Gurkhan?", the (creepy) cannibal story, "The Abyss", the excellent "Rheingold" arc (sort of a loose 3-parter), the very amusing and quite unexpectedly touching "Old Ares Had a Farm," the amazing "When Fates Collide," and the lovely, light "Many Happy Returns." These episodes contain a lot of really wonderful moments between characters, and some in surprising ways. "Old Ares" is a funny look at country life with the girls as they help a de-powered Ares hide from angry villagers - it is very entertaining. And "Many Happy Returns" is the last fun moment of the series - Xena tries to get tickets to take Gabrielle to a Sappho concert for her birthday, and mayhem ensues, of course. This episode contains the reading of a beautiful, authentic poem actually written by Sappho (or at least attributed to her), and while there's a bunch of silly stuff in the episode, the emotions are quite real here, a preview of what is about to happen in the finale.

"A Friend in Need." This one is very hard for me to even discuss. Over the course of the six seasons the show ran, these characters sort of took on a life of their own for me. I know they traveled all over the world, but having the series end in Jappa (Japan) was weird. It was like the ending of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in a way. You know how it was about King Arthur and Camelot, and in the end, there are police cars and modern people all milling about with the knights. Bizarre. I would have much preferred to see this end in Greece, where it ostensibly began, so that it felt a little more like home. I don't think I will be spoiling anything by saying that the death of Xena was painful to me; although I don't mind that she died, I would have liked to see Gabrielle go with her. The need for her to remain dead rang a bit hollow to me, and I really didn't get that. Still, the production values in this episode are gorgeous, and Xena is resplendent in her golden armor, although what it was shielding I'm not sure (the entire midriff and legs are bare - looks hot but not really very effective).

Overall, this season is just loaded with some great tv, and it is highly recommended. The finale, while shocking and sad, at least does provide a fitting end to the Warrior Princess. Xena and Gabrielle broke barriers in every episode, and for that alone, the show should be highly commended. How clairvoyant were those writers to say "...her courage will change the world." ? Because the truth is, it did - Xena paved the way for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for Kill Bill, and for so many other great female lead roles. At last, a strong woman who actually feels like a strong woman (and I include Gabrielle and the Amazons in this). Too often, men writing women's roles seem to equate bitchy with strength, and it's just awful to listen to these shrill, emasculating bitches. Once Xena came along, I think most writers collectively went, "Ohhhhh... I get it now." So thank God for Xena! Long may she live in syndication and on DVD!