Xena Creator Defends End (mini spoilers)

[stripe]

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Rob Tapert--co-creator and executive producer of Xena: Warrior Princess--defended to E! Online the series' finale last week, in which the titular heroine (played by Tapert's wife, Lucy Lawless) met her demise. Fans have criticized the finale, in which Xena was shot with arrows and eventually decapitated to save the inhabitants of a Japanese village.

Tapert told E! that the reaction was "exactly what we thought it would be." He added, "We certainly have taken the heat. I have a friend who sends me e-mails, and I've gotten some faxes from people and letters. And people have had a very mixed reaction. But the finale was really based on where the series started, and it seemed to complete her journey looking for redemption."

Tapert, who wrote the finale with co-executive producer R.J. Stewart, added, "I thought Xena dying in the midst of battle worked for me. People would say it was too ignominious to have her dragged around like a slab of beef, but I think it was what fueled Gabrielle to take the steps to be motivated. I really thought Xena's death was appropriate. You don't really want to upset people, but we knew it would be emotional for the right reasons."

As for the future of the Xena franchise after six years of syndicated television, Tapert said, "This is about the fifth time that Xena has died in the series, so I'm not worried about the franchise ending."

 

[ewlyn]

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See, I said it would end this way months ago. The series began with Xena going out to bury her armor and kill herself and she ultimately didn't because she decided to fight the good fight, and in doing so, met Gabrielle. The series ended with her and Gabrielle going out to fight the good fight and ultimately her burying her armor and getting herself killed, and because of this, leaving Gabrielle.

Full circle folks. Rob has always said that Xena was the story of Xena as told by Gabrielle and based on her life with Xena. So it makes sense that as they began it with the moment X&G met, they would end it with the moment X&G part... at least in the physical sense of parting.

Thanks for the info Stripe!

 

[Onora]

Rob has always said that Xena was the story of Xena as told by Gabrielle and based on her life with Xena. So it makes sense that as they began it with the moment X&G met, they would end it with the moment X&G part... at least in the physical sense of parting.

That is so true Ewlyn. Though I was sad to see her die, it was a fixing ending for the warrior princess.

Onora

 

[kelsi]

Hey, I don;t usually post in here 'cos I'm more of a Stargate person, but I just saw the finale (in the UK), and have a couple of questions;

1)Why wasn't it advertised more, and broadcast in an evening slot? I thought Sky would have given it priority?

2)What did it mean in the credits, when it said something like "Xena was permenantly harmed during the filming of this episode, but she kept her spirits high"? Are they referring To Xena, as in she was killed, or Lucy in that she was injured during stunts, or what? And what does it mean permenantly?

 

[nicscifi]

Im sure ive seen the last eppie made but the one your discribing is different.
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....GAP





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One of the last ones i saw is after xena and gab are frozen and wake up 20/30 years later to find out the xenas daughter had fallen for ares....

 

[august]

Kudos to Elwyn and Onora for getting it!

As for airing time in the UK - it never did that well in the ratings, did it? Most stations ran it here in the regular time slot.

And on the disclaimer - well, I think it was just a casual joke, as all the disclaimers were. Xena was definitely harmed, and it appears pretty permanently, as she died. I think the "spirits" thing is a combo of the fact that she died willingly, with her spirits high, and that she actually became a spirit. Just a bad pun.

Or, it could be a reference to Boopsie, aka Barbara Boopstein, a character in Doonesbury. She experienced glimpses of various past lives, and usually she died a painful death in each one. But she retained the same dingy, new-agey persona in each one. I recall in one, she was being burned at the stake for being a witch, and her last words were "Still, I feel good about myself."

 

[bummer]

I always loved the 'disclaimers' at the end of Herc and Xena...I can't recall any of them verbatim, but seems like they've had hydras weren't harmed in the filming and such like that. I was surprised at the Xena disclaimer, but I thought it was funny too.

I'm not arguing the full circle or anything, makes sense to me; but I still hated that they killed Xena. I'm not a raging fan, they lost me at about the third season with the weirdness, and I didn't exactly want a walk into the sunset...but I didn't care for the beheading and naked body thing either. I'm just a sap, though; I hate sad endings like that, it irks me! :laugh2:

You just can't please some people, can you? LOL!