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17 Nov 2014 04:43 pm
10 greats "day" 3: Xena
Since I committed to posting pretty often in December, I better get back in the habit by continuing my 10 great characters meme. Today's character is Xena. So here are some things I love about her.
Xena is ultra-competent. After the episode where she takes down an army, there isn't a whole lot of tension over whether she'll win most of the time. Instead, we get to enjoy the pleasure of watching her beat everyone all the time (sorta like early Veronica Mars, or every white male action hero ever) and the tension derives from her changing relationships, especially with Gabrielle, and from her figuring out how she can fight the good fight after all the evil she's done in the world.
What's more, Xena takes great pleasure in her competence. And that's a joy to watch.
Xena is morally sophisticated. In the early seasons, both Xena and Gabrielle treat Gabrielle as Xena's moral compass, and at times she very much is. But while Xena learns compassion and a desire to do true good from Gabrielle, she doesn't forget how people like Caesar or Ming T'ien or even random warlords function. If she wants to do good in the world, she accepts that she might have to do violence against people who will harm many more if she doesn't. In many ways she has a stronger moral compass than Gabrielle, whose naivete leads to some horrible mistakes early on.
Xena is open and honest with those she trusts. Which means that Gabrielle knows just how much she means to her. <3
Xena doesn't let herself do manpain. Xena has hurt a lot of people, and of course after her moral awakening she feels terrible about it. But while the narrative may at times focus on Xena's guilt and regret more than it does on the pain she's inflicted, Xena herself never does.
Xena is charismatic. I mean look at this face: ( Xena's face: in love, in battle, in silliness )
She makes the show *so fun* to watch. And of course there's the little matter of Lucy Lawless's voice. It's a good voice.
Xena is ultra-competent. After the episode where she takes down an army, there isn't a whole lot of tension over whether she'll win most of the time. Instead, we get to enjoy the pleasure of watching her beat everyone all the time (sorta like early Veronica Mars, or every white male action hero ever) and the tension derives from her changing relationships, especially with Gabrielle, and from her figuring out how she can fight the good fight after all the evil she's done in the world.
What's more, Xena takes great pleasure in her competence. And that's a joy to watch.
Xena is morally sophisticated. In the early seasons, both Xena and Gabrielle treat Gabrielle as Xena's moral compass, and at times she very much is. But while Xena learns compassion and a desire to do true good from Gabrielle, she doesn't forget how people like Caesar or Ming T'ien or even random warlords function. If she wants to do good in the world, she accepts that she might have to do violence against people who will harm many more if she doesn't. In many ways she has a stronger moral compass than Gabrielle, whose naivete leads to some horrible mistakes early on.
Xena is open and honest with those she trusts. Which means that Gabrielle knows just how much she means to her. <3
Xena doesn't let herself do manpain. Xena has hurt a lot of people, and of course after her moral awakening she feels terrible about it. But while the narrative may at times focus on Xena's guilt and regret more than it does on the pain she's inflicted, Xena herself never does.
Xena is charismatic. I mean look at this face: ( Xena's face: in love, in battle, in silliness )
She makes the show *so fun* to watch. And of course there's the little matter of Lucy Lawless's voice. It's a good voice.
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