ATX General FAQ File
------------------- Section IV: About the episodes/story
lines in X:WP ------------------
QUESTION 1. Where did the title Warrior Princess come from?
ANSWER 1. According to one of the producers who posted on the mailing list
(Chakram), it was a name given to her by her troops, having been a woman successful in
battle, but not quite the equal of Ares, God of War. People still refer to her that way
because that is the way she was always referred to. It's almost like part of her name now.
When asked if she was Xena the Warrior Princess, Xena herself responded that some people
call her that. The upshot is that it is a title accorded her by her deeds, not an
inherited familial title. At least as far as we know at this point!
An additional comment from Lucia... "Warrior Princess?... I loved what someone once
said: 'Well, Warrior Village Girl just isn't very impressive!'"
In the episode "The Debt Part I" however, it is revealed that she was given the
title Warrior Princess by her mentor Lao Ma. It is speculated that Borias brought news of
the title from China with him, and so Xena became known as the Warrior Princess.
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QUESTION 2. Wait a minute: is Gabrielle an Amazon Princess, Amazon Queen, or a bard?
ANSWER 2. She has gone from Princess to Queen and will always be a bard. Gabrielle
is a bard by nature -- a talker, a storyteller, and she became an Amazon Princess when she
tried to save the life of a true (born with that title) Amazon Princess in the episode
"Hooves and Harlots". The character bestowed her rank, and all that went with
it, on Gabrielle just before she died. So... Gabrielle, agreed to the girl's last wish,
not realizing what the girl's title/rank was until it was too late.
From this point on, we see Gabrielle in "amazon clothes", with an "Amazon
necklace" -- sometimes, and carrying a staff given to her by Ephiny. She learned the
art of wielding a staff during her stay with the Amazons.
In "The Quest" and "A Necessary Evil," Gabrielle became the official
Amazon Queen, but she left Ephiny as Queen in her absence, while she continues to travel
with Xena.
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QUESTION 3. Where did Gabrielle's Amazon stuff go?
ANSWER 3. That's a good question. Since even the new shows have not always been
shot in the order they were released, there have been some inconsistencies. The staff
(with the eagle/bird head) that Ephiny gave to Gabby is most noticeably absent. She
carries a different staff now and doesn't even always have that around. (Unless of course,
you subscribe to the theory that the eagle/bird head is removable -- and so it *IS* in
fact the same staff...) Where she keeps her staff was partially resolved in the episode
called "The Greater Good". It seems that the staff is collapsible and is carried
in Argo's (Xena's horse's) saddlebags. The necklace must be somewhere in safe keeping
along with the eagle/bird head.
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QUESTION 4. What can you tell me about Xena's horse, Argo?
ANSWER 4. Earlier in the show there seemed to be some confusion as to whether Argo
was male or female. After a post to the mailing list from Avicus (a person who works on
the show) *and* with the episode "The Greater Good", it was made clear that Argo
is a mare, in the show as well as real life. Somewhere along the line someone said that
her real name was Daisy, but no, that is Lucy's daughter's name. Argo's real name is
Tilly.
Now is that clear? Yes -- clear as mud -- because as another fan (Penthesilea) pointed
out..."In Sins of the Past", "Dreamworker", and "Death
Mask", Argo is referred to as "he" *AND* seems to be a lighter color!
So! We know that a mare named Tilly (not Daisy) plays Argo. But, is there another horse (a
male) that also plays Argo from time to time?
Yes. To add just a bit more confusion, at the (Jan 99) Burbank convention, when the
producers were asked why Gabrielle doesn't ride a horse, the response was 'because of the
cost'. In actuality, it takes three horses just for Xena. To give Gabrielle her own horse,
it would require another three horses.
After Lucy's accident, she had been a little gun shy about getting back on a horse. In
many of the late Season 2 episodes, Argo is missing or it's a stunt double that is riding
Argo.
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QUESTION 5. Why doesn't Gabrielle have a horse?
ANSWER 5. Well, it probably had to do with the fact that it is the XENA: WARRIOR
PRINCESS show not the X &" G show. Gabrielle started out as Xena's tag-along, not
an equal. They even made it clear that Gabby didn't like horses. There have also been
several fan discussions regarding Gabby's apparent fear of heights. The thought being that
it may not be so much that Gabby doesn't like horses, as much as the fact that she doesn't
like tall horses. Remember the comment Gab made that went (something) like this?
"When they make them [horses] closer to the ground..."
Things are changing though. In "The Greater Good", Gabrielle and Argo "make
friends". Gabrielle finally confesses to Xena that she had once had a pony, which
died, and after that time she was uncomfortable around horses and ponies.
In "A Solstice Carol" Gabrielle acquires a donkey, but she ends up giving the
animal away to a couple with a child.
In "For Him The Bell Tolls," Gabrielle is forced to dismount Argo (she was
riding behind Xena) and stay behind when Xena goes off on some mysterious mission, giving
Gabrielle and Joxer a show of their own.
For the reality-based reason why Gabrielle didn't have a horse, see Question IV.4.
In an online chat RJ Stewart (One of Xena executive producers) said that they were looking
to give Gabrielle a horse in Season 5, and we see this coming to pass in the Season 5
episode "Animal Attraction".
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QUESTION 6. Is the chakram -- Xena's round killing thing -- a real weapon?
ANSWER 6. Kind of. It is derived from an item found in India.
From Jessica:
The chakram was indeed a weapon used by the Sikhs of northwest India.
And from Linda Gaunt:
"Chakram or war-quoit, a thin, razor-sharp steel ring, once the characteristic weapon
of the Sikhs. The chakram is said to have been thrown by being whirled around the index
finger before release." WEAPONS, New York, St Martin's Press, 1990, p. 81
Other information:
A long and wonderful article about chakrams was posted to alt.tv.xena in early 1996. Check
Deja News if you're spinning in circles because you need to know more.
An alternative method of using the chakram was to whirl it around a pole. This would give
it greater spin than whirling it around a finger (and would hurt less).
In theory, a chakram could be bounced off walls, but in practice it was not used in any
way like Xena uses her weapon. Xena's chakram exploits are pretty much fantasy.
In "The Xena Scrolls" we learn that the chakram, broken in half, is the key to
releasing Ares from his tomb. The chakram must bounce off the eye of Hephaestus to allow
Ares to leave. When the chakram is "made whole" with a "Shazaam" from
Mel (Xena's descendent), the spirit of Xena enters her descendent and Xena appears in
1942. In the episode "Chakram", we learn that Xena has been using the 'Dark'
Chakram all these years after Ares (or even Xena) grabs it from a temple. Xena has now
also got the 'Light' Chakram, and has combined the two to make a stronger more powerful
weapon.
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QUESTION 7. What is up with the opening scene with Xena and Poseidon? Did I miss this
episode?
ANSWER 7. No. This was shot for the opening sequence only. Poseidon has appeared in
two episodes so far, "Ulysses" and "The Lost Mariner." The footage
used in both those episodes is new footage, but the general look of the god has remained
the same.
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QUESTION 8. Who is that long-haired person Xena approaches in the opening credits?
ANSWER 8. The shot referred to here, is shown just after the shot where Xena rises
sensuously from a bed, and the narration is saying, "...The PASSION..."
The person whom Xena is approaching is Draco, a warlord she had known in her earlier days.
The scene is taken from "Sins of the Past".
Not asked as frequently is the question about whom Gabrielle hugs a little later on. This
is also a scene from "Sins of the Past" where Gabrielle bids her sister Lila
farewell before setting out in pursuit of Xena.
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QUESTION 9. Have you got a list of episodes that have Lucy or Renee in them?
ANSWER 9. HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS (First Season)
"As Darkness Falls"
"The Warrior Princess"
"The Gauntlet"
"Unchained Heart"
"The Outcast"
HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS (Third Season)
"Judgement Day"
HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS (Fourth Season)
"Strangers in a Strange Land"
"Armageddon Now : Part 2"
HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS (Fifth Season)
"For Those Of You Just Joining Us"
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (First Season)
"Sins Of The Past"
"Chariots Of War"
"Dreamworker"
"Cradle Of Hope"
"The Path Not Taken"
"The Reckoning"
"The Titans"
"Prometheus"
"Death in Chains"
"Hooves And Harlots"
"The Black Wolf"
"Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts"
"Athens City Academy Of The Performing Bards"
"A Fistful Of Dinars"
"Warrior...Princess"
"Mortal Beloved"
"The Royal Couple Of Thieves"
"The Prodigal"
"Altared States"
"Ties That Bind"
"The Greater Good"
"Callisto"
"Death Mask"
"Is There A Doctor In The House?"
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (Second Season)
"Orphan Of War"
"Remember Nothing"
"The Giant Killer"
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
"The Return Of Callisto"
"Warrior...Princess...Tramp"
"Intimate Stranger"
"Ten Little Warlords"
"A Solstice Carol"
"The Xena Scrolls"
"Here She Comes ... Miss Amphipolis"
"Destiny"
"The Quest"
"A Necessary Evil"
"A Day In The Life"
"For Him The Bell Tolls"
"The Execution"
"Blind Faith"
"Ulysses"
"The Price"
"The Lost Mariner"
"Comedy Of Eros"
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (Third Season)
"The Furies"
"Been There, Done That"
"The Dirty Half Dozen"
"The Deliverer"
"Gabrielle's Hope"
"The Debt Part I"
"The Debt Part II"
"King Of Assassins"
"Warrior...Priestess...Tramp"
"The Quill Is Mightier"
"Maternal Instincts"
"Bitter Suite"
"One Against An Army"
"Forgiven"
"King Con"
"When In Rome.."
"Forget Me Not"
"Fins, Femmes And Gems"
"Tsunami"
"Vanishing Act"
"Sacrifice Part I"
"Sacrifice Part II"
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (Fourth Season)
"Adventures In The Sin Trade Part I"
"Adventures In The Sin Trade Part II"
"A Family Affair"
"In Sickness &" In Hell"
"A Good Day"
"A Tale Of Two Muses"
"Locked Up &" Tied Down"
"Crusader"
"Past Imperfect"
"A Key To The Kingdom"
"Daughter Of Pomira"
"If The Shoe Fits"
"Paradise Found"
"Devi"
"Between The Lines"
"The Way" ***
"The Play's The Thing"
"The Convert"
"Takes One To Know One"
"Endgame"
"Ides Of March"
"Deja Vu, All Over Again"
*** "The Way" was originally withdrawn from worldwide syndication by Studios
USA, after it was shown, due to protests from some of the Hindu community. It has since
been very slightly modified and is now back on the worldwide schedules again.
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (Season 5)
"Fallen Angel"
"Chakram"
"Sucession"
"Animal Attraction"
"Dem Bones, Dem Bones"
"Purity"
"Back In The Bottle"
"Little Problems"
"Seeds Of Faith"
"Lyre, Lyre, Hearts On Fire"
"Punch Lines"
"God Fearing Child"
"Eternal Bonds"
"Amphibolis Under Seige"
More episodes titles coming soon.
MOVIES AND HOME VIDEOS
"H:TLJ The Lost Kingdom" (Renee O'Connor guest stars)
"H:TLJ Hercules and the Amazon Women" (Lucy Lawless bit part)
"Hercules and the Battle for Mount Olympus" (Animated Movie)
Check out the MCA website (http://www.mca.com/tv/xena)
for the most complete list of episodes for the current season.
You may also want to check out the Whoosh website (http://whoosh.org/epguide),
for more in-depth analysis of episodes.
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QUESTION 10. Where can I find episodes summaries?
ANSWER 10. Commonly regarded as *the* best website for episode summaries, cast
information, airdates, ratings info, etc. is the WHOOSH! web site (http://whoosh.org/epguide/index.html).
A.J. (aka Bluesong@aol.com) and Xorys are
guest writers for the episode guides at WHOOSH!, complete with misspelled words and
incorrect guesses as to producers' intentions. You can also find spoilers for most
episodes on Deja News (http://www.deja.com) and
in ATX.
You can also check out Buumzer's XENA: Warrior's Princess Vault (http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/4958/xena.htm).
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QUESTION 11. What are the "disclaimers" in the credits at the end of the
show?
ANSWER 11. People with really good eyesight will have noticed some funny stuff in
the closing credits. This 'disclaimer' usually appears just after Alex Beaton's (the
Supervising Producer for Action Pack) name.
All of the disclaimers are available at either (http://www.bigfoot.com/~p.hilling/atx-faq-6.htm)
or (http://members.xoom.com/AtxFAQ/atx-faq-6.htm).
They can also be found, alongside the episode summaries on the Whoosh website (http://whoosh.org/epguide/).
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QUESTION 12. Why were there so many Joxer episodes early in the second season?
ANSWER 12. Because Lucy Lawless (Xena) had an accident that kept her from filming,
shows which were not supposed to air until later in the year were shown ahead of schedule.
See also Question IV.14.
Joxer, played by Ted Raimi, was selected to replace Salmoneus, played by Robert Trebor, as
the comic relief character for the second season. Because it is so expensive to fly people
to New Zealand from the United States, Ted Raimi and Hudson Leick were flown to New
Zealand to film all their episodes in a block. Joxer was scheduled to be shown in 1/3 of
the second season episodes (8 of 24).
Because of Lucy's hip injury, the airdate schedule had to be altered while she recovered.
Hence, Joxer dominates guest appearances for the first part of the second season.
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QUESTION 13. Did Xena really murder Callisto?
ANSWER 13. Yes. She admitted to this while in Tartarus, in "Intimate
Stranger". Xena did not give her reasons for committing the murder.
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QUESTION 14. Why was Hudson Leick playing Xena in "Intimate Strangers" and
"Ten Little Warlords"?
ANSWER 14. As previously noted, Lucy Lawless was seriously injured while performing
for a skit on "The Tonight Show" on October 8, 1996. At the time of her injury,
Lucy had already completed filming for ten episodes:
"Orphan of War"
"Remember Nothing"
"The Giant Killer",
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
"The Return of Callisto"
"Warrior...Princess...Tramp"
"Intimate Stranger"
"A Solstice Carol"
"The Xena Scrolls"
"The Execution"
"The Price"
Although there has been no official confirmation from MCA about how the shuffling was
handled, consensus among the fans, based on comments made by MCA/Universal and some of the
show's staff, is that "Ten Little Warlords", already written, was altered to be
a "sequel" for "Intimate Stranger". Hudson and Renee were immediately
flown back to New Zealand to re-film the end of "Intimate Stranger" to provide a
"bridge" to the new episode.
"Ten Little Warlords" was then inserted into the airdate schedule and reruns of
earlier episodes were scheduled. Bruce Campbell was also flown to New Zealand to reprise
the role of Autolycus, the King of Thieves, in at least two episodes.
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QUESTION 15. What are the words to Joxer's song.
ANSWER 15. Here are the words to just one of the versions of Joxer's song. Joxer
sang this version of the song in "For Him the Bell Tolls".
Joxer the Mighty,
He roams through the countryside;
He never needs a place to hide.
With Gabby as his sidekick
Fighting with her little stick,
Righting wrongs and singing songs,
Being mighty all day long,
He's Joxer...he's Joxer the Mighty!
Ohhhh..... He's Joxer the Mighty,
He's really tidy.
Everybody likes him
Because he has a funny grin.
Joxer the Mighty,
He's very tidy.
Everyone admires him.
He's so handsome it's a sin.
If you're in jeopardy
Don't call the cavalry.
There's a better remedy
(Although he doesn't work for free).
He's every man's trusty,
He's every woman's fantasy,
Plus he's good company.
He's Joxer...
I'm Joxer the Mighty!
Blood...valor...and victory!
Ha-ha! Joxer the Mighty,
He's very tidy.
Everyone admires him.
He's so handsome it's a sin.
When things get grim
He'll take it on the chin.
If you're in jeopardy
Caused by the enemy
Don't call the cavalry.
There's a better remedy
(Although he doesn't work for free).
He's every man's trusty,
He's every woman's fantasy,
Plus he's good company.
Look out!
He's Joxer...
Joxer the Mighty!
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QUESTION 16. Hang on I just saw Lucy playing another character in X:WP. How many
different characters has Lucy played so far.
ANSWER 16. So far Lucy has played over 14 different characters in the Xenaverse.
Lysia - in "Hercules : And The Amazon Women"
Lyla - the Centaurs Wife in H:TLJ: "As Darkness Falls" and again in H:TLJ:
"Outcast".
Xena - her first appearance was in H:TLJ "Warrior Princess"
Diana - a Princess in X:WP "Warrior... Princess", and again in X:WP
"Warrior... Princess... Tramp"
Callisto - When Ares switched Xena's and Callisto's bodies in X:WP "Intimate
Strangers"
Mel Papas - A descendant of Xena's in X:WP "Xena Scrolls"
Meg - A down on her luck person in X:WP "Warrior... Princess... Tramp", and
again in "Warrior... Priestess... Tramp"
Leah - A Hestian Priestess in X:WP "Warrior... Priestess... Tramp".
Tyrella - aka Cinderella "If The Shoe Fits".
Arminestra - A future incarnation of Xena "Between The Lines".
Annie - A future incarnation of Joxer "Deja Vu: All Over Again".
A naughty version of Xena in H:TLJ "Strangers in a Strange Land".
And an Evil version of Xena that had conquered most of Europe in "Armageddon Now :
Part 2"
Depending on your definition of characters, Lucy also played 2 of the "3 Faces of
Fate" in the episode "Solstice Carol"
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QUESTION 17. I've just seen this musical episode called "Bitter Suite". What
was going on?
ANSWER 17. This episode is part of the resolution of the "Rift" arc of
stories. The "Rift" started with "Deliverer" and include
"Gabrielle's Hope", "Debt Part 1", "Debt Part 2",
"Maternal Instinct" and "Bitter Suite".
"Bitter Suite" has a lot of symbolism in it. Mostly to do with imagery from the
Rider-White set of Tarot cards. A more in depth article on this imagery is available (http://www.heckman.net/erin/bstarot.htm).
The lyrics to "Bitter Suite" also help in understanding the episode. (http://www.heckman.net/erin/bslyrics.htm).
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QUESTION 18. I just saw "Sacrifice Part 2", or "Ides Of March", and
I'm worried if there's a next season?
ANSWER 18. As is traditional in other television shows at the end of a season's
run, TPTB at X:WP, have decided to end Season 3 and Season 4, on what is called 'a
cliffhanger'. Whilst it is true that something happened to a couple of the major
characters, in both the episodes mentioned. Be rest assured both Lucy and Renee *ARE*
continuing filming the next season.
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