Xena: Warrior Princess

Season 2

 25.   2- 1      V0206     30 Sep 96   Orphan of War
 26.   2- 2      V0201      7 Oct 96   Remember Nothing
 27.   2- 3      V0204     14 Oct 96   The Giant Killer
 28.   2- 4      V0202     21 Oct 96   Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Xena: Warrior Princess [Season 2, Episode 5] Return of Callisto
Shown 24th February 2001 [Saturday]

Callisto, Xena's Arch-Nemesis, busts out of jail and comes looking for revenge. Meanwhile, Gabby meets childhood sweetheart Perdicus again. He's still a mercenary, but he's become a pacifist so she decides to marry him. Enter Cally ...

When first shown, this episode was somewhat shocking. Now, shown at 10AM as part of the line-up for Channel 5's The Core childrens' morning viewing, it seems far less impressive.

Xena: Warrior Princess [Season 2, Episode 10] The Xena Scrolls
[31st March 2001 - Saturday]

This is an Indiana Jones parody [with Gabby as Indy!] set in the 1940s. Lucy Lawless plays a nerdy female, while Ted Raimi plays a French type who seems to have wandered out of a parody of Casablanca.

Our heroes enter an ancient tomb in search of the Xena scrolls, as written by Gabby thousands of years beforehand. We get a mix of flashbacks [lots of Callisto, and bits with a guy named Marcus who was apparently Xena's true love]. Most of the clips are from the episode Callisto - we get to see the climax as well as the introductions of Cally and Joxer.

The 1940s plot involves a 1940s villain [apparently a Brit - someone must have forgotten to tell the Merkins we were on their side!]. However, the big battle at the end involves a recurring character [not Callisto, unfortunately] from Ancient times. Certain things about this episode are contradicted in Season 5 & 6,

The epilog features Ted as a writer who pitches the Joxer Scrolls to Rob Tapert [not played by Bruce Campbell this time],

Xena: Warrior Princess [Season 2, Episode 11] Here She Comes ... Miss Amphipolis
[7th April 2001 - Saturday]

Salmoneus is hosting a beauty pagent, Miss Known World. However, the Kings who have sent their women as representatives will go to war if they lose. Sal gets Xena to go undercover as Miss Amphipolis, to root out whever is trying to undermine the show.

If this sounds familiar, the same plot has been used to similar effect in the recent Sandra Bullock vehicle, Miss Congeniality. And this episode compares quite favorably with it.

The moral of the story: you can be the most beautiful woman in the world, even if you're a [spoiler]!

Xena: Warrior Princess [Season 2, Episode 14] A Necessary Evil
[Reviewed 2nd week April 2000]

Gabby is made Queen of the Amazons, but her rival Velasca turns up at the coronation ceremony. Velasca has somehow obtained a pouch of Ambrosia, food of the gods - she eats some and becomes a god herself. Then she comes after Gabby with violence in mind.

Xena takes Gabby to safety while the Amazons slow down their pursuer. The warrior princess and sidekick cannot take Velasca out themselves - they need an immortal, and since Hercules is on holiday the only one they can find is ... Callisto!

Xena: Warrior Princess [Season 2, Episode 15] A Day In The Life ...
[Reviewed 3rd week April 2000]

Xena and Gabby have to save 2 villages simultaneously threatened - one by a warlord, one by a giant. However, there is only enough time to visit one of the villages!

Xena and Gabby's relationship takes a few knocks throughout the show - Xena ruins their frying pan on a thug and lost their best carving knife in a warlord's thigh. Gabby uses the chakram to chop up their dinner, and Xena borrows one of Gabby's scrolls when she feels the call of nature. There were no soft leaves ...

Also, in a Pink Panther reference, Gabby spends the whole episode attempting Burt Kwouk-type attacks on Xena.

This show sees the introduction of the Xena-fan woman who pops up in Season 3. Also, we get a couple of Lesbian Subtext scenes ...

Xena and Gabby take a bath together

the fan tells Xena Howard [her BF] is mine, she [Gabby] is yours!

 40.   2-16      V0220     24 Feb 97   For Him The Bell Tolls

Xena: Warrior Princess [Season 2, Episode 17] The Execution
[Reviewed May 2000]

Xena and Gabby try to help former Warlord Meleager [Tim Thomerson], who has been convicted of murder and sentanced to Death.

Xena: Warrior Princess [Season 2, Episode 18] Blind Faith
[Reviewed May 2000]

Gabby is kidnapped by a young warrior, who goads Xena into fighting him. I don't have a soft spot for you like Drago, and I'm not out of control like Callisto. He is intent on gaining a rep as the man who bested Xena. Hmm. Anyone else think of Joxer?

Gabby is carried off to be the new bride of King Solus. She is not keen, but changes her mind when she sees the naked statue of him. However, her luck with men is as terrible as ever - and like Perdicus he does not live to see the end of the episode.

Xena: Warrior Princess [Season 2, Episode 19] Ulysses
[Reviewed May 2000]

Xena and Gabby find a man being attacked by 3 pirates - he handles himself well, but needs the babes' help when 10 more pirates pile on.

The man is Ulysses, on his way back from the Trojan war to his throne on the island of Ithaca. The only problem is, the pirates are after him on the orders of Poseidon, God of the Sea - angry that Ulysses blinded his son the cyclops. Poseidon makes an appearance himself; yes, this is the clip used in the title sequence.

Xena admits to Ulysses that she fought on the side of the Trojans, to save her friend Helen. Ulysses cares little about a war that has long ended, and cares only about getting home. The trio hijack the pirates' ship and Xena manages to sail it past the Sirens - but by the end of the journey Ulysses is over his wife [whom he believes dead] and wants Xena instead.

The conclusion? Well, Ulysses manages to regain his throne with a little covert help from Xena. Yes, as ever she has to get all the glory in the show! Ulysses was played by Joe D'Aquino, one of Ted Joxer Raimi's co-stars from Seaquest DSV . Ulysses' wife [ Rachel Blakely ] was actually in Neighbours, believe it or not! She went on to star in the new Australian TV show of Conan Doyle's The Lost World.

 44.   2-20      V0217     28 Apr 97   The Price
 45.   2-21      V0226      5 May 97   The Lost Mariner
 46.   2-22      V0225     12 May 97   A Comedy of Eros