Customer Reviews

Xena Warrior Princess - Season Five

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Season 5 is probably my second favorite Xena season, after Season 3. Xena and Gabrielle literally go to hell and back, and that's just in the season opener. Xena has a mystery child and is hunted by the gods -- and then, after a miraculous 25-year sleep, has to face both her own grown daughter and the gods as adversaries. In the meantime, Gabrielle grows into a warrior and Ares grows a heart.

There are a lot of fan complaints about this season. Yes, it had its share of duds like ANIMAL ATTRACTION, PURITY/BACK IN THE BOTTLE, and LIFEBLOOD/KINDRED SPIRITS, and Xena's discovery of her pregnancy was handled rather badly (there really should have been more suspicion that the mystery baby could be evil). However, I thought the Twilight of the Gods arc was excellent, even if aspects of it could have been done better. I loved the Livia/Eve story and the interaction between Xena and Ares. The late, lamented Kevin Smith did a great job playing Ares with greater layers of complexity, as the God of War confronts both the specter of mortality and his feelings for Xena. There was also a great new character, Athena, wonderfully played by Paris Jefferson. CHAKRAM, SEEDS OF FAITH, AMPHIPOLIS UNDER SIEGE, and LOOKING DEATH IN THE EYE/LIVIA/EVE/MOTHERHOOD are among my favorite Xena eps.

So, I love the season. Now, the DVD set (which I have had a chance to view because I pre-ordered it directly from Davis-Anderson).

The sound/picture quality is great, no complaints there. The extras, though, don't quite measure up to Season 3. Some of the season's best episodes such as AMPHIPOLIS UNDER SIEGE and LOOKING DEATH IN THE EYE have no extras (interviews or commentary) at all. As in Season 4 only four of the episodes have audio/video commentary, compared to seven in S3. I was particularly disappointed that there were no interviews with Steve Sears (he did leave early in the season but I would have liked to hear his insights on SUCCESSION), nothing with Paris Jefferson, and only one little tidbit from Ted Raimi -- I would have loved to see him talk about playing old Joxer.

On the plus side, the commentaries were a lot of fun. No earth-shattering insights perhaps, but some very interesting observations about the show and the characters and some very enjoyable banter betwen Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor and Rob Tapert, and also between producers Eric Gruendemann and R.J. Stewart on FALLEN ANGEL. Some of the interviews are great as well; I especially enjoyed the comments from Hudson Leick (Callisto), Adrienne Wilkinson (Livia/Eve), and writer/producer Chris Manheim.

Unfortunately there are no bloopers with this season set. There was some interesting deleted footage from MOTHERHOOD, but I can't for the life of me understand why they'd choose to show deleted/alternate footage from ANIMAL ATTRACTION rather than a much better episode such as SEEDS OF FAITH (which apparently had a very interesting scene of Ares training Gabrielle) or CHAKRAM. We do, however, get a 100th ep B-roll for SOF with good behind the scenes footage.

Season five was set to be ground-breaking from the very first episode, "Fallen Angel" which continued on from the climatic fourth season episode "The Ides of March" which left our heroines dead, crucified by the Romans. "Fallen Angel" puts Xena and Gabrielle through heaven and hell, literally!! Angels, Demons, heavenly realms, beautiful costumes and effects, not to mention the powerful script make the episode soar. It's hard to believe that the Xena producers could possibly follow a season opener like that but they continue to amaze the audience with a season that does just that. Season five sees Xena pregnant, carrying a baby that is said to bring about the end of the Olympian gods - another trip to China - the death of two beloved characters: Joxer and Eli - a new chakram - a 25year time skip and then there's the legendary fifth season musical "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire". This musical extravaganza has the cast singing and dancing up a storm, especially Ted Raimi as Joxer's larger-than-life twin brother Jace. Including versions of `Dancing in The Moonlight' `Sisters Are Doing It For themselves' `War' and Joseph Lo Duca's incredible musical talent; "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire" makes for some incredibly entertaining viewing. The episode is topped off with an outtake of a very pregnant Lucy Lawless dancing in Gabrielle's go-go outfit, during the credits.
As with every Xena season, season five follows Xena and Gabrielle's friendship and has many touching moments, as well as some hilarious ones. We once again witness Gabrielle's character progression, as she embarks upon her new warrior path; protecting Xena and her baby daughter Eve from the dangers they find themselves in almost everyday of their action-packed lives. We follow them as they travel from Italy to Greece, China, Egypt and in the case of "Married With Fishsticks" to an underwater fantasy world where Gabrielle is a fish wife, literally!!
The season concludes in the innovative way in which it began with the immensely dramatic episode "Motherhood". In which Xena receives the power to kill gods - Gabrielle is plagued by the Furies - Xena kills most of the Olympian gods - Gabrielle stabs Eve - Xena cuts open Gabrielle's head with her chakram - Ares kills his sister Athena and gives up his immortality to save Gabrielle and Eve...now if that isn't drama then I don't know what is!!
Season five is possibly the most dramatic, astonishing season of Xena to be realesed onto DVD to date. A must Buy set!!

Ah, the Xena Season 5 Videos have finally hit the public. After ordering all six seasons on customized, catalog videos,it is nice to see them available to the average people.

Okay, so let's get started. Season five of Xena: Warrior Princess was an amazing ride. From the dark opener "Fallen Angel" to the light hearted "Kindred Spirits" we saw many emotions of joy and sadness. Xena's child was born and hunted down by the God's. Kevin Sorbo, a.k.a. Hercules, made one last appearance as the Son of Zeus in "God Fearing Child," where he tried to save Xena's child, Eve, from death. The season ended with the dramatic "Motherhood," one of my personal favourites. Eve is hunted down by the gods, is reformed and entered into the religion of Eli, and Gabrielle is nearly murdered by Xena.

With a landmark 22 episodes filled with laugter, joy, and sadness, this is a video set that you do not want to miss. Order it today from Amazon.com!...

Warning! Spoilers ahead!

Season Four of XENA had been disappointing after a riveting Season Three, primarily because a long string of flat episodes in the middle of the season. Season Five, despite real life complications caused by Lucy Lawless's pregnancy, was not only a great return to form, but a great improvement in its dramatic arcs. Season Three was the series best season for comic episodes, but Seasons Five and Six took the dramatic arcs to the show's highest points.

This is the season where the payoff from the Season Four introduction of Eli bears fruit. The Eli arc structures the series in its final two seasons as much as any other aspect of the show excepting Xena and Gabrielle's deep relationship. His message of self-reliance framed in the context of relationships of love and without the need for the Olympian gods culminates in the death of Eli (at the hand of Ares in the show's 100th episode) and the growing influence of Eli's teachings. Eli's bearing more than a little physical resemblance to traditional representations of Jesus is not accidental, with John the Baptist in Season Six shown as a follower of Eli. And it is his teaching on how humans do not need the Gods combined with the Fates' prophesy that Xena's child will cause the downfall of the Olympians that generates one of the most compelling story arcs in the entire run of the series: the attempted destruction of Eve by the Gods.

XENA was never a show unwilling to take risks, but perhaps the single greatest risk the show ever took was "Looking Death in the Eye" and the two episodes that followed it, "Livia" and "Eve." In these, in an attempt to protect Eve from Athena, Hades, and the other Olympians, Xena and Gabrielle fake their own deaths. But their plans goes awry when Ares, who is unaware that they are feigning their deaths, takes both of them to icy coffins on an isolated mountain peak, and then seals the tomb. When a landslide awakens them from their long sleep, they discover that twenty-five years have passed. Eve had been raised by Octavius, who is now known as Augustus Caesar while she is now known as Livia. The Olympian gods, who have long thought that Eve was dead, have ceased looking for her. The final episodes of the season deal with Xena and Gabrielle convincing Eve that Xena is her mother and that she, who as Livia has been a persecutor of the followers of Eli, was prophesied to be Eli's messenger. The season ends with Xena having been granted the ability to kill gods through the purification of Eve. These arcs will all arise again in Season Six as Xena dispatches the Olympians with the unexpected assistance of some of the gods.

Season Five was a good one despite the presence of two of the stinkiest episodes I've ever seen on TV. "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire," the second and by far the weakest of the two XENA musical episodes (the first was actually quite good) is the only episode of XENA that I've never been able to finish. But as bad as it was, "Married with Fishsticks" makes it look like a masterpiece. If I were asked to name the worst episode of any series that I have ever seen, I without hesitation would choose "Married with Fishsticks." In it, Gabrielle, who is unconscious after being hit in the head and nearly drowned, imagines she is the mermaid mother in a family consisting of Joxer and three half human/half sea creature children. In the commentaries accompanying the discs the crew and creative staff insist that XENA fans either love or hate the episode, but I simply do not believe them. Everyone I have ever talked to despises the episode. When most watch the episode, they scratch their heads and wonder what drugs were involved in inspiring it.

XENA is one of the more unique series in the history of TV. Its greatest claim to fame was providing TV with the first convincing female action hero in the history of TV, with the possible exception of Mrs. Emma Peel. But it raises multiple challenges to anyone who attempts to enjoy it. Whether you can enjoy or appreciate the show depends on suspending one's disbelief on several levels. For instance, that Xena and Gabrielle could have encountered in their lifetime such famous (and noncontemporary) individuals as King David, Goliath, Julius Caesar, Virgil, Homer, Euripides, Odin, Grendel, Beowulf, Ulysses, Pandora, Brutus, Marc Antony, Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, and Augustus, not to mention Hercules and the full range of Olympian gods. Also, to steal a phrase from Firesign Theater, that everything you know [about history] is wrong. You have to be willing to accept that in this alternative universe Xena was the pivotal figure in the Battle of Actium, that it was Xena impersonating Cleopatra who ensnared Marc Antony, and that all the members of both triumvirates were engaged with one another at the same time. Furthermore, you have to believe that a warrior can make 50 foot forward somersaults. I'll confess that I found the history a bit easier to take over time, but I was never able to find anything like a comfort level with the wirework that made the absurd jumps possible. I was much more comfortable with the kind of fighting and stunts found on BUFFY, which resembled more the real world. Or KILL BILL, in which Zoë Bell, Lucy Lawless's stunt double in XENA, doubled Uma Thurman. But some fans never struggle believing anything they see in XENA. And there is nothing wrong with that.

The great thing for all fans, regardless of their capacity for suspension of disbelief, is that unlike the relatively flat Season Four, this season was fully back on track. And the arcs begun in the second half of the season were played out through Season Six until the end of the entire series.

Of the 6 glorious seasons, this was my least favorite. This, however, doesn't mean it was horrible- because it wasn't!! The show can absolutely do no wrong yet when compared to the four seasons before and the final and finest season that proceeded, Season 5 came up just a little short. As stunning as the heartmelting chemistry between Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor has always been, there was just something undeniably missing from their (usually mushy, protective and loving) acting and from the scripts themselves; I don't know if the crew was simply run ragged, fighting, or if Lucy's pregnancy was a difficult subject to write/act around...but the episodes sometimes lacked the poignance and magic that us fans had been so incredibly spoiled with. But still, there were some truly excellent EXCELLENT moments and landmarks such as: X & G struggles in the afterlife, the birth of Xena & Gabrielle's baby & the battle to save it from the clutches of the desperate Olympian gods, the growth of the baby and the story of her tangled destiny, a scary trip to the new underworld, Eli's hopeful sacrifice, wretched Callisto's dramatic transformation and gift, Gab as a mermaid, and a notable possession by the Furies horridly endangers everyone.

MY 5th season FAVES INCLUDE:
Fallen Angel
Xena's and Gabrielle's crucified bodies are retrieved by their friends, while the departed duo are caught in the middle of an afterlife battle between demons and angels. A truly inspiring tale, wicked special effects and packed with heartening surprises! A classic.

Chakram
Xena has no recollection of being a warrior after she and Gabrielle are resurrected from the dead, seemingly, by Eli.

Succession
Xena and Gabrielle must face Mavican, Ares' new right-hand woman, with some added complications.

Seeds of Faith
Eli takes on Ares in an effort to overthrow the gods and pregnant Xena finally learns the true identity of her baby's father. Profound and touching storyline...

God Fearing Child
X & G's baby is born after Hercules steps in to battle his father, Zeus, who learns that the birth of the child will signal the Twilight (end of the Olympian order) Hera, Queen of the gods, steps in to make a shocking decision

Motherhood
With the lives of Gabrielle and Eve hanging in the balance, Xena faces the gods in a final showdown.

I have all the seasons so far on DVD and this one isn't any different. I come across only two episodes on Season 5 that were totally off. LifeBlood and Antony & Cleopatra. Lifeblood made no sense at all, having a 20th centuary girl in the past, and Antony & Cleopatra was just not that great of a plot. Besides these two this season is the best. The season finale and premiere are packed with action. This is a great season, with a musical in it. Ignore all the reviews that say this season is bad. If you like season's 1 through 4, you should like this too. Succession and Motherhood are my two favorite episodes of this season. I can't wait for Season Six to come out. I urge you to pick this dvd up.

After a great season opener and a somewhat continuation of the season opener, the episodes go from great to (B) status instead of the usual (A) because of the terrible new costume for Xena because of her baby on the show and in real life (this is just my opinion, sorry the original is best, but she was having a baby, what can you do) and the understanding that Lucy Lawless (Xena) can't do alot of her stunts so Renee O'Connor is the Xena for half of the season due to Lucy's baby. This isn't really a bad thing, it just sets up most of the first part of season 5 for comedy because thats better suited for a pregnant Lucy, and a side kick who even though can kick butt in her own right, can't hold a show on her own since thats usually Xena's job. Also the occasional corny episodes are sort of out of place and the worst episode of the series, "Married With Fishsticks", my god, that episode was bad. They also had that episode where lucy is wearing her new costume instead of her old one, in which she got back since she had her baby; there was a sort of an continuality problem with that, since you don't go back to the old costume and switch back to the new just for one episode. I believe they just had that episode out of order (sorry about the complaint, it just bugged me alot, and you will notice it). All side, the rest of the season was great, some of the best moments from the series are towards the end of Season 5 especially with "Livia", "Eve", and I do believe the one episode to be the most action packed and rightfully so of the entire series run "Motherhood", where Xena alone takes on the rest of the gods. So even though the season had its ups and downs, it had more ups than downs. I wouldn't let a few gripes and complaints to distract you from a great season full of great action and great characters. Remember this is coming from a TRUE fan of the series.

This season is one of the best. If you a diehard Xena fan its a must have. There were a few problems i thought. There should have been more extras, such as video commentarys there should have been more. There is a Renee O'connor wardrobe test which made no sense to me. the 100th episoad extra was ok. A blooper reel would have been nice. The one thing i really liked was the interveiws ( on most episode ) was much longer and better. other than that the show looks amazing.

This collection brings the 100th episode B-roll footage, never-before-seen-footage, interviews, audio/ video commentaries and more. In this season life changing occurances happen. Very surprising episodes! A musical episode, new characters and lots more of awesome episodes. Add this one to your DVD collections!

Like most people I didn't think anyone actually read these reviews. Boy was I wrong!! We had ordered a copy of Xena Season 5 and had problems playing certain episodes. A little miffed I wrote a negative review giving it a two or three star rating. I received an immediate response from the company that supplied Amazon.ca with this product. They were very understanding and wanted to rectify the situation as soon as possible. Within less than a month I received a new copy of the box set and was pleased to find that ALL episodes played properly with a crisp, clear picture. Because of this I am changing my review from a poor low star rating to a five star rating and I will not hesitate to order through Amazon.ca in the future. Yours truly, a satisfied customer, KFB.