Sins of the Past

Xena! Comedy! Greek Myths! Hayley & Justine discuss every Xena: Warrior Princess episode in order, researching the truth behind the legends and historical characters in the Xenaverse.

In Sins of the Past we meet Xena, a former warlord on a path to redemption, and her plucky sidekick Gabrielle. 

Hayley and Justine discuss why Xena is their favorite super hero, the myth of Oedipus, and we get to know a Cyclops! 

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Transcript

spk_1:   0:00
Well, hello, everybody. I'm Justine. I'm Hailey, and we are here for a podcast called Ah, in a time of ancient guys. Lysine. A podcast, right? Yeah. Well, it could be. Oh, hi, everybody. I'm Justine. I'm Haley, and we're here for a scene. I worry that, Princess. Hi, I'm Justine. I'm Haley. And this is, in a time of ancient gods. Okay, Um, Hayley and I

spk_0:   0:34
have loved Xena since we were young Lasses. I've been washing it since, um, how old was I

spk_1:   0:42
probably

spk_0:   0:43
like 10 or so. My dad and I would watch

spk_1:   0:45
it on the real Tuesday night, staying and just saying you were interesting. I would watch it at my dad's house on the weekends. I don't know what night it waas, but it was great. It was a really great

spk_0:   0:59
like dad. Daughter bonding s o. I have noticed just in my podcast listening Sze there's just a lot of podcasts going on about, like, people were revisiting different TV shows and all these great female characters and I hadn't really heard anything about Xena, so I felt like it was time for us to do something about that.

spk_1:   1:18
And I agreed. Yeah, definitely so some reasons

spk_0:   1:22
We really love Xena. I think she used like the best female action superhero in role model that I've seen in television.

spk_1:   1:32
Absolutely. And it comes through really early in the episode, and we're gonna get to that later. But it's like, you know, from the beginning that this is gonna be great. It's just gonna be great.

spk_0:   1:42
Um, some solid reasons why thinks he knows the best is she is a self made hero. We're a lot of like modern female heroes. You see, they kind of gained their power through some type of trauma. Are a lot of times like a common trope is like they've been raped, and so they have to, like, come out of that, gain their power. But they're

spk_1:   2:01
like an apprentice, and then they take. But she's like, just did it on her own and post me like come into her story like after she's already achieve something big in her own life, even though it's becoming a violent warlord kills villages like she's done that already. Just transitioning to a new phase.

spk_0:   2:20
Yeah, like I re washed the episodes where so Xena, Warrior Princess TV show is a spinoff of Hercules TV show like a three episode story arc and that which I rewatched recently, which are great. So she was like, I mean, kind of in the Xena Siri's you sort of like see her going, you idiot. There's flashbacks where she's in a really dark place and she does all this bad stuff. But I think she originated. Kind of just wanting Thio, um, keep her family safe on just like, you know, get her on strength. And she taught herself and she just did everything herself. Everything she's learned. She decided to shoot a lot of self autonomy, and she just went out there and figured out herself, Uh, Lovett. What I also love about Xena is she looks strong, like a lot of other female superheroes are like, You know, they have their powers because they were, like, bitten by a mutant whatever, or they're like the chosen one. So they've been giving these gifts for whatever, but they look like, you know, like scrawny little girls who have their own power, but they don't physically look like strong.

spk_1:   3:20
I'm like, That's great, too, like describing people can be powerful, but she's super tall and I was noticing, like something that has always intrigued me about Lena or like I've noticed many times while watching is like her legs are really long and I kind of like cylinders. I think I Iook like everybody's got my legs are kind of like weekly shaped and like other people have, like my son's legs are like Trap is oi because he's a baby. But here they're like like, almost like, molded like perfect cylinders Air Cone. Well, she's a strong, empowered woman, see? And she

spk_0:   4:04
shows. Yes, I'm talking about I just love it. Um, I love that she's learned what it is to have too much power and like what the evils are from that, you know, like that's a lesson that so many people should learn. Yeah, is like, you know, with a lot of power comes a lot of responsibility. And when she hits that kind of like, peak level, um, she ends up realizing she just wants to help people. Yeah, um todo I also really love that the entire storyline doesn't like, hinge on any type of romance with anyone. Able can argue that it's between her and Gabriel, but I would say that that's not what the plot line hinges on. It's really about Xena's journey. Um, just figuring out, you know what it is to be a person.

spk_1:   4:47
Yeah, and it's also like every episode is really solid to like. I think it works on the long term story arc. But also just like each episode is really, um, about, you know, it has a clear story, and I don't know. Yeah, it was about, like, something that she's working for in that episode.

spk_0:   5:06
Exactly. Um, so another point, I think, is really important on dhe. Why the show isn't as popular as it is and why I don't really talk about how much I love this show as much as I do. Because of the reaction when usually when I say like,

spk_1:   5:20
Hey, have

spk_0:   5:21
you seen the show? Xena? People respond with like, Oh, you mean that lesbian show? And I think defining Xena by who she has sex with their defining any character by who that you choose toe have sex with is just so problematic and really awful. Yeah, things just a way of like pigeonholing the story and trying to take away her power. How

spk_1:   5:40
do you feel I feel exactly the same way, and I think like like watching the show. It's really not about her sexuality. For me. Um, it's much more about, you know, her journey and Gabriel's journey also, Um, but you know, their friendship. They're really good friends. And, you know, eventually there's some romantic interaction to, and that's great, really important. It's important

spk_0:   6:05
to have that on screen as well, but she also

spk_1:   6:07
has male lovers and God,

spk_0:   6:09
lovers and days Just a Greek hero.

spk_1:   6:12
Yeah, right. It's really about her being a hero for me. Yeah, but yeah. And so,

spk_0:   6:17
yeah, I think she like her intelligence, her capability, her problem solving her just care and respect of other people. I think she's just an all around amazing person for us all to look up to.

spk_1:   6:29
Yeah, and I think, like, what's most intriguing? What I really like talking about with her is is that journey of hers. And I think her sexuality is just part of who she is. And it's not really like a the defining element of the show. Exactly. And that's why we love Tina. Yeah, so with this

spk_0:   6:48
podcast we want to do is just watch every episode independently. And then Hayley and I will get together and talk about it for you. Lovely listeners

spk_1:   6:57
s. So should we get started with a phone number one? Yeah. Cool. So Xena Season one

spk_0:   7:42
Episode one was called Sins of the Past and it first aired on September 5th. 1995 on the director was Doug Leffler, and it was written by John Xiu Lian, Rob Tapert, R. J. Stewart and

spk_1:   7:55
Sam Raimi. Power Group. Yeah, um, Episodes loves it.

spk_0:   8:01
Won't get us started off.

spk_1:   8:02
Really? Sure, sure. So we open on Xena. She's riding through the mist from remembering past times, Um, namely burning and pillaging village that she's riding into.

spk_0:   8:16
And then we get to hear some of my favorite part of Xena is the music. So there's this, like, I don't even know what instrument that is, but it sounds just, you know, it's like women calling. You can hear their pain just like ancient instruments blasting. It was, um So she's Yeah, she's going through memories of the slaughter. There's some credits, and then she's in this, like, burned down village. And then this orphan pops out.

spk_1:   8:42
Yeah, on Lee or the only person in the village clean. Hey was pretty clean driving. His entire face was destroyed. Yeah, yeah, it's tough. He he asked for a little food food. Scott scarcer. Perfect. But

spk_0:   8:59
then she feels guilty about having, like, burned down even his village or someone else's village.

spk_1:   9:04
Yeah, well, he said that she burned it was his village and that she had come from the clouds. A thunderbolt murdered his parents.

spk_0:   9:14
She's like, Probably wasn't me, but drop some cheese on the ground. Um, I know that I have notes of wondering where she got the title of Warrior Princess.

spk_1:   9:25
What do you think? Well, having watched the show on silent recently, Um, I think it's because all of the like bandits and things who are roaming around who she encounters there called like warrior. So they've defined like, um, these groups of bandits as warriors. And I was thinking also about this, like, Was this in Greece a time of like warlords? It was,

spk_0:   9:54
But I just wondered if I hear like Princess, I think like there must be like a queen. I mean, she's like a child or she's like, in line for something. But I think she's already the queen and she doesn't have to be the princess, but I don't think it's a great concluded it. Yeah. Oh, and then that kind of led me and my notes. I'm wondering, like how old she is. So I think she's, um So Lucy Lawless herself was 27 at this point because her birthday is March 29th 1968. She's

spk_1:   10:19
an area, I wonder. We love every lover.

spk_0:   10:23
Um, so I think probably Zinos, like around the same age. So she must have had I feel like she probably likes set out from her home when she was, like, 17. She's had about, like, 10 years of building her.

spk_1:   10:34
That sounds about right. Yeah.

spk_0:   10:36
Um, okay, So do you do, um,

spk_1:   10:41
riding, um she buries her armor in a shallow grave. She's giving that life. Yeah, she's sleeping the leaves over it. She ready to go home,

spk_0:   10:51
and then all of a sudden, there's all these village women being rounded. Um, there's evil dudes laughing. We see Gabrielle for the first time. This is one of wondrous line saying of this village makes tough women.

spk_1:   11:04
Yeah, well, yeah. And because Gabby offers herself up, as some potentially says, Take me just typical Gabby. I mostly did out of there. I heard it up all of the women. And it's a band of, you know, more yours. Yeah, they're just They're just you get all of them. She doesn't have a strong negotiating. She offers herself up anyway,

spk_0:   11:30
but then and then Xena comes in and she makes on what she's gonna do. Exactly. Um, I have some notes about the hilarious slapping sounds of the time. I was really remind me of, like all the antics and evil dead. It's just, like married to move that group of people

spk_1:   11:46
I have in my notes that Xena kicks. Um, I think detector main bad guy in the face. That's when you know, like, always is gonna be great, you know? Yeah, it is not, You know, he doesn't, like, stab him and pull out its guts or something. It's not like super violent, but it's also like who expected her to kick him in the fate. Know

spk_0:   12:09
what from that position. She's just so that was great when we launch into this, like we hear the Xena theme fighting, she takes on the whole Army she does. One of my favorite moves is where when she likes sticks, the spear down and then he was like a little like wagon wheel of just like taking everyone in the face or Yeah, love, that's my favorite. Be here. Xena's yell for the first

spk_1:   12:31
time.

spk_0:   12:34
Um todo and we're not even five minutes in and we've already It's

spk_1:   12:38
amazing. There's a lot that happens in those 1st 5 minutes before the intrusion.

spk_0:   12:42
Also, um, Gabby's being feisty. We see the

spk_1:   12:46
shock room for the first time, which I did a little

spk_0:   12:50
research on the showroom and then it turns out it was actually it's from India. Um, it's a real weapon. They didn't make up for the show. Um, it's also known as the Shell A car, which means circle. And it was fish news weapon of choice in the

spk_1:   13:03
Ramayana. Wow, that's fascinating. Maybe she picked it up in one of her research in travels before she came back

spk_0:   13:11
to greens like I would love to. I would love another Siri's Xena. Were you like you actually go through all of her travels?

spk_1:   13:19
I would love that. Especially yeah, as evil Xena.

spk_0:   13:25
Um, okay, so she has a shock. Rome actually been, um, just seeing the joy on her face when she's fighting. It's like it's great, true calling

spk_1:   13:34
and like it's also, I think it's so cartoony the way that it's shot like it's so comic book E. I don't know each one you can see, like you know, she's sneaking up on somebody or like each shot is really dynamic.

spk_0:   13:48
That's one of my favorite things about the show is just how over the top? Hilarious. It's just like slapstick goofy comedy all the time, like eventually it like Sometimes it takes itself really seriously and you like to go there with them. But I think my favorite episodes air when they're being whole areas. Yeah, um, so then she realizes that they're with drink. Oh, um, drink. It was just like, terrible. Then we do the opening

spk_1:   14:11
way. Xena's smile in the Cup For the first time, I feel really think like the sun coming out of the clouds. It's Hayley, and my favorite didn't cheer you up on any day. I think you've been

spk_0:   14:32
like every time I watch it on DVD like never skip over the credit

spk_1:   14:37
and they change them, like late late in the season. But like these early credits, it didn't need to change him at all. No, they're so great. I think pretty much

spk_0:   14:46
everything's from the first. Yeah, Just keep everything on the first season.

spk_1:   14:48
One regret I have is that that Poseidon coming out of the sea. It's not actually in a really? Yeah, I thought I was in one. No, I'm pretty sure I looked it up cause I was like, when I didn't see this anywhere looking up, I probably. But

spk_0:   15:04
all right, I don't remember that episode. So I believe you have to keep what?

spk_1:   15:08
You have

spk_0:   15:09
to look again. Um, her smile. Okay. Then we cut to Gabby who won't stop talking. So full disclosure. Hayley and I do not love Gabrielle, but we will be working through that in this

spk_1:   15:21
podcast. We're working. We're trying to work through it. I was talking to my mom earlier today, and she was like, Why don't you like Gabby? Like I can imagine. She's being really nice to me about it. She's like I can imagine. I could see why you might not, but why don't you like her? Yeah, it's like Well, if you just watched a lot, you might understand. I feel like in

spk_0:   15:41
a lot of the fandom Haley and I have experienced a lot of people just flocked to Gabby and really feel like it's her show. And I think that's a lot of what I react to is just how much space she takes up.

spk_1:   15:55
I feel because I feel like I already like when we used to play Xena, Gabby would be like that. You just maybe it's

spk_0:   16:07
like, I'll be Gabby, That's time. Fine,

spk_1:   16:08
Yeah, On Like granted, we're both really good at playing Gabby only play Xena, but it's not lying caricature, right? Yeah,

spk_0:   16:18
but I think when she has, ah, place of being, um, describe and being the Bard and we're like, That's her position. I prefer that when she goes down eventually, I mean, she wasn't like a warrior path. And I feel like that's

spk_1:   16:31
not right. Yeah, um, but she goes through a lot and, like her story line is important. Rosina, too. But it's kind of like like I'll say this briefly and then we can move on like I was telling Justine last time we met. Like if you ever played Indiana Jones on the computer in the nineties? The um it is like quest for Atlanta something. And like there's a sidekick character named Sofia who's a psychic, and you can choose to have her come along and she's like, helpful some of the time. You know what else is

spk_0:   17:05
playing that character? It's just her.

spk_1:   17:06
She's just doing her own thing. She doesn't obey you at all, and she ends up becoming possessed by neuron Sow. And then that's exactly like Abby. Yeah, it's pretty much exactly Gabby story, just like, Why do I have to take care of you? You're kind of helpful for, like, two things, and she's always standing like just a little bit too far away, and it's a long time to walk the way you are. So that's how I feel about gaps. I relate completely, Haley, for sharing your welcome. This was a

spk_0:   17:37
good gabby line, though, eh? So her like boyfriend or whatever comes up. He's trying to tell her what to do, and she says, Just

spk_1:   17:44
because you're my

spk_0:   17:45
betrothed doesn't mean you can boss me around, like with a very intentional

spk_1:   17:50
Yeah, I even, like, didn't even hear that

spk_0:   17:52
I was blocking it out. She really So Gabrielle is just like she sees in, you know? And she's like, This is who I want to be. I'm gonna go with you, take me with you Let's go to Amphipolis which Sarah Xena's from Susan is trying to go home.

spk_1:   18:09
We do find out that Gabby has a family. Yes, in this episode who I don't even remember from Later she's a dad and a sister.

spk_0:   18:18
That true patrol. OK, Cesena is back in her armor. Another great point. Um look, did she give up? Giving up? What is she thinking? Do we think right now she likes She tried giving up being a warrior, but I just couldn't. She loves it too much.

spk_1:   18:34
Well, um, we'll see later that she's like thinking about gathering people together to fight back. So this is seeming like a transitional moment. She's not in her, like Solo Xena phase defender phase, yet she's are already kind of finding her way there. That

spk_0:   18:53
interesting point. So then we cut to Drake go catching arrows, which is a really in effect. I love one person shooting the arrow and then

spk_1:   19:02
camera cut to guide catching arrow. It's so it's so great. And he's so good at it, too. I

spk_0:   19:08
like drink a lot. Yeah. He's like the perfect like villain, not villains.

spk_1:   19:12
Kind of honorable, like, really? Doesn't seem that means Yeah, just great. Just like Oh, yeah, he, like, kind

spk_0:   19:18
of love, Xena. Everyone kind of love.

spk_1:   19:20
Yeah. Great sea doesn't have that, like, burning passion that Aires had, But he's like, I love you, Xena. Yeah. Come join me. Yeah, like, let's, you know,

spk_0:   19:29
relive what we had once. Um, I think a lot of like a lot of the warlord. It's a lot of characters. They have, like, actual New Zealanders. You know, they have hired a lot of people from Yeah, I'm around. Uh, is this the losses from New Zealand to Yeah, um so drink. Oh, really? Respect Xena. Um, no one ever implies she's weak. Everybody knows

spk_1:   19:49
her. I have down here like Drakkar likes her because she's good at what she does. Oh, yeah. I love that. I know.

spk_0:   19:55
He really values her as a warrior. Um, and then I think I was kind of distracted by her hair cut. At this

spk_1:   20:02
point, I'm just wondering why the bangs. I love the bank. I love the things

spk_0:   20:06
too, but I'm just, like, always interested in They never really like change. And yet there, you mean like, Gabby gets a drastic haircut later? But like Xena's look is just kind of

spk_1:   20:15
Yeah, there it was. Just always wondered. I don't know. I mean, I could see how would be useful to keep your hair out of your phase. But then she also has her hair pulled back some of the time, but, yeah, it's down. I guess I've ever

spk_0:   20:28
seen, you know, an opponent.

spk_1:   20:32
So maybe it's to keep it out of her face. She doesn't have the hair down in her face, and it looks great on her. You're You're okay. So what I'm saying I'm sorry. No. Um

spk_0:   20:42
So drink. Oh, wants to join up. Um, but what Sena thinking? She's always so like Stoick.

spk_1:   20:49
I know. I know. I know. I wonder. Yeah. Was she thinking about her past? She's wondering her if her mom is gonna accept her bag

spk_0:   20:59
and then at a really good line from drink. Oh, saying, um, he she could be with him in love or against him in battle

spk_1:   21:08
Yeah. Great. I'm glad you brought that up because I forgot about that line. But it comes up later in the episode There. It's It's an interesting love, huh? I also love. I'm not sure if it's this scene or later scene with the two of them that, um she, like, says like that. She's not going to be with him, and he comes up and holds a knife to her, but he holds it like probably a good foot away from her face. It was, like, definitely not actually threatening her. Yeah, she Xena, you can't Everyone else it doesn't work like that. Angry? No, Like it's just fooling around like, yeah,

spk_0:   21:44
um, I have some other notes that, you know it's all about for old time's sake. You can't ever go home. I was wondering what their history waas I know. Um, then we cut to Gabby sneaking out. Yeah. Um, yeah,

spk_1:   22:00
she II also have down that she's in classic key point for us. Cabby can't even escape from her own house without stumbling through her sisters. Like, what's going

spk_0:   22:16
on? Mr. Laila? Uh, she said she's going to be a warrior, and, uh,

spk_1:   22:21
yeah, well, eventually And then

spk_0:   22:24
So then, at this point, I'm like, Okay, so I get it. We're supposed to be like, Gabby on this journey I got is the viewer. Well,

spk_1:   22:31
that's not feel that well, but I understand. Yeah.

spk_0:   22:35
You know, she doesn't fit in with where she is. She doesn't like, you know, she wants to make her own choices

spk_1:   22:39
escaped with, you know, like we d'oh! Exactly.

spk_0:   22:42
And she sees this hero that who is everything she wants to be. Maybe that's why I don't like Abby. This reminds me too much of me. I don't

spk_1:   22:50
Yeah, I was gonna say Really?

spk_0:   22:55
Um, do you D'oh D'oh! Okay, so she is Bide your sister. Oh, we see Argo again. Her

spk_1:   23:01
horse. I really love Argo. She's super, um Argos. Very intuitive.

spk_0:   23:06
Very true of them. A special bond. Um, so they're trying to cross that bridge. Then she just lets him go, but she knows he'll come find him again. Yeah, and then we find

spk_1:   23:20
out that the psych lot, um, Cyclops makes a cameo makes a cameo. So another thing we

spk_0:   23:28
want to do in this podcast. And every time we come across kind of Ah, Greek mythological character that's actually, you know, exist in our Greek myth history. We want to do a little, like breakdown how far the show strays from

spk_1:   23:43
actual mythology. Yeah, well, we have the Cyclops here who has been blinded by Xena. We don't know his name. He's anonymous. Um, but he's since been starving to death because he can't catch any people big. Yeah, exactly. Um, so I was looking into the cyclops. It it looks like they're several different stories. Um, one set of cyclops are very rebellious, and they revolt all the time. These air, the sons of Uranus and G uh, you think, um, some of the titans and their names are Argus stereo peas and Bronte Brody's I know. So I'm liking these guys because they're Italian into the Charlotte Bronte family. Uh, yeah, uh, I'm not sure if they're the right ones, but anyway, they, um, uh, rebelled against Uranus and JIA, um, and then with Cronus. But then Cronus threw them back into Tartarus. Um, but then zoos pulled them out to rebel against Cronus, and then, um, in order to help Zeus it that they made him a thunderbolt, and Pluto's a helmet and beside in his trident. So these air pretty cool, like revolutionary one eyed giants. Um, And then they ended up kind of, I think, being like, um, the kind of blacksmiths and then another tradition there, Um, Festus is helpers and head of making a bunch of weaponry and that kind of thing. Interesting. So that's an interesting alternative to the homer story where they're basically kind of lawless shepherds. So in the

spk_0:   25:34
homer in the Odyssey, where they're more than just the one it was Yes. Is Polly from this, right?

spk_1:   25:41
Yeah. And he lives in a cave, but apparently they're a bunch of them. And they live in Sicily in caves with their wives and Children. And they have, like, despotic rule over their wives and Children. And they

spk_0:   25:52
were all like, laughing and foolishness, right?

spk_1:   25:53
Yes. Yeah. Man blinded me, right? When you talking that stupid eso either might mean maybe Zeena blinded a different one. Could could be. Or maybe this is Paula famous. And she's also kind of taking on Theodosius

spk_0:   26:12
role because there's a lot of episodes of, you know, where she kind of takes on, like the hero care for another Greek man It's always a little little twisted or their characters.

spk_1:   26:21
Yeah, which is interesting in itself. Very fun. Yeah. So my my feel on the Cyclops is that they're probably just very revolutionary, Um, monsters who seemed to have helped, but it Homer kind of ah, well, describes them as lawless, but they could just be revolutionary. People who don't like the law that's being given down to them. Um, they are man eaters, but they're also shepherds. So, um, this holds true in the episode where Xena tells the blinded Cyclops to eat more sheep. Just go eat more sheep. Yeah. Don't taste good anymore. I think he's the rial Ham? Um, occur. Imagine. I just love scene is

spk_0:   27:11
like, just coming up to him and just like a laughing about it, Like, really sense of power

spk_1:   27:15
and situation is just wonderful. She never scared. Yeah, she, like, offers him a real solution. Like you could still threaten the Villagers and then give you some sheep. Would be cool. He's like, no people e

spk_0:   27:30
her advice on a new job. Um, suit yourself. So she passes by and then, um, Gabby shows up.

spk_1:   27:39
Yeah, scared across the bridge just because It's a bridge. She never seen a bridge before. We don't know. They don't have

spk_0:   27:46
ridges. But she's found. Yeah, it's her first time out of the village on, and she just won't stop talking. And then the Cyclops calls her chatty food.

spk_1:   27:56
Usually funny. She does successfully talk her way out of the cage. And I will point out that Cyclops also successfully traps her. No, no, he's blind. Yeah. So I think, you know, both of them are doing pretty well for themselves in the situation.

spk_0:   28:11
Um, then we cut to Xena. Who's being followed by it, Like

spk_1:   28:15
four guys with zero stealth. I know. Like, remember? Yeah, horses getting gig. Um,

spk_0:   28:24
Xena actually goes up in the tree or walking. Um, her like, boots look great. One by one, she's knocking everyone out. Yeah, um, this

spk_1:   28:33
is, like another really good comic book. Like seeing cause She's like hop, you know, one disappears and the other one didn't see because you're seeing from, like, the friend. It's

spk_0:   28:43
really great. Super great. So then she catches or that Hector is that his name crops Hector. She does the Xena

spk_1:   28:50
tap. Just like first seen attack

spk_0:   28:52
words like in on your neck and hands off the flow of blood to your brain. Did in 20 cent. Nose starts bleeding, but they can still talk. Um, so she's like, what's Trico up to? And then we find out the drink. Oh, is going to destroy Amphipolis. You're home now. So Xena's like, gotta get there

spk_1:   29:09
fast, huh? Does blood tap? Yuck. Saying And then it's now

spk_0:   29:18
Gabby's and the street. Um, there's an old cart man coming tie. She's not just he's lying that I have notes that he kind of reminded me of like a Robin

spk_1:   29:34
Williams character Feel like Robin Williams was gonna show up. That would be him. Now, be him.

spk_0:   29:39
Um, so then Gabby's like, I can tell you a story I can tell you about

spk_1:   29:44
Ed a piss if you want.

spk_0:   29:46
And he's like,

spk_1:   29:46
add a piss. I know Oedipus. So I'm gonna

spk_0:   29:50
tell little rehab. None of us. So So, Ed, A Piss is a tale horrible tale of the King of Thieves s. Oedipus was the prince of thieves. His parents were King Lioce and Queen your Costa A madam. This actually means swollen foot.

spk_1:   30:06
I learned about it. Did not.

spk_0:   30:10
So, um edifices. Parents, King Liasson queen you Costa were given a prophecy from the oracle of Delphi on the prophecy. Stated that their son was going to kill his dad and marry his mom and bring disaster to a city and family. So his dad said, I'm just gonna take care of this and, um, nailed his feet together, tie them up and left him

spk_1:   30:34
on the side of the mountain air. Just pieced together. Yeah, I missed. That s

spk_0:   30:40
so that's why they call him swollen foot grass. Um, so his dad left him on the mountainside to die, and he's probably, like, a year and 1/2 or something. Wow. Esso shepherds found him and brought him to a neighboring

spk_1:   30:53
town they like. Here's a maybe look. Fine. Except for the holes in his feet. Perfectly good. 90% s.

spk_0:   31:03
So they brought him to the neighboring king and queen who had wanted a baby but couldn't

spk_1:   31:06
have nice parent.

spk_0:   31:08
Yeah. Um, Sue, the oracle of Delphi tells that king the per same prophecy or sorry. Tells tells edifice the same prophecy, but he didn't know who his real parents where he thought that this king and queen were his parents. So when he's old enough, he says, OK, I'm leaving. Tragic, Super tragic on. They should have just told

spk_1:   31:28
him that he wasn't there. So then he probably so confused. Why is he leaving?

spk_0:   31:34
But that's also the thing with the oracle of Delphi. She was never very clear.

spk_1:   31:37
Yeah, right it is. You know, who knows? Maybe would have been like, Did she know which parents It was gonna be. Good question.

spk_0:   31:45
I don't know. She just received information, and she gives it out as she gets. So he leaves and he heads to thieves because that's like the big neighboring town. So on his way, this'd so awful. So on his way, he comes to a crossroads with another man. And, like, I'm an older man, come the crossroads and they get into an argument over who should go first. And wow, at the conclusion of the argument is he kills the other. Yep. So they fight, he keeps going, he gets two thieves, and then he finds out he'ii going He was going when he finds out that the King has been killed. Yep.

spk_1:   32:26
Oh, now I see I happened on.

spk_0:   32:29
So when he's in town. Um, so in the absence of the King, this monster has shown up, and this monster is this finks and these things has is pretty cool. So she has the head of a woman on the body of a lioness and the wings of an eagle and a tale that is a serpent, not the tale of us. Like a snake face until she's pretty cool,

spk_1:   32:52
too. Decided. Attack Two sentences.

spk_0:   32:55
Um, so she has just been, like, totally wreaking havoc on thieves have been attacking with both mouth mouth. She's eating everything in sight. All the warriors air coming out, trying Thio like to feed her. And then the next thing, whatever. And she's destroying them all. And so with the Sphinx, you may have heard of this. The riddle of this thing? Yeah. Riddler the Riddler. So her, uh, things his deal is anyone who can answer my riddle, you know, can move on, defeat me, I'll leave. So the riddle is what in the morning walks on four feet, two in the afternoon and three in the evening.

spk_1:   33:33
I heard this one. Yeah. Haley, what if Hank Okay. It's four in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening. Is this right? OK, is it a baby in the morning? And man or woman is a metal, a person, an adult person and then an old person with a cane. Evening. That is correct That correct? You get to be the next king of thieves where you want? Whoa.

spk_0:   34:01
Um, so the answer is man. And once he answers the Sphinx's riddle, she kind of slithers and crinkles off. Um, he wings that wins the kingdom. Um, queen? Yeah, Costa. We might remember her. She falls in love with him, marries him. They have four Children together, and she doesn't know that it's her son. Um, so years later, there's a plague on thieves. And the word on the street is that who knows what the word on the street is? So Oedipus has to go to the oracle of Delphi. Know what's going on? What? Yeah, Why's there plague? And, um, So he's trying to go find out who killed the king because he kind of thinks that's what's brought the plague on eso when he's at the oracle of Delphi. Um, he when he's kind of on the way, the mom realizes who likes she realizes what happened and she has an entire prophecy comes true. So she hangs herself. And so she's just hang in there. And then when I piss gets back, he has realized what happened. Because he heard from Oracle. Yeah, And he takes the pins from her dress and stabs his eyes out dark on. So every minute of this complex kind of comes from that refers to you like, yeah, loving mothers. And, um, it's kind of the original self fulfilling prophecy.

spk_1:   35:21
Yeah. Wow. Story a meta piss, everybody. Well, that is fascinating. And that's what Gabby and the old man we're talking about down the road, a nice light conversation. Cash. I wonder what kind of input he had onto that story. Personal in. But

spk_0:   35:35
he just like he knew the guy was

spk_1:   35:37
11. Yeah. Um, look cool. Yeah.

spk_0:   35:42
So they're traveling New Zealand's gorgeous Um oh, when Xena gets to her town, there's this, like, beautiful coming home song of all the mid women. Like harvesting. Oh, yeah,

spk_1:   35:53
I forgot about that.

spk_0:   35:56
Loved it. Wonderful. Yeah. And Xena's just like, so happy to be home. Yeah. Um ah. But when we get there we quickly learned that the town is ashamed of her. Um, this was the only time I've ever really seen her unsure of

spk_1:   36:11
anything so far. She's just way.

spk_0:   36:15
Um, we meet her mom

spk_1:   36:17
for the first time. We meet the peanut gallery. First time in the tavern. God, Yeah. Um, they say get out of here and that kind of thing.

spk_0:   36:27
And her mom pulled a sword on her on and they have the same eyes. Noticed. Um, so your

spk_1:   36:34
mom have bangs to her?

spk_0:   36:36
Mom did not have, But she also had brown hair, and she was wearing, like, I think she was wearing a beautiful like blue hasn't outfit. Um, we learned that her mom runs a tavern. Huh? Um, no one trusts Tina, but we're, like, not

spk_1:   36:50
quite sure what happened. One person was not this time. Xena. Three. Remember that line stuck with May? Well, it's stuck with him Thio remembering like what happened? No, I wonder too. Like, did she pillage the town? Or did she, like, try to protect it and fail?

spk_0:   37:09
Well, we find out that she had, like, gathered all the young men to go fight another warlord and everyone died she wasn't strong enough. So I think kind of a lot of Xena's journey after that becoming stronger was that she wasn't strong enough this one time. So she just, like, left and welcome to tryto.

spk_1:   37:27
Yeah, very insightful.

spk_0:   37:29
Um, so then we see drink. Oh, and Hector fighting. Um, and then, yeah, doctors really lean traces. Just pretty much

spk_1:   37:39
Hector is, like, not very good at what he does. You don't know how

spk_0:   37:43
we got to be second in command? No. Um, Any kills Hector.

spk_1:   37:48
Yeah. Let me

spk_0:   37:50
get someone to clean off my knife. It was great. Thanks for the last three. Um, and then So, um, I noticed there was a lot of nets in the tavern, and so it was kind of wondering if Amphipolis was by the ocean, like, kind of village Russian.

spk_1:   38:09
Well, it must be closed, you know?

spk_0:   38:11
Yeah. And then, actually, I looked it up, and it is close.

spk_1:   38:14
Wow. That's That's a nice detail. They included their historic Yes. Um, yeah, and my notes. I skipped like, pretty much too, I guess. Like Gabby has followed her there. Oh, yeah. Gabby saves her from the townspeople there, like about two stone her to death.

spk_0:   38:33
One good reason why I got yeah, she jumps in and says, like,

spk_1:   38:36
Oh, wait, she's changed you saving my town? Um, should talk Sena. You know, she talks the townspeople out of killing her.

spk_0:   38:44
Oh, because the tree Ko's army was carrying her banners. Right? That's what it was that that was the big trick is they're trying to convince the townspeople that it's actually just

spk_1:   38:53
tak es or whatever. Yeah,

spk_0:   38:55
but really, it's just Rico and reels like, No, they actually had attacked my town. Right? Um, and I

spk_1:   39:01
really want

spk_0:   39:02
to know what Xena's banner Look,

spk_1:   39:03
I know that point. I would love to see that we should make one

spk_0:   39:09
imagines, please. Um, it's everyone's mad. Um, Gabby's talking's, you know, has a really great arched eyebrow at that

spk_1:   39:18
moment. Yeah, I agree. Um, Gabby's line of I just saved your life. Yeah, right So she can get on the horn. She's always trying to

spk_0:   39:29
get on his own, that horse like No, Gabby, just walk. Um, and Xena goes to her brother's, too. I know that she had brothers. Yeah, died.

spk_1:   39:38
I know her and it was sad. The

spk_0:   39:43
tomb There's a constant flame. Um,

spk_1:   39:46
I liked that Xena respects the dead to you. And I thought that was, like, a good early indication of that part of her character. I also like that

spk_0:   39:55
I love her. Like kind of her conversation with her brother is like the most insight we see from Xena. Like the only, like, internal conversation.

spk_1:   40:02
Yeah, right. And, yeah, be spying from the doorway. Cappie, leave her alone. I know. I have a private moment now. Well, she's like, it's hard to be alone, brother. And then Gabby's like, you know, like, I know this like scene is like, Oh, I guess I'm happy to not be alone. So Okay, Yes,

spk_0:   40:20
I go. Here's one person who doesn't hate me in this village. Like, of course. Still like like Gabby in

spk_1:   40:25
this situation, right? It's okay. Okay. It's gonna be all right.

spk_0:   40:30
Um, OK, then we cut to drink. Oh, um, he oh, so drink. Oh, shows up. And then everybody in town is trying to say like, Okay, drink. Oh, just like take over wagons

spk_1:   40:41
of like, another situation Like the gabby situation earlier with warlords are already there. And they're like the Villagers were like here we collected all of our valuables for you. I feel like

spk_0:   40:55
that's common, though. Mailing over like Mabel. I feel like I mean, a lot of people would pay you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just like here you can like, if you come by like, once a year, you can take over valuables. Just please don't burn us to the ground. More valuable for us to keep providing it with stuff. Yeah, burn us to the ground.

spk_1:   41:11
I guess that makes sense. But he just want Xena. He doesn't care about that. I mean, yeah, we could've pretty predicted that

spk_0:   41:19
fresh air. Oh, yeah. He's just Rico's totally obsessed with her and telling her to celebrate her dark side and ride with him. Um, and then

spk_1:   41:27
I love that thing is like a pre aires. It's like the audience isn't ready for areas yet, but we have, like, a hint as thio what the argument's gonna be like fellow lover of war.

spk_0:   41:39
Yeah, Just everyone's a bit like obsession with her and her, Just like mastery

spk_1:   41:43
of look great. Yeah,

spk_0:   41:45
she's the best. Um, Susan was like, No, you know, I'm not gonna go with you, but I need you and whoever, right? You know,

spk_1:   41:53
she's like, she's like you said it would be one way or the other. I choose the other, and then they have a scaffolding, like, really doing repairs in the tavern perfectly. Yeah, I'm so great. I love the scaffolding. It's made out of stone pillars with bamboo on the top. That's

spk_0:   42:15
really nice scaffolding. Uh, so they like. So they both jump on top. Um, they're like

spk_1:   42:21
punching each other. Um, you're really saying use me, Xena? I like. Yeah, here I have. You can walk on my shoulders. I think those

spk_0:   42:37
great. Oh, and then, um so at this point, we really see, like, this stunt double because a

spk_1:   42:42
lot of times, like, I

spk_0:   42:43
was thinking that stunt double Zoe Bell, and she is wonderful. She was also the sensible in kill bill for UMA Thurman. Um, and she was in, um, death proof to that movie she likes. Started it. She's

spk_1:   42:55
Grady is the best. Also. Yeah, it's like she and Lucy Lawless are the same person, and they're

spk_0:   43:01
both the best. They work so hard to create, like, build character, great. All of their turn. Yeah, me too. Um, century goes like just seeing all these like, really negative things to Xena. Um, saying you're going to die for them and they despise you mean is like, What? It doesn't matter. I have Honor

spk_1:   43:20
is why Xena. There she people, people.

spk_0:   43:27
So Xena does some yells and some flip overs, and we see some scenes that they use in the opening credits, which are nice, um, walking on people's heads.

spk_1:   43:36
How Mancino walk me. I love the walking on people's heads is so great in the show like the people's heads getting squished, No one excited.

spk_0:   43:44
They're just like standing around her to step on, making funny faces, and they step on them. And there's the one gag of where she steps like a guy's wearing a turban, stepped on it and it looks around. Um, So then, uh, Gabby trips a guy who's gonna be sneaking in here to shoot her. Um, and then Xena knock straight, go to the ground and she steps on his chest. And it was all like, Oh, hey, Drea, go. You're in the ground and I still haven't touched it. And then

spk_1:   44:17
and then they drink. Guzman, don't shoot him. Even though the deal is that they'd shoot whoever touched the ground first. But they don't, um And then they're, like, kind of getting ready to go. And, um,

spk_0:   44:29
so they were gonna Yeah, they strike a deal for him to just go. Never hurt anybody. Um, and then Oh, yeah, he killed Rico.

spk_1:   44:37
Kills the guy with the night. Yeah, this guy's sneaking up on Xena is gonna kill her anyway, for whatever reason. And, um, and Drake Oh, like throws. And I got him and kill them. I think I've seen it before throwing that night. That's great. Really good at it And think it's just somebody cleaned it off before. Yeah. Um, and then he says a deal's a deal. Uh

spk_0:   45:03
um, the just wants her mom's love. That's all she wants to this whole thing

spk_1:   45:08
and she gets it done against forgiveness. Yeah, she's really forgiven. Um, and that's like the best part of this episode. In some ways, like the whole story arc of this episode is about a daughter getting her mom's forgiveness for, like, really something that she probably thought she couldn't be forgiven for.

spk_0:   45:29
It's kinda like this episode is kind of like the entire series. One little tiny universe,

spk_1:   45:34
which is remarkable considering how long the series went. Yeah.

spk_0:   45:38
Remarkable. Yeah. I mean, her entire journey is just looking for, you know, she does forgiveness from her mom, and she's just looking forgiveness from everyone else in her shell. Yeah, she's need that little bit of healing. Took Gonna continue her next journey. Yeah. Um, so we're leaving, continuing on our quest, and Gabby follows her into the forest at night. Yeah, you wouldn't know she's there. I know. Then I just like to imagine Xena's mind. She's just thinking like, you know what? This girl's life would be awful.

spk_1:   46:10
Yeah, just like, because she doesn't have anywhere else to go her for as long as they can. Yes, Boom can take this sleeping bag. Sleep over there. Just

spk_0:   46:22
get over there. Um, and then Zinos like Gabrielle says, that's what friends do. They stand by each other when there's trouble, and Xena's like, Okay, you can be my friend, and then you can hear the smile in her voice

spk_1:   46:36
when she sang all right, she's like, Oh, you have that bad. Yeah, she kind of likes her. She doesn't like, have any other friends. So having someone who, like, tries to understand her.

spk_0:   46:46
Well, she has, like Hercules idealists, but they're left behind.

spk_1:   46:50
Yeah, they're in a different reason. Um, so, yeah, that's the end of episode one. Really great. Yeah. So what do your positive Gabrielle moments? Okay, so, um, I do think it's good that she managed to talk yourself out of that cyclops in situation, and she really showed herself to be able to do that. Well, I think also, um, Renee O'Connor Really like? Like we know exactly who Gabby is. Sometimes you watch a show and like, it takes a while for the characters to settle in. But we know from the beginning, like exactly who Gabby is. There's no question she's not like hesitating about her. Wiley nous. I really

spk_0:   47:38
like when you when she kind of starts getting into her stride of, like,

spk_1:   47:41
storytelling. Yeah, takes on that barred capture,

spk_0:   47:44
and she gets into the stance. I like that. I like when she, um is talking to the cyclops and think we share that Cyclops moment. Um, and at first, she's like talking about Xena. Yeah. You know

spk_1:   47:56
what it's like. Yeah, I know where a hater

spk_0:   47:57
and she, like, immediately switches to. Yeah, me too, Which is awful. We're partners in crime against her.

spk_1:   48:03
Yeah, Yeah, she really takes that on. So I I appreciate that moment. It wasn't great. Well, Mac that Yeah, that's the whole thing. Yeah. Thank you guys for listening and join us in Episode two. Yes, please.