Xena: Warrior Princess Episode 2.03: “The Giant Killer”

[chavalah.livejournal.com]

Having a bad memory (or maybe just paying extra attention this time) I expected to dislike this episode. Biblical tales bring out a hornet's nest of issues, like the clash of the modern day with ancient beliefs, or the fact that most of the viewing world understands even the Hebrew Bible as Christian (hey, your religious mythos will get it’s chance on this show! :P) I have mixed feelings about the Abraham/Isaac sacrifice tale in “Altered States” last season; they had to change around some pretty key points to make it fit with the Xenaverse. This episode turned out differently, since there’s nothing inherently problematic in identifying with David fighting Goliath. So the Xenaverse brought back the “Israelites” label, but failed in any way to mention that there was another Hebrew-centric episode (“The Royal Couple of Thieves”) awhile back; talk about a show continuity fail.

At the same time, I feel ironic shame in admitting that the Israelites were the weakest part of this episode. Gabrielle gets another boytoy in the form of the future King David—noooooez. Of course the Bard would fall in love with the Psalmist. :P Turning Goliath into a complex character was far more interesting to me. This didn’t negate David’s ultimate actions, but it gave an emotional richness to a story that would ultimately be a predictable battle about good vs evil.

And there’s plenty of actual complexity in religious mythology—just saying. :P Guess I still get defensive here. Be that as it may, the Warrior Princess and Babbling Bard travel through time and space to make a definitive mark on several eras of history. :P

( Episode Summary and Spoilers )