Xena: Warrior Princess Episode 2.12: “Destiny”

[chavalah.livejournal.com]

This is a true origin story for “Xena” (not meta-origin, like “The Xena Scrolls.” :P) But serious, dramatic, incredibly well-acted backstory for Xena the character and what really started her down her dark path. Half-baked Cortese could get her ass out the door in order to loot other towns for her hometown’s defense. But in order to become a true “warrior princess” with a legacy that everybody and their moms know about, she needed something much more.

And she got it through Caesar, Karl Urban’s third (and undoubtedly most noteworthy) character in the Xenaverse. Caesar, I think, caps off the triumvirate of “Xena” villains. (There are others, and some, especially Alti, aren’t just forgettable goons.) But the cream of the crop are Ares, Callisto and Caesar. Ares is Xena’s on-and-off mentor. Callisto is Xena’s creation. Caesar, as this episode proves, is Xena’s peer.

Karl and Lucy really steal this show—though I also have a soft spot for M’Lila (and her “breastplate” shirt :P), just as Xena has a soft spot for innocent, spiritual young girls. But in terms of acting, well Karl just simmers with young Caesar’s smarmy arrogance. And Lucy gets to play a very different side of Xena—she puts aside what FemPop calls the “steel blue” Xena of the present for a fiery, yet hopelessly naïve warrior on the cusp of choosing her dark destiny.

Also, yanno Xenaverse likes playing with history some, but I appreciated making Xena and co into the pirates who actually kidnapped real Caesar in his youth. Teehee.

Summary is here, courtesy of whoosh.org.

( Spoilery thoughts )