Xena: Warrior Princess 4x08 "Crusader" Reaction
Added 2022-05-15 23:40:49 +0000 UTC
Comments
"If I can't have her, nobody's gonna have her." Xena and Najara had huge dick-waving contests without the dick for Gabrielle. They literally physically fought each other for who should have her. Like she was some kind of prize or trophy to be won. It was cool to see, but at the same time, icky as fuck.
Girl4Music
2023-11-19 13:44:00 +0000 UTCHere we have the biggest threat to Xena. I love how literally every love interest Gabrielle seems to be interested in is also a Warrior. She could give into temptation but stays faithful to Xena To think this psychotic abusive hypocritical bitch could have had a romance with Gabrielle. 😖😩😳 Heads up to Kathryn Morris for her fantastic eccentric portrayal of Najara.
Girl4Music
2023-11-19 13:39:37 +0000 UTCI don’t consider Najara a villain, although, as a warrior of virtue, she’s a little stringent for me. I do like the ethical ambiguities presented in this one, and I really like Najara. ... Gabby’s spiritual quest is fine, but she maybe shouldn’t convert quite so easily as she did herein.
Koz
2022-05-23 04:52:32 +0000 UTCI think this is one of the best episodes of Season 4. You are saying they make Najara a bad guy. But I think this episode doesn't give a clear answer about whether Xena or Najara is right. And to me, this moral ambiguity makes this episode so great and complex. It would be very simple episode if Xena and Gabrielle just respected Najara's philisophy and the main plot was just to stop Murat and Gabrielle's decision to stay with whether Xena or Najara.
Burak
2022-05-16 15:50:05 +0000 UTCI agree with some of the discussion above that this episode is such a missed opportunity. The first half was pretty much perfect! Najara is such a unique character and Kathryn Morris portrayed her so well in getting us to warm up to or at least understand her in such a short time. I also really appreciated seeing the softer side of the love between Xena and Gabrielle without life or death stakes. The "love triangle" aspect was so well done because you could tell how Xena went from wary to trusting Najara to taking the leap of faith that she'd be good for Gabrielle. Then, the second half way oversimplified everything by making Najara an unhinged zealot. Even in the version we got where she is clearly meant to be the bad guy, Najara is far more noble than many of the grey characters Xena and Gabrielle have worked with and then let go free in the past. I wish they left her character more ambiguous and have it be Gabrielle who weighed two sensible options and chose to stay with Xena over Najara instead of showing the decision to be such a clear and easy one because Najara was a psycho. Speaking of which, the way they re-introduced the vision of Xena and Gabrielle's crucifixion was also very well done; instead of focusing on the deaths, they made the right call and used it to build up our core characters, particularly linking it to Gabrielle's search for the right path given that the path of staying with Xena also comes with this death.
Judson
2022-05-16 07:13:40 +0000 UTCXena getting beat by Najara was one of the flash forward scenes as was some of the scenes during "A Good Day"
Rey
2022-05-16 01:27:08 +0000 UTCI don't recall much about Xena killing people after surrendering or capturing them during her redemption journey, but she does kill during the battle. I think the difference is when Najara kills those who are already captured and have surrendered if they don't convert or she feels their conversion isn't genuine.
Rey
2022-05-16 01:25:37 +0000 UTCI always have quite a bit to say about this particular episode. Some of my thoughts might be controversial to some. Firstly, its hard for me to come down on the character of Najara because Kathryn Morris happens to be one of my favourite actresses (she is brilliant in the show Cold Case by the way) and you team her up in scenes with another of my favourite actresses, Renee, and part of me wants to have a new show with a Gabrielle/Najara ship! Sorry, Xena! lol Seriously though, i find that a big missed opportunity was made with making the character of Najara a "bad guy" and a supposed religious zealot in this story and I've always been a bit disappointed by that decision. The idea of having another warrior in the show with a spiritual calling and her own unique code of justice had a lot of potential. Xena's ultimate condemnation of Najara and her captives is quite hypocritical i always thought considering that even while on the road to redemption Xena will choose to act as judge, jury and executioner herself at times and make her own often fatal judgement against her adversaries without even any offer of repentance. So i always find that a little shaky and the fact Xena actually protects the slavers from Najara (who are REALLY NOT nice guys and the kind of men Xena has opposed and killed in her past) very dubious, leaving the possibility that they could indeed bribe their way out of receiving true justice. Let's not forget also that Xena herself is a former war criminal who imposed her will and savagery on many continents in her past and slaughtered a lot of those who opposed her with no trial at all. So that also brings up a debate on hypocrisy on Xena's part. Of course, by the end of the episode its pretty clear that Xena's determination to stop Najara is motivated also by a bit of jealously (with Najara's clear feelings for Gabrielle) and the fact she had her ass royally kicked by her (quite interesting to see Xena on the losing end of a fight for a change and I think she kind of deserves it a little in this episode). This story for me doesn't paint Xena in a particularly favourable "light", no pun intended. And the sequence with the "bait" of Gabrielle is quite disturbing too. Is Gabrielle's comment about being scared by Xena's darkness just acting? Especially given that Gabrielle has been nearly killed by that dark side in the past, i imagine that situation brought back some uncomfortable memories. There's a good reason that Najara's words "that's your job" about hurting Gabrielle to Xena cut deep because there is some truth there in many ways despite the love and companionship they share. Is Gabrielle's journey with Xena worth the changes in her character and loss of some of her deep-felt principles (sometimes by Xena putting her in those situations)? This episode sure raises the question in a very uncomfortable way. And as you said yourself Xena's actions could also contribute to a very deadly future for both of them. Yep, this show is complex alright. But I honestly feel in this episode the moral ground is very blurry on Xena's case and I feel that Najara as a character is slighted by that. I actually question whether she deserves the label of "villain" here. Xena may be causing a lot more damage. It's debatable. Just my two cents.
Tony Tenser
2022-05-16 00:30:35 +0000 UTC
