Xena: Warrior Princess 1x22 Reaction: "Callisto" Reaction
Added 2021-07-24 03:21:24 +0000 UTC
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The thing with the 90’s/early 2000’s TV shows is a lot of them weren’t serialized. A lot of them were episodic and instead of getting a full out story or arc across the season, you’d get shorter arcs in a two-parter or even a trilogy. The rest of the episodes would be focused on the narratives and themes as an individual standalone episode and all that would be progressed from it would be characterization. This is what makes these types of shows character-driven rather than plot-driven. And I much prefer them to what we get today because of this. But yes, Xena is very much an episodic type of show rather than serialized however the arcs they have are significant enough to be more serialized than most for the time and the creators lampshade that fact and kinda take the piss. Nowadays it’s just normal but back then it wasn’t very common at all. That’s just the huge change in network TV for you.
Girl4Music
2023-11-05 16:05:07 +0000 UTC‘Callisto’ is about a new character we meet late in season 1. This character becomes the main antagonist of 'Xena: Warrior Princess’ and my favourite character besides the main two leads in the entire show. In the episode before it, ‘The Greater Good’, Xena gets shot in the neck with a poisoned dart and it is revealed to us in this episode who it was that targeted her. Now I don’t just want to talk about the character but also the actress that portrays her as well because that is a massive reason why this episode stands out so much to me over others in season 1. Hudson Leick plays Callisto and delivers such a remarkable acting performance that gives her character layers and layers of depth, emotion and expression. She’s easily on-par with the leads, if not better. I love watching her perform. Excerpt taken from my character study thesis; Section 4: A dark heart is shadowed until the light shines in. [The introduction of the character Callisto to the show adds a much heavier layer to what is already an overwhelming story of redemption, vengeance, love, forgiveness and balance, which are to me, the main themes in the show that are reiterated repeatedly as it progresses in writing, production and direction. Callisto becomes the main villain in the show, but she isn’t your run-of-the-mill evil villain. Oh, no, no, no. I like to think of Callisto as more of an antagonist than a villain. She has an extremely complicated storyline of her own that inexplicably ties in with Xena’s because Xena murdered her family, or so that’s what she adamantly believes. It’s hard to explain or understand just how much this character is an integral reason for Xena’s reformation from being an evil warlord to a heroine for good, and how the consequences of her dark past have really screwed Callisto up and turned her into, for lack of a better word, a psychopath who is absolutely bent on destroying everything that makes Xena who she is. Starting with her reputation, and eventually escalating to the people she loves and cares about in all the world. This character is so crucial to ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’, that there is never any way to stop her even when she dies. She’s that dedicated to ruining Xena and Gabrielle’s lives. Callisto doesn’t just want to kill Xena. She wants to kill her soul because that is what Xena has done to her. It’s hard to think of Callisto as any kind of villain because you develop such sympathy for her throughout all her appearances in the show. She’s so messed up in the head that you just don’t think of her as an evil person, just an extremely depressed and misunderstood one. What happens to her, in the end, is something that needed to happen, and I was unbelievably happy did. She did terrible things, but she needed the opportunity to be saved and forgiven as Xena did, and fortunately, the show’s producers gave her the ending she deserved. This leads me on to what happens when Callisto meets Xena face to face for the first time in the late Season 1 episode, titled ‘Callisto’, and how Gabrielle plays a part in stopping Xena from crumbling down in guilt and regret and letting her go because of it once they captured her. Xena doesn’t blame Callisto for how she ended up, knowing that it was her own fault she became that way in the first place. Even if she didn’t mean for her family to be killed in the fire her own men started against her orders all those years ago in ‘Cirra’, Callisto’s hometown, she still felt solely responsible for the consequences that followed. There is a very important scene, which I call ‘The Promise’ scene, from this episode where Gabrielle asks Xena to promise her that if anything happened to her in their travels together, that she would not turn away from her path of atonement, and rampage like a raving blood-lusted lunatic the way Callisto was. You see for the first time Xena’s vulnerability and struggle with sensitivity. She was finding it so difficult to cry in front of Gabrielle. She tries to send her off to bed before she could see the tears streaming down her face, but Gabrielle wasn’t having it. She made sure she promised her, and that she was sincere with the words. She sees the tears and tries to brush them away from her face. Xena immediately turns away from her and tells her to go to bed, but she doesn’t move. Gabrielle just sits there by her side sharing her pain and accepting her for who she is now, which I find extremely powerful and beautiful. Xena has probably never encountered acceptance like that in her life before, or she wasn’t paying enough attention to see it. The fact that Gabrielle refuses to leave her must have thrown her off. She left herself unguarded for the very first time in her life in front of this young woman. As the flickering flames danced before them, illuminating their faces, we see the Warrior Princess’ walls down for the very first time. The Bard had succeeded in bringing out her sensitive side, if only just for a moment. This would be the beginning of a transformation so intense, it would completely change Xena’s personality and mindset forevermore. Love and forgiveness would be her saving grace, and the beautiful soul sat across from her would be the reason why it happened at all.] Furthermore, in this episode we also meet Joxer, who becomes the main comic relief in the entire show and gave Gabrielle the chance to be taken seriously as a character instead of the “irritating blonde”, as she’s so often called by other characters in the show, much to my distaste. So because of the introduction of two incredible recurring characters, especially Callisto, this episode ranks high on my list.
Girl4Music
2023-11-05 15:41:23 +0000 UTC@ReyGallogo Obviously you got my comment confused, with another Patreon. Next time instead of attacking me, read my reply. Then we can talk. Otherwise step off. Cause you really have no clue what I'm saying, unless you bother to understand or pay better attention who you want to make your punching bag. Thank you, so much. Maybe you have nothing better to do than give me a hard time? Happy hollow daze Dude. 👉🏼 💥🤦🏻♀️💥¿?! 💖🌏🌍🌎💖
Melissa Amato
2022-11-26 06:57:32 +0000 UTCI don’t get your rant! Not everyone with mental illness kills but people with mental illness have killed. In fact, recent mass shooters have mental illness as a factor in their decision making. This woke society is really annoying, easily offended by every little thing despite factual basis.
Rey
2022-11-25 03:46:25 +0000 UTCThis episode is just GREAT. Thanks so so much. I enjoy Calisto's character and the drama she brings to the show :D
Grace
2022-07-13 14:46:36 +0000 UTCThat said I found the Comment distasteful & bordering on offensive. Not everyone with Mental illness is going to kill, or hurt anyone. Some people get a bad rep, & need help, but this Stigma is never going to help anyone. & Liam you Adore Bowie, but David Suffered from Scitsophrenia & Bowie tho esentric, was a Respected & loved Artist, & had a brilliant mind. You wouldn't make fun of him, for being Scitso tho would you? Or Einstein for being Stupid? Lord Anythony Hopkins for being a Bad Actor? Did I forget to mention our Brilliant Reactor Liam C. admitted he has Autism? On the level of genius, & super caring. Personally I find your casual comment hurtful hearsay, & only adding to a painful Stigma we all have had to face. We are not all horrible Stereotypes. Some of us don't even matter, but are trying to get by, in a closed minded world we all share. & Your Comment RG. Only feeds the hurtful stigma we all face. Calisto is a Vibrant in your face attack, a ruthless self loathing shadow self of Xena. She isn't seen as anything but a Vile Villain, & as a young woman she can't be reached, but her circumstances were forged from Xena's blood lust. Should she be forgiven for her past crimes, as Xena grew to shun, no, because Calisto isn't Xena. Revenge is a Spiteful Vindictive pursuit, it is bent on fury unfettered & unmet & only will go un satisfied. No one benefits from the results, & the treachery only remains constant even after it's fuming fury, expressed. Thank you Liam
Melissa Amato
2022-04-08 06:30:45 +0000 UTCI forgot how great this episode was, Callisto was a great villain. This episode also had Callisto ask a really good question, did Xena ever stand trial for her crimes? Xena declaring she never killed women or children is also a weird statement because 1) It's not like killing men isn't just as bad (and lets face it, Xena's victim's weren't enemy soldiers, they were some poor villagers or farmers who just tried to make a living) and 2) she then backpedals and remembers that the one time they actually did kill women and children ... not a good look for Xena. I'm also very disappointed that the episode title typo was fixed, Castillo was hilarious and it should become a running gag.
Phillip Grischa
2021-07-26 09:21:19 +0000 UTCCallisto is my FAVORITE!! She’s Xena’s joker and believe me, her last line, she makes good on that promise and you’re going to FALL IN LOVE with her character
Alex Prado
2021-07-24 20:06:49 +0000 UTCHow can you say Callisto pushing Xenia’s buttons with her words is “out of character”? You can’t say “out of character” when you don’t have enough history or experience with this character.
Rey
2021-07-24 15:06:59 +0000 UTCCallisto scream! The mad, nihilistic, damaged Callisto (aka “Malibu Xena” 😆) is a fantastic character, Xena’s past evils pressed into human form and haunting her. There are so many big and small bits to appreciate in this episode. In my case, I always like Xena mentioning Hercules along with Gabrielle and her mother, not because he’s in the episode or to cross-promote the shows, but because it only makes sense for Xena to think of him here. And as mentioned by others, the campfire talk for Xena and Gabby is so very good. Joxer, goofy would-be warrior, is a comic relief addition who might not have worked as well in this heavy episode, but Ted Raimi pulls it off. I always like Argo’s little noise at Callisto’s threat to kill her. And again not breaking any new ground by saying this, but the Hong Kong action-style ladder fight is so wild and different and fun that it serves as a good example to viewers of what heights Xena will scale. 😁 (I really didn’t start that as a pun but it turned out that way. Sorry.)
Koz
2021-07-24 12:40:19 +0000 UTCContrary to Judson, I feel this is one of the best episodes of the series (and most fans feel that way) and Hudson Leick's sensational debut is a great example of an actress owning the character fully and powerfully from her first shot. And her dialogue is not at all spoon-feeding in my opinion, it serves the purpose very well of defining not only that Callisto is a matched physical challenge for Xena but also a nemesis whose existence and words can cut Xena deeper than any weapon considering the part Xena and her army played in Callisto's trauma. She's not someone who can easily be defeated or dismissed and she is superb. I think the dialogue in the exchanges between Xena and Callisto is excellent as is the very emotional campfire sequence between Xena and Gabrielle. Also director TJ Scott brings a really great cinematic quality to this episode and the ladder fight sequence is one of the show's first really epic ones whose action and intensity is also conveyed through Joseph LoDuca's terrific music. This is a top 10 episode for me and the best episode of this season. A classic hour of TV.
Tony Tenser
2021-07-24 08:24:40 +0000 UTCBad news/good news. Bad news: this episode is often regarded as one of the best of the entire series but I really don't think it is. It was the right call to go with a villain with Callisto's backstory, but she should have been more clearly defined in her damaged and self-destructive persona. Those many MANY lines of 'writer's voice' exposition coming from her mouth ("I’m a painful reminder of what you used to be"; "you created a monster with integrity, Xena. Scary, isn’t it?") were out of character and really did not need to be said. We are perfectly capable of coming to those understandings without being spoonfed. Good news: The three peaks of this episode, (i) the cinematography for Callisto catching the chakram, (ii) the campfire heart-to-heart between Xena and Gabrielle and (iii) the ladder fight, were very good. Also, the fact that I don't personally think this is one of the absolute best episodes of the series means that there are many bangers to come. XD
Judson
2021-07-24 06:57:59 +0000 UTCLMAO. Wow. I didn't even see that.
Raven Dark
2021-07-24 06:31:57 +0000 UTCCastillo 😂
Phillip Grischa
2021-07-24 04:58:03 +0000 UTC
