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Subtext's Not Just Merely Dead, It's Really Most Sincerely Dead... by E.J. Rain
	Think back. Remember the giddy heights of The Quest with the revelation of its heartstopping kiss; the divine apotheosis of the classic hurt/comfort paradigm as presented for our resounding approval in One Against an Army; the shamelessly erotic Freudo-Jungian imagery of Paradise Found. It's powerful stuff. Unmistakeable. Unarguable. There's no debating it. Or its meaning.

The story, the journey has been compelling since the beginning directly proportional to the extent that it was perceived as a love story, the heart of the show. And one of the great epic love stories of all-time at that.

So, to invoke an old motown muse: where is the love? Maybe we're to take Fallen Angel as the last word. And nothing more need be said. They're eternal soulmates, with all that usually entails, the living evocation and embodiment of yin/yang (though they're both pretty yangish at the moment), elemental spirits.

But, after painstakingly, emotion by emotion, building these characters, deftly playing the subtext with amazing subtlety considering the in-your-face nature of the show at its most anarchic, why would they, how could they now abandon them? Who is specifically to blame? TPTB, writers, producers? A messy changeover as some depart and others, with a different agenda, apparently anti-subtext, are brought on (only to be retired after a lackluster and confused spate of episodes that seemed strangely disconnected from any sense of continuity with what has gone before, as if the new writers/producers had never bothered to watch the show at all.) And it pains one to say it, but Lucy and Renee, responsible to the greatest extent for introducing the subtext to begin with, largely and sweetly a natural outgrowth of their personal chemistry, have seemed to do precious little to safeguard the integrity of their roles this season.

One can only idly speculate as to possible reasons. Certainly one finds it hard to believe they'd suddenly develop cold feet regarding the subject. One could almost imagine a father-to-be wishing to cool it on the subtext, at least for the duration of the run of episodes in which the future offspring as viewer will be able to watch his extraordinary mom in action when she was pregnant with him.

So, is it a mystery story? Who killed subtext? TPTB in the back with a sharpened quill? A case in point is the resolution of the (imposed) pregnancy arc. The Callisto solution is superficially satisfying, relatively daring, borderline blasphemous, the 'father' of Xena's baby is revealed to be another woman. Just not her soulmate.

The tease of the trailer taunted us with a variety of solutions to the question of paternity--who will it be, Callisto (giving new meaning to being touched by an angel), Ares (a very Greek solution if he really is Xena's daddy), and, most significantly, lastly...Gabrielle. And significantly not left out of the equation. Very much a player after all. Playing with us. With our emotions in the matter. And tossing out the red herring of Eli's incarnation. But Gabrielle is perceived as a possible solution to the riddle and not just by our esoteric little group. Even though she has been painfully distant from Xena since The Way. Evoked by their stance at the end of that episode, separate, but still together, touching, but painfully aware of a chasm between them.

Can that merely be put down to Gabrielle's current mindset (the latest version), her need for some 'space,' some independence from her other half, her chosen companion, mentor and protectress. Her maturation from wide-eyed plucky innocent child to an equal of her co-star has been a wonder to behold. But, excuse me for asking, is Gabrielle even a bard any more? Or just junior warrior in training? Gabby the bacchae slayer. If she's still perplexed by who she is, so are we.

Another Season of Xena: Warrior Princess
LadyAdrell

According to Robert Tapert, Executive Producer of Xena: Warrior Princess, there will indeed be a sixth season of the show. This was delighting news to many fans. But with the mostly disappointing storylines and lack of closeness between the two main characters, Xena and Gabrielle, at the end of the fourth season and virtually all of the current season, there are many wondering whether a sixth season is even worth attempting. Though there are devoted fans that will continue to support the show through good and bad episodes and seasons, there have been many fans who have lost their affection and enjoyment for a show they once so dearly loved. Why would this happen?

The third season brought about great changes in the characters, and thus the show, when The Rift storyline was introduced with the episode Deliverer in which Gabrielle's character is profoundly changed by her first kill. She and the Warrior Princess subsequently pull away from each other. Several faithful Xenites could not stomach the fighting between the two main characters which they believed embodied the ultimate kind of love, one which crossed gender, time, and space.

Recently, a Xenite of great respect and fame in the Xenaverse called it quits after many years of loyalty. Tom's decision to discontinue parts of his Website stem from the "shift from adventure to slapstick," Tom says. Another disappointment to him is "that each episode is a standalone ep. Rarely does something happen in one that has meaning for the next one." This leaves the viewer without a feeling of being taken on the journey with the characters as he states is done in a show such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Many have argued about the lack of loyalty for this beloved show. If you love the show, you should watch it no matter what, some say. This is Xena after all. Others voice the opinion that the essence of the show, the closeness between Xena and Gabrielle that was so visible in seasons one and two and most of season three has been terribly damaged and has not yet returned, but in fact continued to decline in season four with Gabrielle's spiritual quest and went to Tartarus in a reed basket this season with the

introduction of those horrible Headwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman; who were fired late last year because of declining ratings.

With the great success by Xenites around the world at getting "The Way" returned to syndication, it seems logical that a letter writing campaign to TPTB would be an effective means to change what many see as the decline of the show. The disgruntled fans want to see the chemestry return between Xena and Gabrielle that was present in the earlier seasons. So let them know it! In this writer's opinion, it is better to tell TPTB what is wrong instead of abandoning the show.
In the meantime, the debate goes on as to whether there should even be a sixth season. Will Xena get better now that RJ Stewart is back or will it continue to disintegrate until there is no sign whatsoever of the great show that began with Sins of

the Past four and a half years ago? It is up to the viewers to decide. �

� 2000

*****	Truly superior in every way; a fanfic classic
****	Excellent; fine writing and characterization
***	Decent, entertaining time killer
**	About as good as an Orci & Kurtzman script
*	A night in bed with Joxer would be better