Xena: Warrior Princess (TV Series) Crusader (1998) User Reviews

They dumbed down Xena and Gabrielle in this one. What in hell happened to Gabrielle? Najara beats Xena but Xena wins in the end with strategy. Najara is a religious zealot.

[reb-warrior · 9/10 · 5 April 2021]

Najara encounters Xena and Gabrielle as adversaries, then receives a message from the Jinn, who tell her they are good and they should join her on her mission.

Najara was so saccharine and creepy friendly that I don't know how Xena and Gabrielle fell for it? To be fair, Xena was suspicious in the beginning, but still, later she bought it and was willing to leave Gabrielle with her for good. Gabrielle continues her pattern of wanting to follow every religion and philosophy she encounters despite past instances where that was a bad idea. So no surprise there. But Najara had creepy vibes all over the place. They really dumbed down Xena and Gabrielle in this one.

Najara is basically a spin on Joan of Arc only very twisted. She does indeed seem to have the "gift" of foretelling the future, but along with this gift came zealotry wherein her ideology it was ok to kill innocent people because all she did was "send them to the light." She's really a cult leader. We've had them in the real world. The scary part about is that she really believes in her own nutbar teachings.

What in the hell happened to Gabrielle? Suddenly she doesn't have the right to choose? She doesn't get to say what she wants? I'm referring to when Xena came back and confronted Najara about killing innocent people. Gabrielle was going to leave with Xena, but then Najara refused to let her: "She's my responsibility now." All Gabrielle can say is: "Najara, don't do this." Granted, Xena then interrupted as she and Najara started facing off like two alpha females. But it was so stupid. I mean all Gabs had to say was: " Hell no, it's up to me, I'm going with Xena." She just seemed so impotent here.

One of the great things about Najara is that she is a great fighter. She beat Xena. To be fair Xena did turn her back momentarily when she thought the fight was over. And that's when Najara struck. This is one of those instances where Xena uses strategy to beat an opponent as opposed to her warrior fighting skills. I mean she did beat her in the end in a fight but Xena had read her like a book, and then knew how to play her in their fight. That's one of the great traits about Xena, how she reads people and then uses that.

Did I a detect a little "dark Xena" there at the end when she stepped on Najara's hand and was enjoying it? Love those "dark Xena" moments. Lol. 9/10.

Religion = refusal to reason things

[ttapola · 7/10 · 15 June 2010]

After the embarrassment that was the the Shark Island episode (I give it 2/10), Xena (the series) gives us a potentially great subject: religious fundamentalists that kill evildoers in the name of "The Light". There is so much that can be done with this subject if the writers are good...

It starts promisingly. The Servants of Light (or whatever they call themselves) fight evil slave traders, but one knows that there has to be a twist. And sure enough, there is: the Lightbringers (or whatever they call themselves) give prisoners *three* days to redeem themselves after which those who have not are executed. Over the time, they've executed hordes of unbelievers (like any proper religious fundamentalist would). Xena has a very nice-looking fight scene with the leader, and actually *loses* (a very impressive twist), at which point Gabrielle, who has chosen to follow the light, throws herself between Xena and the sword that's about to be used to finish her off. And then come the problems.

Religious fundamentalists are *by definition* unshakable in their beliefs. No matter how well you try to reason with them, they will *NEVER* accept that they are wrong (see Justin Theroux's excellent documentary about the most hated family in the USA to see what I mean). The westerner religious fundamentalists might not be suicide bombers or terrorists, but their *beliefs* are equally strong as their more "pro-active" eastern fellow believers. So, when Gabrielle just like that persuades the leader not to kill Xena, I don't buy it. It's *out of character*, especially for someone, come the episode's end, still sticks stubbornly to her beliefs (like any proper religious fundamentalist would). It can't be justified by a sudden crisis of faith - a fundamentalist religious leader does *not* have those - that's why *they* are the leaders. Again, it cannot be overstated that those people *CANNOT* be reasoned with.

However, it is rather interesting, that in the end, this episode's message seems to be that religious fundamentalism is wrong. And that is quite a brave statement in a TV series coming from a country that has its own "Bible Belt", general freedom of religion not withstanding. This episode is actually in line with what Richard Dawson wrote in his acclaimed (and *reasonably* so) book, The God Delusion (a must read for anyone who's not yet irrevocably in faith). We don't *need* religion to make the world a better place, or even a tolerable one. And it can be *proven*. Of course, a religious fundamentalist refuses to accept any evidence against their ideology's flaws, simply dismissing it - isn't it nice when they nearly always seem to dismiss things that they cannot argue against? There was more to explore in the subject of this episode, but I guess we have to be thankful that they managed at least this much. A 7/10.

Questionable choices in headwear should be the first clue someone's not all there...

[Chalice_Of_Evil · 9/10 · 12 April 2022]

A masked female rider interrupts her men getting beaten up by Xena/Gabrielle, pulling a fancy upside-down maneuver on her horse to trip Xena. After being kicked from her horse, she removes her mask...and it's Kathryn Morris. She fights Xena, Gabrielle tries intervening, but gets kicked in the back/is about to be stabbed...until Stabby McStab hears voices/nods in understanding/gets all weepy, before lowering her sword/asking forgiveness. Gabrielle looks at Xena, whose reaction's pretty much "WTF's up with this weirdo?". Weepy Weeperson introduces herself as Najara, saying she knows about them thanks to the voices in her head called 'the jinn'...which is about all she knows regarding them (when doing the bidding of mysterious voices, maybe get more information?). When she says 'Bonacar!', I thought she was calling her horse 'Buttercup' (missed opportunity for a Princess Bride reference). She claims the jinn want Xena/Gabrielle to join her on her mission which is to 'fight evil', Xena amusingly asks for a more specific answer. In this case it's a slave-trader named Marat. While Najara's enjoying the scenery (seems the term 'stop to smell the flowers' originated from her), Gabrielle asks her about the jinn, which she answers vaguely, saying they're from 'the light'.

Najara (who's *finally* removed that unflattering hat she's been wearing and looks SO much better without) sings along with her men, making self-deprecating jokes, then mentions the hospice she's planning for anyone/everyone, its sole purpose being 'relieving suffering'. Between her "so much good to be done, so little time to do it" line and offering her sword/command of her men to Xena whilst admitting she shouldn't be so quickly trusted by Gabrielle...she's clearly trying hard to gain skeptical Xena's trust. She helps Xena fight a raiding party in a village (her war-cry is rather boringly just her yelling. It's certainly no Callisto scream), catches an arrow intended for Gabrielle before Xena can, then lectures the captured men on slavery being wrong/tells the villagers to forgive them. Xena's remembering her future-crucifixion-with-Gabrielle-death-vision, which Najara knows about thanks to the jinn and she informs Xena only something 'drastic' will change it.

Gabrielle *still* can't get over Najara's-arrow-catching-despite-the-fact-that-Xena-does-WAY-more-fantastical-gravity-defying/physics-defying-things-on-a-regular-basis, then gets excited by SWANS, which Najara invites her to go see up close. After declining Najara's offer to join, Xena follows them/eavesdrops as they talk about Najara's lovey-dovey 'way', she suggests Gabrielle start the hospice without her...but that'd mean leaving Xena, who Najara suggests Gabrielle totally commit to a life with, but Gabrielle admits she'll never get used to the violence that comes with being Xena's travelling companion and then Najara's all about Gabrielle' making a "full commitment to the light". When discussing hitting a slave centre, Xena/Najara disagree regarding Xena going after Marat alone, but Gabrielle talks Najara into listening to her. Later, Xena interrupts Najara praying to her invisible friends/voices in her head (who apparently come and go), wanting her to start her hospice, as she's planning to leave Gabrielle with her, hoping to avoid the death-vision. She admits Gabrielle gets hurt travelling with her, Najara agrees, Xena thanks her, then bids farewell to a slumbering Gabrielle.

Najara again gives her 'light' speech to villagers/offers slave-traders the chance to convert...which Gabrielle wants to do. Meanwhile, Xena captures Marat sleeping, he mistakes her for Najara, then conveniently blurts out all the necessary information that lets Xena know Najara's not-quite-so-lovey-dovey. She apparently gives those she captures three days to convert, if they refuse, she executes them without a trial (same goes for if she believes their conversion isn't sincere). What a helpful slave-trader! Gabrielle's initiated, then Xena interrupts more Najara-singing at a tavern, relaying to Gabrielle what she's learned regarding Najara...who actually makes some good points to Gabrielle about the ones she 'sends into the light'/kills being thieves/slave-traders/murderers/pirates, but Gabrielle's hung-up on the whole 'no trial/hearing' thing. Najara rightly points out that those enslaved aren't given any hearing/trial (I know Najara's being painted as the 'villain' here, but I agree evildoers don't deserve what's 'fair' considering the evil acts they commit aren't fair to their victims).

Xena/Najara fight over Gabrielle (we see the footage with the breaking stairs that Alti showed Xena among her visions of the future), Najara fights well, but Xena still kicks her ar$e (on stilts!), then makes the uncharacteristic mistake of turning her back when she thinks Najara's defeated...paying the price for such carelessness, as Najara turns the tables/"whips her butt" (Xena's words). Gabrielle prevents Najara finishing Xena off by agreeing to go with her, admitting Xena's darkness scares her, and they leave the beaten Xena who, once awake, pulls out a tooth/says this is what she gets for trusting someone who talks about being *good* all the time, but she knows Najara's weakness is the same as her own...ie. Gabrielle, who Najara's taken to a cave. They discuss Najara's 'wrong' way vs Xena's 'right' way (according to Gabrielle). Najara makes more good points about turning slave-traders over to local governments being useless if they support slavery and Xena *killing* most of her enemies in combat/rarely turning any over to authorities. Gabrielle maintains 'Xena only kills if it's absolutely necessary'. Najara counters that she only kills evil people, asking what makes Xena any better?

As if proving Najara's point for her, Xena seemingly kills her men outside. While Najara investigates, Xena sneaks in, Gabrielle amusingly points out how badly Najara beat Xena, then when Najara returns, Gabrielle's supposedly hanging from a rope above a chasm (though she's actually standing on something). Xena says Gabrielle's turned against her, claiming if she can't have her, nobody can. This time Xena beats Najara, who ends up hanging over the chasm/sees she's been tricked. Gabrielle stops Xena killing her, then there's the amusing sound of Xena knocking Najara out off-camera. Chained to a stake, Najara gets in one final dig about how hurting Gabrielle is *Xena's* job. Xena/Gabrielle leave as Najara forgives Gabrielle. Kathryn Morris played creepy zealotry well and I liked Najara better than other Callisto wannabes Xena's encountered, as she had more substance/complexity.