When Lucy Lawless, star of the cult fantasy hit Xena: Warrior Princess, first heard that her character was going to be killed in the show’s 2001 series finale, she thought it was a terrific idea, but she has since changed her mind.
“At the time, we thought that was a really strong choice,” Lawless says in an exclusive interview with TheTorchOnline.com. “But I think it really hurt the fans. I wish we hadn’t done it, actually.”
In the two-part finale, “A Friend in Need,” Xena finds herself unable to fight a powerful spiritual being. In order to be able to do so, she allows herself to be shot full of arrows. Once dead, her head is cut off, and she is cremated. The episodes feature several relatively gruesome scenes of the decapitated body.
Later, after Gabrielle finds away to bring Xena back to life, the Warrior-Princess chooses to stay dead in order to make amends for past sins. The episodes end with Gabrielle, a full-fledged warrior at last, carrying on Xena’s legacy and also carrying the Warrior-Princess’ memory in her heart.
Some found the episodes touching, and in keeping with the theme of the series that Xena couldn’t ever really be “redeemed” for her evil past. But they inspired a furious response from many fans. Some were upset with the gruesome way she died; others were upset that she died at all.
“Absolute betrayal is what the majority of Xena fans felt after the show ended,” says Mary D. Brooks of AUSXIP, a Xena fan-site. “Feelings of betrayal and rage engulfed the Xenaverse and it was not a nice place to be. There was so much vitriolic anger and hatred towards Rob Tapert and Lucy. It was very disturbing and unsettling to watch the rage against them.”
“I laughed when I heard she got her head cut off,” Lawless says now. “It was such a strong choice — I’m perverse like that.”
But since then, Lawless has had a big change of heart.
“It’s all like telling a bad placed joke, or laughing at some other group’s expense,” she says. “You’re like, ‘Come on, it’s funny!’ But then it’s like, ‘But it really hurts people.’ And finally the penny drops and you go, ‘Oh. That’s why it’s not funny, because somebody is in pain.’”
When asked if her husband, Xena co-creator Rob Tapert, regrets the choice to kill Xena too, Lawless says, “Oh, I imagine so. He’s a very spiritual guy, and he’s become very wise over the time that I’ve known him.”
Lawless holds out hope that time has changed the minds of many Xena fans as well.
“Maybe with the time that has passed, the fans have become less disenchanted,” she says.
Similar Posts:
- Exclusive: XENA Movie Just Won’t Happen, Says Creator Rob Tapert
- Lucy Lawless Returns to the Gladiator Ring in SPARTACUS
- How XENA’s India Storyline Changed My Life
- Interview: On SPARTACUS, Lucy Lawless Cuts Loose (Even as She Tones it Down)
- Sex and Violence in SPARTACUS Will Be Unlike Anything on TV
![[Bloglines]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[Digg]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Fark]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/fark.png)
![[Google]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[Squidoo]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/squidoo.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Windows Live]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/windowslive.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://thetorchonline.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
I’m glad she has changed her mind. I have never understood how someone can create such a powerful character and then treat it so flippantly. Personally I will never watch anything associated with Rob Tapert again, because of the way he has treated his characters and fans. For me, it wasn’t just that Xena died in the end. It was the brutal way she was killed and the graphic nature of how it was shown. Also, the fact that her death reinforced the theme that she couldn’t achieve redemption–that’s contrary to everything the show had been about up to that point. Xena was all about breaking the cycle of vengeance, and yet vengeance is the only way for her to make up for her crimes? Not only was Friend in Need a horrible downer to end the show on, but it also made no sense.
Yes. Absolutely agree with this.
I totally agree with this as well. Lucy told us to cut the cord, and we did. The only way you’ll get many of us back is if there is a new series rectifying the horrible ending of Xena. That is, if anyone’s still interested.
Sorry, Lucy.
Is there going to be more from thetorchonline.com’s interview with Lucy Lawless or was the “death of Xena” the only topic/question you were able to cover? I really hope there is more to come.
As for Xena’s “death” in “Friend in Need”, I am more than happy that the series ended with Xena’s death. I don’t think Xena could have ever found “redemption” while living and it seemed to be an incredibly good fit for the show to end with Xena’s death. That typed, I really dislike the circumstances of, and reasons for, Xena’s death.
The incredibly gratuitous death scene followed by shots of Xena’s headless and naked corpse strung up between poles was gruesome and unnecessary. Renee O’Connor’s acting abilities are MORE than sufficient to be able to react to the perceived horror of discovering Xena’s body without the need to actually show it (repeatedly) on screen.
Furthermore, the notion that Xena had to remain dead because the 40,000 idiotic villagers who remained in their homes instead of fleeing to the safety of the water (Highuchi was a sea-side port town) demanded their “vengeance” was completely contrary to the show’s six-year long message against the idea of taking “vengeance” against those who did you wrong.
I realise that the fact that Xena “accepts” other people’s need for “vengeance” even though she herself has moved beyond such desires is all part of her “redemption” or whatever, but it just doesn’t sit right for me. A large part of that is because I don’t necessarily “blame” Xena for what happened to Higuchi, although again, the fact that Xena accepts the blame is meant to demonstrate how far she has developed (although Xena never had a problem feeling guilty - she feels guilty about pretty much everything she has ever done). The idea that the souls needed to be “avenged” would have been acceptable if it was clear that Xena had engaged in some wrong-doing (for example, the “Chin” episodes in season 5 where Xena turned 100,000 or so men into terracotta statues, even though they were being forced against their will to fight in Ming Tien’s army).
And I also admit to have numerous other more minor issues with the finale: the setting (Jappa/Japan instead of Greece), Xena’s “golden bikini”, the clumbsy introduction of yet another proto-Gabrielle ex-girlfriend of Xena (aka Akemi), the Samurai General’s painfully obvious Kiwi accent (although I have to believe that was a deliberate “joke” by TPTB), etc, etc.
BUT at the end of the day, of nothing else, I love and appreciate the actual “finale” with Xena finding peace and redemption in her death and Gabrielle taking up the mantle of “Warrior Princess” and continuing to fight for the “Greater Good”.
Rant over.
No, I did a very long interview with her, mostly concerning her new show SPARTACUS, so most of the interview will run closer to that show’s debut.
And I really think you put the finger on the problem with the finale. It’s not the death per se, which I personally thought was quite touching (IMHO). It was that the reason behind it didn’t quite make sense.
Still, it was among the better eps in the 6th season, I think.
After rewatching it recently I agree, the death in itself is a strong choice it was just poorly thought out is all. Its like they were in a hurry to get to the end and didnt think it out, it is heavily adapted from Japanese cinema and feels like not enough was done to make it work in the Xena context.
This leaves me liking it as one of the best Xena ep’s but still having that itchy feeling in certain scenes that its just off, the part of me the suspends disbelief gives up at certain points which doesnt happen in other eps.
Plus the support cast was awful, except for Akimi, so I just laugh at their performances. The awful Samurai General I just think of as the Black Knight from the Holy Grail, keeps getting up again for no reason then to get put down again.
YAY more from Lucy Lawless to look forward to! Is there any chance you got any news on the once-upon-a-time planned Xena movie?
I didn’t mind the majority of season 6. The episodes which I had real issues with were “Soul Possession” (it doesn’t exist in my personal Xena canon), “Last of the Centaurs” (vaguely exists in my personal canon, but only if I swap Xena and Gabrielle’s dialogue), “Haunting of Amphipolis” and “Heart of Darkness”.
“Dangerous Prey”, “The God You Know” and “Send in the Clones” also had their fair share of issues. It’s a slim majority of episodes that I did enjoy, but still a majority.
I completely agree with both of you.
Brent, I believe we had a small discussion regarding this subject a way back on AfterElton (you probably don’t remember), and my opinion still remains the same. It’s not the death itself that’s the problem; it’s the way they chose to do it. And by that I don’t mean the violent and gruesome aspect (which I personally didn’t have a problem with; I could have done without a couple of unnecessary shots of course, but overall I wasn’t disturbed by it). Xena was a powerful and oftentimes brutal and ruthless warrior and, for me personally, to give her a sugarcoated death would have been entirely wrong for the character. My biggest beef regarding the whole thing resides on two basic points instead: 1) the pathetic samurai with the bad accent and an overinflated sense of honor (seriously, after all the amazing battles and enemies that we got during the entire series’ run, THAT’S the guy who got to kill Xena?! And don’t even get me started with Yodoshi or whatever his name is, you didn’t even get to see the real actor on that final and very anti-climactic battle, it was mostly a bad stunt man); and 2) the lack of logic behind her “martyrdom”. Had TPTB tackled those two very important issues, FIN could have been an absolutely fantastic and daring way to end the show. But it wasn’t IMO.
I have said it before and I’ll say it again: death as a dramatic medium can be a wonderful thing for a TV show, provided that the context is right. If Xena had ended her run with “Ides of March” (which still remains the finest single hour of television for me), I doubt many fans would have been disappointed. Because amidst the epic battles and well crafted storyline there was a simple but very powerful truth which was the core of the entire series if you ask me: the love these two women have for each other is so powerful that it transcends good and bad, life and death, even issues like redemption and vengeance. And after all the great deeds that Xena did in her life, I would have wanted her final act of heroism to relate not only to her courageous path as a warrior, but to the woman that she loved the most.
I never understood the purpose of killing Xena off. I watched the series from the beginning. It was the first in my life that there was a strong female character to associate with. My students at school loved Xena and what she was willing to do for redemption. After all is redemption what everyone is looking for. That was not redemption for Xena….
Oh my gosh! An exclusive interview. I wish I could interview Lucy Lawless.
She’s my favorite actress ever.
As for Xena dying, I am actually more than fine with it. But I didn’t like the way she died and/or the reason behind it.
And not to forget that awful costume they gave her was quite tacky and cheap looking. I cringe every time someone uses it as a picture of ‘xena’ when that’s not her real costume.
Totally agree with JM G - XENA dying was cool. It was all about the drama. But the last episode was v dodgy. Me thinks Mr Tapert got a bit carried away with Japanese movie homage. Would love to have seen Xena resurrected in a movie made by that team. Lets face it, the show had real heart and soul. And I’m not just saying that because LL is hot.
When I first saw the series finale I knew what was going to happen. After I watched it that first time I was heart broken, I cried and cried, not just for the way she died but also because the whole show was ending. I literally was crused with grief and depression. It was over a year before I could watch that particular episode again and I tried to watch it objectively and by the time I forced myself to watch it a third time I really drew the conclusion that it was a great story line if only Xena hadn’t died. If you have a Xena marathon and watch every season in order…Xena gets killed alot as a season finale and some how always survives in the next season so in my mind I feel like if the show would have continued into a movie or another season there would have been some kinda of resurrection. In Xena’s world there always a way. I have to say I am a huge fan and being a dedicated fan I think the last season was the best. All the episodes were so well writen and any of the episodes could have been the series finale. It’s almost like each one was a series finale, especially the last five or so. It just amazes me that I can still be so passionate for the show. I follow everyone that was on the show or worked with the show. I miss the show alot and there will truly never be another. I’ve come to grips with there never being a movie..they just waited too long. I just hope that in 10 or 15 years for now they don’t do some silly spoof like Charlie’s Angels cause that would just be wrong. I love Legend of the Seeker it has that feel of Xena…the New Zeland back drop helps that and I am pumped up waiting on SPARTACUS. The words “Battle On!” has become a signature that I use in my everyday life. So….Battle On!
I’m 27 years old, my daughter is 6. I have all 6 seasons of Xena on DVD and I absolutely refuse to allow her to watch the last 2 episodes. My child LOVES Xena so much. She recently asked to be her for Halloween and that’s sending me on a nightmare of a quest to find a costume. Aside from that, she’s so into Xena and her costumes that she wore throughout the seasons that I just can’t let her know that Xena died. This has nothing to do with the message of the show … This is just my personal preference, lol.
Now as far as the message of the show … I get that she had to stay dead to pay for everything she’d done, but if that were the case, she should have been killed SEASONS before that. Of course, I wouldnt have liked it … I wouldnt have liked her to die at all. I’m a sensitive woman so I got a little misty eyed at the time but it was just nuts. I was sitting on my couch, in college, ’somebody actually killed Xena … what?’
I understand the depth of emotion. I felt it too. As for why didn’t she die earlier, I think what was important to the series is that Gabrielle had to grow to a point where she could “take Xena’s place” — or at least become the best of both Xena and Gabrielle together. In a way, the two characters traded places: Gabrielle took on Xena’s passion and determination, and Xena took on Gabrielle’s essential goodness. Together they were “complete” — something that carried on in the form of Gabrielle.
That’s my take anyway.
Thats pretty much how I saw it too, the idea was the Gabrielle was just as “good” as Xena but without the drawbacks of a dark past and her inherent personality problems. Plus Gabrielle still really had the part she wanted from Xena, the caring part that would be there still.
The problem was it just wasnt built up to that, Gabrielle suddenly became a chakram wielding warrior in two eps when before she was still getting taken at knife point a few eps before. Just some build up would have been nice, a few words or even one scene would have helped. Instead it was all summarised in one throw of the chakram, which was a bit lazy in my opinion.
I have never watched the entire last 2 episodes. I will not see her die. I will not see her be killed. One day I said to myself that I shouldn’t make such an issue of it and watch the two episodes all the way through. Well, it must have stressed me out because I fell asleep during the viewing. I woke up at the very end. So I have the image of her and Gab. I’ll take it.
I’m the same, I have all six seasons but it is my 13 old niece that I will not let watch the last two episodes.
I was very surprised at how much the death of Xena hurt and for the ending of a loving partnership that we don’t see everyday. I felt true grief over it, both personally and for the character of Gabrielle. The extra gore of hanging body and decapitated head was over board.
Wouldnt it have been too cutsie and boring for Zena and Gabrielle to ride off into the sunset everything Just Perfect!!. Im sure the majority of Zena fans would have dispised that even more. No, there had to be a gutsy kick you in the head ending, something out of the ordinary that we had come to expect from this brilliant series. I think it was done perfectly and made total sense.Zena may have died, but hey we got a glimpse into the future with the reincarnation episode of Zena, Gabrielle and Jaxor the mighty living in the 90’s, i get a laugh watching the 10th Anniversary issue with Lucy and Renee watching the episodes back.
“Zena”? are you kidding me? Sorry, you struck a pet peeve nerve with that. It would most certainly NOT have been too “cutsie”. Nothing in that episode even made sense. It stands out from the other episodes like a banana in basket full of strawberries. For example, just a few episodes previous to this, Gabrielle said “I never listen!” when Xena tells her to do something. She’s going to listen to her about not resurrecting her soulmate? I don’t believe that.
The Tapert/Raimi team has given me hours of enjoyment on television and in film, and of course I adore Lucy, but I sure wish they had done this one differently.
Well, I’m not so angry nowadays anymore, but I still hate that goddamn ending. The post-fin fanfic helps a lot in solving that mess.
I feel a lot of us are still disenchanted but we love the people behind the show too much to let it hurt beyond our love for them. It like when a family member hurts you and all you want to do is love them but they hurt you. So, learn to forgive. I am one that has done that and embraced the whole show and all it’s little quirks. I love the creators, the actors and the crew of Xena and that will never change.
You’re absolutely right Angela. Rob, Lucy, Renee et al. have been absolutely fantastic to the fandom. And even if the finale was received by the dismay of plenty, I truly believe they all meant well. Their continuing support of the community throughout the years is to be commended, and I wish them the best of luck with Spartacus (which looks freakin’ awesome btw.) Like Lucy said in one of her interviews promoting this new venture, this is a “family business” after all.
Apropos of nothing, many people want to demonize Rob for his decision of killing Xena, and to them I say: try to deal with the megalomaniac ego of a director/creator such as The L Word’s Ilene Chaiken, dare even contemplate her outrageous reasoning behind the death of one (wait a minute, TWO) of her characters over the run of that show, and you’ll know what a great guy Rob really is and how “lucky” we were to at least be able to discuss this coherently.
Ha!Ha!Ha! I love it that you brought up the horrific nightmare that is Ilene Chaiken, Andy. You’re so right. She makes Rob look awesome. (Though, I’ve always been fond of Rob anyway).
Has anyone here read the review of the last eps by Sheryl-Lee Ker, at AUSXIP.com? She made two points that settled it for me. The first was that the redemption explanation would only have worked if it had happened at the end of Season 3. The characters and themes had moved on after that, and by the 6th season, the main theme was the love between Xena and Gabrielle. Bringing us to the second point: Xena, by the 6th Season, just wouldn’t have left Gabrielle out of the decision she had made, as she used to do in the first three seasons. And she would never have left Gabrielle alone, in agony, to carry on. All those promises of never leaving her, “even in death”? To redeem people whose death she wasn’t even responsible for? Please. Even by Season 3, Xena cared more about Gabrielle than she did about her own redemption.
I’m not arguing anymore about that huge amount of bullshit that was the absurd series finale, it just don’t make the slightliest piece of sense, it’s the most stupid thing I’ve seen in my entire life, and definitely don’t deserve so much atention, so I’m not losing my time anymore reading/writing about it. Life’s too sort to waste your time mourning about a fraking cartoon anyway.
Just wanted to say that I don’t even think Lucy was being sincere when she said that she regret what they did, I belive she was just saying what most fans wanted to hear, that’s all.
I actually think you’re wrong about both your opinions, but I just want to say regarding the second one, having sat with Lucy to do the interview, I didn’t get the impression that she was faking it all. I thought she seemed very very sincere.
I cant see why she would apologise unless she was sincere, theres no gain for her and Xena’s been over for years and most people have forgotten the controversy. Its saying sorry for something she doesnt have to, or need to, apologise for in any way.
The entire creative team seem close to the fans at conventions, even after all this time.
Hi all,
very interesting to read your comments.
I, too, was completely crushed to see Xena die as it felt so unfair. There’s many issues that you’ve already identified, her being away from home, for something she was not responsible for, by someone who didn’t seem that great a warrior and leaving Gabrielle although she promised not to. It just doesn’t make sense.
I do see, however, that this can be a powerful way to end it all and a very Rob-like way (I guess we liked his ways every other time…). It still doesn’t make it right though.
I haven’t watched the last two episodes again although I have all the dvds. Last Saturday I was lucky enough to meet Lucy in person in a local community group meeting and talked to her. I avoided mentioning Xena on purpose but she knew straight away why I was there. She talked about how long it’s been since the end of the show and how good it was to be back in New Zealand. I didn’t ask any questions as I didn’t want to be disappointed by what I may hear. As a Xena fan, I can say that she has been respectful, to a great extent, of us and, the other day she was friendly to me. I truly feared she might be less than happy to see a Xena fan following her around even at home, but she wasn’t. We took pictures together!
Anyway, good to see that she feels differently about the end of the show now and looking forward to the rest of the interview being published.
P.S. I still think that Xena can come back… she always has. I don’t see why it may be too late either. Lucy looks more beautiful and fit than when she was in her 20s. Seeing her up close took my breath away. Oh, and I agree with what Mendylew said, just don’t bring her back 20 years from now, that would be terrible!
i don’t believe Lucy is sincere either .why would she apologize if yes didn’t mean it because she the xena fans to watch her new show.duhhshe called her fans on the internet mentally ill- that i will never forget or forgive her for we were voicing our opinions and they were different from her own so she said some mean things to the fans also. rob also lied he said he won’t kill xena and boy did he.lucy has always played to her audience.and of course she looked sincere to you SHE IS AN ACTRESS.
Did Lucy really call the Xena fans “mentally ill?” Yikes.
repost
Ok, after reading the last few posts, I have to agree with Lucy in her “mentally ill” assessment. LOL.
john bryce stops pretending to be someone else we all know it is james bond aka David Kashfi. psycho dude
First Dear Lucy, if you read, I adore You. Thanks!
I adore Lucy Lawless and Robert Tapert and their marvellous family, always. I like this interview and I can note the love between Robert and Lucy and it has touched me deeply inside like they both always touch me. And always with good humour too
I believe Lucy was being sincere and I always though Xena will come back and deserves come back anyway.
Xena is the best character ever. The last episode was terrible, unfair, the worst thing ever (and sure not very funny) I agree with this: I thought was quite touching. It was that the reason behind it didn’t quite make sense.
Lucy and Rob are two genious and Lucy the best actress ever.
In my opinion Xena deserves come back not because any kind of greatergood (no greater good without Xena alive anyway), for any redemtion (She never needed because She always was and is the best person and character) or anyone else character (or any fan). Only needs not to feel guilty.
I agree with this: I personally thought was quite touching (IMHO). It was that the reason behind it didn’t quite make sense.
A new start is need
Thanks Robert and Lucy for the privilege of Xena! Always!
This has all gone slightly mental.
Yep. Nuts. The final episode sucked because it was poorly written and badly acted (sorry LL not one of your best performances)beyond that…really. IT’S A TV SHOW!!!. It’s fun to discuss XWP’s artistic and entertainment merits for the sake of idle distraction or even personal enlightenment. Hell it’s fun to look at Lucy Lawless. That’s art. BUT lets be grown up and save our tears and rage for the sufferings of REAL PEOPLE.
It was underwritten in my opinion, not enought time on it is all rather then badly written. And yes Lucy Lawless wasnt at her best in that ep but on the commentaries they said there were other reasons for that, but then the support cast was poor also.
Only Renee O’Connor really did well in FiN.
I agree with the rest of your post.
That is to say some grays are under earth’s surface by several miles but no pyramids down there. US govt sabotaged Vanguard rocket in 1957, and NASA sabotaged Apollo 1, Apollo 13, both Space Shuttle disasters, and Hubble’s mirrors to prevent view of grays and their materials on near side of the moon. No Apollo moon mission even went near the moon, they were in low earth orbit. Russian Luna probe pics from 1959 of dark side of the moon were faked due to the grays. The grays are classified at about 26 levels above top secret, not even the American vice president is told but all presidents since Truman have known since 1945 the existence of grays and flying discs they gave to Nazis through communication to occult Bavarian Thule Society’s inner circle and because the discs were first found in Nazi AF bases and Nazi scientists were taken back to US in Operation Paperclip. The sound barrier was broken in 1945 with testing the discs in US. Information was reported to UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon this year, the grays inhabit at least 7 moons, these are many moons.
I think that Xena was written as having great guilt, and did not wish to be redeemed, although a story could easily have been created returning her to life but it was reported this year there will not be any Xena movie made by Rob.
The story and background plot of AFIN is one of the most unique and interesting of the series, and culturally rich in Japanese setting, however the manner of Xena’s death and its depiction was extremely unecessary imo. In Japanese erotic female navel fetish fashion, a samurai could have finished Xena with a sword stroke to her offered showed off bare sexy belly, which could also be justification for why she wore the samurai bikini (it was a suicide mission). Unecessary but if TPTB wanted a little gore, all they should have done was imply abdominal injury. The Japanese were known for such method. Imo the manner of death depicted is wrong and even disgraceful for such an incredibly beautiful woman as Xena, whose sexy erotic belly was offered. The Japanese would likely have gone for her belly in battle historically.