Xena: Warrior Princess (TV Series) The Reckoning (1995) User Reviews

Excellent episode: Ares debut; Xena's inner struggle; unconditional friendship.

[reb-warrior · 8/10 · 4 January 2015]

Xena is set up for murdering some villagers. Ares, played by the late Kevin Smith, makes his debut in the series. He wants Xena back as his number one warlord. He plays a seductive temptation game with her. Making promises to help her, and for her to rule as a warlord her way, if she would just come back to him. The sexy charismatic Kevin Smith plays Ares to perfection as a smooth operator. Great casting. Meanwhile Gabrielle is in detective mode trying to prove Xena didn't kill the villagers.

Xena struggles with her dark self to not strike back as she is being beaten by a stinky farmer. To tell you the truth, I was glad she turned on him and gave him a beating. He was nothing but a violent bully. Sorry. Not sorry.

Gabrielle gets her first glimpse of dark Xena as Xena lashes out against her. A great play on emotions as we watch Xena at first lose control, and then feels remorseful at what she has done. This is one of the first indications that Gabrielle is becoming her conscience in the series. The power of that bond gives Xena great inner strength to reign herself in. The touching thing here is that Gabrielle sticks by her friend. Xena: "How could you come back after what I did to you?" ; Gabrielle: "What you did wasn't you; I know that."

The episode wraps up nicely with Xena cleverly outwitting Ares resulting in another touching moment as grateful villagers reunite with their loved ones and praise Xena. You can see how moved Xena is on her face. 10/10

The Reckoning... Watch it!

[Guy148939 · 8/10 · 29 April 2019]

This is an important episode as it builds upon Xena's past, deepens the bond with the Duo and introduces the Mortal Frenemy played by the late Kevin Smith (not that one) ARES. Sorry being a God of War fan I feel the urge to shout certain names.

The Battling Bard - Ares, the God of Seduction

[bennetts-16344 · 8/10 · 4 April 2019]

This is an important episode, not just because it marks the introduction of Kevin Smith as Ares but also demonstrates that Gabrielle has talents beyond providing comic relief and being captured on an almost weekly basis.

Xena hears noises of attack whilst on horseback and tries to ride to the rescue of peasants being slaughtered by a hooded man in black. She discovers that, not only is he as skilled with a blade as she is but he can disappear at will. This he does, leaving her with her hand and sword covered in blood just as the towns folk turn up. In terms of circumstantial evidence it's not looking great for our hero. She escapes, albeit briefly, as Gabrielle becomes captured on her behalf. Xena allows the villagers to take her captive in exchange for Gabrielles freedom.

The village elder, Benitar (called Pat for short), promises justice but the baying crowd only want sweet revenge.

The hooded man appears in Xena's cell. She's guessed that he is Ares, the God of War. He's engineered the whole situation so that she will once again agree to be his warrior princess and conquer the world in his name. He takes her to his mind palace and gives her something pretty to wear which magically fastens at the front when you drape it over the shoulders. He continues to try and seduce her, his voice, warm honey running through gravel. He offers Xena lower taxes, free health care for all (but no dental) and comfort for the elderly (lounge chairs?) but she holds firm, as I suspect does Ares.

After another abortive attempt to mete out mob justice, Gabrielle goes all CSI Athens over the crime scene. She discovers a set of footprints toe to toe against Xena's and rushes back to show Pat. By the time they get there though, Ares has made the evidence disappear.

Gabrielle does her best Atticus Finch impression whilst defending Xena but no one's in the mood to listen to well reasoned arguments. Efforts are further hampered by the only living witness pointing to Xena and saying " the last thing I remember was her standing over me".

Xena is then visited by a group of unfair minded villagers led by Christopher Mayer from the Dukes of Hazzard. She's once again visited by the invisible but ever present Ares who goads her into action: " You almost let them drag you to death today and now some unbearably smelly farmer is beating you half to death. This is grotesque". Xena breaks from her chains and proceeds to mete out her own brand of justice. Unfortunately Gabrielle comes in at an inopportune time and catches a xwp special to the face. Although feelings are initially wounded it doesn't stop Gabby from trying to break Xena out of jail later that night. However, our heroine has other ideas and gets Ares to promise certain assurances if she gets found guilty and she gives him what he wants. On the day of the execution Xena cleverly uses Ares word against him to bring back the lives of the dead men. The towns people seem pleased and a little suprised but take it in their stride. Xena is exonerated.

The chemistry between Lucy Lawless and Kevin Smith that runs over 5 seasons starts here and it's a great debut.

Memorable Scene: The bedroom scene between Xena and Ares as he tries to seduce her back to the dark side.

Quote: Ares: Now that you know there is another side of life, tell me, are you really having more fun these days?"

Salute to Xena - A 25th Anniversary Review

[skullface2020 · 8/10 · 10 March 2020]

Xena's appeal as a warrior catches the eyes of Aries, the god of war, and he offers her a way out of trouble when she is in the grasp of a bloodthirsty village. Gabrielle believes that Xena is good, and tirelessly defends her after heinous charges are brought against her friend.

SYNOPSIS

Xena and Gabrielle are traveling through a woods when they are momentarily split up. Suddenly, Xena spots a hooded man viciously attacking a group of innocent travelers. Xena flies into action, but she notices that this hooded man is both an excellent fighter and has magical powers. He disappears, and Xena seeks to treat the injured. At this moment the towns people arrive on the scene, and they claim that Xena is the attacker. Xena escapes their grasp and rides Argo to find Gabrielle. Unfortunately for them they are in a very rugged region, and they only way to escape is blocked by the angry peasants who have accused Xena of murdering their friends.

Xena agrees to surrender to the peasants on the condition that they release Gabrielle. They agree, and take Xena into town in chains. Initially, many of the townspeople wanted to immediately kill Xena, but the wise village elder succeeds in convincing them to host a trial. Gabrielle is astounded that they don't understand that Xena would never murder innocent people, and she convinces the elder to let her speak as Xena's advocate at her hearing. While chained up in prison, Xena is visited by the masked magical murderer. He is Aries the god of war! Of course he wants Xena to be his queen, and he offers her a life of luxury and power as the head of her own army which will move about the world as a force of immense power. All she has to do is call our for Aries. Xena doesn't give him a straight answer, and has decided that she will face her day in court.

Gabrielle finds evidence at the crime scene that some other warrior, and possible killer, was there before the townspeople spotted Xena. However, Aries uses his magic to destroy this evidence that could exonerate Xena. At the trial Gabrielle puts up a strong defense even without the crime scene evidence. She asked why Xena did not kill the other villagers, and pointed out that Xena got blood on her hands when coming to the defense of the injured. However, it's not enough, and Xena is condemned to die the next morning. Xena is held in prison, and her guards beat her. Using her amazing strength, she breaks her chains and beats them back only to then strike Gabrielle in a moment of rage. Instead of fleeing, Xena stays and tends to the wounds of her abusers. While languishing in her cell later on, Xena is visited by Gabrielle who will try and use Argo to break the prison window and free Xena. Xena rejects this idea and states that she doesn't want to run. She thanks Gabrielle for her friendship, and Gabrielle tells her that she has no hard feelings toward the warrior princess.

Before Xena's execution Aries appears to her again, and he tells her that his offer is still on the table. He is willing to bring back any legendary warrior from the dead in order to work in Xena's future invincible army. Before being executed, Xena calls out to Aries and makes him bring her three defenders of her choice. The three she names are the village men who were killed by Aries, and their return results in Xena's execution being cancelled. Aries was tricked, and he gives Xena credit for this clever coup. He promises that they'll meet again.

NOTES

Even though she's not a warrior, Gabrielle is willing to risk her safety in order to defend her friend. Xena's life isn't all about war as it once was, and she wants to defend helpless people, even if they might not always be so grateful.

Enter: Aries

The last temptation of Xena

[Joxerlives · 7/10 · 2 May 2021]

The Good; All the Ares/Xena scenes are superb and I also love Gabby the lawyer who is surprisingly effective.

The Bad; the whole bit with the footprints is rather stupid, I mean the villagers have been walking all over the crime scene? Equally was there really no other way for Xena and Gabby out of the valley? Well, maybe not with Argo.

Best lines-Xena (to Ares); "You should know what grief can do" (a theme we'll return to many times).

Xena cliches; Xena in bondage (and I forgot to add gabby from the previous ep too).

The pinch; 2 Village threatened by warlord; 2 Xena wounded; 1 Xena doppelganger; 1 Traitorous aide; 1 Fire-breathing; 2, Hot tub; 2, Xena in bondage 1, Gabby in bondage 1.

Notches on the headpost; no although not if Ares got his way.

Calling Captain Subtext; ?

Twisted history; Xena refers to Hector, Achilles and Agamemnon from the siege of Troy although we later discover this is still going on at the time and the latter was supposed to have survived (and Hercules to have died long before)

Bodycount;

Xena; 16

Notes; actually the first time we ever see Kevin Smith as the human form of Ares, much like Rene and Lucy he'd previously played a different character on Hercules, his half brother Iphicles. Ares would be the most popular non regular character in the Xenaverse, appearing in dozens of eps of Xena, Hercules and even Young Hercules. The villagers manner of executing murderers is all the more interesting when you consider the "Gabdrag" from 'The Bitter Suite'. Xena's moment of clarity is when she accidentally hits Gabby, without her as her moral yardstick you'd think she'd go the same way as Draco and Marcus.

7/10.

The Reckoning

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 25 July 2018]

Xena episodes start of well. She comes to the rescue of some villagers who are attacked by Ares, the god of war. Four of them die and Ares simply vanishes.

The rest of the village who did not witness the attack blame Xena and she stands trial for murder. Gabrielle tries to prove her innocence.

Ares wants Xena back to her evil ways and we get a glimpse of Xena's darker sides when she has enough of a farmer trying to torture away.

It ends with Xena using brains rather than brawn to manipulate Ares but it all felt that the episode just got bogged down with talk.