Xena: Warrior Princess (TV Series) The Path Not Taken (1995) User Reviews

Further layers added to Xena

[reb-warrior · 8/10 · 4 December 2014]

Xena infiltrates an arms dealer's organization that has kidnapped a princess. She encounters Marcus, an old flame, whom is working for Mezentius, the arms dealer. The actor playing Mezentius is charismatic and pretty good in the role. Marcus stirs up old feelings within Xena.

I liked Marcus. I just found that he isn't very believable as an old co-villain and old flame of the mighty evil Xena. He just seems to be too good of a guy to have been involved with evil Xena. I mean we don't see any darkness there within the character.

Xena encourages Marcus to change as she did, and because of her encouragement, Marcus does a great thing. There's some further layers added to Xena as we see her feelings for her old friend and see her grieving. The most touching moment of the episode is when Xena sings the Burial song for the first time in the series. It's a sad beautiful song impressively sung by Lucy Lawless.

It irked me that they had Gabrielle off somewhere else doing something. She was humorous as usual, but I prefer when Xena and Gabrielle work together as a pair. They basically set Gabrielle aside so they could pursue the old flame angle with Xena alone. 10/10

An old flame

[Joxerlives · 6/10 · 1 May 2021]

The Good; Gabby and Xena walking into the tavern and not having any problem finding a table is a hoot. The Marcus/Xena romance is fun as is the Gabby and the Prince double act. Xena is very credible relying on her prior bad reputation, blaming Draco for spreading rumours about her and that she took him on because he threatened her mother.

The Bad; nothing much, just meanders along a bit. The show is always more fun when Xena and Gabby are together.

Best lines-(Gabby looks outraged when the prince makes an 'offer')-Xena; "Not THAT kind of offer Gabrielle".

Xena cliches; firebreathing again and a hot tub!

The pinch; 2 Village threatened by warlord; 2 Xena wounded; 1 Xena doppelganger; 1 Traitorous aide; 1 Fire-breathing; 2, Hot tub; 2 (counting the one in Hercules she used to seduce Iolaus).

Notches on the headpost; not yet but Xena and Marcus get all kissy,

Calling Captain Subtext; Xena-"I'm getting in, getting the girl and getting out" (well, what we all aspire to).

Twisted history;?

Bodycount; 2 more for Xena, her slitting Mussentias' throat with the Chakran is surprisingly bloody.

Xena; 16

Notes; the first time we see that Argo is not just your average horse, able to follow Xena's commands with incredible intelligence. The horned hat sentry at the arsenal now reminds me of the famous rioter from the storming of the capitol. Like Draco, Marcus tried to give up the warlord life but there was no going back for him (maybe if he'd had a Gabby to aid him?). Gabby quotes Cool Hand Luke. I'd forgotten that Gabby never actually meets Marcus? We have the Xena dirge at Marcus' funeral for the first time.

6/10.

The Battling Bard - True Love Never Runs Smoothly

[bennetts-16344 · 8/10 · 2 April 2019]

The episode opens with two young lovers, Agranon and Jana having a picnic, musing over the fact that until recently their love wouldn't have been allowed as their kingdoms had been at war.

Agranon is very much punching above hs weight here and there doesn't appear to be any evidence that his scintillating personality is compensation enough. We can only assume that his side of the family is the one with the money.

Agranon starts to get a bit fresh but an ambush by a group of ninjas pours cold water on that idea. Agranon is knocked out cold and Jana is kidnapped.

Cut to our two heroines entering a village and a nice scene where Xena deals with every drunk and cutthroat in her own indomitable way whilst Gabrielle chats on obliviously. Agranon believes that an arms dealer by the name of Mezentius is responsible for his fiance's kidnapping and that he is using the situation to create conflict between the two families so he can sell weapons. Agranon persuades Xena to help his true love whilst Gabrielle sits tight with him (turns out she can't even do that right).

Xena shows up at the enclave to find out that Mezentius ( Brillantly played by Stephen Tozer, in full sheriff of Nottingham mode) has indeed kidnapped Jana and is being abetted by Marcus, an old colleague and flame. Xena has to persuade everyone she's still walking on the dark side and interested in helping Mezentius sell weapons to both kingdoms for maximum profit (Similar to current U.S policy). To do this she has to dupe Marcus into trusting her but finds herself falling for him again at the same time.

Meanwhile Gabrielle has the bright idea that she can take Agranon to his prospective father in law and iron out this whole mess. This culminates to both of them hanging in a dungeon awaiting execution in the morning.

Marcus confides in Xena that he smuggles weapons out of the compound from a tunnel hidden at the bottom of a well. Rather than grabbing the princess, throwing her down the well and telling her to run, Xena hides her in a large wicker hamper too big to fit down a well and tells her to wait until morning. This ill conceived plan is interupted by Marcus who finally twigs what's going on. Mezentius arrives and Xena fairly distributes the pain to all and sundry. Marcus holds Jana captive but then redeems himself at the last minute by taking an arrow to the chest from Mezentius' bow to protect her. Mezentius gets a slice of chakram to the throat for his trouble.

We don't get to see Jana and Agranon's joyous reunion but we assume that they were both were equally delighted. The ending instead centres on Marcus' funeral. Xena sings a beautiful lament, I would certainly book her for my untimely death.

This is a nice solid episode. It's Gabrielle lite to make room for Xena and Marcus' relationship which is nicely played and there's good chemistry between them. Bobby Hosea is great in the role and we get to see him again (even though he's dead) in a later episode.

Quote: Gabrielle to Xena " You're really terrible at reassurance, has anyone ever told you that?"

Memorable Scene: That initial scene at the inn when Xena nonchantly deals with all advances that come her way.

Salute to Xena - A 25th Anniversary Review

[skullface2020 · 8/10 · 6 March 2020]

Xena's familiarity with the cruel and violent aspects of society can come in handy when she goes on adventures trying to save the helpless and innocent. Sometimes Gabrielle's candor and confidence fails to keep her out of trouble.

SYNOPSIS

A young couple are excited to begin their lives as husband and wife. They are Agranon and Jana. In addition to the admiration they have for each other, their union will mark the end of a violent feud between two clans that has been in effect since time immemorial. Suddenly the couple are attacked my masked men, and the young woman is abducted!

Xena and Gabrielle enter a lowly tavern seeking some comfort food one afternoon. As Xena easily handles the advances of crude men, they find themselves in the company of a young many with manners and a bag of gold. He's the man whose betrothed was abducted, and noticing how well Xena handles herself results in him begging her for help. The theory is that a powerful arms dealer named Mezentius has abducted the young woman. His goal is to get the two families to blame each other for the breakdown in relations, and to resort to war in which they will both buy weapons from his arms cartel. Xena is familiar with Mezentius and his crew, and she agrees to pose as a gun for hire and enter Mezentius' lair in hopes to finding and rescuing Jana.

Upon entering Mezentius' camp, Xena encounters Marcus with whom she used to go on raids. The two of them shared a romantic past, and they enjoyed seeing each other once again. Marcus is on Mezentius' crew, and he shows Xena around and introduces her to his boss. Xena gets Mezentius to agree to keep hostage Jana alive, and not physically abuse her, in hopes of securing a high ransom for her return. While Xena works these angles and secures the trust of the young hostage, Gabrielle remains behind with Agranon. She encourages him to join her in confronting the family of his betrothed and convincing them that his family did not abduct her. This fails and the two of them are arrested and put on death row.

Xena's plan to sneak Jana out to safety is discovered by Marcus who feels betrayed by Xena. During a brief but fierce standoff Marcus is killed by Mezentius who shoots him with an arrow out of desperation to keep his criminal enterprise afloat and to maintain Jana as a hostage. Xena quickly chakrams Mezentius' throat, and holds her dear old friend Marcus as he passes away. Saving Jana allows war to be averted, and results in Gabrielle's release in time for Marcus' funeral.

NOTES

Xena and Marcus shared a complicated past. He was kind and cared greatly for Xena, and his loss was very saddening. Maybe they would have enjoyed a friendship or romance during peacetime had their lives taken different paths. Instead, it's young Agranon and Jana who will perpetuate peace as they get married and build their lives together.

Enter: Marcus, Mezentius, Agranon, Jana

The Path Not Taken

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 10 July 2018]

The series has a wonderful comedic opening with Xena and Gabrielle in a bar, with Xena beating up anyone who attempts to lay their grasping hand on Xena with lustful thoughts.

The story is about two young lovers from rival kingdoms. Their marriage will lay to rest years on conflict between the two warring factions but then the princess is abducted.

Xena agrees with the young prince to rescue his beloved princess. The abductor is Mezentius, an arms dealer who stands to profit if both kingdoms resume their war, as each side is already blaming each other for the kidnapping of the princess.

Xena also meets up with an old flame who she hopes to set on a better path.

After a bright opening I felt it really bogged down a bit as Xena tries to play Mezentius by pretending to stoke up tensions.