From PlanetOut's Starstruck Section - February, 2001

(PlanetOut still has some of the facts wrong...but they really like Missy. (g) - Shari)

Xena, Warrior Princess


Well, the final season of Xena is winding down, and while we have all been thrilled by the lesbian subtext of the show over the years, we are very hopeful about seeing a bit more explicit acknowledgment of the true nature of the relationship between Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor). Former co-producer/creator Liz Friedman (a very out lesbian) is back as a writer this season, and regular writer Melissa Good (who has been very outspoken in her belief that the two characters are more than friends) has a couple more episodes up her sleeve. Gay director Garth Maxwell has helmed a couple of shows as well this season.

Standouts of this season include the nude milk bathing episode, "Legacy" (a.k.a. "Two Women in Search of a Chariot Race"), which was written by Melissa Good. Also not to be missed (keep your eyes peeled for the reruns) was the 3-episode arc that included "The Rheingold" and "The Ring," each richly laden with Sapphism, and "The Return of the Valkyrie," which borrows from "Sleeping Beauty" as Xena awakes Gabrielle with a kiss. We could scarcely believe our eyes!

But wait -- there's more! We are beside ourselves with joy at the title of the upcoming May 7, 2001 episode: "Musical (Code name Sappho)." Apparently it's done as a spoof on A Midsummer Night's Dream (not sure how Sappho actually fits in there but we're expecting her to show up as a character), and it's scribed by none other than Melissa Good (with Robert Tapert).

Battle on!

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