Thursday Thirteen

Back in August, I decided to try to get my stamina up by walking more. I have a chronic pain issue that makes things difficult, but I wanted to try to move past it. I could tell I really needed to be up and moving, having let a lot of my physical therapy exercises slide since 2020.

So, I started out on the treadmill and could manage 3 minutes before pain stopped me. I tried listening to music, then to audio books, and managed to get up to about 5 minutes, but the pain was making it difficult to get beyond such a small time on the treadmill. I knew I needed something to watch that (a) kept me deeply engrossed (so I wouldn't mind the pain so much); (b) greatly enjoyed; and (c) had subtitles because the treadmill is loud.

It turns out that Amazon Prime has all the seasons of Xena: Warrior Princess available - with subtitles! And it's free to watch for prime members.

So, I started watching Xena: Warrior Princess. I was a big fan of the show when it aired originally, but it had been over 20 years since I'd seen an episode.

It took me about a week to walk through episodes 1 and 2. And then I found I was up to 10 minutes before the pain had me stopping. So now it took me 4 days to get through a show.

And then I moved it up to 13 minutes. Then 15 minutes. And now I'm up to 20 minutes. I seem stuck there, so it takes me two days to watch one episode of the show, but that's ok. Twenty minutes a day is not bad and hopefully with time I can move it on up. I try but going longer really sets me back so for now it's better to hold on to where I am and occasionally test it to see if I can go a little longer without as much agony. I may never get past 20 minutes but that's 20 minutes I wasn't doing, right?

Anyway, I have always loved the show, and I thought I'd share 13 reasons why I do:

1. It has an empowering female protagonist. Xena, played by Lucy Lawless, is a strong, independent female lead who defies traditional gender roles. She kicks butt in a campy but enthralling way.

2. The show rests on an iconic duo. Every heroine needs a sidekick, and the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle (Renee O’Connor) is the heart of the show. Throughout the series, their relationship is showcased, and it's a deep and evolving friendship.

3. The series masterfully weaves Greek mythology with creative storytelling, featuring gods like Ares, Aphrodite, and Zeus. The first season also throws in some Biblical stories, and I know later seasons explore other religions, like Tao, Hinduism, etc.

4. The show delivers thrilling fight scenes, including Xena’s signature moves like her warrior cry and chakram throws. For some reason, I really like it when she uses her whip to get herself out of bad situations. She has many skills.

5. The show has a great character and story arc that the writers are fairly faithful to. It has moral complexity as Xena journeys from a ruthless warlord to a hero, seeking redemption.

6. The series tackles themes like love, betrayal, forgiveness, and destiny. It also touches on things like, do we have a soul mate, and the dead can hear our thoughts. Interesting ideas to think about. 

7. The show is campy and has lots of humor and wit. It has quirky characters like Joxer or the playful Aphrodite to help offset Xena's sometimes morose point of view.

8. Despite Xena's dark side, the show offers an inspirational message: we call can go on a quest for redemption and do good. Change is possible.

9. The show's a fantasy, with a mix of myth and history blended into it. 

10. It has memorable villains like Callisto, Caesar, and Alti. They are deeply engaging and provide Xena with formidable challenges.

11. The music score is great. It's the only TV show I ever bought the soundtrack to. It still pops up arbitrarily on my computer playlist sometimes. 

12. The storytelling is varied. Episodes range from epic battles to heartfelt character-driven stories, to light-hearted comedies.

13. Xena and Gabrielle travel across diverse landscapes, from Greece to Egypt, encountering new challenges and cultures.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 884th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.