Xena, You Shoulda Seena

June 22, 2001

The New York Post

By ADAM BUCKMAN

That's the Xena way, and that's how she goes out tomorrow night after six seasons - swinging her sword and screaming like a banshee.

In her final chapter, she remains our incomparable "Warrior Princess" - beautiful, defiant, indefatigable, immortal.

And after her last adventure has come to a close, few will disagree that she has earned her place as one of the all-time greats of television.

One reason would be the way she established herself as TV's preeminent woman warrior, taking on and vanquishing male attackers no matter how much they outnumbered her. Another reason was the sheer entertainment value of the show.

Long before the need arose for crafting a final episode, the makers of "Xena: Warrior Princess" - principally executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert - had already achieved the impossible.

They had taken this little syndicated adventure series (few of which survive longer than a single season), then went all the way to New Zealand to film it, and turned it into one of the most popular TV shows in the entire world without the support of a major network behind it.

And now, they've produced a two-hour finale that not only provides a fitting send-off for Xena, but is also just plain thrilling.

The final chapter in the wide-ranging adventures of Xena has her journeying to the Far East to do battle with the Lord of the Darkland, a malevolent spirit who literally consumes souls and then forces them to do his bidding.

The most satisfying aspect of the two-hour finale is the money that seems to have been spent on its production.

At times, I had to remind myself that it was just a TV show and not a big-screen movie, so elaborate were some of the special effects and epic battle scenes complete with medieval war machines and warriors in leather and armor brandishing swords and filling the air with arrows.

And yet, the spectacle never overwhelms the story, in which Xena (Lucy Lawless) imparts some valuable lessons to her companion and confidant, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor).

In fact, Gabrielle is as much the focus of this final chapter as Xena herself, which is fitting since Gabrielle has come just about as far as Xena during the series' run.

As for how the whole thing ends, I won't spoil it, except to say that the conclusion comes across as credible and uncontrived.

And there's an additional ending I would have liked to see: Lawless and O'Connor, out of character, coming back on screen and taking deep bows.

Nice work, ladies.



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