Page 11
27 Tributes
From: <Lara>
Email: LDSwbp3xgswwr@aol.comThe great Warrior Princess will be missed all over the world as the six season raps up in places. It has given me the strength to stand up for what I feel is truly right. I wish I could say that I had been watching the show from the start. But I first caught it when I saw Blind Faith from the second season. That episode truly pulled me in I was hooked. Two women fighting for the greater good. The six season did finish but I'm thankful that I have my stash of video tapes. Xena was the greatest show ever created out there in the TV universe. Thank you Lucy, Rob and Renee' along with all the hard workers that helped put the show together. You will never truly be forgoten for your awesome work. BATTLE ON XENA!! Always, Lara
From: <Regina>
Email: aluvr4xena@aol.comTribute: My life has been one heartache after another. Until I found this Love, that these to characters share for each other. I had hope when I watched them together. That one day before I die that I could share a love such as their's. Love what is it? It is something we feel in our hearts, this was not just a show it was love, the way that love is meant to be. Why do all good things come to an end? I don't no that answer, but taking this away is another heartache, for me.
From: <Jessica L Brewer/Dream On>
Email: xenas_little-shadow@yahoo.comURL: http://www.geocities.com/xenas_little_shadow
Tribute: For me I was thirteen when I start watching Xena, on late night tv. Now I'm eighteen and I love this show and will always love it. I idolized Xena. To me, Xena was perfection. She can do no wrong, despite the fact she *did* do wrong, that's what the show was about. The other thing I liked was the deep friendship of Xena and Gabrielle. Everyone needs a friend like that, someone who will watch your back, love you and understand you completely. Xena was lucky because she found hers; Gabrielle was lucky because Xena was that friend for her. I don't think I will ever forget them--and I wish Lucy and Renee tons of success and you can bet I will follow them as they grow in acting.
From: <Swordswomen>
Email: ckoval@ncis.netURL: http://www.angelfire.com/wi/warrior/index.html
Tribute: So hard to believe Xena came to an end last weekend. Feel in love with the show from the beginning. 2nd season is my fav.
The season finalle gave the show its final closure. Great casting job on Rob tapert but he could of kept Xena alive in the end that was a bad way to kill her off IMO. I cried thru most of the FIN2. She didn't have to stay dead that way..
Xena has tought me the value of friendship and strength. Going to miss a great Hero...
From: <Joy>
Email: imbri@xena.comTribute: That simply.. I want to thank Lucy, Renee and all who've made Xena a part of my life. I had fun.
From: <Neil Church>
Email: kenpo_28570@yahoo.comTribute: I started watching the show after hearing some of my martial arts students talking about it. One episode and I was hooked. I was drawn to the action but stayed for the storylines and evergrowing and deepening relationship between the two main characters. The idea of redemption was also a very powerful theme and one I closely identified with. Having served with the Marines from 1970 to 1975, I know how events in your past can haunt you a lifetime. Given how little there is to watch on TV these days, the passing of XWP will sorely be missed. Goodbye gang it has been a great 6 years. Thanks for a show with a heart and all-time best love story. To quote my old Irish Grandmother "True Love knows not of nations, gender or age, love just is. When you find it, hold on for the ride of your life and never let go. Never judge or condemn it for it is the rarest gift of all." To me that was the essence of the show.
From: MaryE
I actually wrote this poem in February of 1999, before I knew when the show was ending.
Lucy and Renee
Two strangers from Different lands
Are brought together
To tell a story of Friendship and courage
A bond is formed
That touches the audience
Which hopes that
They may too find
A friendship like it Of their own.
I know that Xena: The Warrior Princess had changed my life competely...I just had realized that i will never never NEVER ferget the show at all. I even got a tattoo of xena s new chakram on my arm..that is promising. I was very shy to people before i watch xena..and now when i watch it..it made me feel good of myself..made me feel great to be loved of ANY ways..women OR men. I met the great people online and REAL life.. that i didnt know that they love xena till i asked them. I want to thank Lucy and Renée for the hard working they had done for the past 6 years which they did a GREAT job! Thank u again.
Angie Blair
I awoke this morning to catch the last 15min of Pt 2 A Friend in Need the "end". That last 15 min. said it all. I couldnt believe what they did. I will not go back and watch the begining as from what Ive read online this morning, its terrible. To have brought Xena and Gabby so far in 6 years, to watch her die so many times only to come back stronger and kick God butts. I just cant believe what they did. No hopes of a movie or anything else in the future. But to just kill her was beyond belief. My stomach is still churning and my blood is boiling.
Over the years they have both survived death and other such troubles. But this was the most terrible ending of a series I have ever seen. I bought season six but I vow as a "true" Xena fan, I will never watch that last episode ever!!! it is banned from my home. In my mind they go on to live an fight another day..........
Rob Tapert and RJ Stewart you both "SUCK"! I used to admire you both for your courage on creating this show, you both were something to look up to. But now I know you both are just like everyone else, you buckled, you caved, you wimped out, you are weak men, when it came down to it, you couldnt put your money where your mouth was... You were so ahead of your time and you blew it in just 2 hours. You lost any respect anyone may have had for you. Your credit isnt any good in this universe anymore. I hope your both happy with yourselves.
As for the greatest duo in the world, Xena and Gabby will live on in my mind as the best team in the world. Two role models to be loved and cherished forever. !! God Speed Xena and Gabby...... Battle on!!!!!!!!
Sydney
Let me start off by saying THANK-YOU TO, LUCY, RENEE, ROB and all the people
who worked hard over the last Six Years to bring this show together. You have
touched so many peoples Y hearts during those years. I know you have mind. I
met my Soulmate through the Internet thank-you. Lucy and Renee, have set
forward a strength to their profession for other women to look up to. Xena
Warrior Princess, made me laughing, crying an even wondering at the end of a
few season if they are coming back. Rob, even if you have a few upset fans.
You did an excellent job, with the ending. You gave Xena the death Way of a
Warrior and to have her find her redemption. An to leave her in spiritual
realm, so she can be with Gabrielle, her SOULMATE.Thank-you Lucy (Xena) and Renee (Gabrielle) for SIX beautiful years of XENA
WARRIOR PRINCESS.May your life's with your FAMILY BE BLESSED, AND wish you both all the
happiest in the World. "May God Bless and watch over you both." for you fans
As we all hope and pray Lucy and Renee do another movie for your fan..Sincerely,
Nora
A Xena fan forever :-)
My name is Jaime Collins. I'm so upset about the ending of xena that my heart is broken, I can't believe they killed her, and did it in such a brutal way. I was angry when i heard that they were going to cancelled the show but i figure that maybe Lucy and Rennee were tired of doing the show and wanted to go on with therel life' take care there families i was okey with that,but the way they killed xena i'm verry angry she did'nt deserve that ending. I admired Robert Tappert and Sam Raime for such a great show, but i will never for give them for killing xena and the way they did it. you guys broke my heart and my spirit. good bye xena . you will never die , you always be in my heart and soul.
I love you for ever. For Renee,
Thank you for bringing Gabrielle to my life. For showing me, through her, who I am and what I had left behind, forgotten, so long ago. She was the light that drew me to the show, the soul that held me there, the heart that will never let me forget again. I don't know how or why, but in Gabrielle I see so much of myself, it feels eerily like I'm watching myself up there on the screen from 2000 years ago (sorta). Renee, it is you're magic, your talent and vitality that made this possible. You're willingness to take on that "hook" and make it so much more. Thank you for the light you put into Gabrielle and the Love you helped create between Gabrielle and Xena. Thank you for being yourself through all the madness. You deserved so much more of the limelight than you got, and yet you never seemed to let it bother you. Someday, I hope you find that limelight, if you so wish it! But always, I wish you joy and love and peace through out your life, and I hope your bonds to your XWP family will always be strong and I hope someday you know, really know how much you effected so many of us and how deeply you are loved by the fans.
For Lucy and Renee,
You both, in your characters and as real life friends, have given me back faith in finding my own loves and soulmates in the world. I had given up, until XWP. Now, I have the strength to stand alone and know - SHE - is out there somewhere, waiting. No matter what you both may have thought of your characters and the relationship, I always saw the love between you. Thank you for letting it happen and sharing it with the rest of the world.
For Lucy,
Thank you for your fire that you shared with us, your strength and power and even humor that made Xena and the show rock the foundations of Television and as a result society. I know you don't really see all you have changed.. someday, Lucy, I hope you will see just how much you and your character have changed the real world and someday I hope you will understand that though we fans can be odd and weird and scary at times... it is only out of gratitude and love for all you and the show have given us. As Gabrielle, I want to be like Xena... a warrior at heart.. and you brought her to life like no one on earth ever could. You ARE Xena... in a deep down part... I can see how easily she flows from you when you go there. I hope you honor that part of you even into the rest of your life as she is magnificent.
For Rob,
Thank you for pushing the envelope on a love story between two women as much as you did. No matter your intentions, you have taken the first grand step in our movement toward finding all kinds of love on screen... in all their vibrant glory. Thank you for challenging the world to look at life and death, the afterlife, love, redemption and self-discovery in so many different ways. I learned many profound things from XWP... It has been quite a journey. Even in the ending, we were challenged... It broke my heart and then reforged it again anew.. different and yet still strong. I hope you don't take to heart the negative reactions, too much. IT was difficult and hard, but it was beautiful and true... so very very true... a perfect ending for the WP, even if sad... Now if only we could get the further adventurse of The Warrior Bard and her beloved spirit... You created something so beautiful and unique, I fear we will never see the like of it on the small screen again. Thank you for sharing your vision, it will touch me for a very very long time.
-Darshann
From: Elizabeth Wolterink
Email: superninja@xenafan.comI have so many feelings running through me, I feel like I don't know what to write. Grief that it's over and at the way it ended, joy and thankfulness for what the show gave us, disappointment and anger at things I feel could have been better, but perhaps mostly the numb sadness of losing an old friend. Xena has made such an immense impact on so many of us. Now that it's over I feel like there's a little part of me missing.
I started watching the show during the first season when I was 16 and I was a closet Xenite at first. My family and friends thought the show was stupid. They'd laugh and say it was cheesy when I watched. At first I laughed too and said, "yeah, that's why I watch it, it's so cheesy it's funny. Hahaha." I remember trying to resist the urge to start taping the show but gave in after seeing about three episodes. I thought, "screw it," and came out as a hardcore nutball who didn't only watch because the show was "so bad it was good." I also gradually converted my brother and even my parents started watching once in awhile. I loved every part of the show, the stories, the characters and their development, the action, the fact that it was a WOMAN kicking ass - that it was TWO WOMEN who didn't have to rely on or be accountable to any man. And of course, the friendship between Xena and Gabrielle.
Soon, the show helped me come out again, this time as a member of the queer community. I remember sitting at the dinner table with my family passionatly talking about Xena and Gabrielle's relationship - these two women love each other and....it's *beautiful*! (for the first two seasons Xena was the *only* thing I'd talk about at the dinner table!) Whether you're a subtexter or not, the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle was one of the main driving forces of the show. Lucy and Renee gave us complex characters we could admire, aspire and relate to in spite of, and sometimes because of, their flaws. There was some rough going along the way, though. Season Three was rocky and I almost quit in Season Five, but in spite of my intermittent disappointment and anger at TPTB, I stuck with Xena and Gabrielle to the end. They mattered too much to me not to. They still matter.
I am now 22 years old and have grown so much since I first started watching six years ago. Xena has been tremendously instrumental in that growth. As many others have said, words fail to express the depths of feeling this show has inspired. There may be no more official adventures in the Xenaverse, but it will live on in the hearts of the fans. To Lucy, Renee, Hudson, Ted, Rob, the fans, and everyone who helped create this amazing universe, thank you so much for the laughter, the tears, the excitement, and the courage you've given me and so many others throughout the years. Battle on! --
For The Love Of Xena and Gabrielle...
Either platonic or romantic, whichever way you choose to see it (but after watching FIN1&2 I'm leaning towards romantic), their story is the greatest love story of all time. Think back and remember the times when Gab threw everything into the wind and followed the warrior into battle again and again. When Xena pledged her love for the bard and stated that even in death, she would remain by her side. When Gab found out that 40,000 souls will be lost forever unless Xena stayed dead and she whispered with tears in her eyes, "I don't care." When Xena told Gab that if she only had 30 seconds to live, she would want to spend them looking into Gabrielle's eyes. When they went to the flames of tartarus and back for each other. When we saw the affectionate looks, the gentle touches, the tender hugs, the way they consoled each other when their lives were in turmoil. When we heard the "I love you"s. No matter which way you decide to view their relationship, we can all agree on this: they were eternal soulmates, and we will always remember them as that. Farewell Xena and Gabrielle. May you live on forever in our memories and in our hearts. Never before have I experienced a TV series which resonated so completely with my heart and psyche. I wept as I watched the finale, and did so again the next morning.
I choose to believe that Xena and Gabrielle have gained a place in the collective unconscious. I think the challenge is to keep the unconquered, wild aspects of our own spirits alive in the same way which Xena did.
Thanks for everything, XWP. I wish all the best for everyone affiliated with the series, and I sincerely hope you negotiated for a share of the residuals.
Goodbye my friends, I have watched Xena warrior princess shows from the beginning. I have enjoyed all the average that you two have had together. I have seen you relationship grow , plus your love for each other. You have helped me to stay in focus on want I'm doing at work. Xena and Gabrielle will always be my best friends. I saw a girl grow into a wonderful warrior, that loves her soulmate very much.Plus I saw a warrior grow into a person who cares for others. I will watch the shows off and on because I have taped them all. You are the greatest warriors of all. I will not forget you and want you have done. To Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Conor you are the best. I hope you both have a great career. This is not goodbye but so long Xena,Gabrielle.
Download the Xena Browser at http://www.studiosusa.com/tv/xena/index.html
To say good-bye to someone you have taken into your heart for six years is tough. But watch that person died is tougher. Xena has shown us that women kick ass. The anger and the betrayal we feel over the way she died are felt by all that loved the warrior princess. We wanted Xena and Gabrielle to walk off into the sunset and live happily ever after.
The life of Xena has come full circle. With the very first episode when Xena was digging that hole for her armor and sword, you knew what she was thinking. Many fan writers have written that she was planning to kill herself to pay for her crimes. Instead she meets Gabrielle and off they go to do the Greater Good.
When she was the Destroyer of Nations, thousands lost their lives to her sword and her armies. For six years or thirty years which ever way you want to look at it, she has been trying to redeem herself. But in Japa she had to face something she never thought she was capable of. To find out that she responsible for 40,000 innocent lives being lost and then enslaved , it was more then she could handle.
To sacrifice herself to release these souls was the only way Xena could think of to redeem this deed. Does this really surprise you? True if there was another way, believe me she would of tried it. But there wasn't.
Xena followed the Way of the Warrior and died a warrior's death. But I want you to think about something here. What would have happened if her death was in Greece, the Steppes and in the north? That Japa warrior gave her a honorable death. Elsewhere her killer would have sliced and diced her bodies into so many pieces Gabrielle would still be looking for her
How many times have we seen Xena leave Gabrielle to fight in a no-win-against all odds-do or die battle? How many times have we seen Xena willing to sacrifice her life for others? With everything we know about Xena and her road to redemption does her death really surprise us. When face with realization that with one little accident 40,000 innocent lives was lost and enslaved because of her. Did you really think Xena wouldn't trade her life for theirs?
When the first arrow was released I know that this was it. The tear fall and I cried like I never did for any fictional character on television. I gasp in horror right along with Gabrielle when she first saw Xena's body. Like Gabrielle in the end when she accepted Xena's reason for not returning, I too made my peace with the passing of the warrior princess.
We were told that Xena and Gabrielle would be together for eternity. But we were never told for how long in each lifetime.
This whole show has been about the redemption. And in the end Xena made the ultimate sacrifice for theses 40,000 souls. Going out in a blaze of glory, taking as many of them as she could with her.
What soothes my soul is the fact that the show is just one thread in the loom that makes up the Xena universe. There are so many threads in this loom that has branch off from the original. Writers like Missy Good, Hunter Ash and so many have stories out there where XENA LIVES. Instead of anger over the show, go find one of these stories.
Linda L Lockwood
Goodbye Xena,I have enjoyed every show that has been made. Lucy and Renee did a great job on their characters. I have seen Xena and Gabrielle's relationship grow into love.
They are soulmates and their love will last forever even after death.
I will miss more shows but it is good to go out on top. I have all the shows taped so I can watch Xena any time I want to.
You did a good job Xena and Gabrielle ,so this is farewell faithful friends.
c,w,davis
From: "Elizabeth Wolterink"
Email: superninja@xenafan.comFirst of all I am a long time lurker here at AUXIP. To me, this is the best
Xena site there is. I have relied on it to always keep me updated. Now on the
FIN. Yes I am sadden Xena was killed. Yes I know it is a show and Lucy and
Rene are doing just fine. I wished it ended with Xena and Gabrielle walking
off into the sunset looking for the next adventure. Who knows this may still
happen. All things are possible in the Xenaverse. I will miss Xena and
Gabrielle. I started watching the show from episode one. At first it was a
visual thing. A very attractive woman in leather. But then the friendship
between Xena and Gabrielle pulled me in. I have never been a Xena basher.
Even the shows most people crucified I saw something in then that made me
laugh or just let me escape for one hour on the weekend. With that said, I am
not going to start now with FIN. There were high points (Xena telling
Gabrielle the last 30 seconds she wanted to be looking at her) and low points
(Gab finding Xena's body) But still I was kept on the edge of my seat for 2
hours. In my opinion, Rob did want he set out to do. Entertain us and move us
all at the same time. Now all I have is my Xena tapes. I am so glad I started
taping every episode. For me Xena will never die. She will always inspire,
move and entertain me.
From: Jan Lamborn
Email: jlamborn4826@earthlink.net
Sent: June 23, 2001.Just saw the final episode here in San Francisco. Excellent. Like the seasons of the show itself, it delighted me. Never in my 50 odd years have I ever been so enthralled by the talent, the humor, the beauty, the audacity of a television program. A big thank you to Rob Tapert for going for it from the start. And the dynamic duo, Lucy and Renee what is there to say...BRAVO for Brave of heart, Reaching for the stars, Acting your hearts out, Valiently going where no two women in TV land have gone before, and being Outrageously silly, soulful, scathingly beautiful, spiritually profound, and doing it over and over again for six sensational seasons. I laughed often, cried occasionally, felt deeply touched, and even saw my own life differently in many delightful ways. I doubt anything will come along in the next fifty years that I'll be able to say that about. But even once in a life time will do. Thanks for all of the gifts you shared with those of us who enjoyed the wonderful ride that was and is: Xena Warrior Princess.
Jan USA
HELLO,
MY NAME IS SIMONA, I`M ITALIAN GIRL, A GREAT FAN OF XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS
AND I SAY : "GOOD LUKE BOTH OF YOU, LUCY AND RENEE !" YOU ARE THE BEST,
BEAUTIFULL ACTRESS AND I LOVE YOU...
I WISH THANK YOU ABOUT AMOTIONS THAT I LIVED, FOR POWER OF LOVE, FOR A SWEET DREAMS THAT YOU GHIFT ME...I THANK YOU ABOUT STRONG LOVE BETWEEN XENA AND GABRIELLE, TWO GIRLS (THE FIRST IN TV SERIES ON TV!) AND I`M HAPPY BECAUSE OF YOU !!!
BUT I'M NOT AGREE WITH ROBERT TAPERT, I THINK THAT HIM BETRAYED XENA WITH HIS FINALE.XENA ALIVE, SHE AND GABRIELLE LIVES TOGETHER FOR MANY ADVENTURES...THEY WILL DEAD TOGETHER AS OLD LADIES...THIS IS A GOOD
FINALE!!!
I ATTEND A FILM WHERE XENA LIVE AGAIN !!!
KISS,
YOURS FOREVER,
SIMONA
Do not stand at Xena's grave and weep for she is not there, she does not sleep. She is the courage inside everyone, she is always there when good is done. She is the excitement in our minds remembering a battle that she fought,
She wanted us to learn from her mistakes in the lessons that she taught.
She is the right thing that we all do in the decisions that we make, she is the truth even when it's hard to take. She is the justice when justice must be served and for this our hearts will never be swerved. She is wisdom that we use for the problems that we face, she never left us because she knew that no one could take her place. She will always remain in our hearts for us to keep. So, do not stand at her grave and weep for she is not there she does not sleep.
Carolyn Goins
P.S. For six years they always gave us their very best and now it's time for them to rest. Thank you Lucy and Renee for giving me six years of the best show that I have ever known!!!!
hit me, Xena will always remain in Gabrielle's heart. I thought the ending was very fitting to the significance of the show and the character of Xena. I was upset at first saying 'this is not right.' You gotta think what was this show about, really. It was about Xena and Xena learning from Gabrielle where all of us thought that Xena was the teacher. She wasn't Gabrielle was. In the end Xena did the 'Good, The Right Thing.' The ending meant a lot to the character of Gabrielle, notice now Gabby's got her friends chakram. Xena dies but she will always be in Gabrielle's heart and by her side. The episode was by far the best I've seen from Rob Tapert. Great direction, great acting from Lucy and Renee, the best I've seen from both actors. Yes, we're all thinking after xena dies what about Eve and Gabrielle. Well Xena is alive, and will stay alive in all of us. I'd just like to say good luck to Lucy and Renee in future projects. Hope to see you soon. Thankyou to the cast and crew for giving me such inspiration from two such great characters. Xena and Gabrielle I will miss you.
Belinda Cuddon
Melbourne, Australia
I can't believe I'm going to say this, coz I was pretty upset when I'd read that Xena died etc.,
but FIN2 was quite good - the special effects, the music... it was all very dramatic.
This was a heartbreaking, bittersweet ep.Lucy and Renee were fantastic, as always.
Especially Renee, she was brilliant! Just Brilliant!
She was called upon to carry some scenes that were brutally emotional,
and she did this with dignity, restraint and honesty...no one else could have come close.At the beginning of the ep - Xena's death - Lucy was fantastic in that scene.
A thousand to one. It was heartwrenching to see the Warrior Princess get shot with arrows and
then succumb to a beheading.I have to admit I was disappointed by Mr.Tapert's decision to let Xena stay dead.
Xena went from a triumphant hero to tragic one, in a matter of minutes. All it took were a few sentences. Though I was upset at first, I know Mr.Tapert did what he thought best.Rob, Lucy, Renee, the entire cast and crew of X:WP have worked hard for 6 long years & provided us with fantastic entertainment. And, I am thankful to them for bringing quality tv to our homes.
X:WP has ended but, that only means new challenges & better things for them...more time with their respective families...no more 14-16 hour work days...I am happy for them.
I'm sad for me coz I'll miss the show but, I'm happy for them.After it all, I expected to feel an emptiness that a lot of fans said they'd felt after watching the finale but instead, my heart is filled with love and gratitude...for the journey. And what a journey it's been! :)
Xena and Gabrielle didn't just travel with each other...we were right there with them.
They loved and lost, laughed and cried and we were right there with them.
A few minutes of an ep can't change that.X:WP has taught me a lot and I am very grateful for that. For me, Xena has and always will be an Icon of Humility, Strength, Integrity and Compassion. I refuse to let go of 6 Seasons (the way some fans have) just b'coz of the end. We were given a gift and I will always treasure it.
The Legend of the Warrior Princess and her Warrior Bard lives on long after the last scroll has been written...
She was Xena...Amazing Strength, Magnificent Valour... A Warrior to the End.
~Jacky
I've been watching Xena since it's birth on Herc, and I must say that I am sorry to see it end. This show has educated me on the many lives, times, battles and religion that progressed to where our world is today. I love this show so much it became family to me and I have imprinted them into my heart forever.
Thank you to all the cast crew, Lucy, Renee, Rob and the vast talent of all who made the show what it is today. Thank you.
As for the final I think that Xena died in the way she wanted. A warrior with a sword in her hand defending the greater good. Gabrielle will never be alone in life, Xena once told her that in death she would never leave you.
Good luck in life my friends you will be missed greatly.
A Xenite forever!!
Corrine Wild-Chicago
'WildBard'I did not like the way the show ended but what the heck wind walker
What can I say here? I could never convey what my heart feels as the totality of the "end" sinks in. I watched and grew with these women for 6 years of my life. I developed love, admiration and reverence for the characters as well as the astounding women who play them. I am trying to be eloquent, but the bottom line is, this hurts. I battled ridicule equal to grade school taunts for being so devoted to this show, and would do it again for another six years. I defended both Xena and Gabrielle in conversation as if they were family,...in a lot of respects they were. I have to say nothing in my 30 years has affected my life so profoundly as the day these two magnificent characters stepped into my home via the t.v., nor did I ever imagine watching them pass on would very literally make my heart ache. I thank you from the depths of who I am Lucy and Renee, all the writers as well, who gave me an amazing 6 years. As my soulmate and I watched and related to such a love between 2 women, we gained strength and hope with every episode. Love is a multifaceted experience that not everyone is privileged to find in one lifetime. And though we never saw them "physically" make love, in my heart, every glance, hug and tender word between them was love making in it's deepest form. I feel honored to have been able to witness it all blossom. As I wipe the tears from my eyes, and silently hope its not really over, I want to extend the best of wishes and love to Lucy Lawless and her family, as well as Renee O'Conner and hers. I think you are both gifted actresses, and I so look forward to seeing the rest of the world who may not have given Xena a chance see how brilliant you both are. God Bless, I will miss you.
Love, Rebecca DeSalvatore
I want to pay a tribute to my favorite show! It's a little long, but oh well.
It was sometime during May of 1997. I was about nine years old. I loved to play with my neighborhood buddies: John, Nick, Anna, Heather, Gabby. Gabrielle, actually, but we all called her Gabby. Gabby had an old wooden swing set in her grandpa's yard. Whenever she came to visit her grandparents, we would all come and play on the old, squeaky, rotting swings. It was left over from when her older sister was little, and her sister is married now. There was a little clubhouse, too. We were all short enough to stand in it. We'd play Power Rangers, we'd play school. Running through the woods, riding our bikes along the dead-end road. That's what we called it. "Mom, I'm going to the dead end!" Sounds funny, now. Maybe it'll end up as a famous song or something. Anyway, Gabby, who was 5, told me about a show she watched- Xena. I found it kind of funny that such a young kid watched this show I had only heard about. Then. later, I saw Xena on the cover of PARADE magazine. I read the article, and I decided that this show was worth watching, even if it was for grownups. I still have that article to this day. It listed some times that Xena was on, and the next time I went to my dad's apartment, I turned it on. Then, he was only in his second apartment, with the little tiny tv set. Anyway, I saw my first episode of Xena. "Cecrops." Season 2, episode 21. (Now I sound like a freak, but I'm just giving information.) So I didn't start that late into the show, but I hadn't seen the beginning, either. I loved the show, and I've been watching it every weekend ever since. When SciFi started showing reruns, I was very happy. I saw every episode that I had ever missed. I even saw the Xena Trilogy on Hercules, where the idea for the show had been born. I started a collection of Xena magazines, and an ongoing argument with my stepdad: who is better? Lucy Lawless, or Linda Evans? (Of ! course Lucy is, but nevermind.) I even got a Xena Barbie doll. It was great to have someone to look up to all the time, even if she was only a tv character. I'd play Xena in the fields with my friend Amanda, who lived above my dad in his third apartment. She, my sister Heather, and I would run around in the huge open field, having sword fights with sticks. We'd lie out towels and lay out under the stars, while the cars whizzed by on the street. We'd make little camps in the small wooded area, using scrap wood and junk we found around. I was Xena, of course. Heather was Callisto, Amanda was Gabrielle. I actually found a little circle of meatal to be my chakram- I think it would have gone to the railing of a pool. I'd stay up late on Thursday nights to watch the new episode, I'd throw things at the tv when I watched the season finales. "What?! She's DEAD?! NO! I CAN'T wait until September to find out what happens!" Now I'm 13, and it's like I know these people in real life. They're not just tv characters anymore, they're my role models. They're my friends. I grew up with them, I know everything there is to know about them. Now it's all ending. It will be like loosing two very close friends. She's my hero, even if she's not real. Maybe I should write to the producers and writers, and thank them for such a great show. Xena was with me when my parents split up, when I fought with my friends, when I was sad, bored, whatever. No one has ever liked the show like I do, so I'm alone. No one will care when it's over, but I will. I'll probably remember it for a long, long time.
Thanks so much for the great site. :)
-Sara
I rarely write fan letters but I do believe that when people deeply affect your life you should let them know. This letter is really dedicated to the entire cast and crew of Xena, Warrior Princess. After all, your show saved my life. This may sound rather dramatic so please let me explain as briefly as I can. First I must confess that I did not become a fan of the show until this, the last year in production. I have never been a fan of action shows and I try to avoid shows with too much eye candy. (Please don't take this as an insult. As a member of the lesbian community I try not to watch shows simply to gawk at the beautiful actresses in the show and who wouldn't gawk at the beauty of Lucy Lawless?) I began watching the show in January quite by accident. I set my VCR to record the X-Files marathon on the FX channel. I taped 12 hours of video of what was supposed to be the X-Files. The following week I set aside a Sunday to relax and watch my shows.(It was a the week before Super Bowl and there was no football to fill my day.) To my surprise there were no X-File episodes. It appears that instead of recording channel 24, it recorded the Oxygen channel 75 featuring the Xena marathon. With nothing else to watch I indulged myself. (The eye candy theory went right out the door.) I was hooked. As photography major, I marveled at the scenery, appreciated the creativity within the scripts and actually found myself enjoying the action scenes. I truly respect the amount of work that has gone into each episode to make the show look like a mini movie each week. I became hooked and found myself watching every day on the Oxygen channel. I then found myself on the Internet looking at websites to learn about the show. Now to the part about the show saving my life. I have gone through my share of rough times during the last seven years which have included the loss of job, lover, home, both parents and six major surgeries on the back of my head. I suffer from chronic pain caused by degenerative disc disease in my neck along with two disc protrusions and one disc bulge. I have a caved in collar bone from a childhood injury that had gone undiagnosed and still suffer arthritic pain from a shoulder that was reconstructed. As a result I began taking pain pills prescribed by my doctor to cope with the pain of my injury. Five years later I was still taking the pills. My doctor told me not to go cold turkey, as I would suffer through withdrawal pains similar to those of a heroine addict. But I was not addicted enough to qualify for clinical help and without insurance I could not afford the Betty Ford clinic or any other drug treatment center as I was told to come back when I had money or insurance. I felt like a prisoner in my own body so I decided I had to end the cycle alone, without anyone to help me. I knew that I would need something to keep my mind off of the pain. Xena gave me the focus I needed. I purchased all of the videos of the first five seasons, including the trilogy. Last week was spring break from school so I had my time off. I stocked the refrigerator with gallons of spring water, spent two days cooking my favorite foods and began my quest. On day one the pain was tolerable. By day two I began to appreciate the videos as they took my mind off of the misery I was feeling. Day two would be the last day of sleep for 72 hours. Day three began and the pain, nausea and chills did not end for 36 hours. The pain was beyond anything I have ever experienced. I could hear the loud pounding of my heart between my ears driving me crazy. Through all of this I was able to make the time pass because my mind was engrossed with the journeys and friendship of Xena and Gabrielle. (Although the musical about the battle of the bands had me laughing so hard the headache intensified tenfold, almost killing me.) Day four was Easter Sunday, one of the holiest days of the year. The headache was gone and the urge to take a pill was non existent. Without the videos of your show I would have never been able to get through this difficult time. I cannot think of any other show that has completely captivated me like Xena has and without that secret weapon I would still be taking the pills. The day my pain ended from this terrible ordeal was April 11, 2001 when I took my final pills. My pain is still real but the need for the medication is gone. I suffered side effects like constant nausea, and had to force feed myself just to stay nourished. I have had two hysterical reactions leaving the right side of my body to freeze for five days in this dessert heat. With all of the problems I have not felt so positive about life in five years. For five years every day of my life has been dark, like a cloudy overcast day, never seeing the world around me with clarity. In the last two months I have seen incredible changes to my body. My eyes see the light clearly again. Colors are more brilliant; the sun is brighter than I remember. I sleep at night and wake up at an early hour each morning. And moisture is coming back into my body, a change I had attributed to the dessert climate and old age. Thank you for giving me the instrument that would give me the courage to save my own life and live for today. If it were not for the adventures of Xena, Warrior Princess I would still be in a pain pill daze of darkness and despair crying constant tears of sorrow. Today the constant tears are of joy and although I am still battling fatigue everyday, for the first time in five years I look forward to waking up in the morning instead of praying for nightfall to come and sleep to take me away. Sadly I have missed most of the years during the reign of the Warrior Princess. I have never been to a convention or participated in chat rooms as my existence into the Xenaverse began only six months earlier. But like other fans I truly feel the pain from the series finale. Thank you for such a beautiful show and thank you for showing people around the world that friendship is the greatest love of all. And thank you for reminding me I can do anything in this world I want to do and achieve success.
Sincerely,
Marcy A. Wilks
Goodbye my freinds from Xena, I had been watching Xena from the first time it was on. I have enjoyed all the shows that have been made. I have seen a young girl named Gabrielle grow up to be a strong warrior. Then I have seen Xena grow into a caring person through Gabrielle's help. I have seen their relationship with each other grow in love. They have become soulmates of love. I have always been interested in Greek history, so when Xena and Hercules started to be on tv I got to learn more about this history. I also love the scenery of New Zealand, that is shown in the show. Since I have watched the shows I would love to see where shows were taped in New Zealand someday. Lucy and Renee are fantastic actress,I hope their carriers will go far. I loved the shows so much that I taped them all. This way I can watch them when I want to. I am a big fan the shows I have all 4 kits plus lots of pictures. Thanks for all the wonderful shows. Carol-(wichitawilly@hotmail.com) I wanted to watch the final show before I wrote my tribute.
I had read all the spoilers about what happened at the end and at first I was just as upset as some of the others. The thought of Xena being killed was very sad to me. The thought of Gabrielle being alone was a tough thing.
Well then I finally got to see the show and once again, I was not disappointed. I was not left with the thought that Gabrielle was going to be alone. I was left with the feeling that Xena would always be there, kind of like popping in like the Gods did, LOL.
Thank you for the kiss...pretty hot doncha think? For whatever the reason it was there...thank you...
Why was this show so important to me and how will I miss it?
It was like nothing I had ever seen before and don't we all want a couple of hero's like that?
I loved the fact that you could look at the show in two ways, and yes I am a lesbian, could you tell?
1. If in fact the characters were just friends, how brave to show two women not afraid to love each other so openly, and 2. If they were lovers, well again, how brave to show two women not afraid to love each other so openly.
If I could have had the opportunity to tell Lucy and Renee in person what I thought of them and the show, I would have to say that I appreciate all the long hours and hard work they put into the show.
I appreciated the skimpy outfits in the dead of winter...the looks between the two of them and the love shared...whether as friends or something more. It didn't matter to me, I saw two women who cared about each other and that was all that mattered.
So, thank you for six wonderful seasons. I will miss the show like an old friend. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...
And also, thank you for knowing when to quit, even though I wanted it to go on forever, you stopped before it became something less than enchanting for me.
I will always be a fan of Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor, no matter what they do. I feel they were loyal to me as a fan, and I will be loyal to them as actors.
Battle On Xena! Battle On Gabrielle!
I wanted to watch the final show before I wrote my tribute.
I had read all the spoilers about what happened at the end and at first I was just as upset as some of the others. The thought of Xena being killed was very sad to me. The thought of Gabrielle being alone was a tough thing.
Well then I finally got to see the show and once again, I was not disappointed. I was not left with the thought that Gabrielle was going to be alone. I was left with the feeling that Xena would always be there, kind of like popping in like the Gods did, LOL.
Thank you for the kiss...pretty hot doncha think? For whatever the reason it was there...thank you
Why was this show so important to me and how will I miss it?
It was like nothing I had ever seen before and don't we all want a couple of hero's like that?
I loved the fact that you could look at the show in two ways, and yes I am a lesbian, could you tell?
1. If in fact the characters were just friends, how brave to show two women not afraid to love each other so openly, and 2. If they were lovers, well again, how brave to show two women not afraid to love each other so openly.
If I could have had the opportunity to tell Lucy and Renee in person what I thought of them and the show, I would have to say that I appreciate all the long hours and hard work they put into the show.
I appreciated the skimpy outfits in the dead of winter...the looks between the two of them and the love shared...whether as friends or something more. It didn't matter to me, I saw two women who cared about each other and that was all that mattered.
So, thank you for six wonderful seasons. I will miss the show like an old friend. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...
And also, thank you for knowing when to quit, even though I wanted it to go on forever, you stopped before it became something less than enchanting for me.
I will always be a fan of Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor, no matter what they do. I feel they were loyal to me as a fan, and I will be loyal to them as actors.
Battle On Xena! Battle On Gabrielle!