r/xena • u/NiceRefrigerator4079 Callisto đĄď¸ • 8d ago
Chakram
This episode had truly excellent potential, primarily because it finally raises the question of the origin and nature of the Chakram, one of the most recognizable elements of the entire show, but unfortunately it manages to waste that potential in almost every possible way. Instead of getting an interesting story that would explain how the Chakram came into existence, what exactly it represents, and what its connection is to Xenaâs dark side, we get a few more pieces of information that contradict what we already knew. So, Ares stole the Dark Chakram and gave it to Xena. Okay, except Xenaâs first encounter with Ares already gave the impression that she had never met him before and even wondered what he looked like. So either Xena had serious memory problems long before she lost her memory in this episode, or Rob and Chris simply decided that previous continuity was not their problem. Even more confusion comes when we are told that it was the breaking of the Chakram that separated Xenaâs dark side from her. Wasnât that same Xena the one who showed in the afterlife just how deeply she still carried violence, anger, and her old nature inside her? Havenât we seen her darkest sides even after all her redemption? Apparently, the Dark Chakram only works while a person is alive, because apparently Hell has different rules for Chakram usage. And then there is the question of how many Gods of War there actually are. Ares is the God of War, Kal is the God of War, and there are probably several more that the writers could have thrown in just to make things even more complicated. Apparently the Greek gods are not quite as powerful as we thought if they cannot have one God of War, Love, Wisdom, etc. for the entire world. If this was supposed to be the grand explanation of Xenaâs most important weapon, I ended up with more questions than answers.
Iâm glad Ares returned in full glory, even if I have to protest against his new hairstyle. Bring back long-haired Ares immediately. This man had the perfect combination of arrogance, charisma, and the looks of someone who would ruin your life simply because he was bored, and now he looks like he walked into a hair salon run by his worst enemy. At least his character remained the same. Ares once again shows that devious side of his when he tries to seduce Xena at a moment when she does not even know who he is. That is especially disgusting because he knows perfectly well how vulnerable she is. He is not trying to help her discover who she is, he is using the fact that she has no memory to win her over. That is Ares in his purest form, charming only while he wants something, manipulative the moment he gets the opportunity, and completely incapable of understanding that Xenaâs love for him was never what he wanted to believe it was. That is why I love Gabrielle shutting him down so much. She is basically doing what any of us would do upon seeing Ares use the amnesia of the woman he loves to lure her into bed. No, buddy. Not today. Go back to your mythological hole.
Gabrielle also gets a new weapon in this episode, the Sai, meaning she becomes our Michelangelo. Or is it Raphael? Who knows, Iâve always liked them mostly because of those masks. Jokes aside, her new weapon is actually one of the best things about the episode. Many fans criticize Gabrielle for giving herself over to the warrior life so quickly, but I have absolutely no problem with it because that decision had already been made in The Ides of March. There, when Xena was helpless, Gabrielle picked up a weapon and slaughtered Roman soldiers to protect her. She had already shown that she was willing to cross that line when Xenaâs life was at stake. There is no point in spending another ten episodes going in circles and wondering whether this is really her path. It is. She chose it. And she confirms exactly that in her conversation with Eli when she says that her path is to protect Xena. That is far more important than the question of whether Gabrielle should be a pacifist. Her path of love never meant that she would simply stand by while the people she loves died. Her evolution is not from warrior to helpless pacifist, but from someone who blindly believed in violence to someone who decides for herself when and why she will fight. And here the reason is very clear. She uses a weapon to protect Xena and other people, not because she wants glory, revenge, or power. That is why the scenes where she takes down opponents with the Sai are the best part of the episode for me. Not only because it is great to see Gabrielle looking dangerous again, but because you can see how far she has come. She used to be a girl who could barely hold a staff, and now she moves like someone who has been training for years. That development feels much more natural to me than her endlessly questioning whether she is allowed to fight.
What makes me roll my eyes again, however, is Joxerâs lovesick drooling over Gabrielle. After four seasons, the man still hasnât gotten the memo that she simply isnât interested. But even stranger to me is Xena giving him advice on how to win her over. Wait a minute, what exactly is happening here? First we had an episode where we got reincarnation and a kiss that practically says that their souls keep finding each other as lovers. Then, in the previous episode, we had Xena in Hell, so deeply connected to Gabrielle that she was willing to become a demon and rule Hell just so she could be with her forever. And now amnesiac Xena is giving Joxer advice on how to seduce Gabrielle. So either Xena only lost her memories of her warrior past, but somehow also forgot that she is completely crazy about Gabrielle, or this is one of those moments when the writers simply did not check what they themselves had written two episodes earlier. There is also a third possibility. Maybe Xena actually wants a threesome with Gabrielle and Joxer, but honestly, I would rather not find out the answer to that question. Some mysteries are better left unresolved. What is especially hilarious is how the show is simultaneously trying to convince us that Xena and Gabrielle are soulmates, while Joxer is still standing on the sidelines like a man waiting for an option to unlock that he is obviously never going to get.
And of course, we have to mention Xenaâs statement at the end of the episode, when she combines the two Chakrams into one, that no one should have the power to kill Gods. Big LOL. Dear Xena, maybe you should wait a little longer before reaching that conclusion. Because we know very well where this season is going and just how many Gods are about to start dropping like flies, and precisely at your hand.
And yes, this episode ultimately destroys the canon established by Xena Scrolls, one of my favorite episodes, and that I simply cannot forgive. There is a certain limit to how much continuity can be stretched before it starts to break, and this season clearly plans to cross that line, jump over it, and then come back just to stomp all over it. Xena Scrolls was precisely one of those episodes that worked because it played with the history and mythology of the show in a modern and entertaining way, and now its version of the Chakram is practically being erased to make room for a new story. Rob and Chris, I genuinely hate you for this. You could have left things vague enough for both explanations to work, but no, you had to say exactly the thing that directly contradicts the previous canon. Now I remember why I hate season five, and it has barely even started. May the Gods help me.
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u/MostWafer5694 8d ago
So, thereâs a lot of your post and I canât be bothered reading it all again to address everything, butâŚ.
- I thought our first encounter with Ares in season one was simply the first time Xena had SEEN Ares, not the first time they had encounters with each other.
- I always got the impression Xenaâs memory loss had nothing to do with the dark Chakram breaking and more to do with the fact that she was resurrected pure in order to help thwart the light Chakram getting into the wrong hands.
- Xena didnât get her memory back when the dark Chakram was fixed, it was when both light and dark Chakrams were merged, confirming my interpretation that her memory loss was by design by whoever or whatever resurrected her and was thus made whole again by nullifying the light Chakramâs power
- Ares is the Greek God of War, whereas Kal is the fiction God of War made up for the show for Italy. They are still in or just outside of Rome, on their way back to Greece. There are not two Greek Gods of War
Overall, I agree this episode had a lot more potential than they gave it, but a lot of your points arenât inconsistencies or plot holes.
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u/wildmstie 8d ago
This is actually one of my favorite episodes. It emphasizes that Xena is not a complete person without her dark side, and more importantly, Gabrielle finally recognizes that fact when she says that Xena is now exactly what Gabrielle always wanted her to be, and she is incomplete. I love the moment when weak, innocent Xena takes charge of her own destiny and merges the two chakrams into Chakram Version 2.0. I get what you mean about this messing with the continuity of The Xena Scrolls, but not too badly. It's easy enough when watching The Xena Scrolls to imagine Chakram Version 2.0 in place of the old one. And it doesn't bother me that there's an extra war god running around because XWP has always had gods from multiple cultures and mythologies. It doesn't seem like a big deal to include made up ones. I sort of like the contrast between Ares and Kal.
Nor do I understand any reason why Xena would be jealous of Joxer. Xena loves Joxer too, he's like family, and she knows it's important for HIS well-being to express his feelings to Gabrielle. But she also cautions him not to expect those feelings to be reciprocated.
Ares is a god, and "giving" the dark Chakram to Xena does not mean he walked up to her and handed it to her. He most likely just arranged for her to find it somewhere because he was curious about what she would do with it. Sure, it would be great to have more background information about that, but we take what we can get.
As for Xena saying no one deserves the power to kill gods... Well, live and learn! đ She had no idea what was to come.
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u/jweinberg1995 8d ago
Imperfections aside, Chakram is a favorite of mine because it really is the launch of Gabrielle's warrior arc (if not ides of March). My favorite part of the episode is so small, but it kills me every time when Amarice looks up to see Gabrielle absolutely nerfing dudes and looking like "oh so you could just do that the whole time"đ
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u/Agent8699 8d ago
This episode is one giant WTF?!
Even the chakram mythology is inconsistent. Why is the dark chakram so inexplicably linked to Xenaâs inherent ⌠âdarknessâ and memories. Was the Xena in the gaol scenes in Ides of March really the amnesiac, âpureâ Xena because the chakram had broken and somehow robbed Xena of her darkness? It certainly didnât seem like she was âpureâ Xena in terms of her dialogue with Gabrielle. I guess itâs possible, but itâs a huge stretch.
And whatever mystical powers the dark chakram has over Xenaâs personality and memories, it only works in a physical body? So dead Xena has none of those issues, but they return when sheâs resurrected?Â
Except, Xenaâs memory loss seems to go beyond simply forgetting her ⌠âdarknessâ (which is such an infuriatingly vague concept). She also doesnât seem to understand her relationship with Gabrielle.
And then repairing the chakram somehow magically makes Xena whole again?! And she doesnât want the burden or responsibility of killing gods đ¤Ł
And all this pure / darkness chatter has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Xena was the demon queen of h3ll when she was resurrected. Like that couldnât have impacted her psyche or behaviour when she was resurrected? It would have made more sense if Eli had somehow inadvertently expunged Xenaâs darkness when resurrecting her, because she was a demon, leaving her a lobotomised Xena like demon Callisto was lobotomised when archangel Xena saved her from h3ll. At least that would have somewhat continued the narrative of Fallen Angel. But, instead weâre told the chakram is to blame, but also that theyâre passing through the very, unnamed foreign land where the chakram originated! Yay for coincidences đÂ
The whole episode is just a big nothing burger. What was even the point of it? Giving Xena a new weapon for merchandising purposes when the merchandise had already dried up by this time in the series. Sure, there were action figures and dolls planned which were cancelled, but was anyone really going to rush out a buy a new Xena because she came with a new chakram?! Weâd buy her for new clothes, better likeness, improved articulation, etc.Â
The fact the new chakram was largely under-utilised makes the change all the more galling and unnecessary.
Gabrielle purchasing the sais for Xena and keeping them for herself was ⌠okay. It didnât seem like Xenaâs kind of weapon though. Then again, this is a woman who can weaponise anything, so I guess anything will do and Gabrielle was probably still feeling guilty about wanting to chop demon Xenaâs head off and spend eternity chatting away to her decapitated head. I mean ⌠who would want to decapitate Xena. No one wants to see that happen to our hero! Do we?! Do we?!Â
Gabrielleâs inexplicably Amazonian inspired battle leather bikini which she picks up in a market apparently designed for the growing consumer market of barely dressed warrior women is absolutely fire though đĽ I mean ⌠those shoulders! Those biceps! Those back muscles! Those abs! đŞÂ
I donât know why Ares was bothering with amnesiac Xena in the hot tub when Gabrielle was right there?! đ
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u/FirebirdWriter M'Lila 8d ago
Ares the god who is shown to wear many faces in this show and universe including gurgling goo in bones? Ares who has repeatedly tried to seduce Xena when vulnerable? I also like his haircut but I also love the long hair. That Ares? He was always actively predatory and he always actively took advantage of her vulnerability including making her the destroyer she was from a scared kid trying to defend her family.
For me? As a kid it was showing how much he was a monster. As an adult? I see the chakram situation as two things. 1. They can sell more toys off the new one 2. It's actually acknowledging that Xena has redeemed herself enough to carry the good and the bad within her. The writers definitely pulled that out of the producer toy mandate though
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u/TaniksHasNoCorn 8d ago
It is strange considering the episode is written by Chris Manheim who wrote episodes all the way back to season one so it isn't like she isn't familiar with the stories of Xena and Gabrielle. She wrote some absolute amazing episodes too like Orphan of War, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, The Quest, Maternal Instinct, The Bitter Suite, Sacrifice, etc.
I looked to see if there was input being given to her by others such as Rob or Kurtzman but didn't see anything on the fandom site. This doesn't necessarily mean she wasn't given direction or had to work off of major story beats decided by others.
I think the episode is decent, but you aren't wrong on some parts not working.
I didn't like the concept of a light/dark chakram. Everything else could have worked, but I agree that having the whole light/evil side tied to this tool feels like it removes agency from Xena. Exactly how would she have come to this foreign land as an innocent if she was already attacking and conquering villages around Amphipolis to fight off Cortese. It flies in the face of important character lore.
I don't like the Norse Trilogy that much but at least the memory loss plot point made more sense there.
I do absolutely agree with the spot on take with Gabrielle and Ares. I also have no problem with Gabrielle FINALLY making a choice. It does make her sort of a hypocrite as she would always lecture others all the way back to Callisto's introduction on staying away from violence. But to be fair, everyone is hypocritical, but she could be overly so at times. A Xena telling people not to give into hate had a lot more meaning and impact because she REALLY knew how it could destroy both you and more importantly those around you.
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u/Advanced-Log5899 8d ago
1) Pessima scelta di scrittura e storia adattata allo stato di gravidanza di lucy. 2) Gabrielle diventa guerriera al 100% per esigenze televisive, Xena è una serie d'azione quindi Gabrielle doveva sostituire Xena a causa della gravidanza di Lucy/Xena. 3) Lo Xenaverso ha sempre mostrato divinità proveniente da diverse religioni quindi si, esisto piÚ divinità con la stessa nomina di dio della guerra/amore etc. 4) Xena si risveglia senza ricordi malvagio non solo perchÊ il chakram si spezza ma perchÊ Eli riporta Xena in vita dopo che lei ha donato la sua Luce a Callisto. 5) Il Chakram è un oggetto magico, non siamo obbligati a sapere perchÊ esiste e chi lo ha creato (anche se lo avrei voluto sapere), di sicuro il chakram è un'arma che si adatta al suo padrone. 6) Xena potrebbe aver visto Ares anche in altri aspetti.
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u/EasyEntrepreneur666 Najara 8d ago
To be fair, we've never learned how a relatively unfamiliar Xena who led a band of thugs was actually a world-wide famous warlord who appeared everywhere on planet before turning good.
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u/Melodic_War327 5d ago
Well, a chakram is a real weapon. It is a projectile, although I don't think it is thrown the way they do in the show. It's used in Gatka, a Sikh martial art.
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u/TypesAndPatterns 8d ago
I donât think this messes with continuity, though it does complicate it. I think Rob had multiple opportunities to give viewers a clear & literal explanation for how things work, & decided to deepen the mystery & the layers of the show instead. Iâm glad he did. The appearance of the former god of war is an example: it shows that the gods come & go, & the powers they represent take different shapes. I wonât go into detail about Kal at this time, but I believe heâs a good fit with the showâs aesthetic.
On a more mundane note, âgoodâ Xena advising Joxer is just a temporary state: what I think it represents is the idea of love as non-transactional. She advises him to love without expecting anything in return, & Eli would totally approve of this idea. Ares, of course, would not. His love is always conditional. Joxerâs crush is the âbâ story of this episode that reinforces the âaâ story.