TV Database Xena: Warrior Princess (1995)

It's been a long road, not going to lie. It feels like just yesterday when I first revisited Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, that nostalgic itch from childhood that led me straight into the world of Xena: Warrior Princess. I wrapped Hercules last January in 2025, and now, here I am, standing at the doorstep of Xena’s final season. End of an era, start of another. Let’s do this.

Much has been said about Xena’s twilight years—specifically how things went a bit... let’s say theologically ambitious starting in season 5. Personally, I didn’t mind the whole biblical detour. There was something fun and grandiose about tossing angels and even God Himself into a Greek mythos soup. But the cracks started to show fast—Chi storylines that felt like a budgeted Star Wars lightshow, dream episodes with Gabrielle as a mermaid (yes, that happened), and an overall dip in quality that couldn’t be denied.

So how does this season 6 premiere hold up? Does it promise smoother sailing for Xena’s final lap? Ehh... not really.

After last season’s apocalyptic god-slaying finale, this episode starts off with Xena repaying a personal debt to Ares, who, in a rare moment of unselfishness, gave up his immortality to save Eve. And while I’ve always enjoyed Ares as a dangerous, morally murky frenemy, he’s become noticeably more pathetic in the Twilight of the Gods era. That said, this episode at least remembers that his feelings for Xena are messy and human in the worst ways. There’s still a bitter little spark between them, even if his swagger’s been dialed way down. Their dynamic here feels like a messy but fitting footnote—especially considering this episode recycles a deleted scene from last season’s finale. Yep, the kiss wasn’t even originally meant for this episode. Still works though.

Then there’s Eve (or as my brain keeps yelling, “I'M LIVIIIIA!”). She gets her own redemption arc now, Xena-style, and... it’s fine. But it really leans hard into that late-‘90s vibe of “forgiveness solves everything,” even when “everything” includes stuff that makes Wanda Maximoff look like a rookie. I’m all for second chances, but Eve’s sins aren’t just abstract philosophical baggage—they’re war crimes that dehumanized the Amazons in a horrific way. I get that Xena sees her own past in Eve, but I’m pretty sure even Xena didn’t do what Livia did. Honestly, the Amazons are 100% justified in wanting blood. Redemption arcs can be powerful when done right, but this one steps over so many moral lines it practically backflips over them.

And then there’s the Furies. Oh boy. Let’s just say there’s a chakram moment that makes a boomerang look like NASA-grade technology. It’s cartoonish even by Xena standards, and that’s saying something. I was waiting for the writers to at least wink at the absurdity, but nope. Straight-faced nonsense.

Fun fact: This episode was penned by Missy Good, a well-known fanfic author in the Xena fandom who got the rare chance to write for the actual show. And you can feel it—not just in the freewheeling tone and loose plotting, but in the spicy little beats between Xena and Ares. Honestly, I don’t mind that part. It’s fan servicey, but hey, at least it’s entertaining.

Overall, it’s a watchable opener with some decent character moments and nostalgia-soaked charm. But the loose threads and baffling logic are hard to ignore. If this is the tone we’re kicking off with, it’s clear this final ride is gonna be bumpy. Hold onto your chakrams.

Gabriel: "Son of perdition. Little horn! Most unclean!"
Satan: "I do miss the old names."

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When the whole Twilight of the Gods saga wrapped up last season — with Xena steamrolling the Greek pantheon like she was Michael Corleone settling family business — I honestly didn’t expect to hear much more from the Judeo-Christian side of the Xenaverse anytime soon. And yet, here we are, knee-deep in literal King of Hell territory. Not Greek Underworld business. Not the Elysian Fields. We’re talking actual, fire-and-brimstone Hell... minus most of the fire and brimstone, because, well, TV budget.

Instead of grand infernos, Hell in Xena looks suspiciously like your average rocky Greek cavern set-piece with a few smoke machines working overtime. And Mephistopheles himself (not to be confused with Lucifer, who is apparently a whole separate problem in this universe) is less “ancient evil” and more “gym bro who lost a bet.” He’s basically a guy in a rubber goat mask and some discount body armor. Honestly, the Djinn from Wishmaster was more nightmare fuel than this dude. When Xena finally throws down with him, it’s so gloriously campy that I swear I heard "MORTAL KOMBAAAAT!" screaming in my head. All it needed was a “Finish Him!” flashing in the corner. Not exactly prime evil material — even a low-tier Doom demon would've eaten this guy for breakfast.

That said, the haunted house vibe the episode leans into? Chef’s kiss. The Exorcist influences are strong with this one, and it pulls off some creatively twisted demonic set-pieces. Bloody showers, maggot feasts, creepy possession moments — it’s got all the Sam Raimi hallmarks. I wouldn't be shocked if he had a hand in the direction because it practically screams Evil Dead at points. There's also an absolutely ridiculous moment where Xena rolls around with a stark-naked Gabrielle and somehow, thanks to the magic of family-friendly TV, a perfectly positioned blanket gets involved. It’s so dumb it’s almost admirable.

With the stakes dialed up to "fighting the literal forces of Hell," it does feel like Xena's tipping into Doom Slayer territory at times ("You cannot kill every demon from Hell!", Gabrielle deadpans to Xena, in the exact kind of exasperated tone you save for when your best friend is picking fistfights with the apocalypse). Honestly, it's the kind of mythology escalation I wanted from the Hercules/Xenaverse — gods, monsters, heaven, hell, all smashed together into a big mythological blender. Sure, the execution’s a little clunky thanks to the limits of early 2000s TV effects, but the ambition is there, and it’s hard not to respect the sheer audacity of it.

Looking ahead, though, next week's promo ("Heart of Darkness") looks like it might be dipping even further into the cheesy side of the pool — and not necessarily the good kind of cheesy. Fingers crossed it keeps leaning into the fun chaos rather than just the cheap chaos.