Tag: xena

Sometimes we all need a little moment of joy.  

Vivian Darkbloom was the name of a Xena fan fiction writer back in the day and she was probably one of the more brilliant, original writers out there (her Mel and Janice stories are some of the best and earliest examples of epic AU writing, and her ‘trailer trash’ series is still hilarious).  Here’s a Whoosh article on her contribution to what was then called ‘uber’ fiction in Xena.  

Her Xenafiction.net page is still available with links to her stories, all of which I can recommend (even if you’re not familiar with Xena, you’re probably familiar with the tropes associated with her and you’ll certainly find something to connect with).  

I’m very pleased that she’s still around, still writing and has even posted one of her classic Xena stories, ‘Infamia’ on AO3.  I do hope she chooses to upload more of her Xena fiction so it can be easily found by a new audience, whom I know will love it all.  

Do give her a follow, support and read.  

lotrfansaredorcs:

One overlooked thing that really sets the Lord of the Rings films apart from other franchises is how earnest they are-

Most movies are so afraid of being “cheesy” that whenever they say something like “friendship is the most powerful force in the world” they quickly undercut it with a joke to show We Don’t Really Believe That! 😉  Even Disney films nowadays have the characters mock their own movie’s tropes (”if you start singing, I’m gonna throw up!”) It’s like winking at the camera: “See, audience? We know this is ridiculous! We’re in on the joke!”

But Lord of the Rings is just 12.5 hours of friendship and love being the most powerful forces in the world, played straight. Characters have conversations about how much their home and family and friends mean to them, how hope is eternal, how there is so much in the world that’s worth living for…. and the film doesn’t apologize for that. There’s no winking at the audience about How Cheesy and Silly All This Is; it’s just. Completely in earnest.

And when Lord of the Rings does “lean on the fourth wall” to talk about storytelling within the film, it’s never to make jokes about How Ridiculous These Storytelling Tropes are (the way most films do)…. but instead to talk about how valuable these stories can be. Like Sam’s Speech at the end of the Two Towers: the greatest stories are ones that give you something to believe in, give you hope, that help you see there are things in a bleak violent world that are worth living for

All of this could be said for Xena: Warrior Princess (also filmed by New Zealanders in NZ with nary a jaded soul in sight). Late 90s/early 00′s film/telly was the last of its kind. 

And no one seems in a hurry to bring it back.

Why has no one drawn tribute OTPs for Xena and Gabrielle?

Like

  • Root and Shaw (Shoot) as Xena and Gabrielle (Xena is the short, grumpy one this time).  
  • Clarke and Lexa (should be obvious – extra points if they’re portrayed as Mel and Janice).
  • Delphine and Cosima (Xena is tall and blonde and speaks flawless French, old Xenites will understand a perpetually high Cosima as Gabrielle).
  • Waverly and Nicole (also painfully obvious who is who). 

Any more? 

Wouldn’t it be fun to see a revival/reboot that featured various Xena and Gabrielle reincarnations with these actors?  Someone make it so.

It’s 2018 and there’s no new Xena on the horizon, but be glad all those 80s American programmes about self-involved heterosexuals are coming back, though not one single person asked for them.  

Xena fans have been campaigning for nearly 20 years.  

Can’t think of a single reason why this wildly popular, queer female hero hasn’t been brought back.

Oh. Wait.