Season 3: The Rift

While the previous two years established character and setting the third set about irrevocably altering the status quo -- to the delight and dismay of fans around the world. Indeed, I doubt that any season of the show is as controversial in fan circles. All of the complaints lodged in the succeeding three years can ultimately be laid at the feet of season three's pivotal story arc -- the Rift.

Xena entered season three as one of the highest rated first-run programs in syndication. The popular media began paying attention to this "cult classic" -- perhaps the most influential science fiction or fantasy series since Star Trek. Legions of viewers began tuning in to see what all the fuss was about.

The first few episodes were nothing remarkable -- The Furies raised some speculation about Xena's relationship to Ares, and Been There, Done That provided an amusing chance for several different fantasies to play out (Joxer's death being one of the more popular). The Dirty Half-Dozen seemed to establish that the third season would continue in the same vein as the previous two.

All of that changed in The Deliverer. Caesar returns to the series, and Xena (with Gabrielle in tow) is lured to Britannia to try and stop his plans for global conquest. What seems to be an excellent -- if typical -- episode is turned on its ear when the "B-plot" introducing a Christian-sounding cult steps forward; it shatters Gabrielle's blood innocence (first referred to all the way back in Dreamworker), leaves both Xena and Gabrielle emotionally shattered, and introduces Dahak, who would be a thorn in the sides of both Xena and Hercules for the next year and a half.

The assault on Gabrielle (referred to by many -- perhaps appropriately -- as rape) shocked many fans. It began rumblings that continue today in some circles; in the Gabfan camp especially, many mark this episode as the beginning of the end for the bard.

I personally find the wrap-up of this episode a bit too pat to give it high marks - it essentially dissolves into a stereotypical monster-bash more suited to Hercules. It deserves mention because I feel it marks the turning point of the series from the episodic fare of the previous years to a more arc-oriented style that continued right up until the end.

The saga picked right up the next week with Gabrielle's Hope, which dealt with some of the consequences of Gabrielle's actions. It turns out that she is pregnant with Dahak's child -- and while many of the signs point to the child's dark fate (including an incredibly over-the-top birth segment complete with bleating goats and solar eclipse) Gabrielle retains her faith in the goodness of humanity -- to the point where she deceives her best friend and entrusts Hope to the great wide world.

In many ways, Gabrielle's Hope marks the beginning of an arc that wouldn't end until the fifth season. Gabrielle's naïveté and choice here presage the crisis of faith she would face in the fourth season, and the eventual acceptance of her role as a hero.

This episode contains some humor -- perhaps as an attempt to balance the darkness that bathes these two episodes. Gabrielle's feast in the tavern is an enjoyable moment, and Xena's appraisal of the sword in the stone (which she easily draws) gives both viewers and knights pause. In the end, however, the humor feels a bit forced and this episode in some ways marks the beginning of the line between the serious, arc-advancing stories and the lighter, episodic fare.

The darkness continues in the beautiful two-part epic The Debt. Xena travels to Chin to repay a debt, and we are treated too our real first look at the infamous "Destroyer of Nations" -- as well as one of the most influential people in her life.

This episode is perhaps one of the most universally accepted among fans of the show. Written and filmed with a true epic scope, the two parts meld into a seamless whole that hasn't been matched at any other point in the series. The supporting characters we are introduced to here leave indelible marks on the show. Jacqueline Kim (whose only appearance on Xena is in this episode) consistently rates as one of the favorite "girlfriends" of our warrior princess.

After this emotionally charged story line, the powers that be follow up with a trio of comedies that many fans (at least, at the time) felt were among the lowest points of the series. All of them feature duplicates in one way or another -- Joxer's brother Jett in King of Assassins, Xena look-alikes Meg and Leah in Warrior, Priestess, Tramp, and the naked, go-go dancing Gabrielles in The Quill is Mightier.

Personally, I have a soft spot in my heart for these episodes. They all highlight the range of talent the regulars on the show possess, and the third revisits the amusing scenario of "Olympians without their godhood" (first introduced in Ten Little Warlords). Alexandra Tydings -- who was amusing in A Comedy of Eros, turns in a wonderful performance here.

When stacked up against the intense drama of this season, these episodes come up a little short, but the interlude served a useful purpose -- it allowed the viewers to catch their breaths before the next major earthquake in the Xenaverse. Indeed, this tradition would continue for the next several years; light comedies would break up the emotional intensity of the major story lines.

Then came Maternal Instincts.

In what is probably one of the most emotional hours in the entire third season, our heroines are put through a wringer. Hope returns and frees Callisto. Gabrielle hides Hope's identity from Xena and -- unwittingly -- causes the death of Solan (just as Xena has decided to let him tag along on their travels). Gabrielle adds more blood to her hands when she poisons Hope, and almost commits suicide afterward.

The final sequence of this episode, where Xena and Gabrielle walk off in opposite directions, is still one of the most powerful scenes in the series (and incidentally, the moment I sat up and really took notice of this show). If people thought the rift was opened and shut during The Debt, they hadn't seen anything yet.

Following Maternal Instincts came the surprising musical episode, The Bitter Suite. Picking up where the last episode left off, Xena tries to kill Gabrielle and the two of them wind up in the Alice-in-Wonderland style fantasy realm of Illusia. Accusations and recriminations fly as the duo works out their problems in an episode that often ranks as a fan favorite.

The most controversial part of the season was present in this episode as well -- the so-called "Gabdrag". In her murderous rage, Xena drags Gabrielle behind a horse for what feels like several miles, and Gabrielle's looks to be on death's door at the end of it. (The horse was not, as some fans believed, the steadfast Argo.)

This single event started a feeling in some circles that the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle mirrored that of modern-day abusive relationships. Xena would hurt Gabrielle physically or emotionally, and the bard would remain with her friend. Some fans accused the producers of being insensitive to the issue of domestic violence. This was an issue that would continue for some time -- becoming especially prevalent during the fourth season.

The next episode, One Against An Army did much to reassure fans that, despite the damage done during the rift, the relationship was back on some sort of even keel. Indeed, this episode ranks highly with many fans because of the touching moments between Xena and Gabrielle, as the bard lies dying from a poisoned arrow wound.

The next couple of episodes are a return to lighter fare -- though the beating Joxer suffered in King Con once again raised the question, "Are the producers going a little bit overboard in their depiction of violence?" Prior to that episode, Joxer was like Wile E. Coyote -- despite the physical trauma, he bounces right back up with nary a mark.

The darkness returns in the excellent When in Rome. Xena and Caesar get their long-overdue rematch, and Gabrielle is faced with a serious moral dilemma. Taken by itself this episode is a wonderful piece of drama, but coupled with the events of the rift, it (along with the first weeks of season four) lays the groundwork for Gabrielle's spiritual quest the next year.

The clip show, Forget Me Not resolves a question that had been bothering fans since The Debt. Just how did Gabrielle get to Chin before Xena? The revelation that she let Ares whisk her there struck many fans as a cop-out (especially given the jealously motive the producers present). Personally, I think that given the trauma in Britannia, Gabrielle was a little bit open to the temptations of Ares.

Aside from this revelation (which sets up a thorny dilemma in the season ender), this episode isn't particularly good. The subplot of Joxer trying to rewrite the blank slate of amnesiac Gabrielle is amusing, and ultimately provides some insight into his inherent nobility. Still, when compared to more creative clip shows (like The Xena Scrolls or season six's Send In The Clones) this one comes up a little bit short.

The next three comedies (leading up to the season finale) are even more forgettable. It isn't really surprising that given the heightened drama of the rift the light fare shows up on many "lame lists" put together by fans. In fact, I suspect that the overall rating of Season 3's comedies (in terms of fan opinion) is the lowest of any season.

Despite the presence of Bruce Campbell's eminently watchable Autolycus, both Tsunami and Vanishing Act are bland. Fins, Femmes, and Gems, while it does contain some funny moments, feels like something dashed off to fill an empty slot.

Fortunately, the season finale, Sacrifice ended the season on a high note. The two parts are a little disjointed (the result of different writers for each half), but the dramatic tension here is slowly turned up. Ares calls in his favor from Gabrielle. Callisto protects the larval Hope. Xena wonders if Gabrielle can be trusted when it comes to her daughter. This is coupled with some truly surprising moments; Hope emerges from her cocoon to reveal that she looks just like her mother, Gabrielle plunges into the fiery abyss, and Callisto dies at the hand of the Warrior Princess. These and other moments left fans teetering on the edge of an abyss themselves, wondering what was going to happen next.

All in all, the season was a roller coaster ride of emotion. From the first rumblings of the rift to the anguished closing moments of Sacrifice the third season set a new standard for the show. While many fans felt the show took a turn for the worse in the third season (pointing to the increasingly graphic violence, inane comedy, and overarching plot threads as their primary evidence), I personally believe that the show took incredible risks.

Xena had spent two seasons establishing a standard formula, and went about "breaking all the rules" during the third season. Rarely does a sophomore show attempt such a bold maneuver -- and rarely does such a maneuver succeed. Rather than use cheap stunts to draw in viewers, the Rift and the drama surrounding it added even greater depth to the series. While many critics had looked at the first couple of seasons as camp action adventure in the Hercules vein, Rob Tapert and the rest of the Renaissance Pictures staff showed that Xena could stand on its own merits as a serious drama -- if one that never took itself too seriously.

I don't think that the third season is the best, but I do think that without the upheaval of season three the show would not be the gem it is today. Love it or loathe it, its influence on the Xena: Warrior Princess of today cannot be denied.

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