While I agree that the episode was lacking, the fact that you put the blame on the victim here is outrageous.
Gabrielle was raped and impregnated by a demon god. After which Xena tried to murder her partners infant child, forcing Gabrielle to send Hope away. Let me repeat Xena was hades bent on committing infanticide of her partners child on some rather flimsy pretext. This is especially galling considering the treatment given to Eve/Livia in Season 5/6. Another supernatural child with a vague prophecy of doom surrounding her.
I\'m afraid this comes off as classic Gabhatedom as exhibited by Shippers back in the day.
Then Xena abandons Gabrielle, at time when she is obviously still suffering the after effects of this trauma, to answer the call of vengeance from a dead woman who she apparently has given little thought to these past ten winters.
Accidentally hit post before I was done and for some reason it wouldn\'t let me edit. How embarrassing.
My revised reply. ;-)
While I agree that the episode was lacking, the fact that you put the blame on the victim here is outrageous.
Gabrielle was raped and impregnated by a demon god. After which Xena tried to murder her partners infant child, forcing Gabrielle to send Hope away. Let me repeat Xena was hades bent on committing infanticide of her partners child on some rather flimsy pretext. This is especially galling considering the treatment given to Eve/Livia in Season 5/6. Another supernatural child with a vague prophecy of doom surrounding her.
Then Xena abandons Gabrielle, at time when she is obviously still suffering the after effects of this trauma, to answer the call of vengeance from a dead woman who she apparently has given little thought to these past ten winters.
And I guess you\'ve forgotten about the whole Gabdrag which could be considered tortureporn.
There is more than enough reason for Xena to be apologizing here. In fact the question is should Gabrielle have so easily accepted her apology.
You\'re focusing on Gabrielle as the villain of this piece, well, I\'m afraid that it comes off as classic Gabhatedom as exhibited by Shippers back in the day.
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Season 3 Episode 12: "The Bitter Suite"... Aptly named.
In this musical episode, Xena and Gabrielle confront one another and they find redemption through song. The idea, conceptualization, music and production values were all excellent, so what could I have a problem with? The hypocrisy.
I thought this episode would be about Xena learning to deal with her hate and anger - long-term issues for her - and to forgive Gabrielle. Or maybe about both learning to deal with their inner pain. But Gabrielle has to deal with her hate for Xena?...Why? What for? For taking her to Brittannia - which Gabrielle chose to go to of her own free will - and then not babysitting her while she goes off with people they both trusted somewhere both thought was safe? So it's Xena's fault for everything with Daehak? Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. I concede blame where blame is due, but making Gabrielle blame Xena for not only her own past mistakes but having to deal with the consequences of those mistakes just stinks of hypocrisy and petulant whining. I was pretty thoroughly disgusted. Gabrielle's petulant 2-D hatred and accusations being put on the same level as Xena's just trivialised Xena's own deep-seated suffering and hatred, making what has been a real issue for her seem as stupid and silly as Gabrielle's.
Instead of a deep diatribe on the complex issues of hate, Gabrielle's own laughable blaming of Xena and the writers' handling of it made the entire episode seem childish and utterly idiotic. Oh yes, don't work through your issues by listening to each others' grievances and talking them out, just sing that you forgive without any acknowledgement of the guilt or discussion of the issues. What should have been a touching reconciliation basically looks like the writers ran out of ideas. I more sympathised with Xena after the prior episode, but I still thought that what Gabrielle went through was horrendous... now my sympathy for her is gone completely and I'm seriously wishing Xena would go dark side and behead her just to shut her up.
The fact that XENA of all people sung the "yes, I lied, please forgive me" song had me screaming in anger and vivid hatred at the episode writers. Not ONCE did I hear Gabrielle offer any apology for what she did to Xena and XENA is the one who is apologizing. Well, in one episode I went to hating at the very least the episode writers, which is just wonderfully ironic.