Reviews (89)

Finnaly a Good Action Serie
This cool action mythologie girl serie comes in DVD on april 29. sister show of HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS who also will be on DVD on JUNE 3. Lucy Lawless is wonderful ,she has a real sword style and circle that no one else does. The First season includes :

1-Sins of the Past
2-Chariots of War
3-Dreamworker
4-Cradle of Hope
5-The Path Not Taken
6-The Reckoning
7-The Titans
8-Prometheus
9-Death in Chains
10-Hooves & Harlots
11-The Black Wolf
12-Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts
13-Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards
14-A Fistful of Dinars
15-Warrior...Princess
16-Mortal Beloved
17-The Royal Couple of Thieves
18-The Prodigal
19-Altared States
20-Ties That Bind
21-The Greater Good
22-Callisto
23-Death Mask
24-Is There a Doctor in the House?

I can wait too have this one. CAN YOU ???...

FINALLY XENA! But...
I agree with the other reviewers. It is great to be able to enjoy Xena's First Season and Lucy Lawless in all her glory! The first season finds the series still looking for an overall look and a direction, and you will have to wait for Season Three and Further Seasons for truly mythological storytelling and pathos.

My only complaint is ,of course, the total lack of special features of this Anchor Bay DVD edition. IT lacks alternate comment sound tracks, or documentaries, etc. One MAJOR miss is that NONE of the episodes are close-captioned (this is strange because when they were originally broadcast, they were...!). Maybe Anchor Bay will correct this in future Xena seasons'DVD releases. The lack of extras and the lack of close-captioning is the only two reasons why I adjudicated 3 out of 5 stars to this DVD.

I did not experience any noticeable graininess or blurring when playing my DVD's on my Sony DVD player and viewing it on my Sony 32" TV (not a new one, I might add). I have not tried watching the DVD's on my computer, but it has been my experience that DVDs do not play back with the same quality on DVD-enabled computers.

I still recommend XENA SEASON ONE DVD to all Xena enthusiasts.

Xena Rocks
Xena season one is amazing. It is here that we see how the Warrior Princess begins her adventures with her sexy little sidekick Gabrielle. This is classic Xena all the way, plus we are introduced to our favorites: Ephiny and the Amazons, Salmoneous, Lila, Cyrene, Draco, Autolycus (Bruce 'Evil Dead' Campbell), Ares, Hades, Princess Diana, Joxer and every Xenafan's favorite CALLISTO? There is also a cameo by Hercules and Iolaus for Hercfans.

Previously this season of Xena could only be ordered from a webpage as seen on tv. To my understanding this collection is not remastered, and does not include DVD extras such as deleted scenes or commentaries. The good new, for those that can wait a couple more months, another mastered version with DVD extras is soon to be released.

For those fans that must have this season now, order it here, it is about 30 dollars less than what it is offered in the commercials, but if you could relax for a month or two I suggest you get the vamped version.

Greatest Series of all time comes to dvd
Enjoyed every minute of watching my two favorite actress show after show in dvd quality. The only down side is not enough extra's.

A 5-star show; too bad the DVD collection's overpriced
"In a time of ancient gods, warlords, and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero. She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle. The power. The passion. The danger. Her courage will change the world."

If you don't recognize the above, you've been in a distant land since at least 1995, and this review isn't really for you. But you should buy this collection immediately, because you're in for an entirely novel treat.

Xena: Warrior Princess is a spin-off series from "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys", which followed 5 "Action Pack" (don't ask) Hercules movies. The Hercules and Xena stories are revisionist tales of antiquity. Most of the names are right ("Hercules" instead of "Herakles", and the Roman "Cupid" instead of Greek "Eros" are notable exceptions), but anachronisms abound. We first see Xena sitting on her horse, complete with stirrups (1000 years before their invention) and saddle horn (2000 years early). Xena's sword is bronze, but steel implements abound in an era when Indian Wootz steel was a commodity valued above gold. The wet countryside of New Zealand doubles for the dry Mediterranean clime of Greece. And barbarian warriors look suspiciously like Maori. Obviously the emphasis is on entertainment rather than historical accuracy. It's a good thing, too, because the entertainment value is outstanding.

The premise of the series is that Xena was a teenager living in the Greek village of Amphipolis when it was attacked. She rallied her neighbors to mount a successful defense. Then she took the surrounding towns to have a defensive perimeter. One thing led to another, and Xena was a warlord terrorizing the countryside. But, true to her original intent, she spared defenseless women and children. When her underlings thought that made her soft she broke from them, and began an epic quest for redemption. Soon after this she met Gabrielle, a young villager whose community is raided. With ambitions exceeding her small town's reach Gabrielle decides to follow Xena on her travels.

Xena is a mythic hero. Lacking the godly strength of Hercules, she nevertheless matches him in battle by virtue of superhuman agility. Plus, as she says, "I have many skills" -- including tactics, strategy, eastern martial arts, horsemanship, medicine, and singing. Xena is at the top of her form when we first see her. In sharp contrast to this we watch Gabrielle as she transforms from quick-witted but unsophisticated villager to wannabe bard to reluctant warrior.

Lucy Lawless got an early entry into the Hercules/Xena universe; she played Lysia in "Hercules and the Amazon Women", the very first of the movies that preceded the "Hercules" series. In fact this earlier role was a strike against her when trying out for the part of Xena in the "Hercules" series. But hair dye, boots with lifts, and skin bronzer transformed Lucy Lawless (5' 10 1/2", light brown hair, pale skin) to Xena (6' tall, brown-black hair, olive complexion). Add in a passable American accent, and this native New Zealander carried off the role of an Americanized Greek mythic hero with aplomb. When you see Xena riding at the gallop or trading blows with a foe that's really Lucy Lawless; when Xena is tumbling through the air it's a stunt performer.

Renee O'Connor also got an early start; she played an earlier version of Deianeira, Hercules' wife, in "Hercules and the Lost Kingdom", the second Hercules movie, before landing the role of Gabrielle. In the first season of X:WP O'Connor is listed as "also starring", after the title; only Lawless gets "starring" billing.

Various continuing characters from "Hercules" appear in Season One of X:WP:
- Kevin Smith as Ares, God of War
- Kevin Sorbo as Hercules
- Michael Hurst as Iolaus (Hercules' sidekick); also as Charon
- Robert Trebor as Salmoneus, mercurial merchant
- Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, King of Thieves
- Erik Thomson as Hades, God of the Underworld

Season One of Xena introduced a number of new faces that would become familiar:
- Danielle Cormack as Ephiny, Amazon warrior
- Paul Norell as Falafel, food stand vendor
- Karl Urban, who would appear again in seasons 2+ as Julius Caesar
- Hudson Leick as Callisto, nemesis extraordinaire
- Ted Raimi as Joxer, bumbling would-be warrior

More notable one-shot guest stars from Season One included:
- Kate Hodge as Celesta, Goddess of Death
- Galyn G"rg as Helen of Troy
- Tim Thomerson as Meleager the Mighty
- Peter McCauley as Talmodeus

Season One of X:WP was shot on 16mm film to keep production costs down, so the DVD video transfer is no better than you'd expect. The audio is quite a bit better, including outstanding music by Joseph LoDuca. The Xena theme, in particular, is a wonderful mix of bouzouki, french horns, and strings to mix traditional Greek sounds with the stirring European classical melodies we've come to associate with inspirational themes.

The 7-disc Season One collection is remarkable mostly for what it DOESN'T have. There are NO extras in the Season One DVDs AT ALL. Each of the 24 episodes is 44 minutes 15 seconds or less. There are no DVD or CC captions. There are no extra chapter stops; each episode has 5 or 6 chapters. The 7th disc is a CD-ROM, with rather unremarkable content. There are no printed guides in the set.

6 DVDs, with 4 episodes each; 24 total episodes
1 CD-ROM:
- Screensaver
- Cast & Director bios
- "Scrolls" - episode cast lists, guest stars ("mortals" and "gods"), search through the scrolls text
- Season One trivia game

Xena: Warrior Princess is a fun, butt-kicking action series. It's a shame that the DVD collection of Season One is both low on extra content and high on price. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bo Derek is the most beautiful woman ever!
Bo Derek is the most beautiful woman in the world. Who cares if she can't act, the nudity alone is worth the video.

omigod!!!!
Terrible terrible trash.None of the actors could save this trashy wishy washy thingy.Dont ever think of buying the video.In total you will glimpse about 2 minutes of the aging nude Derek bod.

Great motorcycle scene......
For fans of Bo Derek, this is a must see. Bo is beautifully naked through most of the film, and the casual way in which she acts while nude is amazing. Highlights include a scene on a motorcycle on a yatch. The plot is not too memorable, but who cares..... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Xena's great!!!
This was a very sad season because it was the end but it was one of the best seasons!!! ... Read more

Reviews (65)

An Awsome Finale
This Director's cut of the contriversial series finale of Xena is amazingly emotional as well as action packed. Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor are at thier best as Xena and Gabrielle. A very poetic and symbolic ending to one of the greatest adventure stories ever. The Director's cut is so much better paced than the televised two part version. With audio commentary by Lucy and Renee as well as director Rob Tapert and a making of documentary make this a great addition to any Xena collection.

Buy only to see Renee's acting
I've watched the series since the beginning, have every episode on tape and the show will always remain one of my favorite series. However, FIN, even with the 30-minute extra footage is still bad, barely understandable, and full of holes. Why would anyone introduce ANOTHER storyline during a series finale is beyong reason. This story could have been told eariler during the season, and the final could have been focused on Gabrielle's attempt to bring her back (successfully or unsuccessfully). But to focus on Xena's past "crime" in Japa and her effort to redeem herself once again is silly.

Buy the DVD only to see the spectacular job that Renne O'Connor gives 110%. Gabrielle was totally believeable. Xena...that wasn't Xena. Maybe we can say it was all just a dream....

I thought the series finale was a fitting end to the series
I'm looking forward to seeing the directors cut since I did enjoy the series finale.I wish they had wrote season four and five with that intensity as they did for "When Fates Collide and Friend In Need I/II".I might have continued to watch the series but towards the middle of season four it seemed the writers had ran out of ideas and it seemed that every other episode the characters were breaking into song and dance or storylines made you scream at the television.....where's the plot?
This DVD Lucy,ROC and Tabert do a commentary during the showing of the finale,explaining what went where,why they did this instead of that.If you ever watched Mystery Theater it plays out the same way.You also have your other option of just watching without commentary.A few additional scenes that are added explain a little bit more.The behind the scenes is awesome and ROC actually climbed down that cliff to get to the urn!
Xena went out the same way she started on Hercules,as a Warrior!!!

Very sad but good!!
This story line is great and it ties into the Greece story line. Because Xena travels from Greece to her FINAL destination. It is the very last episode. The directors cut is better than the series final that was broadcasted on TV. I own both. It is sad to see her go. But it was time for the Xena series to end. I have been collecting a lot of Xena series. I have one more to go and I have them all. My honest opinion is that the last 2 series are some of the best written always keeping you on guard to what is to come next. Xena will always live on in the hearts of her fans.

Once again the day is saved...but gone forever...
I have never seen a better series berfore in my life. Although I have only seen it once, I feel as though I am connected. I am sure others would agree that if they have seen it once they would like to see it again and just capture the moments. When Xena died I felt a part of me go with her. I want to see her entire series all over again. I may not have brought a DVD or book yet but it seems i will soon. Gabrell and Xena belonged together forever but now Xena is gone. I watch Hercules every day now and hope that an episode with Xena will show. I LOVE YOU XENA!!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

the final and finest season of them all....
I've been an unconditional Xena fan from day one & I'm convinced there will never be another show as noble, profound, rare and all encompassing as Xena: Warrior Princess was. With that, I own all 6 box sets & this season, hands down, is my FAVORITE for more reasons that I can express. The chemistry between Xena (Lucy Lawless) & Gabrielle (the brilliant Renee O'Connor) was always unsurpassed but they both just ILLUMINATED every adventure, every script, and every moment of this season like it was nothing. The acting was immeasurable and flawless, the plots were salted with idealism, stories of retribution and forgiveness, everlasting love, inexplicable sacrifice and unrelenting bravery, the profound depths of one's being exposed...EVERYTHING was touched upon this season. The special effects were top notch, the sets were lush and rich, the guest stars were excellent, the dialogue consisting of nothing but the best & their devotion to one another the strongest it ever was.

6th SEASON FAVES INCLUDE:

Who's Gurkhan?
When Gabrielle learns that her niece has been captured by the vicious raider Gurkhan, she sets sail for North Africa on a rescue mission with Xena, Eve, and Virgil.

Legacy
Xena and Gabrielle intervene to help two tribes unite against their Roman enemies in the North African desert.

The Abyss
Xena and Gabrielle are forced into a deadly confrontation with cannibals when they go in search of Virgil. Contains the famous cave scene where Xena embraces the very hypothermic Gab

The Rheingold
Xena embarks on a deadly mission involving her dark past when the Norse warrior Beowulf approaches her for help.

The Ring
Xena must battle a monster of her own making to recover the destructive Rheingold ring she forged in her evil Xena days.

Return of the Valkyrie
Xena battles to regain her memory and reverse the curse of the Rheingold ring.

You Are There
In an ancient world meets modern-day satire, a tabloid TV reporter stalks Xena and Gabrielle, determined to get a juicy scoop on the Warrior Princess.

When Fates Collide- BEST EPISODE EVER
Xena finds herself empress of Rome when Caesar chains the three Fates and cuts the strands of time. Mad surprises await....

To Helicon and Back
When the Amazon Queen Varia is kidnapped by a masked warrior, Gabrielle leads the Amazons to Helicon on a bloody rescue mission.

Many Happy Returns
On Gab's birthday, the two prevent a group of religious fanatics from sacrificing a virgin and teach her the ways of the world along with Aphrodite. Features the BEAUTIFUL Sappho poem written for Gabrielle.

Soul Possession
When an ancient scroll chronicling the life of Xena surfaces in the present, conflicts arise among the reincarnations of Xena, Gabrielle, Ares and Joxer. (also has clips)

ONE GREAT SEASON!!!
As sad as I was to hear that my beloved Xena would be taken off the air I was also hopefull that it would be a great sign off. And I was not disappointed. The last season defines what Xena was all about. Funny, heartbreaking, touching, and heroic. All in all it was not a let down. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

One of the Best
Season Two of Xena is one of my favorites. The first season was a little 'bleh' as it was busy getting it's feat wet. Season Two was well worth the wait. The actual quality of the dvd set is much better than the first one. Even though the first group of episodes in S2 were still shot in 16mm, the season two set does a better job of cleaning up the film grain. The coolest thing about this set besides the episodes, is the audio and video commentary tracks with Lucy Lawless(Xena), Renee O'Connor(Gabrielle) and Rob Tapert(writer,producer,director). Lucy and Renee are just too funny as they tend to go the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 route and just make fun of themeselves.The Rob Tapert commentary is a little frustrating,as the guy only talks about how he wishes he could have done this better and that different (The same problem with the FIN dvd). He doesn't seem to be very happy with his eps, oh well, I like em. My favorite things in S2 are Hudson Leick(Callisto)'s brilliant performance as Xena's arch nemesis. Renee(Gabrielle)'s growth as an actress (The Quest) and introduction of the comedy episodes (Warrior...Princess...Tramp, A Day In The Life).

Just the DVD facts (ma'am)
[Summary: Just over 4.5 stars; a big step up from Season One's DVD collection]

Note: Just in case you haven't already watched X:WP Season Two, this review contains NO SPOILERS.

Xena: Warrior Princess Season Two DVD collection summary:
- 6 DVDs, with 4 episodes each except for 2 in the last; 22 total episodes.
- 1 CD-ROM, with largely useless content.
- Video: MUCH better than the grainy 16mm film transfer of Season One.
- Audio: Dolby Digital throughout (a big step up from the Dolby Stereo of Season Two).
- DVD Extras: Good-quality stills, plus audio and video commentary on three episodes. Season One included zip - nada - bupkus. MUCH better!
- CD-ROM: Same old junk as was included for Season One. Why?
- Price: Lower than Season One, for better quality. Yay!
- Episodes: 22. Season One had 24. The only comparative downside.

Season One rated just over 3.5 stars. Season Two is worth a bit over 4.5 stars -- a major step up.

Disc 1: Portrait of Gabrielle on label
- Orphan of War
- Remember Nothing
- The Giant Killer
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Disc Extras:
- Still Gallery
- Weblink to www.xenadvd.com

Disc 2: Portrait of Joxer on label
- Return of Callisto
"Return of Callisto" extras: Audio and video commentary by Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor
- Warrior ... Princess ... Tramp
- Intimate Strangers
- Ten Little Warlords

Disc 3: Picture of Xena on label
- A Solstice Carol
- The Xena Scrolls
- Here She Comes ... Miss Amphipolis
- Destiny
"Destiny" extras: Audio and video commentary by Rob Tapert

Disc 4: Picture of Xena (as "Miss Amphipolis") on label
- The Quest
- A Necessary Evil
- A Day in the Life
"A Day in the Life" extras: Audio and video commentary by Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, and Rob Tapert
- For Him the Bell Tolls

Disc 5: Picture of Xena and Draco on label
- The Execution
- Blind Faith
- Ulysses
- The Price
(No extras.)

Disc 6: Picture of Cupid on label
- Lost Mariner
- A Comedy of Eros
(No extras.)

Disc 7 (CD-ROM): Picture of Xena and Gabrielle on label
- Screensaver
- Cast & Director bios
- "Scrolls" - episode cast lists, guest stars ("mortals" and "gods"), search through the scrolls text
- Season Two trivia game

The audio commentaries are the usual option, easily available through the menu for each of the three episodes. The video commentaries are a subset (about 40% in each case) of the audio commentaries, with images of the commentators sitting in front of a wide-screen TV watching the episodes. The same set (except for number of chairs) is used in all three video commentaries.

X:WP Season Two contains performances by the following recurring characters from the Hercules/Xena world:
- Ted Raimi as Joxer, bumbling would-be warrior
- Hudson Leick as Callisto, nemesis extraordinaire
- Kevin Smith as Ares, God of War
- Robert Trebor as Salmoneus, mercurial merchant
- Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, King of Thieves
- Danielle Cormack as Ephiny, Amazon warrior
- Michael Hurst as Iolaus (Hercules' sidekick)
- Tim Thomerson as Meleager the Mighty
- Alexandra Tydings as Aphrodite, Goddess of Love
- Karl Urban as both Julius Caesar and Cupid (son of Aphrodite) ) (should actually be "Eros"; "Cupid" is his Roman name)
- Jay Laga'aia as Draco

More notable one-shot guest stars from Season Two included:
- Lisa Zane as Miss Skiros
- Mindy Clarke as Velasca
- Rachel Blakely as Penelope
- Tony Todd as Cecrops

More butt-kicking fun in the Hercules/Xena world. Get your copy, make some popcorn, and have a party!

Fabulous TV Show, Grainy DVD
I love Xena Warrior Princess and Hercules Legendary Journeys, and season 2 is Xena at her best. Destiny is one of the five best episodes of Xena ever; it reveals what made Xena into the Warrior Princess rather than just another petty warlord, and it has that great Gaelic song. I didn't pay much attention to Remember Nothing when it aired on television, but after watching it twice on dvd, I've realized how important it is to the series. However, the quality of the dvd did not match the quality of the show. It's very grainy; actually, it's the poorest quality of any dvd I've ever seen.

Great season of a great show!
A unique mix of action, drama, and humor, of fantasy, history and myth, made X:WP a unique show. All these qualities are on display in Xena's Season 2, probably the show's second best next to S3. Highlights include outstanding drama such as THE RETURN OF CALLISTO, DESTINY, A NECESSARY EVIL and THE PRICE, and sparkling comedy such as the unforgettable A DAY IN THE LIFE, TEN LITTLE WARLORDS and A COMEDY OF EROS (which combines madcap comedy with genuine poignant pathos at the end). Other terrific eps: REMEMBER NOTHING, INTIMATE STRANGER, THE QUEST, BLIND FAITH, LOST MARINER. Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor really come into their own in this season. The supporting cast shines too: Hudson Leick does a superb job not only as Callisto but as Xena in the body switch episodes, INTIMATE STRANGER and TEN LITTLE WARLORDS. The late lamented Kevin Smith shows two very different sides of Ares, God of War -- the cruel arrogant god and the suddenly human mortal. Ted Raimi as Joxer raises his character above mere comic relief, giving him true nobility and poignancy. There's also Karl Urban in dual roles as Caesar and Cupid, Alexandra Tydings as Aphrodite, and a notable guest appearance by Tony Todd in LOST MARINER.

I found the picture and sound quality to be excellent. There could have been more in the way of commentary and bonus footage (no outtakes here, for instance), but still this is a great buy for any Xena fan.

Excellent
All I can say is if you like midevil stories and books like that then this is the series for you. Lucy is excellent. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

xena rules-go buy it
Hi everyone the Xena season 3 on DVD was realeased on 10th Feb.
The 3rd season is the most memorable and best crafted, including: the season opener, The Furies, wherein Xena's recurring foil, the god Ares, has her driven insane; Been There, Done That.
The video details are crisp and the colors vivid. All things considered, this is probably as good of a transfer as Xena will ever get, sharper and easier on the eyes than most action TV programs, and, for that matter, looking better than it originally appeared during on television.
The sound is on Dolby 5.1. Season three also has more than nine hours of new material. Each of the 22 episodes has an Interview segment with comments from writers, producers, actors and sometimes all three. Several standout programs -- including The Furies, The Debt, One Against An Army and The Bitter Suite -- also have full-blown voice-over commentary following throughout the episode.There is also a documentary which includes a short tribute to the late Kevin Smith, who played Ares.
There's more than enough in this set to please everyone who cares about the show .
Just go and get your copy before they disappears from the shelf.
Believe me it's worth the money.

Oodles of DVD Extras!
[Summary: 5 stars for terrific content & GREAT extras]

Note: This review contains NO SPOILERS; it's all about the DVD extras.

Xena: Warrior Princess Season Three DVD collection summary:
- 8 DVDs, with 3 episodes each except 1 in disc 8; 22 total episodes.
- Video: Very good throughout; less compression than 4 episodes/disc.
- Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround throughout.
- DVD Extras: Stills, audio and video commentary on 8 episodes (1/disc), an "interview" (featurette) on every episode, bloopers, plus much extra on "Sacrifice", the season ender. Season Two included 3 commentaries only. MUCH better!

Season Two was worth a bit over 4.5 stars; Season Three is nearly perfect (5 stars).

Disc 1: Picture of Xena on label
- "The Furies"
o Interview with:
R.J. Stewart, Co-Executive Producer
Lucy Lawless ("Xena")
Robert Gillies, Production Designer
Liz Friedman, Producer
Steven L. Sears, Supervising Producer
Robert Tapert, Executive Producer & Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor ("Gabrielle")
o Audio Commentary by Liz Friedman & Robert Tapert
o Video Commentary by Liz Friedman & Robert Tapert and R.J. Stewart (shot separately)
- "Been There, Done That"
o Interview with:
Lucy Lawless
Andrew Merrifield, Director
Ted Raimi ("Joxer")
Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
Bernie Joyce, Post-Production Supervisor
- "The Dirty Half Dozen"
o Interview with:
Steven L. Sears
Robert Gillies
Disc Extras:
- Photo Gallery
- Weblink to www.xena.tv
- Credits

Disc 2: Picture of Gabrielle on label
- "The Deliverer"
o Interview with:
Oley Sassone, Director
R.J. Stewart
Steven L. Sears
Liz Friedman
Renee O'Connor
- "Gabrielle's Hope"
o Interview with:
R.J. Stewart
Steven L. Sears
Andrew Merrifield
- "The Debt" (part I)
o Interview with:
Oley Sassone
R.J. Stewart
Eric Gruendemann, Producer
Robert Tapert
John Cavill, Cinematographer
Robert Gillies
Lucy Lawless
Renee O'Connor & Lucy Lawless
o Audio Commentary by Robert Tapert & Lucy Lawless
o Video Commentary by Robert Tapert & Lucy Lawless

Disc 3: Picture of Autolycus on label
- "The Debt II"
o Interview with:
Robert Tapert
Eric Gruendemann
Oley Sassone
John Cavill
Robert Gillies
Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
R.J. Stewart
- "The King of Assassins"
o Interview with:
Ted Raimi ("Joxer" & "Jett")
Robert Tapert & Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
John Cavill
Donald Duncan, Cinematographer
Kay Foster & Adam Armus, Writers
o Audio Commentary by Ted Raimi
o Video Commentary by Ted Raimi
- "Warrior... Priestess... Tramp"
o Interview with:
Kay Foster & Adam Armus
Liz Friedman
Ted Raimi

Disc 4: Picture of Callisto on label
- "The Quill is Mightier..."
o Interview with:
Renee O'Connor
Ted Raimi
Andrew Merrifield
Alexandra Tydings ("Aphrodite")
- "Maternal Instincts"
o Interview with:
Steven L. Sears
Liz Friedman
Eric Gruendemann
Renee O'Connor
Hudson Leick ("Callisto")
Lucy Lawless
- "The Bitter Suite" (a musical!)
o Interview with:
Steven L. Sears
Robert Tapert
R.J. Stewart
Liz Friedman
Eric Gruendemann
Donald Duncan
Bernie Joyce
Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
Robert Gillies
Hudson Leick
o Audio Commentary by Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
o Video Commentary by Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor

Disc 5: Picture of Xena on label
- "One Against an Army"
o Interview with:
Steven L. Sears
Renee O'Connor
Eric Gruendemann
Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
R.J. Stewart
o Audio Commentary by Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
o Video Commentary by Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
- "Forgiven"
o Interview with:
R.J. Stewart
Renee O'Connor
Liz Friedman
- "King Con"
o Interview with:
Donald Duncan
Ted Raimi
Liz Friedman

Disc 6: Picture of Joxer on label
- "When in Rome..."
o Interview with:
John Laing, Director
R.J. Stewart
Renee O'Connor
o Audio Commentary by Steven L. Sears, the writer
o Video Commentary by Steven L. Sears, the writer
- "Forget Me Not"
o Interview with:
Steven L. Sears
Renee O'Connor
Ted Raimi
- "Fins, Femmes & Gems"
o Interview with:
Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
Robert Tapert
Kay Foster & Adam Armus
Liz Friedman
Alexandra Tydings

Disc 7: Picture of Xena on label
- "Tsunami"
o Interview with:
Donald Duncan
Robert Gillies
John Laing
Renee O'Connor & Lucy Lawless
- "Vanishing Act"
o Interview with:
Robert Tapert
Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor
Andrew Merrifield
- "Sacrifice" (part I)
o Interview with:
Steven L. Sears
Liz Friedman
Hudson Leick
Lucy Lawless
o Audio Commentary by Hudson Leick (only on some scenes; watch the video commentary instead)
o Video Commentary by Hudson Leick

Disc 8: Picture of Gabrielle on label
- "Sacrifice II"
o Interview with:
Liz Friedman
Steven L. Sears
Renee O'Connor
Ted Raimi
Robert Tapert
Hudson Leick
Lucy Lawless
o Audio Commentary by Hudson Leick (some scenes only)
o Video Commentary by Hudson Leick
Disc Extras:
- "Sacrifice II" Alternate Cuts
- "Sacrifice I & II: A Retrospective" featuring
Steven L. Sears
Paul Robert Coyle, Writer
Kym Taburn, Retrospective Producer/Interviewer
Rick Jacobson, Director
Hudson Leick
Rod Field, Editor
Jason Schmid, Sound Designer
- Bloopers
- Credits

Each video commentary contains a subset (about 40% typically) of the audio commentary, with shots of the commentator(s) watching the episode.

The typical "interview" segment is around seven minutes long, isn't actually an interview because there are no questions posed, and includes an intro from the episode plus bits of the video commentary where present. The "Retrospective" is an actual interview.

X:WP Season Three contains performances by the following recurring characters from the Hercules/Xena world:
- Ted Raimi as Joxer, bumbling would-be warrior; also as brother Jett
- Hudson Leick as Callisto, nemesis extraordinaire
- Kevin Smith as Ares, God of War
- Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, King of Thieves
- Alexandra Tydings as Aphrodite, Goddess of Love
- Karl Urban as Julius Caesar
- Danielle Cormack as Ephiny, Amazon warrior
- Marton Csokas as Borias, warlord; also as Khrafstar, acolyte of Dahak

Notable one-shot guest stars from Season Three included:
- Shiri Appleby as Tara, wannabe sidekick
- Jacqueline Kim as Lao Ma, creator of Taoism
- Jennifer Ward-Lealand as Boadicea
- The first pairing of Angela Dotchin and Bruce Campbell (in "Tsunami"), before they co-starred in "Jack of All Trades"

A great Xena collection, with truly outstanding extras. Get your copy now!

BEST DVD SET EVER
WOW. What a DVD set. Not only is Xena an awesome, awesome show, but this DVD set is truly DELUXE.

3 episodes per disc, not 4! How cool is that? That means less compression and better quality!

Every disc has at least one commentary track on it, which can be just audio or with video (ie. you can see the actors in the recording studio!!)

EVERY episode has a short FEATURETTE you can view that goes behind the scenes with interviews from directors, writers, producers, AND actors! These are incredibly fun. They make each episode feel like a movie.

The extras are unbelievable. The show is outstanding.

NINE discs. Count 'em. NINE.

Buy this DVD.

xena, third season dvd
Enjoyed the dvds, the problem was that I could not get the the last episode on each disk to come up... It just went back to the second to last episode... So do be careful of this problem if you buy a set... Everything else was great... Just wished it was Closed Caption so my friend could have COMPLETELY enjoyed the experience... Loved the show, always will.

A wonderful season
This is one of the best season of Xena. If you're a fan of Xena this is the DVD you must get. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Amazing! Pure Gold!
This was An Unbelievable Season!
Personally Season 5 was one of my favorite Seasons out of the entire Series Of Xena! Left off with The Cliffhanger Season 4 Closer with the electifying "Ides of March" where Xena and Gabrielle were left cruscifed by the romans and supposeldly became angels. We were all thinking... They're Dead... what? But Nope Season 5 Opener "Fallen Angel" was the astonishing conclusion of the cliffhanger. In the Episode there are Angles, and Demons, make-up and costumes were remarkable! In Season 5 Xena finds out the shocking news that she is carrying a baby of mysterious origns, that may put the end to the Olympic Gods...Forever! Season 5 Is Jam-packed with witty humor. betrayal, action, friendship, and sadness. One of My Favorite Episodes is "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts On Fire" the staggering musical. With Ted Raimi, and Lucy Lawless. I have to tell you that this is such an awesome money it's worth just the $50.00! That's how good it is! As Xena carries her child, Gabrielle has to defend Xena and protect her child. You can see the Relationship of Xena and Gabrielle grow as you grow with them. In the Season Gabrielle and Xena are frozen in an Ice Cove for 25 years! As that time passes, "Eve" or "Livia" becomes a fierce warrior which Xena once was. "Livia" threatens to kill Xena, you see their unwinding battle of there relationship. The Season Ends With The Miraculous "Motherhood"!
In the DVD Package, you recieve Interviews by Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, Ted Raimi, Rob Tapert, Steven L. Sears, and Much Much More! You Get Bloopers, Behind The Scenes. An Exclusive CD-ROM with Chronicles, Actor/ Director Information, and Trivia!

This Is A Must Have For Any Xena Fan! This is A Mind- Blowing Season. With Incredible Episodes and Extras! It's A Must Have!!

a darkamazing season
begining with the bloody special effects filled fallen amgel one of the best episodes of xena i might ad and one of the darkest going to chacram when the series started to change but this change was good xena being pregnet was a great twist hercules coming back and killing zeus tottaly unmexpected and shocking top xena and gabi being frozen and awaking 25 years later and eves an evil warlord and eve killing joxer was also shocking also another could character killed off eli in seeds of faith good characters died sadley callisto going good was a twist but i think callisto was bette evil the season finale motherhood was absoultely amazing one of the greatest season finales in tv history yes it's that good

megan's review
this was an awsome xena series!!! it was packed with fighting, battle, love, lust and friendship

i want everyone to see it

"you were so beautiful & I knew I couldn't be all bad" -Xena
Of the 6 glorious seasons, this was my least favorite. This, however, doesn't mean it was horrible- because it wasn't!! The show can absolutely do no wrong yet when compared to the four seasons before and the final and finest season that proceeded, Season 5 came up just a little short. As stunning as the heartmelting chemistry between Lucy Lawless & Renee O'Connor has always been, there was just something undeniably missing from their (usually mushy, protective and loving) acting and from the scripts themselves; I don't know if the crew was simply run ragged, fighting, or if Lucy's pregnancy was a difficult subject to write/act around...but the episodes sometimes lacked the poignance and magic that us fans had been so incredibly spoiled with. But still, there were some truly excellent EXCELLENT moments and landmarks such as: X & G struggles in the afterlife, the birth of Xena & Gabrielle's baby & the battle to save it from the clutches of the desperate Olympian gods, the growth of the baby and the story of her tangled destiny, a scary trip to the new underworld, Eli's hopeful sacrifice, wretched Callisto's dramatic transformation and gift, Gab as a mermaid, and a notable possession by the Furies horridly endangers everyone.

MY 5th season FAVES INCLUDE:
Fallen Angel
Xena's and Gabrielle's crucified bodies are retrieved by their friends, while the departed duo are caught in the middle of an afterlife battle between demons and angels. A truly inspiring tale, wicked special effects and packed with heartening surprises! A classic.

Chakram
Xena has no recollection of being a warrior after she and Gabrielle are resurrected from the dead, seemingly, by Eli.

Succession
Xena and Gabrielle must face Mavican, Ares' new right-hand woman, with some added complications.

Seeds of Faith
Eli takes on Ares in an effort to overthrow the gods and pregnant Xena finally learns the true identity of her baby's father. Profound and touching storyline...

God Fearing Child
X & G's baby is born after Hercules steps in to battle his father, Zeus, who learns that the birth of the child will signal the Twilight (end of the Olympian order) Hera, Queen of the gods, steps in to make a shocking decision

Motherhood
With the lives of Gabrielle and Eve hanging in the balance, Xena faces the gods in a final showdown.

Xena Season 5: A Wonderful and Amazing Journey
Ah, the Xena Season 5 Videos have finally hit the public. After ordering all six seasons on customized, catalog videos,it is nice to see them available to the average people.

Okay, so let's get started. Season five of Xena: Warrior Princess was an amazing ride. From the dark opener "Fallen Angel" to the light hearted "Kindred Spirits" we saw many emotions of joy and sadness. Xena's child was born and hunted down by the God's. Kevin Sorbo, a.k.a. Hercules, made one last appearance as the Son of Zeus in "God Fearing Child," where he tried to save Xena's child, Eve, from death. The season ended with the dramatic "Motherhood," one of my personal favourites. Eve is hunted down by the gods, is reformed and entered into the religion of Eli, and Gabrielle is nearly murdered by Xena.

With a landmark 22 episodes filled with laugter, joy, and sadness, this is a video set that you do not want to miss. Order it today from Amazon.com!... ... Read more

Reviews (26)

extras alone are worth it
I just received my set yesterday, and I already know it's worth the money. The interviews with show runners, DPs and writers are longer and more extensive than in previous seasons, between 10 and 15 minutes each, for more than half the episodes. This season ends (sort of) with my favorite Xena episode ever: the Ides of March. There are interesting interviews regarding the episode, as well as a cute (if not exactly insightful) commentary by Lucy and Renee. I've only just begun watching the interviews, but there are in-depth discussions of the Convert, Crusader, The Way, Paradise Found and Between the Lines-- all of which are favorites of mine worth a look.

I also like the packaging of this set-- it's not as cumbersome as season three, although there are more discs than ever.

Xena's fourth season is well worth your time and money. Get it!

The Incredible Season 4!!!
I have to say out of the 6 seasons, the 4th season is the one I missed a lot of the episodes. So when the day finally came to get I was so excited. I have to say this season is really good. The acting is very good(maybe even better),the fighting are a lot more intense, and the villains are even more evil. I loved Alti, she is a very great character, complete dark and the actress who plays her has a lot of talent. Just like last season, it had a theme, which was friendship and betrayal. This season's theme was paths in life, Gabrielle and Xena both had to find out there paths in life. But we know that there paths end in disaster by the end of the season. My favorite episodes were:

Adventures In The Sin Trade(pt.1&2)-The best season premiere, Xena must find Gabrielle in the Amazon Land of Dead, battle Alti, and free the dead amazons to go to eternal bliss. Here we get the first glimpse of the season finale.

A Family Affair-great episode!!!, Xena finds Gabrielle, but finds out it's really Hope. But then Xena finds the real Gabrielle(a very touching reunion) and both must stop Hope and her son, the grandson of Dahark, The Destroyer.

A Good Day-A great battle episode, with Xena, Pompey, and Caesar in a head to head fight. Poor Gabrielle, if only she could have saved him.

Crusader-Najara!!! that girl has some issues, good thing Xena and Gabrielle brought her to jail.

Locked Up and Tied Down-A dark and classic episode, Xena goes to jail, finally, but it's the only crime that she didn't that she is going for. Also, some good fight scenes.

Past Imperfect-I love the story of Xena/Borais, how he really loved Xena and she never could love him back.

Daughter of Pomira-This episode may be weaker compared to "The Price" in Season 2. But I loved the story of Vanessa/Pili and the fight scene between Xena and that guy who hated the Horde, what his name?

Paradise Found-From Xena's dark side coming out to her monster transformation. This was a very creepy episode.

Devi-Gabrielle is honored as a Devi, a healing deity, and is possessed by the evil spirit, Takarta. Here we meet the Jesus-like, Eli for the first time.

Between The Lines-One of My All Time favorites!!! This is just perfect. Xena and Gabrielle travel into their future reincarnated souls to battle the evil soul of Atli.

The Way-Controversial but symbolic, a masterpiece of an episode. Xena finds help in the god, Krishna to save Eli and Gabrielle from Indrajit, The King of Demons.

Endgame-Amazing episode!!! Great acting, great fight sequences, and we say goodbye to the beloved Amazon, Epiphany and the beheaded Pompey. Loved how I just said that.

The Ides of March-Incredibly touching and powerful!!! Xena has tried to stop the vision that has been haunting her and Gabrielle for the whole season but fails. Callisto returns and Caesar is killed by his own men. One of the best episodes of the series.

Season 4 has a great set, with the discs designed and placed in better than the last three sets and the main menus are also great as well. Season 4 had its weak episodes though, "The Key To The Kingdom", "A Tale of Two Muses", and "The Play's The Thing". But the strong episodes out way them all. Season 4 may be great, but it Season 2 will have most of my favorite episodes and Season 3 had an amazing story arc.

A Season Worth Seeing
I believe this is one of the best seasons of Xena. I'm not going to go into detail about every episode, but here is my rundown: Throughout the series our favorite Bard and Xena convey opposite people with opposite pasts, whose lives are entertwined because of a common love: friendship.

In this season, Xena is haunted by dreams of Gabby and her demise atop an icy mountain; they are cruicified. Xena grapples with the decision to leave her friend and not lead her to her death, or face destiny together. In this season, Gabby grows as a person spiritually in India, leaving her warrior path and gaining one of purity and love. In the end our Bard has to make a decision: is her path, her soul, worth the friendship with Xena. (Watch it!)

At times I must say some episodes around India got farfetched, but they were needed. This season is an opener for the next seasons and shows how above all, true friendship leads people to change who they think they are into what their souls convey. This season is a markee for character growth for both Xena and Gabby and is totally worth the money. (Saved up for a month!)

--EXTRA FEATURES--

1. Bloopers could have been more and better organized.
2. Interviews...ok, but much more from the actors would have been better.

The season speaks for itself as one of the most engrosing seasons that proclaim and solidify the series as thrilling; and unpredictable. Enjoy.

A So-So Set
Season 4 is not my favorite season it. It was overly sentimental, much like season 6. But I won't comment on the season, I'll comment on the set.

First and foremost, the claim of "director's cuts" is false and leads people to believe they're going to get an extended episode. A series of extended, cut and alternate footage is a more honest description of what we see. The presentation, could have been better. I'd rather see the original, then see the extended (or whatever) version of the scene. I don't like the compactness of the presentation.

Widescreen, oh let me count the ways. Widescreen versions of the 4th, 5th and 6th season exist. It's a shame the manufacturer (not to be confused with the distributor--Anchor Bay) Davis-Anderson was unable to secure these versions. Although, I doubt they tried very hard to secure them.

The Commentaries and interviews, key episodes are missing from this. A commentary on Adventures in the Sin Trade was warranted and need. Interviews on other subsequent episodes (mainly, Past Imperfect -- a key episode in Xena's backstory) were not be found. However, it's not because there was nothing shot. There was, however the manufacturer--Davis Anderson--opted to not include the interviews.

Bloopers. Sadly, the only bloopers that seemed to have been kept were the ones that were printed for gag reels and anyone who's a member of the fan club (or was) has probably seen them. That's okay. Season 4 has some of my favorite slip ups.

The packaging a new design to keep down costs, but I don't like have to take out one disc to get another one out.

There are some glitches in the digital-remastering, but it's a lot better than the previous sets and the sound is better this time around, in my own humble opinion. Overall, the technical aspects of the sets is improved.

Aside from that, I think Davis-Anderson lowered their standards to get this set out in a hurry. It has the aoura of being a rushed to production set.

A Spin Off Takes Over
This is probably the best season of Xena: Warrior Princess. Finally free of its parent show Hercules : The Legendary Journeys, the show is allowed to branch out into some interesting new directions and take on a bit of a different spin. This season shows pretty much the last of the crossovers between characters from Hercules into Xena and establishes the main cast of characters that will be definitive to the show.
The first three episodes deal with Xena searching for her dead sidekick Gabrielle by travelling to the Amazon Land of the dead where she battles the shamoness Alti and frees the spirits of the dead Amazons of her wicked past. Eventually she recovers Gabrielle but, she has been changed by the loss and the quest. We begin to see the relationship between the two characters begin to take on a new level that will eventually cause arguments for years to come.
I dont like to write spoilers so from an overview perspective highlights of the season include a hillarious send up of "Footloose" dubbed "A Tale of Two Muses" and a reoccurring band of characters from Roman Times that we all know from reading Shakespeare's "Julius Ceasar." There are also several appearances by the "King of B Movies," Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, King of Thieves, which are always welcome to me in any series. The show stopper is, appropriately, the season finale "De ja vu, All over again," which is so funny I have to wonder if the great Yogi Bera had something to do with the script other than lending the title!
The stocking stuffers on this set are incredible. I have yet to see this much bonus content on another series. The packaging is a new and compact design that is unique from what I have seen out there. Apart from the eight discs with episodes and commentary there are two "bonus discs" just for special features which I haven't seen outside of "The Lord of The Rings" releases. This set is definitely worth the money. ... Read more