TV Guide
(Daily Telegraph - Sydney Australia)
29 October 1998
Monkey on her back...Lucy Lawless as the unforgiving Xena Warrior Princess
Once upon a time there was a show called Monkey which, although popular with adults, was really a children's show complete with parables about good and evil and the true path of life. There was a priest a monkey warrior who
wanted to be a god, a talking horse, two dimwit sidekicks and plenty of bad guys. That was a long time ago... now we have Xena, the most unforgiving warrior since Monkey and the best female superhero since Wonderwoman.
There is no priest in Xena Warrior, but there is a sidekick, Gabrielle, who brings the voice of reason to the title character, an angry young woman at the best of times. And there is a horse - although this one doesn't talk. There are even, occasionally, some dimwit sidekicks who join in the action. And of course, plenty of bad guys. As a half-god, Monkey had a few magic tricks up his sleeve including a flying cloud, but Xena, to her abiding credit, is a mere mortal who relies on her amazing wits and incredible fighting skills.
And just like Monkey, at the end of the day, Xena always wins the good fight This is an especially good episode, the first of a two-parter in which Xena is intent on making sure Hope, Gabrielle's evil daughter, is not brought back to life by the maniacal blonde goddess Callisto. Gabrielle finally seems to have come to terms with the fact her daughter is evil and gives Xena the okay to kill her child who incidentally looks identical to Gabrielle. Don't forget that while there is more violence in this than your average Rambo movie there are some great lessons for the kids - just like in Monkey!
For example, Xena "Anger fogs the brain and prevents and prevents focus." Sure it does. A stony killer instinct gets you further every time. Go girlfriend!
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