the once and future fangirl

If I had a nickel for every episode of Xena where the writers had Ares play the role of Xena's father, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it is weird. Significantly, 1.20 'Ties That Bind' anticipates some important narrative themes and social stances that the show would continue to develop in later seasons, which gives me more than my two cents to talk about.

[Spoiler warning for 1.20 'Ties That Bind', 3.01 'The Furies', 4.03 'A Family Affair', and 6.04 'Who's Gurkhan?']



In 'Ties That Bind', we glimpse Xena's childhood and observe how Ares operates as an Olympian god, both of which points the show returns to in 3.01 'The Furies'. We also get a glimpse into how and why Xena reverts to warlord-style violence, and how she, Ares, and the narrative recognize that the key to her staying different this time is...Gabrielle. Plot execution could be rougher in S1, and individual character dynamics were not fully fleshed out in some cases, but it's notable when S1 pulls off themes that do harmonize well with later seasons.

'Ties That Bind' does well on a few points here:

( I didn't say it would be easy. )

This can't be a new thought in a 30 year old fandom, but the casting choice for Solan really makes him look more like Xena and Gabrielle's son than Xena and Borias' son. That blonde child is not Borias'. Should someone should tell them?



I used a S2 Gabrielle picture to get the long hair and bangs comparison, and that's when Solan was cast. Side by side, Solan even looks like he has Gabrielle's chin [jennifer's-body-god-you're-butch.gif] and hair color.

From a Doylist POV I am of course thinking, "Why the hell would you not cast a dark-haired child? Both Xena and Borias are dark-haired, this is easy, even for the '90s." This wasn't a question of Solan's parentage not being fully established at the time, either, and Marton Csokas (Borias) is of mixed European ancestry. He was costumed to look more vaguely Asiatic at times, as was Xena during this era of her backstory, but his backstory in-show is that Xena seduced him away from his nice life and wife in Hungary (a nod to Csokas' father, perhaps) and then when they were caught, they were expelled.

And yes, I understand how 'golden child' metaphors work. Let's play in the universe, though, shall we?

I know the "reason" Xena gives Solan to Kaleipus to protect him from the violent life she leads, but also...Is Gabrielle the father of both Xena's kids?

(Yes, I also know how timelines work. This is XWP, it's not like time travel is out of the realm of possibility for them - maybe in the S7 revival we'll never get.]

original tags: #canon to ME #I'm ned stark-ing up in xena and gabrielle's business #I know this is confusing to some people but if butch-femme roles exist for them at all #gabrielle is the butch one

If I think about how closely they're holding each other at the end too much I will start spiraling again


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We often joke about the lack of personal space between them all through the movie but they end bound together so closely not a single thread of light comes between them. Jyn doesn't have to be here. She's not injured, she can walk, she's the one who carried Cassian to the shore, as far from the fighting around them as they could get on foot. Cassian's back is broken and he can't stand up without some help by this point. She could have bailed and tried to find a shuttle off-planet on her own. She didn't. She didn't even consider it. Maybe she would have found an exit in time, probably not, but she doesn't leave him. She's here, at the end of all things. They struck a fatal blow to the Empire even if it cost them both everything. She's six inches shorter than him and holding him up and they're clinging so closely their faces are pressed together in their last moments. No wonder they left the impact they did. What Death Star?

original tags: #and I'm absolutely positive that cassian is aware that jyn could run and leave him - and doesn't #he's used to doing the escape math (see: kafrene) he knows the score #if you look closely you can actually see his blaster wound on his stomach#for added grief #gareth edwards #I just wanna talk#can you do a fix-it with the deleted footage pretty please I'll fight you-know-who for you

This is their normal height difference, for reference:


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original tags: #it was a little funny how long I had to search for a shot where they were standing far enough apart and not hunched into each other #she is on her TIP TOES at the end just so they can be pressed cheek to cheek #I'm going to start crying if I don't stop thinking about it #reminders to myself that they are fictional do not seem to work har har

I have made my slow way through S2 of Star Trek: TOS but now I'm closer to the end than the start of the series. At least there are the movies after this, though I know that's also a roll of the dice!

I'm still enjoying the show a lot, although S1 was definitely better overall (and more fun) than S2. That said, some of my favorite episodes are in this season! I'll talk about those more but I wanted to cross a few points off my commentary list.

( Logical. Flawlessly logical. )

My favorite episodes of the season, in descending order'

• 2.01 'Amok Time'
• 2.04 'Mirror, Mirror'
• 2.08 'I, Mudd'
• 2.17 'A Piece of the Action'

I also thought 2.10 'Journey to Babel' and 2.18 'The Immunity Syndrome' were both very good Spock episodes, if not my favorites of the season, and I enjoyed 2.24 'The Ultimate Computer' but just don't have enough to say about why at this point besides the AI critiques. I look forward to revisiting some of my favorites in a rewatch once I've finished S3!

This is a great episode for Spock in particular and combines a lot of good features of other episodes, including Kirk's tension over the galactic stakes from 1.29 'Operation: Annihilate!' (and with a similar amoeba-like threat) and 2.06 'The Doomsday Machine', and Spock missing and in danger from 1.16 'The Galileo Seven'.

( Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Request permission to come aboard.  )