Are They Or Aren't They?

Are they or aren't they? That seems to be a common question in regards to Xena and Gabrielle. More specifically…are they or aren't they lovers?

It should be easy to answer, and in some fans' minds, there is no doubt one way or the other. It seems to me that the majority of those who have no doubt are convinced that they are indeed lovers.

A lot of fans think they probably were lovers, but still have a few doubts at times. But if pressed for an answer, a good many would say yes, they are intimate.

And then, there are those who don't believe they are lovers. Those are the ones that feel Xena and Gabrielle are soul mates, and will always be together, yet not in a sexual way.

Which category do I fit in? Well, I will stall by saying that I reserved judgment until I had seen each and every episode. When I first saw some episodes, such as Return of Callisto and The Ring trilogy, I was pretty well convinced that Xena and Gabs were lovers. But an episode or two down the line; I'd change my mind and decide they weren't.

I saw Lucy's appearance on Conan O'Brien's show, which she did in conjunction with the series finale. She said that Rob had basically "outed" her character. But when it's all said and done, I've come to the conclusion that Xena and Gabrielle are as close as two people can be, yet not sexual.

Even more frustrating for the subtexters I have debated with, I am firmly convinced that Xena is bisexual, or at least was bisexual in her past. She would certainly not be opposed to a sexual relationship with Gabs for any moral reasons. And it's obvious that Gabrielle adores Xena and would more than likely welcome a sexual relationship with the warrior princess.


So why then, do I not feel they could be sexually involved? The answer is…I really don't know. How's that for frustrating?


On what do I base the premise that Xena is bisexual? Several examples come to mind. First of all, there is no doubt that Xena enjoys sex with men. There's a whole list of men she's been intimate with, including, but not limited to, Iolas, Hercules, Borias, Marcus, and Caesar. We see her having sex with Borias on more than one occasion, and she certainly is enjoying herself. She felt attracted to quite a few men while traveling with Gabrielle. Ulysses, Rafe, Ares, and Antony most notably.

At the same time, there are several important clues that Xena has had women lovers in the past as well. The first one I really noticed was Helen of Troy in Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts. Xena seems extraordinarily familiar with her, and the two embrace warmly on several occasions. I'm not saying a hug between two women automatically makes them lovers, but something in Xena and Helen's exchanges leads me to believe they had a sexual history.

The next clues were in Destiny. Xena and M'Lila formed a close bond and M'Lila was willing to give he life for Xena without a second thought. Would a person be so quick to do that for a friend, as opposed to a lover? And when M'Lila was killed, Xena lost it. It turned her into the vicious warlord who would kill so many men; she'd never be able to wash their blood from her hands. Once again, would it take a lover or just a friend to bring that on? Also, Xena's battle armor has the same design that M'Lila wore on her shirt. Once again, a very touching tribute.

The next example is the most revealing of all. Xena reminisces as she tells Gabrielle the story of her relationship with Lao Ma. Xena acts somewhat jealous of the attention Borias shows Lao Ma. She tells Lao Ma, "That's my piece of meat you're reaching for.' Lao Ma responds, "You're wrong…I don't eat meat." Many translate that as meaning she doesn't like men. I don't know if I can buy that, but there are more examples.

Lao Ma rescues young Xena from the vindictive Ming T'su. She hides Xena in her bathtub in her home. When Ming sneaks back for one more peek, Lao Ma has to react quickly. She does so by giving a literal "kiss of life" to Xena. That in itself doesn't mean a whole lot in the scheme of thingss, as Lao Ma was just giving Xena oxygen. But Xena's hand comes up to caress the side of Lao Ma's face, her mouth even working against the Chinese woman's. The next scene continues to be revealing. Xena reclines in the tub, glancing back at Lao Ma as she bathes her. Then Lao Ma gently combs Xena's hair. The usually active, wild Xena is docile under Lao Ma's touch.

Back in the present day, Gabrielle is upset that Xena is determined to go to Chin to kill a man. In jealous tones, the bard asks Xena if she is willing to give up all the two of them have to go to Chin. Xena responds regretfully, but without hesitation, "Yes."

In Part 2 of The Debt, Xena continues to learn from Lao Ma. During this time, Lao Ma heals Xena's crippled legs. Once again, the embrace is very tender and lingering. There is a beautiful scene in which Xena and Lao Ma celebrate Xena's healings by literally "dancing on air". When Borias comes in and "ruins the mood", Lao Ma tells Xena she must learn to get along with Borias so she can serve as her Warrior Princess.

Throughout the rest of the series, Xena will continue to quote Lao Ma, often referring to her as her "mentor". When one of Lao Ma's twin daughters is endangered, Xena, although quite pregnant with Eve, risks life and limb to save her.

Another interesting occurrence happens in King of Assassins, despite the fact that Xena is only in about five minutes of the episode. In this episode, Gabrielle, Autolycus, and Joxer team up to stop an assassination attempt on Cleopatra. Xena arrives just in time to save the day, and Cleopatra expresses her thanks to the group. She makes a special offer to Xena however, telling her if she's ever in Egypt, she'll plan a reception the world won't soon forget. Xena's reaction can be interpreted in a number of ways, but most likely, it's a sheepish expression. Could she and Cleopatra be old friends?

The next episode that offers evidence that Xena is bisexual is the fourth season opener, Adventures in the Sin Trade. This one introduces several new intriguing characters, including a new villainess who would prove tough to kill, Alti. Alti, in turn, introduced young Xena (in a flashback), to her apprentice Anokin (not a young Skywalker). Xena is intrigued by Alti, and seems equally intrigued by Anokin. She is given Anokin as a gift, but doesn't get to enjoy the present for very long.

When Anokin dies in a fight, Xena almost reacts hysterically screaming over and over about her "friend". Borias isn't impressed, and tells Xena she knew the young girl for less than a moon, but Xena's grief was very real. Had she fallen in love with Anokin?

Apparently, the love was fleeting, as at the beginning of Part 2, Evil Xena seems to have a new interest. Every time I watch the scene, I'm amazed by Xena's voyeuristic tendencies. Cyane, the Queen of the Amazons, is in a sweat hut, being flagellated. Evil Xena seems to be enjoying the show, but the roof of the hut caves in and leaves Xena flat on her face at Cyane's feet. What follows is an amusing exchange as Cyane demonstrates her skill as a quick-change artist and strips Xena down to her undies within seconds. Wonder how many other times she did that?

Skip the fifth season except for a few great lines such as Alti's "I've always wanted to be inside you, Xena", and check out The Rheingold from Sixth Season. Xena's actions with the Rhein Maidens are far more flirtatious than I would have expected. And once again, it is a flashback of young Evil Xena. She even says something about "playing with her new friend all day". Of course, it's all a ruse, but still, it is a remarkable scene.

The next example is one of the most telling in my opinion. It occurs during Send in the Clones, during the time Xena and Gabrielle are watching "footage" of themselves from the series. Xena is learning the joy of eating pizza, but while watching her and Gabrielle kiss, stops in mid bite with an enthusiastic "Well, all right." A moment later, when asked her thoughts on what she saw, she responds with "I like the one who plays me…She's kinda sexy."

And then finally, there are the two episodes, which conclude the series, Friend in Need 1, and 2. Without dwelling on them much, let's just say that Evil Xena's interest in Akemi seemed more than just casual…and in fact, when the young girl dies, Xena butchers her own hair and turns to drink during her mourning. Once again, these seem hardly the actions of someone reacting to the death of a close friend, and more in tune with the death of a lover.


That's not all the examples that point to Xena's bisexuality, but they are the ones that stand out most in my mind. There is something that almost all of these have in common. The time frame. All of the women that Xena had a possible sexual relationship with were with her before her conversion to good.

Now, don't for one moment think I'm drawing a comparison between Xena's being "evil" and her being bisexual. Perhaps her bisexuality just reminded her of her past life, and that's why she now avoided it. Or perhaps, in all her past relationships with women, she was guilty of using or hurting the other woman. I dunno. At any rate, she no longer seems to be interested in women.


And what about Gabrielle? After spending first season falling for some guy nearly every episode, her life changed abruptly when she married her hometown sweetheart, Perdicus. Of course, countless fan fiction stories have found many excuses for the two not to have consummated their marriage, but the series offers plenty of evidence that they did. After Perdicus' death, Gabrielle's penchance for falling in love waned somewhat. It was almost as if she no longer had any interest in men.


Xena and Gabrielle love each other. I don't doubt that for a moment. I also don't doubt that they will spend the rest of their lives together. They're soul mates.

And yes, they do flirt with each other at times. But I am very straight, and it is not uncommon for my straight friends and I to flirt back and forth with each other at work. A touch here and there do not make us "interested" in a homosexual experience, and the same goes for the Warrior Princess and her bard.

If I were to make an argument saying they WERE lovers, the best evidence I could give would be the kisses they have shared. I'm not counting a kiss to the forehead or cheek, or the times one revived the other with mouth-to-mouth. I'm talking full on the mouth kisses.

There were four in all, two in second season and two in sixth season. The first was right after Gabrielle's wedding in Return of Callisto.
Xena was congratulating Gabrielle, and they kiss briefly. Then they embrace, and Xena's eyes reveal the pain she is feeling, knowing she will be separated from Gabrielle. Her pain is very palpable, but if you watch the scene carefully, you'll see that their lips don't actually touch. They touch each other at the sides of their mouths. Sue me, but I felt a little cheated by that.

The next kiss is the infamous moment in The Quest. I was relatively late joining the Xenaverse, and had heard much about The Quest before I actually saw the episode. When I finally saw it, I couldn't figure out what the big deal was. Yes, the scene was very poignant, and yes, Xena was bending over to kiss her, but the experience had to be brief, as a split second later, Gabrielle had her lips pressed against Autolycus'.
Much has been made about the fact that Autolycus had his hand on Gabrielle's ass as the kiss ended. It has been speculated that it was Xena who actually felt the need to touch the bard's backside. I maintain it was the flirt Autolycus, taking advantage of the situation. Even if Xena was meaning to give Gabrielle a romantic kiss, it was certainly meant to be tender and reassuring, not an excuse for her to grab Gabrielle's butt! Why else would she punch Autolycus in the mouth for being so forward?

Skip ahead four seasons and into what some consider to be the most "revealing" season of all, the sixth. The first of two kisses was during Return of the Valkyries. Xena has been identified as Gabrielle's true soul mate, and only she could pass through the ring of fire Brunhilda had transformed into to protect the bard. What exactly she was protecting Gabrielle from was something I never quite figured out. But at any rate, Xena passes through the fire, and kneels down to kiss the sleeping beauty.

Once again, we are cheated, as most of the kiss is not shown. Instead, there are flashbacks of Gabrielle's earlier travels with Xena. The kiss is shown from a strange angle, and Xena barely looks like Xena as she pulls her head away, and Gabrielle awakens. It was a sweet moment, but I would hardly call it proof that the two of them are intimate.

The most telling kiss of all, and in my humble opinion, the most convincing moment of all comes toward the end of Friend in Need Part 2. This is the episode Lucy referred to on Conan O'Brien. Once again, it is a kiss designed to save another's life. Xena is near death, and Gabrielle fills her mouth with water from the nearby life-giving fountain. She is evidently going to use her mouth to transfer the water to Xena, who is lying injured nearby. Funny thing is, she opens her mouth as she makes her way back to Xena. How can she carry water in an open mouth? I don't think it's possible. Nevertheless, she bends over and presses her lips to Xena's. This kiss is longer than the others, and even though I've read some complaints that TPTB cheated on this one too, I wasn't too unhappy with it. The other three times, it was Xena kissing Gabrielle. This time, Gabs kisses Xena and for the only time, it's possible to see their mouths moving against each other's. And when Gabrielle finally raises her head, her lower lip nudges against Xena's upper one. It doesn't look accidental, and Xena certainly doesn't seem surprised by it. This single moment, near the end of the final episode, made me stop and reevaluate their relationship. I now had all the episodes to consider, all the flirtatious comments and little touches, the longing looks and steadfast devotion. And after careful consideration…

I still don't think they're lovers. Despite some of the signs that say they are, there are just too many more that say they aren't. Gabrielle would have to be very generous to let Xena carry on the way she does. She flirted very heavily with Ulysses, Rafe, Ares, and Marc Antony. There was little doubt she would have made love with Antony under the pyramids, had they not been interrupted. Gabrielle appeared a little jealous during the 9 ½ Weeks scene in Antony and Cleopatra, but was nowhere near the pyramids.

Then there's the matter of Xena's fifth season pregnancy. Xena is extremely shocked to find out she is pregnant. She makes it quite clear to the healer that she cannot be pregnant because she hasn't been with anyone. No one, zilch, nada; to quote her, she is a "love free zone". That means she hasn't had sex with anyone, male or female, for a while leading up to that point.

Yes, there were a few instances where Xena and Gabrielle slept very close to each other. Been There, Done That comes to mind immediately, but Xena was offering Gabrielle comfort. There were shown sleeping next to each other when they slept out in the open, but they certainly don't share the same bedroll, and there's never any indication they are undressed, or even partially undressed. When they sleep in an inn, they sleep in separate beds. Yes, they do take baths together, and I will admit, that's rather odd, but after all, hot water would be hard to come by in Ancient Greece. Maybe they were conserving. Xena is obviously very comfortable with her nudity, and over time, this inhibition has rubbed off on Gabrielle, to a certain extent. Just as they would often bathe together in the river, I suppose they had fallen in the habit of bathing together in a tub as well.

I realize that this discussion isn't going to convince anyone differently than they already feel. I also realize that in parts, I sound like I'm arguing for the other side. That's probably true. But that's one of the best things about X:WP. The fact that no two people see the series in the same way is one of the best things about the series. What I've given are just a few examples I base my particular opinion on. I'm sure the next person would have a hundred different examples and come up with a totally different conclusion. But that's okay; it was still fun just to sketch it out.

Any comments or questions are most welcome!

Shana

And here's how Gary feels:

They Weren't,But Now They Are:

For six years we have been teased by the question of Xena and Gabrielle's relationship.We are presented with them in SINS OF THE PAST as becoming friends,then as "sisters",and finally as "family".

RenPics wanted,per the CHAKRAM fan magazine interviews with Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor,to hint that they may be "more than friends",meaning that there was a subtext which consisted of lesbian overtones.Early in the series,Season One's ALTARED STATES begins with Xena and Gabby naked in a lake,with Xena saying that Gabby always "wanted to do it" and to "reach underneath". Really,despite the double-entendres,Xena was referring to catching a fish with her bare hands. Gabby is able to do this before hearing the trouble on shore.

In BEEN THERE-DONE THAT, we have two hints at a "possible" sexual relationship. When Xena sees that Gabby is not dead in the never-ending repeat of the day,she hugs her with joy. Joxer enters the barn,looks at them in a strange way,like he know smething is going on,and unexpectedly yells,"Group hug!",thinking it is innocent.

In the same episode,Joxer asks Xena in the marketplace "Is that a hickey?".Gabby turns with an embarrased look. I think it was because she knew maybe Xena was making out with some guy,more than it being "who" gave her the hickey,if it really was one. No matter what,RenPics was having fun with it,and everyone could draw his own conclusions about it being a sexual reference.

In MANY HAPPY RETURNS,we see that Xena had gone to see Sappho,a Greek lyric poetess,and Sappho wrote a birthday poem for Gabby. Xena looks as if she herself doesn't know what is written,and Gabby loves the poem.It tells of a strong love and how it makes one feel. Also,while in the water,the girls are splashing,and we hear Xena say,"I can't believe you did that!". We can guess anything from that throwaway line,since we saw nothing.

There are more examples in the series where the girls are attracted to men,rather to each other,or to other women. In The Xena Trillogy on HERCULES,Xena has warrior-boyfriends,makes love to Hercules(like the old song "Why Don't We Do It In The Dirt?"),and gets it on with Iolaus.

She is seen in DESTINY being in bed with Caesar,and, with Marcus in THE PATH NOT TAKEN, she and he mention their past time together. Later in MORTAL BELOVED, Xena is seen to be ready to make love to Marcus,with them kissing and the camera fading to the treetops,which old movies did to avoid showing the actual lovemaking. I believe this episode is the only one where Xena actually has sex since returning home in SINS OF THE PAST,and is the only time this happens in the Ancient Greece shows since SINS.She declares herself a "love-free zone" to the doctor when he says she is pregnant in ANIMAL ATTRACTION. I believe this means she has had sex with NOBODY AT ALL.

Xena and Gabby both have an attraction for Xena's former fiance in A FISTFULL OF DINARS.Gabby kisses the guy. In BLIND FAITH,the girls both think the young warrior who kidnapped Gabby is nice-looking,and sort of moon over him.

Also,in BLIND FAITH,Gabby is shown a naked statue of the king,and her eyes widen at him being obviously well-endowed. In RETURN OF CALLISTO, Gabby gets married and of course,is no longer a virgin after her wedding night with Perdicus.

In other episodes,Xena is with Borias,first having sex on horseback,and later under a "bearskin" rug. This scene was pretty explicit,and removes all doubt that she likes men.

So,we know that both girls are attracted to men in a sexual way,and not to each other.I do not believe they are bisexual. Nowhere in any episode in Ancient Greece,have I seen anything to the contrary.They never have said "Let's have sex" or ended up doing anything sexual in the same bedroll or anywhere else.

True,they express the love of friends/sisters/family,but aside from a hug or kiss(and not a passionate kiss),there is no touching to lead us to believe otherwise.

This brings us to the other half of the equation.In DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN,SEND IN THE CLONES,AND SOUL POSSESSION,we see a more obvious path taken by RenPics.

In DEJA VU,the episode following their death in IDES OF MARCH,we see the confusing body and spirit switch in their modern incarnations. "Xena" and "Joxer" are in bed together and living together as a couple. Or,are they really who they appear to be?We see after the regression sequence at Mattie's office(it is Gabby's spirit in a Gabby-lookalike) that the Xena-body is Joxer,and the Joxer-body is Xena.

Mattie realizes,as well as the others,who they "really" are. By the end of the show,the Xena-body(Joxer) leaves,and the Joxer-body(Xena) kisses "Gabby" as lovers do.It wasn't just a quick peck on the cheek.

The episode YOU ARE THERE teased us by the announcer asking the girls outright if they "were" or not. The girls smile,as if wanting to tell the long-awaited secret,and the film ends without us knowing for real. It was a cheat after the buildup.

In SEND IN THE CLONES,it is even more apparent,and weird.The girls are brought back by Alti's larest incarnation,which happens to look exactly as she always had looked.The Xena-fans there at the lab don't seem to notice the obvious resemblance. Alti had hired a guy to bring back the New Chakram and a single strand each of Xena's hair and of Gabby's.Never mind by the end of the Ancient Greece times that Xena has been cremated by Gabby without us seeing Gabby cut off a lock of hair as Amarice did in FALLEN ANGEL. Gabby is last seen aboard ship,wearing her hair short,so where did the single strands of hair come from?

Anyway,the the girls are DNA-identical to their "old" bodies after being brought to life by Alti. The clones don't awaken at once,but need electronic doses of XENA shows to give them "memories". By the end of the show,the girls are seen sitting in a cab,holding wine glasses,practically sitting in each other's lap. Note:None of the Ancient Greece shows,or even DEJA VU,ever show them as being "in love". In DEJA VU,they kiss tenderly,but it can be seen both ways. They do not have sex in that episode,and their "memories" do not tell them they are in love with each other.

Finally,in SOUL POSSESSION,we know for sure that they are now lovers. We see that "Mattie"(Gabby) and "Harry"(Xena) are self-aware as females, (in spirit),and they are now married. They rave about the vacation they were just on,and how the honeymoon was even better!

So,obviously,there was sex between them,with both knowing they are "really" women. There is no doubt in my mind that they are lesbians,no matter what the body looks like. I have read where a female "trapped" in a man's body,but likes women,is a "male lesbian". This was on ABC radio last year,and I have seen the reference before in print.At this point in the series,Xena is this type of person.

At the CHAKRAM lecture,Annie(Joxer) calls Xena and Gabby "Harry and Harry's 'ho". Xena(Harry) has a hand on Mattie's (Gab's) leg possessively.

After Ares switches the bodies and spirits so Xena is in a Xena-body and Joxer is in a Joxer-body,"Xena" goes off again with "Gabby" arm-in-arm---still married,and obviously will have sex,since they are a married couple.

Even worse,in Year 2001,we have two Xena-Gabby couples alive at the same time. These are the clone couple and the descendant-couple,with the same spirit and self-awareness in two separate bodies for each of them.How can RenPics explain THAT away? They cannot.They cheated the fans by dumping their "outing" on us just to get it out of the way.By FRIEND IN NEED,we still do not see them as lovers.What confusion!

So,I conclude that in Ancient Greece,despite the "hints" of the girls being lovers,they were just as presented...friends/family/sisters.

It is the modern two couples we see that are the lesbian couples,and the way that RenPics presented it in this confusing and preposterous way was too much. They should have told us in YOU ARE THERE and got it over with.

Gary in Vermont

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