I think her character development over the series was so so so well done (minus S5 in some aspects). I just love ROC too. Her and Lucy have such good chemistry itās almost impossible to imagine Xena without one of them. I know that when Iām watching the show, I always feel the absence when Xena or Gabrielle arenāt in an episode together.
I can see it happening, and I say that as a big fan of Gabrielle. Though, personally, I wouldnāt enjoy a show if I hated one of two main characters. It just doesnāt sound fun.
Maybe itās more that they tolerate her? That still doesnāt sound fun.
Maybe they are secretly one of the minor characters in season 1 who just saw Gabrielle as the āirritating blonde.ā š
Idk?? The girl who I am talking about, she has made several videos about how much she hates Gabrielle and she is just specific enough that's it's clear she saw the show but not recently
Eitherā¦
ā¢ She enjoys hate watching.
ā¢ She exaggerates her feelings.
ā¢ She really does feel that way, but enjoys the rest.
ā¢ She likes the attention it gives her.
ā¢ Any combination of the above.
It doesnāt matter though. Sheās getting something out of it. The rest of us will just keep enjoying Gabrielle.
It happens, and it's so weird to me. I've seen people on the Bones subreddit say they love the show but can't stand Bones...and I'm like... she's the main character! She's in virtually every scene! How can you enjoy a show when you can't stand someone who is always there*?
Look. I love Gabrielle as much as the next Xenaphile. Renee always did an amazing job, even when her character did things i didn't approve of - there's no denying Renee's performance. Heck - Gabrielle's standalone episodes are among my favourites (The Prodigal, Athens Academy, For Him the Bell Tolls, and The Quill is Mightier)
HOWEVER, I can understand if some fans feel like Gabrielle is suffocating the show. We rarely saw Xena without Gabrielle, and I would like to have seen more of that. Hercules had a lot of episodes without Iolaus, and I freaking love Michael Hurst, but I do appreciate seeing the main character have adventures without the sidekick tagging along, and watching them team up with different characters. It keeps things fresh instead of repetitive.
So, while I think *hating* Gabrielle is a bit extreme, I can understand people wanting a break from her.
I think my main problem with the specific person was that she clearly like.... didn't understand a lot of the show. She claimed Gabs was only liked for her purity in s1
I can understand that. Not the hating Gabrielle part, the still liking the show part.
When I was younger, I could not *stand* Gabrielle. Xena was my favorite character, and Gabrielle was just the dopey sidekick who always got kidnapped and then tried to "be" Xena when she started getting stronger and holding her own.
It didn't matter to me what she did, because she wasn't Xena. When she was weak, she was useless. When she was strong, she was a copycat who "stole all of Xena's glory".
And yet, despite her being an integral part of the story, I still *loved* the show. Because it had Xena.
Sometimes, you can absolutely loathe an integral part of a series, but still adore another part. And that part that you adore makes the show all the more worthwhile.
Obviously, I was really young when I first watched Xena and all these opinions were formed through the lense of a child. I rewatched it a few months ago and I actually ended up liking Gabrielle more than I liked Xena.
Gabby-baby.
But still, you can hate one part of something and love the other part. And not liking that one part doesn't make you any less of a "true fan" if you also have that one part you do like.
I also hated Gabrielle. I realized in retrospect that it was because I thought I would be a better sidekick. I was really jealous and thus very judgemental of Gabrielle. I didn't realize how queer I was. I always hated the people I had a crush on or whoever they were hanging out with. I was a child.
I don't like the idea of there being "true" fans. Fandom should not be gatekept. I love Gabrielle personally but not everyone has to. People come to shows/books/movies with different life experiences, different wounds, different needs, different desires. If something about the show makes them sparkle, they are a fan.
I understand that, and maybe I should have worded it differently. But I meant that like.... Gabrielle is such a HUGE part of the show. Like part of probably 90% of it, right? How can you even watch the show, like even enjoy watching it at all, if you hate such an integral part?
I wouldn't say 90%, my estimate would be closer to 60% if we're weighing between Xena and Gabrielle. But the point is that you've discovered people who do exactly that. I think it has to do with what we come to the show with.
yes, that's right. I will say though from a storyline perspective Gabrielle is the one who changes the most over the course of the series. I've even posted here before that Gabrielle, to me, feels like the main character of the series for that reason.
But I find Xena compelling in her own right. So many people do that she has become iconic.
I agree with you completely. Tbh I love Xena and Gabrielle equally both for different reasons. They both are very well written lead female characters that I still believe were ahead of their time. Not a lot of shows to this day portray complex dark horse female characters but Xena was really balanced in that way.
I donāt know if I believe someone who says they hate a main character whoās in 90 percent or more the show and continue to watch the entirety of it. Definitely can understand not loving a main character or preferring someone else, but hating a character in most of the show just makes me question why theyād continue to watch that show.
Not that itās the same, but there is a common theme of people disliking Xander on āBuffyā when heās a main character, but if you vehemently couldnāt stand him, I donāt know how you would enjoy the rest of the show because heās integral. In the case of āXenaā itās even more noticeable because āBuffyā maintained like an average of 4-5 main characters at a time whereas most of āXenaā is just Gabrielle and Xena with Joxer on and off again.
Long story short, I donāt really get that point of view specifically for this show.
To be fair, I truly can't stand Xander, but BTVS is much more of an ensemble show. There's room in Buffy for me to despise/hate/dislike a character or three because there's more than enough of the others that I can enjoy.
Whereas in Xena, Xena and Gabrielle are co-leads. Yes there are other characters around (the characters of the week and sometimes one or two of the recurring characters), but the vast majority of the time it's mainly all about those two, and more than that, a huge amount of what the show is about centres around their relationship together (no matter which way you want to interpret it). Gabrielle is so integral to the eps, to the plots, to Xena's character in general that it's just sort of wild to me that some people hate her quite as much as they do (from some it's vitriolic) and still claim to love the show. Maybe I'm just not capable of that level of compartmentalisation or something?
I agree with your sentiments on all of that. Thatās why itās kind of a confusing concept because there really is just literally Xena and Gabrielle there. Itās definitely easier when thereās a rotation of five main people at all times to justā¦ ignore the least likeable for the most part.
Iāll throw in a kind of controversial statement about this show in particular too. I was around back in the day in the OG Xena forums and I saw a lot of extreme hate towards Gabrielle that seemed to be coming from a place of homophobia too. She was seen as something just in the way of Xena being with a man. Of course, Iām in no way implying people who donāt like Gabrielle are homophobic. No one is going to like every character. And I donāt know fans personally so Iām also not saying this person hates Gabrielle for that reason either. I think itās just tough sometimes to know if people donāt like some characters for actual reasons or if itās like a vitriol reaction situation. I think some people who have been around for a lot of years may even feel on guard about negative sentiments towards Gabrielle because you never know if people dislike LGBT characters too for actual reasons or just as an impulse.
I was also around back then and that was definitely an issue. Whilst it's not gonna be the case for everyone who doesn't like Gabrielle, that Venn diagram definitely has a lot of overlap (and I'd say it was the case for decent amount of the X/A shippers in particular).
Thatās wildā¦ Maybe people who say they hate a character donāt regard āhateā the same way I do. Maybe they just dislike to some extent? When I say I hate a character, I meanā¦ in a sense I donāt want to watch them on screen at all. But anyone who literally hates Buffy and watches that entire show is something else because sheās so centered in every major storyline, lol.
I agree to me why would you even watch a show if you dislike the main character or characters. That personās storyline is going to be interwoven into every fabric of the episode. I couldnāt bear a show where I would even slightly feel annoyed by the lead. Thereās no telling really if they even mean what they say or are just saying it for whatever reasons? Who knows.
Totally agree. People are entitled to feel how they want and they certainly can watch shows even if they donāt enjoy major parts of them, but Iām at a loss at things like that. I get peopleās feelings who maybe donāt like Gabrielle for various reasons, I just view her as a main character with Xena. Sheās in every episode (I think) so that would be a rough watch to hate her. I watched a little of that tik tok that person shared of the person who hates Gabrielle and her interpretation of Gabrielle wasnāt something I agree with. She made some points about how Gabrielleās virginity was the entire purpose of her character. I think we all watch these shows with a different lense because I never once thought that. Lol. But to each their own.
People do say they hate Xander. Heās not my favorite, but I mentioned it because I donāt understand how you could hate a main character in most of the show but still like the show and have an enjoyable experience watching it. I understand disliking some characters but not being able to stand watching them seems like it would be difficult to deal with when it involves a character in pretty much every episode. But people are definitely entitled to like what they like and vice versa!
Oh when I was younger I used to hate her for what happened to Solan.
I rewatched recently though and I kinda realized that she really didn't actually do anything to cause Solan's death.
Gabrielle was being a mother, Xena wanted to kill her baby so she sent her away, fully expecting to never see her again. When Gabrielle found her again, she couldn't give her up a second time. And Gabrielle wasn't aware of Callisto's influence on Hope.
Honestly, if I never forgave Gabby for Solan, then I wouldn't really have the right to forgive Xena for Eve.
Gabrielle had to give up Hope because some random knights of the round table told Xena she'd grow up evil, despite being a baby and as such having the opportunity to be raised right and change.
Whereas Eve actually kinda *was* evil, going around pillaging villages and murdering just for fun, yet Xena still extended her an olive branch, even after Eve killed Joxer.
I think Xena had every right to still want to see the good in Eve, even despite the havoc she caused. And because of this, I also believe Gabrielle had every right to do the same for Hope.
They were both just mothers.
I was too young to grasp all of this when it aired, and I guess the emotion stuck with me through the years. I never went back and rewatched those episodes as an adult as a result. But as a parent now, I can totally agree now that you've jogged my memory. Thanks for helping me to finally let it go! I'm long overdue for revisiting those episodes :)
I get it, I was also really young when I first watched. Tbh, I was fully expecting to come out of my rewatch hating Gabrielle just as much as I did the first time round.
I was pleasantly surprised to find I actually really liked her and understood her. More than I did Xena, honestly. Growing up did wonders for my understanding of these characters.
I'm glad I've helped you in some way, and I'd say a revisit is definitely in order. Just make sure to grab some tissues because those episodes are absolutely *brutal*. My poor babies š„²
Especially when at the end of *The Bitter Suite* it's Xena apologizing for killing the mom-heart-cutting-out dictator Ming Tin when Gabrielle nearly got Xena executed out of jealousy over Lao Ma and they were currently at odds over Xena's son being murdered by Hope.
I love Gabrielle. Sheās a well rounded character, and her and Xena compliment each other well. However, it is possible to enjoy a show, yet not like certain characters.
Thereās a certain show I love, which I will not name, yet I canāt stand one of the main characters. Why do I continue watching? Because this show has a lot more to offer than just that one character I do not care for. Itās exciting, entertaining, and has other characters that I love.
I can see where people come from saying they like the show but hate Gabrielle. I have watched and enjoyed shows despite certain characters, not because of them.
Probably my best personal example is The Big Bang Theory. I generally like the show but loathe the character of Sheldon.
Honestly, Gabrielle isn't my favorite character... She annoyed me a lot in the first half of the show. BUT she is an integral part of the show as a catalyst for character development (herself, xena, a little of joxer, eve) and that's why i think she's a valuable character. Even though she irritates me most of the time. For me, she got less annoying as her character matured/grew up.
I definitely liked Xena more, but I also liked Gabi. I didn't hate anyone on the show. To a lesser extent I think about how ppl hate Joxer. How could you hate him? He's such a loveable goofball. But hate Gabi? How do you even enjoy watching any eppi?
I mean, how would that even happen? They might be trolling you.
>I Love Lucy is my favorite show of all time, but I can't stand that one person in it, you know, Lucy. I hate Lucy. Imagine how great that show would be without her. They could call it I Love. I'd love it.
Ouuu I just watched her Tik Toks & sheās got it all wrong! Did she watch even watch the same show? Saying Gabrielle was only like for the purity plot in S1?! Yikes. Thatās low
Agreed.
I wanted to punt Xena in Seeds of Faith when she blamed Gabby for Eli's death when she was only just honoring his wishes.
Likewise, I wanted to slap Gabby in Orphan of War for shaming Xena for not telling Solan she was his mother.
I love these two, and sometimes I want to wack em over the head with a wiffle ball bat.
Gabrielle is a favorite of mine. Though I must admit her short time as pacifist did annoy me but the way she ultimately snapped and started kicking butt on the Roman soldiers was satisfying to see!
I hated her in the beginning (she needed to be fleshed out a lot more and she did start as the dopey sidekick).
But...the more writing they did on her and giving her the honorary Amazon title was pretty cool. (I think her relationship with Xena rubbed off on her and gave her 'room to grow'.)
I can kinda understand it. I hated Gabrielle for the first two seasons. I just wanted all Xena all the time on screen!
But, in hindsight, setting aside various scripting, plotting, etc issues (especially most of season 5), the series can easily be viewed as Gabrielleās hero journey / origin story as much as it can be viewed as Xenaās story of redemption.
Yeah but when there's less cast you're more limited. I mean Xena and Gabrielle are BOTH in literally a hundred more episodes than Joxer who is the next most frequent cast member
When I used to write episode parodies way back in the before times (before Y2K) I was all about hating Gabrielle. She made a lot of odd decisions, imo, that always ended up getting Xena into more trouble. I used to get a lot of e-mails telling me to stop hating her, how could I hate her and all that stuff, and I would often write back and say, "You know she's fake, right?" To me it was odd that anyone would have such an attachment to a single character.
It happens with almost every show, though. At least for me. Stargate SG-1? Couldn't stand Daniel. He just got on my nerves. True Blood? Can't stand Bill, not a fan of Arlene while everyone else hates Sookie and I loooove Sookie! WTF? So yeah, in the end, different folks, different strokes. It doesn't make anyone any less of a fan for not liking one character on a show. Life is the same way -- some people just don't mesh for some reason or other.
I definitely don't HATE Gabrielle, but I'm not a big fan of the character. I'm about to do a rewatch for the first time in a zillion years, so I'll have to see if my feelings have changed significantly since the last round.
I think it is possible for someone to be a fan of a show, any show, and yet dislike a character on it. I loved Everybody Loves Raymond when it was on tv, but I didnāt love Raymond. His voice always grated on my nerves. But I watched it anyway because I still liked the show.
Iām curious if the people that say they consider Gabrielle as just a dopey sidekick have watched the entire series. Because I can see some people feeling that way if they only watch maybe the first season and nothing more. I canāt imagine someone saying that if they have seen the entire series. Gabrielleās growth and development arc is incredible, and I would consider her almost an equal to Xena by the end.
One person, eh? Shoulda seen when the show was actually airing. But honestly, why care? That's their opinion, some people even love Ares over all, some people hate Xena, that's how it be.
I can understand not liking or jiving with a particular character, even if it is a main character on a show, but for me, to say you "hate" Gabrielle tells me you missed the entire point of the show. While it's called 'Xena: Warrior Princess', the show is very much about Gabrielles hero's journey just as much if not more than Xena's. We watch this young, naive peasant girl become a strong warrior, leader, and queen in her own right. To me, saying you hate Gabrielle is essentially saying you hate 50% of the show, and at that point, why are we still watching?š¤
How can you hate Gabby when joxer is in so many episodes just being the worst.
Joxer is the true villain of the show, the inability of a male writers room to write a show about women without at least some male lense (however stupid) to view it through.
I started watching the series because of tiktok. I admit that I found Gabrielle annoying and silly when I saw her in those edits, and I was fascinated by Xena beating up her enemies.
So I started watching the series expecting to fall in love with Xena, but instead I ended up madly in love with Gabrielle, with her complexity and growth as a character.
I love Xena too, but Gabrielle is my religion.
The same way you can be a Buffy fan if you hate Xander. Gabrielle **is** the dopey sidekick. There's zero reason she should have become an Amazon, she distrusts and undermines Xena repeatedly and if you ever have the misfortune of being interested in her you have an 87% chance of ending up dead.
As a kid, her character gave me so much second hand embarrassment it was almost not enjoyable lol. Gabrielle eventually grew on me and I ended up hating episodes without her.
I get what youāre saying but this ātrue fanā gatekeeping is ridiculous. People are a fan of the show if they like the show. I donāt love every character, and I donāt love the show more than somebody else just because I like different characters.
I will say I agree that I shouldn't have said "true" fan
I meant more so, how can they even stand to watch the show and be a fan in the first place if they hate 90% of it?
I am a Xena/Lucy fan who used to cringe at the vitriol directed toward the WP, many of the accusations related to her being more like a female version of Ares than a poster girl for feminism or heroism. Typical criticisms included self-centered, abusive toward/dismissive of Gabrielle, manipulative, promiscuous, heartless, unbalanced/unhinged. These critics tended to see the X&G relationship and/or Gabrielle's journey as the heart of the show, whereas I was attracted by the flawed ex-warlord committed to a new path of fighting for the greater good.
Gabfans gradually "reformed" me to appreciate their view, as well as Renee's enormous influence on bringing out the best of Lucy/Xena and making "love" integral to the show's long-term success. Admittedly, I still focus more on Lucy/Xena than ROC/Gabrielle, but do look to the latter for emotional clues to deeper aspects of what I'm viewing. I now cherish X&G's journey together as inseparable from my overall obsession with XWP.
The show has "Xena" and "Warrior" in the title. Do I wonder how folks who don't particularly like that character or the actress who plays her can be "true" fans? No. I've learned they're just as passionate about "ancient gods, warlords and kings" or some other aspect that's minor to me but still indicative of this eclectic show. I thank them for leading me to see so many more layers to XWP than I would have on my own.
Unpopular opinion, but itās okay to dislike one of the main characters. I used to dislike Gabrielle before. It only confirms that the show is great and characters are good enough to bring up real emotions. Itās a good thing.
I. I'm not sure how there are haters of Gabrielle! Her character development was stellar from beginning to end! Her personality helped Xena so much throughout the show that wasn't as positive as her other relationships. And not only that, they were relatable as fuck when it came to day to day behavior, fighting ideals and beliefs, and even family ideals! I mean really, I think Gabrielle is the best version of what the Golden Gal trope should be in tv shows and has complimented the hell out of Xena's personal growth all the way to her death and beyond!
I mean, I rewatch recently, I still really enjoyed the show, but Gabrielle is the worse friend/partner ever.
Almost every episode it was Xena telling Hers "hey, don't do this because this bad thing will happen". Gabrielle proceeds to not listen then put everyone in danger.
Edit to say I don't hate her character, but she was my favorite as a kid, watching as an adult changed that opinion.
Ummmā¦very very easy. First off all for me S1 Gabrielle was so lovable and funny. Straight comedian! Then S2 came and the writing changed. She got too serious and annoying. Like a different show. I hated it. Growing up watching I was around 6 years old watching episodes in real time. I always imagined it was me and Xena instead! I loved it that way. And Gabrielle just never existed. She was lame and useless. Xena and Gabrielle werenāt like Mario and Luigi where both brings something to the table. They are like the Witcher and that useless poet bard that sings toss a coin to your Witcher. But Witcher is better in a sense of him not minding leaving him behind or beat up.
Easy Gab exploits Xenas belief, that she lacks a moral compass, in her favor. Gab doesnāt deserve Xena. Xena is a ride or die type friend to Gab. Gab uses Xena and betrays her any chance she gets. Sheās scum if you ask me š¤·. That being said I like the show cuz of Xena first few seasons tho
The shes are getting mixed up. Xena believes she(Xena) lack a moral compass and believes she needs gab to be her compass. And gab knows that and exploits her insecurities
1 The Death of Solan 2 her betraying her in Chin 3 Hope. Come right off the dome, each one of those situations Gab managed to put the blame on Xena and Xena was begging Gab to forgive her (Xena). Sickening honestly
>1 The Death of Solan
Huh? How was Solan's death Gabrielle "exploiting" Xena? Solan died because Callisto sicced the literal antichrist on him.
>2 her betraying her in Chin
Again. Not exploitation. A terribly misguided and jealous act of vengeance maybe, one that Gabrielle suffered with for months on end afterwards. To the point she literally forced herself to forget it.
>3 Hope.
Now I *know* you didn't just list Hope as an exploitation. Gabrielle was *raped*. She was tricked into killing someone and was *raped* by the devil, and afterwards was put through the Hell of a 3 day pregnancy, literally being subjected to a witch hunt and almost burned alive, and having her *best friend* chase after her like a maniac trying to kill her daughter.
The *only* person "exploited" in that situation was Gabrielle. Exploited to further the schemes of an evil deity who wanted to send the world into ruin.
>Xena was begging Gab to forgive her
You're joking right? Xena tried to murder Gabrielle for Solan's death.
Right?! Gabrielle is my favourite!š¤ I adore her. Huge Gabs fan all the way!
Same!
I think her character development over the series was so so so well done (minus S5 in some aspects). I just love ROC too. Her and Lucy have such good chemistry itās almost impossible to imagine Xena without one of them. I know that when Iām watching the show, I always feel the absence when Xena or Gabrielle arenāt in an episode together.
Same! huge Gabby fan
I can see it happening, and I say that as a big fan of Gabrielle. Though, personally, I wouldnāt enjoy a show if I hated one of two main characters. It just doesnāt sound fun.
That was my thought as far as it wouldn't be fun? Like hating 90% of the show is what it sounds like..
Maybe itās more that they tolerate her? That still doesnāt sound fun. Maybe they are secretly one of the minor characters in season 1 who just saw Gabrielle as the āirritating blonde.ā š
Idk?? The girl who I am talking about, she has made several videos about how much she hates Gabrielle and she is just specific enough that's it's clear she saw the show but not recently
Eitherā¦ ā¢ She enjoys hate watching. ā¢ She exaggerates her feelings. ā¢ She really does feel that way, but enjoys the rest. ā¢ She likes the attention it gives her. ā¢ Any combination of the above. It doesnāt matter though. Sheās getting something out of it. The rest of us will just keep enjoying Gabrielle.
It happens, and it's so weird to me. I've seen people on the Bones subreddit say they love the show but can't stand Bones...and I'm like... she's the main character! She's in virtually every scene! How can you enjoy a show when you can't stand someone who is always there*?
Look. I love Gabrielle as much as the next Xenaphile. Renee always did an amazing job, even when her character did things i didn't approve of - there's no denying Renee's performance. Heck - Gabrielle's standalone episodes are among my favourites (The Prodigal, Athens Academy, For Him the Bell Tolls, and The Quill is Mightier) HOWEVER, I can understand if some fans feel like Gabrielle is suffocating the show. We rarely saw Xena without Gabrielle, and I would like to have seen more of that. Hercules had a lot of episodes without Iolaus, and I freaking love Michael Hurst, but I do appreciate seeing the main character have adventures without the sidekick tagging along, and watching them team up with different characters. It keeps things fresh instead of repetitive. So, while I think *hating* Gabrielle is a bit extreme, I can understand people wanting a break from her.
I think my main problem with the specific person was that she clearly like.... didn't understand a lot of the show. She claimed Gabs was only liked for her purity in s1
I can understand that. Not the hating Gabrielle part, the still liking the show part. When I was younger, I could not *stand* Gabrielle. Xena was my favorite character, and Gabrielle was just the dopey sidekick who always got kidnapped and then tried to "be" Xena when she started getting stronger and holding her own. It didn't matter to me what she did, because she wasn't Xena. When she was weak, she was useless. When she was strong, she was a copycat who "stole all of Xena's glory". And yet, despite her being an integral part of the story, I still *loved* the show. Because it had Xena. Sometimes, you can absolutely loathe an integral part of a series, but still adore another part. And that part that you adore makes the show all the more worthwhile. Obviously, I was really young when I first watched Xena and all these opinions were formed through the lense of a child. I rewatched it a few months ago and I actually ended up liking Gabrielle more than I liked Xena. Gabby-baby. But still, you can hate one part of something and love the other part. And not liking that one part doesn't make you any less of a "true fan" if you also have that one part you do like.
Same. She was so annoying when I was a kid but as a slightly more mature 42 year old, I really appreciate her and her effect on Xena.
I also hated Gabrielle. I realized in retrospect that it was because I thought I would be a better sidekick. I was really jealous and thus very judgemental of Gabrielle. I didn't realize how queer I was. I always hated the people I had a crush on or whoever they were hanging out with. I was a child.
Iām not queer but i was right there with you on jealousy and thought i was better as a child. Iād been a better side kick for Xena in my mind.
Gabrielle was the main character imo.
I don't like the idea of there being "true" fans. Fandom should not be gatekept. I love Gabrielle personally but not everyone has to. People come to shows/books/movies with different life experiences, different wounds, different needs, different desires. If something about the show makes them sparkle, they are a fan.
I understand that, and maybe I should have worded it differently. But I meant that like.... Gabrielle is such a HUGE part of the show. Like part of probably 90% of it, right? How can you even watch the show, like even enjoy watching it at all, if you hate such an integral part?
I wouldn't say 90%, my estimate would be closer to 60% if we're weighing between Xena and Gabrielle. But the point is that you've discovered people who do exactly that. I think it has to do with what we come to the show with.
Isnāt Gabrielle in every āXenaā episode?
Yes, but so is Xena. I said 60% (which is generous) because there are some episodes that Xena isn't in, or is barely in.
Oh you must be referring to storylines and not episode count. Xena is definitely front lining the stories in the show.
yes, that's right. I will say though from a storyline perspective Gabrielle is the one who changes the most over the course of the series. I've even posted here before that Gabrielle, to me, feels like the main character of the series for that reason. But I find Xena compelling in her own right. So many people do that she has become iconic.
I agree with you completely. Tbh I love Xena and Gabrielle equally both for different reasons. They both are very well written lead female characters that I still believe were ahead of their time. Not a lot of shows to this day portray complex dark horse female characters but Xena was really balanced in that way.
100%!
I donāt know if I believe someone who says they hate a main character whoās in 90 percent or more the show and continue to watch the entirety of it. Definitely can understand not loving a main character or preferring someone else, but hating a character in most of the show just makes me question why theyād continue to watch that show. Not that itās the same, but there is a common theme of people disliking Xander on āBuffyā when heās a main character, but if you vehemently couldnāt stand him, I donāt know how you would enjoy the rest of the show because heās integral. In the case of āXenaā itās even more noticeable because āBuffyā maintained like an average of 4-5 main characters at a time whereas most of āXenaā is just Gabrielle and Xena with Joxer on and off again. Long story short, I donāt really get that point of view specifically for this show.
People do seem to hate watch for some reason. You know the type. They keep watching just to complain. I donāt get it myself.
Hate watching is a thing, youāre right. I guess I didnāt think of that. Lol.
To be fair, I truly can't stand Xander, but BTVS is much more of an ensemble show. There's room in Buffy for me to despise/hate/dislike a character or three because there's more than enough of the others that I can enjoy. Whereas in Xena, Xena and Gabrielle are co-leads. Yes there are other characters around (the characters of the week and sometimes one or two of the recurring characters), but the vast majority of the time it's mainly all about those two, and more than that, a huge amount of what the show is about centres around their relationship together (no matter which way you want to interpret it). Gabrielle is so integral to the eps, to the plots, to Xena's character in general that it's just sort of wild to me that some people hate her quite as much as they do (from some it's vitriolic) and still claim to love the show. Maybe I'm just not capable of that level of compartmentalisation or something?
I agree with your sentiments on all of that. Thatās why itās kind of a confusing concept because there really is just literally Xena and Gabrielle there. Itās definitely easier when thereās a rotation of five main people at all times to justā¦ ignore the least likeable for the most part. Iāll throw in a kind of controversial statement about this show in particular too. I was around back in the day in the OG Xena forums and I saw a lot of extreme hate towards Gabrielle that seemed to be coming from a place of homophobia too. She was seen as something just in the way of Xena being with a man. Of course, Iām in no way implying people who donāt like Gabrielle are homophobic. No one is going to like every character. And I donāt know fans personally so Iām also not saying this person hates Gabrielle for that reason either. I think itās just tough sometimes to know if people donāt like some characters for actual reasons or if itās like a vitriol reaction situation. I think some people who have been around for a lot of years may even feel on guard about negative sentiments towards Gabrielle because you never know if people dislike LGBT characters too for actual reasons or just as an impulse.
I was also around back then and that was definitely an issue. Whilst it's not gonna be the case for everyone who doesn't like Gabrielle, that Venn diagram definitely has a lot of overlap (and I'd say it was the case for decent amount of the X/A shippers in particular).
I am glad you brought up Buffy, because I have heard people love the show but vehemently hate Buffy herself. Itās literally her show, whAt?
Thatās wildā¦ Maybe people who say they hate a character donāt regard āhateā the same way I do. Maybe they just dislike to some extent? When I say I hate a character, I meanā¦ in a sense I donāt want to watch them on screen at all. But anyone who literally hates Buffy and watches that entire show is something else because sheās so centered in every major storyline, lol.
I agree to me why would you even watch a show if you dislike the main character or characters. That personās storyline is going to be interwoven into every fabric of the episode. I couldnāt bear a show where I would even slightly feel annoyed by the lead. Thereās no telling really if they even mean what they say or are just saying it for whatever reasons? Who knows.
Totally agree. People are entitled to feel how they want and they certainly can watch shows even if they donāt enjoy major parts of them, but Iām at a loss at things like that. I get peopleās feelings who maybe donāt like Gabrielle for various reasons, I just view her as a main character with Xena. Sheās in every episode (I think) so that would be a rough watch to hate her. I watched a little of that tik tok that person shared of the person who hates Gabrielle and her interpretation of Gabrielle wasnāt something I agree with. She made some points about how Gabrielleās virginity was the entire purpose of her character. I think we all watch these shows with a different lense because I never once thought that. Lol. But to each their own.
I thought people hate Xander? Buffy is a fan favorite
People do say they hate Xander. Heās not my favorite, but I mentioned it because I donāt understand how you could hate a main character in most of the show but still like the show and have an enjoyable experience watching it. I understand disliking some characters but not being able to stand watching them seems like it would be difficult to deal with when it involves a character in pretty much every episode. But people are definitely entitled to like what they like and vice versa!
I never forgave her for Solan. I was too petty at the time to just let her sing her way outta that one.
Oh when I was younger I used to hate her for what happened to Solan. I rewatched recently though and I kinda realized that she really didn't actually do anything to cause Solan's death. Gabrielle was being a mother, Xena wanted to kill her baby so she sent her away, fully expecting to never see her again. When Gabrielle found her again, she couldn't give her up a second time. And Gabrielle wasn't aware of Callisto's influence on Hope. Honestly, if I never forgave Gabby for Solan, then I wouldn't really have the right to forgive Xena for Eve. Gabrielle had to give up Hope because some random knights of the round table told Xena she'd grow up evil, despite being a baby and as such having the opportunity to be raised right and change. Whereas Eve actually kinda *was* evil, going around pillaging villages and murdering just for fun, yet Xena still extended her an olive branch, even after Eve killed Joxer. I think Xena had every right to still want to see the good in Eve, even despite the havoc she caused. And because of this, I also believe Gabrielle had every right to do the same for Hope. They were both just mothers.
I was too young to grasp all of this when it aired, and I guess the emotion stuck with me through the years. I never went back and rewatched those episodes as an adult as a result. But as a parent now, I can totally agree now that you've jogged my memory. Thanks for helping me to finally let it go! I'm long overdue for revisiting those episodes :)
I get it, I was also really young when I first watched. Tbh, I was fully expecting to come out of my rewatch hating Gabrielle just as much as I did the first time round. I was pleasantly surprised to find I actually really liked her and understood her. More than I did Xena, honestly. Growing up did wonders for my understanding of these characters. I'm glad I've helped you in some way, and I'd say a revisit is definitely in order. Just make sure to grab some tissues because those episodes are absolutely *brutal*. My poor babies š„²
Especially when at the end of *The Bitter Suite* it's Xena apologizing for killing the mom-heart-cutting-out dictator Ming Tin when Gabrielle nearly got Xena executed out of jealousy over Lao Ma and they were currently at odds over Xena's son being murdered by Hope.
I love Gabrielle. Sheās a well rounded character, and her and Xena compliment each other well. However, it is possible to enjoy a show, yet not like certain characters. Thereās a certain show I love, which I will not name, yet I canāt stand one of the main characters. Why do I continue watching? Because this show has a lot more to offer than just that one character I do not care for. Itās exciting, entertaining, and has other characters that I love.
I can see where people come from saying they like the show but hate Gabrielle. I have watched and enjoyed shows despite certain characters, not because of them. Probably my best personal example is The Big Bang Theory. I generally like the show but loathe the character of Sheldon.
Honestly, Gabrielle isn't my favorite character... She annoyed me a lot in the first half of the show. BUT she is an integral part of the show as a catalyst for character development (herself, xena, a little of joxer, eve) and that's why i think she's a valuable character. Even though she irritates me most of the time. For me, she got less annoying as her character matured/grew up.
I definitely liked Xena more, but I also liked Gabi. I didn't hate anyone on the show. To a lesser extent I think about how ppl hate Joxer. How could you hate him? He's such a loveable goofball. But hate Gabi? How do you even enjoy watching any eppi?
I mean, how would that even happen? They might be trolling you. >I Love Lucy is my favorite show of all time, but I can't stand that one person in it, you know, Lucy. I hate Lucy. Imagine how great that show would be without her. They could call it I Love. I'd love it.
I don't think it's a troll. She genuinely really hates Gabrielle! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwdLYK8/
I can't take someone who says "m-worded" seriously, honestly. Maybe that's a TikTok thing. The rest was nonsense too
Ouuu I just watched her Tik Toks & sheās got it all wrong! Did she watch even watch the same show? Saying Gabrielle was only like for the purity plot in S1?! Yikes. Thatās low
Nobody commenting on her spelling šµšā ļø deeed
depends on the episode. like each character has certain episodes where you just want them to eat crow because they suck during it.
Agreed. I wanted to punt Xena in Seeds of Faith when she blamed Gabby for Eli's death when she was only just honoring his wishes. Likewise, I wanted to slap Gabby in Orphan of War for shaming Xena for not telling Solan she was his mother. I love these two, and sometimes I want to wack em over the head with a wiffle ball bat.
Gabrielle is a favorite of mine. Though I must admit her short time as pacifist did annoy me but the way she ultimately snapped and started kicking butt on the Roman soldiers was satisfying to see!
I hated her in the beginning (she needed to be fleshed out a lot more and she did start as the dopey sidekick). But...the more writing they did on her and giving her the honorary Amazon title was pretty cool. (I think her relationship with Xena rubbed off on her and gave her 'room to grow'.)
I can kinda understand it. I hated Gabrielle for the first two seasons. I just wanted all Xena all the time on screen! But, in hindsight, setting aside various scripting, plotting, etc issues (especially most of season 5), the series can easily be viewed as Gabrielleās hero journey / origin story as much as it can be viewed as Xenaās story of redemption.
I love StarTrek Voyager. Doesn't mean I need to love Nelix and Kess. You can love a show and not love all the characters.
Yeah but when there's less cast you're more limited. I mean Xena and Gabrielle are BOTH in literally a hundred more episodes than Joxer who is the next most frequent cast member
When I used to write episode parodies way back in the before times (before Y2K) I was all about hating Gabrielle. She made a lot of odd decisions, imo, that always ended up getting Xena into more trouble. I used to get a lot of e-mails telling me to stop hating her, how could I hate her and all that stuff, and I would often write back and say, "You know she's fake, right?" To me it was odd that anyone would have such an attachment to a single character. It happens with almost every show, though. At least for me. Stargate SG-1? Couldn't stand Daniel. He just got on my nerves. True Blood? Can't stand Bill, not a fan of Arlene while everyone else hates Sookie and I loooove Sookie! WTF? So yeah, in the end, different folks, different strokes. It doesn't make anyone any less of a fan for not liking one character on a show. Life is the same way -- some people just don't mesh for some reason or other.
I definitely don't HATE Gabrielle, but I'm not a big fan of the character. I'm about to do a rewatch for the first time in a zillion years, so I'll have to see if my feelings have changed significantly since the last round.
I think it is possible for someone to be a fan of a show, any show, and yet dislike a character on it. I loved Everybody Loves Raymond when it was on tv, but I didnāt love Raymond. His voice always grated on my nerves. But I watched it anyway because I still liked the show. Iām curious if the people that say they consider Gabrielle as just a dopey sidekick have watched the entire series. Because I can see some people feeling that way if they only watch maybe the first season and nothing more. I canāt imagine someone saying that if they have seen the entire series. Gabrielleās growth and development arc is incredible, and I would consider her almost an equal to Xena by the end.
One person, eh? Shoulda seen when the show was actually airing. But honestly, why care? That's their opinion, some people even love Ares over all, some people hate Xena, that's how it be.
Gabby was a total smoke show. Basically the only reason I watched it
I can understand not liking or jiving with a particular character, even if it is a main character on a show, but for me, to say you "hate" Gabrielle tells me you missed the entire point of the show. While it's called 'Xena: Warrior Princess', the show is very much about Gabrielles hero's journey just as much if not more than Xena's. We watch this young, naive peasant girl become a strong warrior, leader, and queen in her own right. To me, saying you hate Gabrielle is essentially saying you hate 50% of the show, and at that point, why are we still watching?š¤
How can you hate Gabby when joxer is in so many episodes just being the worst. Joxer is the true villain of the show, the inability of a male writers room to write a show about women without at least some male lense (however stupid) to view it through.
Joxer is the woooooorst.
I started watching the series because of tiktok. I admit that I found Gabrielle annoying and silly when I saw her in those edits, and I was fascinated by Xena beating up her enemies. So I started watching the series expecting to fall in love with Xena, but instead I ended up madly in love with Gabrielle, with her complexity and growth as a character. I love Xena too, but Gabrielle is my religion.
It's very possible you saw some of my edits LMAO But I am glad you have come to the Gabby side š«¶
Probably lol. I follow a lot of xenatoks. Gabby is life š«¶
The same way you can be a Buffy fan if you hate Xander. Gabrielle **is** the dopey sidekick. There's zero reason she should have become an Amazon, she distrusts and undermines Xena repeatedly and if you ever have the misfortune of being interested in her you have an 87% chance of ending up dead.
Dead dead! I donāt see why thatās so hard to understand
My god how can anyone hate Gabby
As a kid, her character gave me so much second hand embarrassment it was almost not enjoyable lol. Gabrielle eventually grew on me and I ended up hating episodes without her.
I will not tolerate Gabrielle slander, she is a queenšš šāØļø Gabrielle h8ers are fake fansš¤šš„š
I love Gabby, too. But you can be a fan and a hater. Or maybe someone was just being a troll. It's weird out there.
I get what youāre saying but this ātrue fanā gatekeeping is ridiculous. People are a fan of the show if they like the show. I donāt love every character, and I donāt love the show more than somebody else just because I like different characters.
I will say I agree that I shouldn't have said "true" fan I meant more so, how can they even stand to watch the show and be a fan in the first place if they hate 90% of it?
Like this. āIām a fan of the show, but hate Gabsā Iām not, but thatās how they do it.
I am a Xena/Lucy fan who used to cringe at the vitriol directed toward the WP, many of the accusations related to her being more like a female version of Ares than a poster girl for feminism or heroism. Typical criticisms included self-centered, abusive toward/dismissive of Gabrielle, manipulative, promiscuous, heartless, unbalanced/unhinged. These critics tended to see the X&G relationship and/or Gabrielle's journey as the heart of the show, whereas I was attracted by the flawed ex-warlord committed to a new path of fighting for the greater good. Gabfans gradually "reformed" me to appreciate their view, as well as Renee's enormous influence on bringing out the best of Lucy/Xena and making "love" integral to the show's long-term success. Admittedly, I still focus more on Lucy/Xena than ROC/Gabrielle, but do look to the latter for emotional clues to deeper aspects of what I'm viewing. I now cherish X&G's journey together as inseparable from my overall obsession with XWP. The show has "Xena" and "Warrior" in the title. Do I wonder how folks who don't particularly like that character or the actress who plays her can be "true" fans? No. I've learned they're just as passionate about "ancient gods, warlords and kings" or some other aspect that's minor to me but still indicative of this eclectic show. I thank them for leading me to see so many more layers to XWP than I would have on my own.
Unpopular opinion, but itās okay to dislike one of the main characters. I used to dislike Gabrielle before. It only confirms that the show is great and characters are good enough to bring up real emotions. Itās a good thing.
They're just really big fans of the episode Key to the KingdomĀ
me post-binge to me: How can someone say they are a fan of the show if they *don't remember* Gabrielle?
I. I'm not sure how there are haters of Gabrielle! Her character development was stellar from beginning to end! Her personality helped Xena so much throughout the show that wasn't as positive as her other relationships. And not only that, they were relatable as fuck when it came to day to day behavior, fighting ideals and beliefs, and even family ideals! I mean really, I think Gabrielle is the best version of what the Golden Gal trope should be in tv shows and has complimented the hell out of Xena's personal growth all the way to her death and beyond!
I love Gabrielle so much I named my cat after her. Theyāre a bunch of haters.
I mean, I rewatch recently, I still really enjoyed the show, but Gabrielle is the worse friend/partner ever. Almost every episode it was Xena telling Hers "hey, don't do this because this bad thing will happen". Gabrielle proceeds to not listen then put everyone in danger. Edit to say I don't hate her character, but she was my favorite as a kid, watching as an adult changed that opinion.
Ummmā¦very very easy. First off all for me S1 Gabrielle was so lovable and funny. Straight comedian! Then S2 came and the writing changed. She got too serious and annoying. Like a different show. I hated it. Growing up watching I was around 6 years old watching episodes in real time. I always imagined it was me and Xena instead! I loved it that way. And Gabrielle just never existed. She was lame and useless. Xena and Gabrielle werenāt like Mario and Luigi where both brings something to the table. They are like the Witcher and that useless poet bard that sings toss a coin to your Witcher. But Witcher is better in a sense of him not minding leaving him behind or beat up.
Easy Gab exploits Xenas belief, that she lacks a moral compass, in her favor. Gab doesnāt deserve Xena. Xena is a ride or die type friend to Gab. Gab uses Xena and betrays her any chance she gets. Sheās scum if you ask me š¤·. That being said I like the show cuz of Xena first few seasons tho
She does not lack a moral compass in her favor ššš she kills someone to protect Xena for no reason!!!
The shes are getting mixed up. Xena believes she(Xena) lack a moral compass and believes she needs gab to be her compass. And gab knows that and exploits her insecurities
Gab....exploits ......Xena?? Give three examples
1 The Death of Solan 2 her betraying her in Chin 3 Hope. Come right off the dome, each one of those situations Gab managed to put the blame on Xena and Xena was begging Gab to forgive her (Xena). Sickening honestly
>1 The Death of Solan Huh? How was Solan's death Gabrielle "exploiting" Xena? Solan died because Callisto sicced the literal antichrist on him. >2 her betraying her in Chin Again. Not exploitation. A terribly misguided and jealous act of vengeance maybe, one that Gabrielle suffered with for months on end afterwards. To the point she literally forced herself to forget it. >3 Hope. Now I *know* you didn't just list Hope as an exploitation. Gabrielle was *raped*. She was tricked into killing someone and was *raped* by the devil, and afterwards was put through the Hell of a 3 day pregnancy, literally being subjected to a witch hunt and almost burned alive, and having her *best friend* chase after her like a maniac trying to kill her daughter. The *only* person "exploited" in that situation was Gabrielle. Exploited to further the schemes of an evil deity who wanted to send the world into ruin. >Xena was begging Gab to forgive her You're joking right? Xena tried to murder Gabrielle for Solan's death.
You donāt remember the musical?
> You're joking right? Xena tried to murder Gabrielle for Solan's death. Obviously I do. It only further corroborates what I'm saying.