Xena Warrior Princess 1x04 "Cradle of Hope" Full Reaction
Added 2021-04-30 21:27:58 +0000 UTC
Comments
Episode parallels and foreshadowing - The immaculate conception and complete irony of Gabrielle’s Hope One of the greatest and cleverest pieces of foreshadowing in ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ is the possibly intentional parallels with the episodes ‘Cradle Of Hope’ from Season 1 and ‘Gabrielle’s Hope’ from Season 3. Both these episodes are aptly titled and you’ll understand why and how when I explain what the respective episodes are about. In ‘Cradle Of Hope’ Xena and Gabrielle find a baby in a basket that has ended up on one of the banks from downstream and Gabrielle questions why anyone would send a baby down the river. They also meet this woman called Pandora who is the descendant of the original Pandora with the Box - of which she still carries through the lineage of her family bloodline. We all know the legendary story of how everything in Pandora’s Box escapes except the Hope of Mankind. The Box accidentally gets knocked over at the end of the episode by complete clumsiness on Gabrielle’s part and that is what causes it to open - only to find that there is absolutely nothing in it at all. No hope. In ‘Gabrielle’s Hope’ Gabrielle births a demon baby (who she literally calls Hope) because she was basically raped in the previous episode by Dahak; the One God of All Evil (or something like that). After birthing the baby and spending the second half of the episode running away from Xena and the Knights Of The Round Table (don’t ask) Gabrielle sends this baby down the river in a basket to protect it from Xena who wants to kill it to which comes to bite her back later. Coming to learn that Hope represented no hope at all. The foreshadowing with these episode parallels is so great and clever to me because with Pandora’s Box in ‘Cradle Of Hope’, the Box turns out to be empty and so nothing of materiality escapes from it. But we could interpret what Xena says to Gabrielle about hope “living inside all of us” as that foreshadowing to Gabrielle becoming pregnant with Hope. Then from that there’s this whole shows-long anxiety with Gabrielle every time someone uses the term “hope” in a positive or reassuring way. Because the Hope in this show was the opposite of the Hope of Mankind. It was the destruction of it. And whether this was intentional by the writers or not (I’ll make a note to ask Steven L. Sears about this at some point), it is a personal headcanon for me that Hope did actually escape from Pandora’s Box and it was entirely Gabrielle’s fault why and how for accidentally opening the Box. It’s like the metaphor for “opening up a can of worms”, and it sort of takes the rape scenario with Dahak and turns it into an immaculate conception out of the purity and innocence of Gabrielle that ultimately is part of what forces Gabrielle out of it and has a hand in developing the character even more into the eventually heart-hardened Battling Bard we come to know in the later seasons in much the same way that Xena’s immaculate conception of Eve (who represents the opposite of Hope for the most part) has a hand in what heart-softens the Warrior Princess. I really kind of love interpreting and headcanon-ing the theme and character of “Hope” in this way rather than it’s actual definition. It’s just another way the show can subvert tropes that are harmful and controversial. In a way, to me, Gabrielle protecting her purity and innocence ends up being what causes and forces her to actually lose it. 🎶And isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?🎶
Girl4Music
2023-11-01 22:34:10 +0000 UTCA lovely episode! :D
Grace
2022-07-12 11:04:54 +0000 UTCBoth are learning that they need the other. Tho more as Companions not Competitors. Together sowing Hope over the hoplessness, that has wrote' throughout the land, & if can be given Hope back to the people, & the land. Xena to make up for the ramifications of War, & the undoing of conquering Warlords. Gabrielle the Advisor, to Xena, a need of, to help her achieve her worth, back in the good graces of all. Thru the trials man has conceived, & yet to face, thru Faithful tribulation, & determination. A Trust in a past Warlord herself Xena. Gabrielle is the reasoning, sometimes, the all knowing Seerer. Xena the essence of Gabrielle's lesson's she impacts, & impresses upon everyone, & Gabrielle, impresses upon Xena. They are a dule mirror throughout their Journey's together. 💖🌎💖🌀🤘🏼 💖🌎💖
Melissa Amato
2022-03-26 13:18:33 +0000 UTCGabby is the Mothering type, unlike Xena. Xena is good with children as their protector. She proved that her connection to them is a sad reflection of Gabby's Mothering instinct.
Melissa Amato
2022-03-26 13:03:57 +0000 UTCThe Kingdom's entanglement with the Wormy Tongue, of the Simple yet Just King. Xena knew, that the King was being told false hoods, so that his Viser could take the Crown, & with the nullification of a innocent, or it's Mother, did not necessarily begin with Gregor's first borne, but the child to follow him in Succession
Melissa Amato
2022-03-26 13:00:39 +0000 UTCI loved the Pandora's box angle. Message for everyone. Not to give up on Hope. The absence of Hope, is Hopeless desire, what Nero's represented.
Melissa Amato
2022-03-26 12:55:22 +0000 UTCI had to wonder how you would respond to people throwing a baby around like a basketball. 😆 Xena was conceived of originally as a merger of a steely warrior with a femme fatale. She calls upon the latter when it’s time to take on the role of dancing girl, obviously.
Koz
2021-05-01 22:52:38 +0000 UTCGlad you enjoyed this episode, Liam. I do like it when they mix in established legends as part of the framework of the show in their own unique way. Speaking of unique, one of producer Rob Tapert's big inspirations for the action sequences was Chinese Martial Arts movies and they often feature something bizarre or funny even in the most potentially serious fight scenes and the "baby tossing" sequence shows some of that.
Tony Tenser
2021-05-01 15:49:36 +0000 UTCGreat reaction, Liam! You know, XWP is quite a unique show. It has its own dose of silliness amongst some real deep, serious messages, and I love how this show conveys those messages. There is always a lesson to be learned in each episode, and that's what makes this show very special. I grew up with this show as a kid, and rewatching it during my adult years, makes you really think about those messages and it's quite wonderful in how impactful they really are. This show is a classic, and I am glad to see you are enjoying it! <3 You are in for one hell of a journey!
Michelle Linardis
2021-05-01 10:04:45 +0000 UTC
