Xena and Gabrielle = Platonic Soulmates?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Xena: Warrior Princess
shoshonehuey — 10 years ago(July 28, 2015 03:48 PM)
In my recent re-watching of Xena, I have become aware of all the subtext and the different theories regarding the ambiguous relationship between our two lead protagonists. I have this idea and I wondered if anyone here agreed.
I definitely feel that Xena and Gabrielle had an intimate connection to the point of being "soulmates". They loved each other on an intimate level, they were meant to share their lives together and their love was unbreakable. They seemed to put each other before family, with Xena seemingly caring more about Gabrielle than her own son and Gabby wanting to be buried next to Xena. They moved past horrific betrayals and still remained "best friends".
Despite their obvious closeness, I just don't feel like Xena and Gabrielle's relationship is sexual or meant to be interpreted that way. I think they are platonic soulmates, which probably doesn't make much sense. But do you really need to have a sexual relationship with your soulmate? It poses an interesting question.
I don't think Xena ever saw Gabrielle as "hot" or wanted her sexually like she wanted all the men she dated.
Thoughts? Anyone agree or disagree? -
India_Ana — 10 years ago(July 28, 2015 10:37 PM)
The Gibb twins always considered themselves soulmates. I've heard a parent call their child a soulmate. I don't think it has to always be used as a sexual connection.
I never saw X&G as a couple. I think everyone has a right to their view though. Both Renee and Lucy have stated in commentary that they played it straight for the most part. Only teasing a possible relationship in subtext scenes. So, I think that is why I never got a 'couple' vibe.
Amenestra was a lot older than Shalti in
Between the Lines
so if they were soulmates in romantic terms I'd think they'd be that in every lifetime?
I think keeping it as 'are they/aren't they' was why it had such a huge fanbase. Going with one view would have divided the fandom and lost a lot of viewers.
http://whoosh.org/epguide/between.html
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=Gibb+Twins+Soulmate
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=Gibb+Twins+Soul+Matehttp://tinyurl.com/TwilightSagaBoard
http://tinyurl.com/ProWhoosh -
Zekkan — 10 years ago(July 30, 2015 12:08 AM)
Agree completely. I never got a couple vibe from them either, more like a 'team' vibe. Like they were at a point where they could read each other's minds and knew what the other was planning, thinking, feeling. I think most of the teasing was because other characters in the show would make an off-hand remark and it would imply something.
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India_Ana — 10 years ago(July 30, 2015 01:27 PM)
Personally, if I had started out shipping them, I would have stopped doing so in season three after the Gab drag. As a friend I might be able to forgive that not as a lover. That just seemed like too big of a betrayal for a couple to overcome. But, to each their own.
http://tinyurl.com/TwilightSagaBoard
http://tinyurl.com/ProWhoosh -
Takedi21 — 10 years ago(July 30, 2015 05:29 PM)
Personally, if I had started out shipping them, I would have stopped doing so in season three after the Gab drag. As a friend I might be able to forgive that not as a lover. That just seemed like too big of a betrayal for a couple to overcome. But, to each their own.
Thank you so much for saying this! I used to think for the longest time that I was the only one who thought this, so it's good to hear it from somebody else. -
India_Ana — 10 years ago(July 30, 2015 06:09 PM)
You're very welcome.
http://tinyurl.com/TwilightSagaBoard
http://tinyurl.com/ProWhoosh -
Meushell — 10 years ago(July 30, 2015 04:12 PM)
They got married in their future lives though, and did so pretty soon after getting their Xena/Gabrielle memories back. I realize that's not a full argument for their Xena/Gabrielle lives though. There seemed to be plenty of lives in between for the relationship to go from friendship to sexual. For me though, it is enough to think they were lovers.
I agree that soulmates does not automatically equal lovers though. I think Joxer was also their soulmate.Keevan - I hate Ferengi. THUNK
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -
Takedi21 — 10 years ago(July 30, 2015 04:59 PM)
I think Joxer was also their soulmate.
I agree with this. In some lifetimes (like the regular one, or the Harry/Mattie/Annie 90s lifetime) it's tragic for Joxer to be their soul mate because he's doomed to forever have unrequited, strong romantic feelings for Gabrielle's soul & Gabrielle's soul was meant to be with Xena's, but in other lifetimes it's fine for Joxer to be Xena & Gabrielle's soul mate because he's not romantically interested in Gabrielle at all (When Fates Collide). -
India_Ana — 10 years ago(July 30, 2015 06:34 PM)
Yes. And they may have been a couple in more than one life but I think if they were "romantic" soulmates they would have been a couple in every life.
I had a problem with the two episodes where Harry & Mattie became a couple, and where they were newlyweds. In
Deja Vu All Over Again
Annie had Joxer's personality traits, and Harry had Xena's. Then in
Soul Possession
Harry had Joxer's personality traits, and Annie had Xena's and then they did the body switch to put them back in their rightful bodies.
Of course, I guess I could go with TPTB standard reply whenever anyone brings up YAXI: The episodes come from various parallel universes so each of these episodes took place on different worlds.
http://whoosh.org/epguide/dejavu.html
http://whoosh.org/epguide/trans/422trans.html
http://whoosh.org/epguide/soul.html
http://whoosh.org/epguide/trans/620trans.html
http://whoosh.org/
http://whoosh.org/epguide/epguide.html#xwp
YAXI:
Y
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A
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X
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I
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https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=site:whoosh.org+YAXI
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=site:whoosh.org+YAXI+%3D+Yet+Another+Xena+Inconsistency
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=YAXI+%3D+Yet+Another+Xena+Inconsistency
TPTB:
T
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P
owers
T
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https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=site:whoosh.org+TPTB
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=site:whoosh.org+TPTB+%3D+The+Powers+That+Be
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&q=TPTB+%3D+The+Powers+That+Behttp://tinyurl.com/TwilightSagaBoard
http://tinyurl.com/ProWhoosh -
India_Ana — 10 years ago(August 02, 2015 10:45 PM)
Yes, in "Deja Vu All Over Again" Harry had Xena's soul, and he had Xena's skills. Annie had both Joxer's soul and his skills. She also had problems with her indigestion, and other things. In "Soul Possession" Harry still had Xena's soul, but he acted more like Joxer, and had indigestion trouble, and Annie still had Joxer's soul, but she acted more like Xena. Then Ares did the soul switch to put them back in their rightful bodies.
Harry should have still acted like Xena since he
was
Xena and Annie should have still acted like Joxer since she
was
Joxer.
This is off of memory, as I haven't see the episodes in a very long time. I just remember it didn't sit well with me that they weren't consistent with the characters.
[Edit]
Changed 'set' to 'sit.'
[/Edit]http://tinyurl.com/TwilightSagaBoard
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Darth_Charizard — 10 years ago(August 06, 2015 12:31 AM)
I disagree, sort of. I think there was a fair amount (especially in season 6) to suggest that the Xena and Gab incarnations of the main timeline were sexually attracted to each other.
From what I remember they started being pretty obviously jealous of each other's potential sexual partners pretty early on- certainly Gab was portrayed that way in the episodes with Antony and Ulysses. We don't really see many later love interests for Gabrielle that Xena is around for to be jealous of, but Gabrielle turns down Brunhilda because she's too devoted to her relationship with Xena to consider being with anyone else. So even if they're not having sex with each other, by season 6 they're exclusive in the sense that they're not having sex with anyone else either.
The other stuff- naked bathing, washing of ears/neck/back/feet, spooning at night, water transfers with extra lip nibbling, semi-graphic lesbian poetry birthday gifts, Cinderella wake up kisses, constant touching and hanging on each other, devil-induced sexual dancing with each other, erotically dancing visions of each other, etc- technically all of that could exist in an extremely close friendship where the people involved were not having sex. I personally just think that's less likely than them being in a sexual relationship.
At the end of the day I'm not sure it matters- they certainly had everything but, including established exclusivity by the end. Of the list of things that they were or might have been to each other, sex buddy seems to me to be a natural extension of the physical closeness we saw them share and the proprietary feelings they certainly had for each other's bodies- but if they weren't in this life, they certainly get around to it by the 20th century, where we actually see them make out. -
Darth_Charizard — 10 years ago(August 06, 2015 01:01 AM)
Whoops. Said Cinderella, meant Sleeping Beauty, but not sure how to edit posts from the mobile app. Anyone want to argue that Prince Philip and Aurora were just subtext?
Mostly joking- but I do wonder how many people would argue this if Gabrielle were Gabriel. Maybe the same split, if we try and guess based on the X-files? -
gmoxie — 10 years ago(November 02, 2015 04:51 PM)
I agree. When I watched this the first time years ago, it never occurred to me that they were anything more than very devoted good friends.
As I now rewatch with older eyes, I am actually looking for evidence that their relationship was sexual because of what I have read on message boards. Well, I continue to think both were heterosexual and that they had a platonic relationship with each other. That said, I can see how people could interpret that both were bisexual, by assuming certain friendly actions (like sleeping together on a cold night - I thought of it being more like sisters) led to something that could not be shown on the TV screen at the time. So I'm not saying that interpretation is incorrect maybe the intention was there. I remember an episode where there were 3 naked Gabrielles but even though the males were very interested, Xena did not seem at all aroused by it.
I did think there was possibly a sexual relationship between Xena and Lao Ma? The scenes seemed to have an erotic feel, but maybe those scenes were meant to be more mystical - I'm not sure. -
averagejoeman2013 — 10 years ago(November 02, 2015 07:29 PM)
Agree with you. Nothing more; it was a fan creation. It was sort of like when people began creating stories/theories about the Karate Kid movie with Mr Miyagi and Daniel.
Stay tuned for the documentary: "From Wheaties to Fruit Loopsthe Bruce Jenner story" -
brighterthanmusic — 9 years ago(June 23, 2016 11:09 AM)
Xena's relationship with Marcus was lustful and loving, nothing like with Gabrielle. I feel like they are platonic soulmates who are meant by the gods to be together as a well balanced team to do things they could never do apart. Like sisters in a way, but more than that since they seem to be closer to each other than they are with their own families.
I think the bisexual/lesbian subtext stuff was more of a fan service kind of deal that came in the later seasons a little bit where the people making the show were playing with their well established characters by putting them in situations that might imply sexuality for those fans who wanted to see that kind of stuff. In the first season there is literally no sexuality implied at all