Another month slips by without even so much as a 'boo' and it's time once more to add to the archives of the Honorary Oakley. Last month we opted for another anti-hero in the form of Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride, this month we're borderline anti-hero in the form of Xena Warrior Princess, though most would argue Xena is most definitely, one of the good guys. For those non interested in the Xena universe, you may just be in for a surprise, because this show was not just the camp silly beat-em-up it would at first appear, but rather a fairly deep and emotional journey with a tortured soul and her soul mate. Let's take a look at Xena - Warrior Princess.

Meek Girl Needs Help...
Xena first meets Gabrielle after she has had her life changing epiphany. Thanks to Hercules, the son of Zeus, she learned that killing is not how you prove yourself to be a great warrior. Her path now set on the path of light she sets out to redeem her previous life by protecting those that need it.... enter Gabrielle, innocent village girl, not content to stay home and marry. Xena doesn't immediately take to Gabrielle, seeing her as little more than a pest, but the relationship that grows between them must rate as one of the deepest emotional bonds to appear on any TV screen.

Lesbians, Love and Loss...
Before Willow and Tara, there was Xena and Gabrielle. Yes they were far more closeted than the witches of the Magic Box, but the Xena / Gabrielle relationship was certainly no less heartfelt. The ambiguity of their relationship was left until the final series was made before it was revealed the two were 'soul mates', though regular viewers had long since twigged that this was the case.

It's difficult to place just when you get that "hello, what's going on here then" feeling, that perhaps there's more going on than meets the eye, but this is a good thing. The show never truly thrusts the intimacy at the viewer, despite a few titilating kissing scenes between the two and other intimate scenes. The relationship is portrayed as having a more ethereal feel to it through the overarching subtext. It's more than your average on screen relationship, it's spiritual almost.

Yes, it has been argued that the reason for the ambiguity is obviously the fuss it would have caused if Xena and Gabrielle had just come out as it were, but even this factor doesn't remove from the 'realness' of their feelings for one another. The relationship is never laughable, it is tangible, true and deep, even when other relationships appear and disappear.

Though Xena has its fair share of lesbian fans, it could be argued that most were fans of the show prior to any of the ambiguity through the subtext even occurred. In the show Xena has had plenty of male lovers and Gabrielle also is portrayed as 'straight' majority of the time, despite the obvious love between them. There are many reasons to enjoy Xena and the lesbian subtext is hardly the main one (sure, it's nice though).

Slapstick, Tears and Song…
Most people who have seen Buffy will agree that the episode 'Once More With Feeling' is both clever and hilarious, given it essentially turns an entire episode into a musical number, it was lauded for being groundbreaking and clever. Anyone who is a fan of Xena will happily point out that 'The Bitter Suite' did this first, in a 1998 episode of Xena. It was essentially the same idea and beat Buffy to the punch by 3 years.

The similarities between the series don't stop there. Both series are the sort of thing that if you watched one or even a few episodes you'd fail to see them for anything other than silly slapstick warrior girls fighting on cheap sets. Those that stick with it longer however, get to see what the show is actually about. Regular viewers to either series will see they have the rare gift of being able to mix the silliness with an overarching story that truly tugs at the heartstrings. On a personal note there's not many TV series I've actually shed a tear to, but Buffy and Xena are two of them and this is because the emotional content is well written, despite shoddy sets.

Time, People, Places and Humor…
Although Xena is essentially set in the ancient world, with Gods at war with one another, or playing games with the mere mortals of the realm, Xena steps outside this genre now and again and comes up with something awe inspiring. As previously stated, Xena has the strange knack of being able to be silly, whilst remaining true to the overall plot and therefore makes for fun viewing.

Don't be put off by the initial look or feel of the series, if you like a little silliness, but still long for an overall storyline that is absorbing and heartfelt, then Xena could be what you're looking for.

Princess, God, Fighter, Lover…
Xena as a character is fantastic for numerous reasons, be it the kickass female lead with female sidekick, the same sex love subtext or just the fact that she's a woman trying to regain herself after falling off the path of good. The character of Xena is attributed with many historical feats, including helping David kill Goliath and defeat the Philistines, assisting Ulysses to regain his kingdom in Ithaca or single-handedly stopping an invading Persian army at Thermopylae. Xena is more than just a warrior, she's essentially a God, with Godlike powers, she's an expert in martial arts including Tae Kwon Do, Aikido and Ju-Jitsu, judo, kung-fu and boxing, but these things aren't just thrown in, they're part of the character history, as are the various other Eastern spiritual powers Xena learns whilst in Asia or India. Yes it's all highly dubious given various timelines, but it's fantasy television. At the heart of which is one of the coolest, most kick ass female characters to ever have her own show.

We're honoring the character of Xena not only because she's kick ass, but also because she incorporates all the the Honorary Oakley stands for. She is, at heart, a good person, she puts her love for others first and tries desperately to better herself. She's strong willed, tough, but also loving and tender. She's skilled in all manner of arts, physical and mental and to top it off she has a female sidekick. It's hard to believe we haven't had Xena come up for the Oakley prior to this month. She's everything we look for in the Oakley and that's why Xena aka The Warrior Princess is our Honorary Oakley for the month of May 2006.

Yes she's even had a videogame or 2 based on her!