The Obligatory Subtext Essay
I have been putting this topic off for some time, but a recent debate I got into with a fellow fan on-line has prompted me to move this topic a bit higher on the priority list.
There is probably no subject that gets fans more hot and bothered than the nature of Xena and Gabrielle's relationship. The fan base is divided into several camps, each of which defends their position with ferocity that would make the Warrior Princess herself blush in admiration. It is an issue that has been debated endlessly, and very seldom is any conclusion reached aside from agreeing to disagree.
Personally, I see and acknowledge the subtext in the relationship. I even enjoy it. However, I don't watch the show exclusively for it, nor do I miss it when it isn't there. It seems clear to me that Xena and Gabrielle love each other dearly, but is their relationship sexual? I don't think so.
I have no problem with people interpreting their relationship in that way - it's one of the beauties of the show that there are multiple ways to interpret the various themes that run throughout the episodes. Indeed, if it weren't for the subtext of the show in general (that is, the things that aren't explicitly stated) being a fan of the show would certainly be a lot duller than it is.
So if I don't have a problem with people who see lesbian undertones to Xena and Gabrielle's relationship, what does bother me? Well it is people who I think misread the intentions of Rob Tapert and the rest of the production staff. Allow me to explain a bit more.
This whole subject came up because a fan I was talking with on-line said she felt that Rob Tapert and the rest of the production staff were "intentionally sabotaging" the show by cutting back on the subtext, and that this was some sort of betrayal of the fan base that had made the show the success it was.
Upset fans are nothing new in the Xenaverse. I remember the uproar back during the Rift Arc of the third season, and the disapproval some fans expressed over Gabrielle's spiritual quest in season four (at one point I was even one of them). But talking with this particular fan seemed to indicate her ire was more than just that of a fan who wasn't thrilled with some character changes. There seemed to be something much deeper at work here.
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