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Cult Times #71

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The Rheingold; The Ring; Return of the Valkyries

Da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da. You know what? Xena used to be a valkyrie in her evil and bad youth. And during that time she stole the rheingold from the rheinmaidens, melted it down into a ring and tried to gain ultimate power. This kind of thing tends to make you unwelcome, so when Beowulf (he of the myths) pops by for a chat, Xena is unwilling to go with him to the Norse lands and fight the monstrous Grindl. But go she does, with Gabrielle in hot pursuit.

Thus begins a mythical saga, taking the Beowulf story as a starting point and making him look a bit rubbish in comparison to Xena. It’s a superbly-realized tale (although Grindl’s a bit iffy) and gives us a chance to see Xena in the past and present, riding horses through the sky, generally being a bitch and, yes, getting married. How all of this fits together will become clear, but it’s a thrilling journey packed with shocks, twists and expressions of love for Gabrielle. And flying horses. Did I mention the flying horses? (PS)

Photo © Renaissance Pictures; Xena can be seen on Sky 1