Itâs fascinating to me how they always seem to do role-reversal for Xena and Gabrielle when it comes to the AU/Uber/Reincarnation episodes with the exception of âWhen Fates Collideâ and the Harry, Mattie and Annie episodes. But âBetween The Linesâ specifically makes that a thematic motif for Xena and Gabrielleâs next lifetimes. Shakti is a Warrior Prince and Aminestra is a pacifist guardian as the Mother of Peace. Itâs not until you get to almost the end of the show that you realize that this role-reversal transition is fate and things have got to work out just so for it to be as it is with what you see in âBetween The Linesâ. Like⌠for example⌠with Gabrielleâs moral quandary in her Season 4 arc that she believes sheâs using too much violence and she doubles down on the guilt of that belief because of Eli and what he says about life and love being The Truth and The Way. He shows Gabrielle that his ability to heal is all because of his conviction to non-violent methods in serving The Greater Good. So she ends up doubling down on both her guilt in using violence and in her love for Xena even though they contradict each other so she then ends up using violence because of her love for her.
But all throughout their future lives exploration in the episode âBetween The Linesâ during the India arc, you just see her hacking and slashing away with a sword as Shakti. This feels extremely hypocritical at first⌠but when you watch it again after seeing the whole show youâre just like âOh, of courseâ because her Way all along was to protect and defend through violence. Her next life would be the Way it is because she ends up taking Xenaâs mantle and continuing her legacy as the Warrior Princess. So I wonder if she ever questions why she is who she is in her next lifetime even though sheâs going through this whole spiritual journey with pacifism and would throw away her defensive weapon very soon. I wonder if she ever puts two and two together on what is revealed to her in âBetween The Linesâ in searching for her Way. Itâs just so fascinating to me how that episode is not only the one that informs us of future episodes but also brings in a new context to what we saw of past episodes. That the role-reversal transition is the fated trajectory for Xena and Gabrielleâs individual arcs because most of their alternate reality, afterlife and soul incarnation experiences would put them in a state and position where they are in opposition of each other and where their spiritual essences permeate into each other because of influencing and changing each other emotionally so much so that they become each other.
It all makes complete sense on rewatches. What seems inconsistent or even OOC at the time just turns out to be very clever retconning and foreshadowing because the two characters do eventually become each other. But I just find âBetween The Linesâ in particular such a fascinating episode because that episode makes what was once just a fun experimentation for the creators a purposeful thematic motif that changes the character representation and development significantly for Xena and Gabrielle for the entire TV show not only forwards, but also backwards because you see that itâs actually how any of their arcs happen. Itâs so damn profound.
Itâs like what they say about time-travel. If you see what is to come for your future, you can change the present. But then,⌠if you change the present,⌠then you also end up recontextualizing the past because thatâs fate. Thatâs how fate works. Itâs the destined path that is created by their present and future experiences which seems completely coincidental to them at first UNTIL they get a look-in on it ahead of time and they make changes based on the experiences and knowledge theyâve accumulated from that look-in. Iâve always understood that thatâs what âBetween The Linesâ - or even the whole India arc - is. Itâs the look-in to their individual changes going forward. But it specifically hits more with Gabrielle than it does with Xena because Xenaâs changes arenât so shocking. Theyâre significant changes too but the thematic visual of it doesnât hit anywhere near as hard as it does with Gabrielleâs changes because her changes are a sensurround jolt that impact you when they happen. You feel those changes as if theyâre happening inside your body. Itâs a visceral experience with Gabrielle, whereas with Xena, itâs just a visual experience because weâre used to the chaotic tumultuous drama with her. Not with Gabrielle.
Her karmic cycle is that of not just becoming a warrior and hero, but also validating that masculine and active transition within her that you see happening because of becoming the warrior and hero. The Warrior Princess as Gabrielle or Warrior Prince as Shakti. Her destined Way. Her path, direction, trajectory, truth. That core being and nature that she was searching for and working towards in Season 4 in the India arc - of which she only gets wrong initially because she ignores what Shakti taught her and relies more so on what Eli teaches her when itâs the mehndi that contains Truth to who she is.
I think the message is very telling. Follow your own Way. Donât follow someone elseâs because they inspire you. That Way might actually go against your soulâs karma. You can be inspired by a person but you donât need to emulate them or take on their lifestyle and worldview. See, Gabrielle never just had that problem with Xena, although that was the most obvious. Almost anyone she came across that she was in awe of she tries to be like and so struggles to gain their approval when she fails - as she inevitably would because itâs not right for her.
The only reason why Gabrielle takes on Xenaâs mantle is because Xena is already so much a part of her core self as her soulmate. As her other half to a whole. As her Yin. None of this really makes any sense until her endgame where it is confirmed without a doubt that sheâs Yang. If the Yin-yang chakram represents who these characters were, then it must also represent who they will become because Yin-yang is a thematic and symbolic visual in TV art/entertainment for change and evolution of Self.
The human representation of Yin-Yang is embodied through the lead characters and the lead characters are represented through the visual symbolism of Yin-yang. But itâs Gabrielle that truly makes that apparent within the overall story of what âXena: Warrior Princessâ is as both the author of The Xena Scrolls and the successor of the Warrior Princessâ legacy. In Gabrielleâs next life (as Shakti) she will follow Xena (as Arminestra) 50 years later but she will be an active party instead of a passive one - as rightfully shown in the episode âBetween The Linesâ where they also reveal to us that their respective karmic cycles are eternally intertwined. That they do literally share the same soul and were just waiting for one another to meet in every lifetime, be it the past, present or future so they could bring out the best in each other whether as friends, lovers or even enemies. The point is for them to always learn from the presence of each other and thatâs why theyâre The Ultimate Ship.
