#the quest

It’s Solari! Ephiny’s loyal right-hand and a fan-fiction favourite Amazon character along with Eponin and their relationship. Jodie Dorday played multiple roles across the Xenaverse but she’s known most for playing Solari.

You really can’t overstate the incredible impact and influence Xena and Gabrielle had when it came to blueprinting and green-lighting WLW representation in the TV art/entertainment industry. Making it possible to be permissible at all in general public consciousness, let alone seen on the TV screen. I’m glad they’re asking every guest - no matter how big or small - they have on their podcast from the creators/cast/crew this question because it is so very important to talk about with them just to get a inkling of how hard it was back in the 90’s and why just giving an inch was really all they could do as far as representing a queer relationship between two lead female characters and making it a main storyline because Jodie is absolutely right. They played on it as the show developed and were very careful with all of it.

They really gave us all they could even if it wasn’t a lot.

“Jodie, we've got to ask this one and it's okay if you don't have much of an answer, but we've got to ask it, okay?”

JODIE: “Yeah. Do it.”

“We're a bunch of queers, we all love Xena, we have to know. Specifically, mainly because you're in The Quest. I don't know if you know, but The Quest is kind of the moment where a lot of us believe the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle is solidified as a physical intimate relationship because they have this moment in that dreamscape where they kiss.”

JODIE: “That's right.”

“Yes, which you're part of that episode. So I'm wondering if you've ever picked up on the subtext, or when did you pick up on the subtext?”

JODIE: “Look, I come from a stage cabaret background. So I've always had a lot of gay people in my life and a lot of beautiful drag queens and LGBTQ. So I think I must have been a bit naive, to be honest, back then, because I didn't pick up on it. Again, I just was focused on the... What I did pick up on was same-sex bonding and incredible, strong female characters. You know? And I was very aware that was unusual to see in the 90’s. So I got all that kind of stuff, but I didn't actually think much about the fact that it could have been a queer relationship. But in hindsight, when I look back, of course. And I think, again, Kiwis are very open to - it's not a big deal. It never has been a big deal for me. And I think Kiwis are very open and accepting of, you know, any, especially in the acting world, not everyone, but in my world, in the acting world, it's the most generous, open acceptance of, you know, who you, if you're a good person, who, it doesn't matter, any, none of that matters, you know, and I am, and it's embraced in New Zealand. So I think I've just been brought up with that, but I didn't really have any idea. I've got to be honest. And I was quite surprised, but I do think the writing went with that more as the series developed. I don't think it was initially set up for that kind of world, but I think the writers went, ‘hello, there's some really amazing chemistry happening here’ and played on that as the series went on. And I think that's fantastic because nobody else was doing it.”

“Yeah, that's right.”

JODIE: “You know? And as you said, it was something that you were able to watch as a queer person, able to watch this in the 90’s and feel like you're part of something.”

“Totally.”

JODIE: “Yeah, and I reckon it would have been really important.”

“It was massively important. Because we didn't even have Ellen. Like, Ellen, I think she had a career where she came out and they slaughtered her.”

JODIE: “That’s right. I forget that it was so not-“

“Melissa Etheridge's career went down from coming out. It was just,… and we had Martina Natalatova growing up, a tennis player. That was about it for lesbians.”

JODIE: “That was about it. How amazing that that was, you know, represented out of New Zealand. You know, good on the writers, good on the producers for taking that risk. Good on Lucy and Renee for going with it, you know, and making it something. I think it's really beautiful, actually. Yeah, so I didn't realize at the time, it's a bit naive, I think, but in hindsight, of course, yeah, the world's changing. You know, people are a bit more open with - not that I wasn't open, but I just didn't think about it. I saw it in a different light. I saw strong female characters and I just remember being really aware of the fact that that was really cool to be part of, you know?”

“And how amazing as well, because that was also a first of having these two incredible, strong women.”

JODIE: “I know. Incredible. Again, I think it was very ahead of its time, really, you know, and it paved the way, and was done with such humour and warmth. And, you know, that's what I mean. If it was done today, I think it would be too affected. You know, whereas back then, it grew. I'm sure the reason why that grew was because of Lucy and Renee's incredible sisterhood and connection on film. And the writers went, ‘well, this is gorgeous. Let's go with something that's unique.’ And I think it was definitely a team effort. And thank goodness it was. Amazing. Oh, I'm so proud.”

“And you're part of that.”

than Joxer had appearances in the series

called for Gabrielle to place the ambrosia in her mouth and kiss Xena.

This scene was ultimately removed from the script and not shot.”

Now that is interesting. I actually never knew that.

Thanks WHOOSH!

Sounds eerily similar to the ‘AFIN’ scene actually where Gabrielle gathered water from the fountain of strength in her mouth and gives it to Xena by kissing her so I can only imagine that Rob concocted the ambrosia kiss and then decided that was too much. Out of everyone in the creators, Rob was always the one to go too far and the others had to remind him that he’ll get in trouble for it.

His answer? “Sure I can do it. Just watch me.”

But as I’ve said before. The reason why you didn’t get many written scripts from Rob was because most of them that he wrote never passed the studio censors.