Internet message boards are overflowing with notes from grief-stricken devotees. "It was just awful," one viewer lamented. "Just when I'm expecting the warm, happy ending, it is snatched from me and I am shattered," another fan muttered. "It wasn't the way I would've ended it," one chimed in.
Nope. After six seasons, there was no riding off into the sunset for Lucy Lawless' iconic femme-hero and her gal-pal Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), as many fans hoped or presumed. Instead, the two-hour finale sent the armor-clad Amazonian out in a bloody blaze of glory, as she was shot with arrows and beheaded by Japanese soldiers in an act of martyrdom.
Overall, the finale was praised by critics for staying true to the spirit of the show. But the death of Xena still left fans fuming. Rob Tapert, cocreator and executive producer of the series (and husband of Lawless), says the reaction is "exactly what we thought it would be."
"We certainly have taken the heat," Tapert told E! Online, as he and his wife were preparing for a much-anticipated Hawaiian vacation. "I have a friend who sends me emails, and I've gotten some faxes from people and letters. And people have had a very mixed reaction. But the finale was really based on where the series started, and it seemed to complete her journey looking for redemption."
Tapert, along with Sam Raimi (Army of Darkness, Spider-Man), first brought Xena to life as a spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and the series soon took on a life of its own, becoming a syndicated hit for Studios USA. But as bloody as Xena's sendoff was, Tapert believes it was the best way to go.
"I thought Xena dying in the midst of battle worked for me. People would say it was too ignominious to have her dragged around like a slab of beef, but I think it was what fueled Gabrielle to take the steps to be motivated," says Tapert, who wrote the finale, "A Friend in Need Part II," with coexecutive producer R.J. Stewart. "I really thought Xena's death was appropriate. You don't really want to upset people, but we knew it would be emotional for the right reasons."
There's also the underlying love story between Xena and Gabrielle. From the start, Xena: Warrior Princess has never shied from its lesbian following, and Tapert says "what people are finding most troubling is that Xena is dead and the great love story between them doesn't carry on in the traditional sense. But I thought the benefits of Xena passing the mantle on to Gabrielle was an important part of the journey to me."
Perhaps the biggest complaint, however, from Xena fans is the fact that Tapert appeared to have killed her off for good--thereby dashing any hopes that Xena may return in future movies or TV specials. Fans, meanwhile, have already launched a "Bring Back Xena to the Xenaverse" petition, asking producers to revive Xena because (and we kid you not) "our hearts need to mend, along with Gabrielle's."
Tapert feels their pain. But he apparently subscribes to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer school of thought--meaning anything's possible, even after you've killed off your main character. "This is about the fifth time that Xena has died in the series," he joked, "so I'm not worried about the franchise ending."
And as for Lawless, Tapert assures us "her head's squarely on her shoulders, and we're off to enjoy some family time."