Najara’s back.  Makes a change from her front, which made up much of the focus of the earlier episode

Again I have to display my ignorance of the Xenaverse.  I believe that the Najara character had such an impact that they decided to bring her back.  What I do [...]]]> Previously on KM UK:  Crusader.

Najara’s back.  Makes a change from her front, which made up much of the focus of the earlier episode

Again I have to display my ignorance of the Xenaverse.  I believe that the Najara character had such an impact that they decided to bring her back.  What I do know is that that means more Kathryn

Najara’s back and this time it’s slightly less personal.

More screencaps and a video clip can be found in the Gallery.

The main plot of The Convert (S04E18) revolves around the Joxer (Ted Raimi) character dealing with the consequences of his first kill, a warlord no less, in battle.  It was an accident, which is certainly believable of him.  He’s never killed anyone and meeting the man’s son, who doesn’t know what happened, freaks him out.  The lad, a large, strapping warrior-type, joining the ragtag gang and regularly saying he’s going to track down his father’s killer and…  Well, let’s just say that Joxer is not exactly keen to come clean.  Yikes!

It is during the initial fight, with Xena and friends coming to the aid of villagers battling this warlord, that we meet Najara again.  Gabrielle goes to the aid of a prone figure only to find out it’s the woman that tried to taker her away just 10 episodes ago.  Najara’s been injured wading in to help and requires care.  Gabby takes pity on her.  Xena doesn’t trust her though, not entirely buying this apparent change of heart, and insists she has her hands bound together with rope like handcuffs and is tied up at night!  Don’t look at me like that!  I didn’t write the episode.

Najara’s playing the sweet and innocent (a real stretch for Kathryn ) ‘convert’ in front of Xena and Gabrielle.  Going along with being restrained.  But Najara is stirring things up with the warlord’s son.  There’s a-plotting-and-a-scheming a foot.

As Xena faces-off against the angry young man, keen to prove himself, Najara takes Gabby to one side for safe keeping.  Keeping her for herself that is.  Luckily for action fans there’s only so long she can keep the ‘crazy’ in though.  Loon-city!  Fight!  (see image above).  Which leaves Xena with no choice but to kick Najara’s very cute butt.  What’s a Warrior Princess to do?

What an elaborate fight sequence it is too.  Lots of swinging on ropes in trees.  It does slightly stretch credibility that someone as slight as Kathryn is giving Xena a run for her money, but our gal really throws herself into the role.  I realise that stunt doubles are used extensively (I’ve tried to make sure that the screencaps are 100% pure KM) but there’s still a lot of physical work to do.

It was never going to end well for our crazy little convert was it?  The old ‘knife between them, one of them is stabbed, but which one?’ routine can only really go one way.  Can’t it?  But is this the end for Najara?  Not exactly.  She’s seriously injured but they didn’t fully kill her off.

Xena and Gabrielle left her somewhere she would be taken care of.  Would we see her again in any of the following two seasons?  No.  Which is a great shame

You’re reading this?  Why?  The image above wasn’t enough to make you go straight to the Gallery?  The image is a link to the Gallery (as is that).  I even put an extra link right under the image to make it very clear and to save you scrolling down through the [...]]]> The Gallery

You’re reading this?  Why?  The image above wasn’t enough to make you go straight to the Gallery?  The image is a link to the Gallery (as is that).  I even put an extra link right under the image to make it very clear and to save you scrolling down through the text to find it!

Still reading?  Really?  So I have to write some more text?  Damn!

I’ve spent quite a lot of time thinking about how to write this, trying to decide on the angle to take.  I think I need to be upfront about it.  Rack up the words then cleave my way through.  Lifting the tone and separating out the tit-for-tat stuff before going for bust.

No!  I can’t do it any more!  Cleavage!

There, I said it.  This episode is all about cleavage.  I don’t know how.  Or why.  It just is.  The production crew clearly understand their target market and hit them with both barrels in this episode.  Sorry, I just can’t help it.  You can roll your eyes all you want, just look at the screencaps and see for yourself.  Yes, I’ve been a little selective but I didn’t have to work too hard at it.  It was a tough job but someone had to do it!  Whatever, Kathryn looks great.

For those that manage to drag their gaze a little northwards there are some great KM smiles, and some pained and angry faces during the fight sequences.

Anyway, for those that are still reading: to bustiness… I mean, business.

This is Crusader, episode 8 from season 4 of the TV show Xena: Warrior Princess.  The first of two episodes that Kathryn appeared in.

When I first realised that Kathryn had starred in Xena: Warrior Princess, having seen a number of episodes already but somehow not the best two, I assumed that she’d be playing a sister of Gabrielle, as played by Renée O’Connor.  I think the two women have a similar look, so it made sense to me.  I could not have been more wrong.  And if this is the result of my wrongness then I don’t want to be right again.

Kathryn plays Najara, a crusader (hence the episode title) not unlike Xena.  She’s got the sword, the outfit and the horse to prove it.  However, Najara has a band of followers and not just one assistant like Xena: the lovely Gabby.

It looks like Kathryn had a lot of fun making this.  The character has different sides (the caring missionary and the warrior) and there’s the fight scenes, some involving swords, and horse riding.  I know that a stunt-double must have been heavily involved but I’ve tried make sure the screencaps only include the real Kathryn.  The hair is short, though it is covered up by the domed hat with flappy ear things for most of the episode.  And as  for the rest of the outfit!  I think I’ve made clear it is quite something to behold!  It must have taken quite some effort to design and make.  I can only applaud everyone responsible.  Bravo!  Cold Case production crew take note   Philadelphia would be crime free with “Lillara” patrolling the streets on horse back.

I’m not very familiar with the “Xenaverse” but I gather that Najara is seen as very significant by many fans.  She may not be the strongest or the most fearsome foe Xena ever faced but she was, apparently, amongst a small number that came close to defeating her.  This was mostly achieved by nearly stealing Gabrielle away from the Warrior Princess.  This was not done by force, oh no, but through showing the blonde sidekick another way of succeeding.  A way of spiritual enlightenment and helping others.

Xena, having seen glimpses of a possible future, knows that by keeping Gabby with her she puts her in danger.  As much as she doesn’t want them to part ways she recognises that it is probably for the best that they do.  Gabrielle is taken with Najara’s peaceful methods and wants to take on less bruising battles.

Luckily for Xena, and the continued pairing of our heroic twosome (I mean Xena and Gabrielle!  It’s not all about that!), Najara is crazy.  A religious zealot of the worst kind.  She is not averse to using lethal force to achieve her ends.  But is that enough to dissuade sweet Gabby from joining Najara’s group, which is basically a cult?

Would Xena really put Gabby at risk to stop Najara?

Screencaps and a video clip can be found in the Gallery.

You read all the way to the bottom?  You’re weird! 

Part 2, coming soon, sees Najara returning in The Convert.