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Introduction (01)
Pre-Season Five Episodes (02-04)
Analysis of "The Last Four Episodes" Of Season Five (05-09)
A Warrior's Chance in the Elysian Fields (10-17)
Notes
Articles
Biography
Introduction
Joxer and Meg bicker like an old married couple in LIVIA because... well, they are!
[1] In "the last four episodes" [Note 01] of season five, 25 years had passed during which Joxer and Meg married and grew old together. Although they are not mentioned in season six, their memory lives on in their son, Virgil, as he travels with Xena and Gabrielle.
Pre-Season Five Episodes
[2] In WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP (30/206), Meg was interested in Joxer, and Joxer was interested in Meg, although Joxer often misidentified who was and was not Meg. Furthermore, it appeared that Joxer did not pay Meg to have sex with him. Had Meg solicited money, it would have alerted Joxer to behavior out-of-character for Xena, unless there were aspects of Xena that the viewers were not privy to. In addition, Meg made some advances on Joxer "free of charge". There was no clear indication that the Joxer-Meg relationship would be explored in the future. Finishing the episode with Meg could have been a successful conclusion for Joxer after his horribly confusing day. There were also no concerns about Joxer being "disloyal" to Gabrielle, as the first two episodes indicating Joxer's interest in Gabrielle [FOR HIM THE BELL TOLLS (40/216) and A COMEDY OF EROS (46/222)] had not aired yet. However, some have interpreted the brawl between Gabrielle and Meg near the end of the episode as a "catfight".
[3] WARRIOR...PRIESTESS...TRAMP (55/309) had Joxer interested in both Gabrielle and Meg, and Joxer was predictably criticized by non-Joxerites because of it. From a general context, one could assume that Joxer and Meg had been in a relationship since WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP (30/206). In PRIESTESS, Joxer touted, "Meg, girls, your prayers have been answered", and he makes advances toward someone pretending to be Meg. However, that was the only sign of Joxer being interested in Meg in the episode. Similarly, the only indication of Meg's interest in Joxer was when she made mushy eyes at him near the end of the episode. Some GJers [Note 02] theorized that Joxer would settle for Meg until Gabrielle took an interest in him.
[4] KEY TO THE KINGDOM (78/410) was the first episode that had Meg as a character in her own right, rather than as just a Xena look-alike. There was very little suggestion of a sexual relationship between Joxer and Meg in this episode, more of a platonic relationship -- perhaps even soulmates -- as the adoptive mother and father of the presumably orphaned baby, "Pumpkin". Meg discussed her latest romp with a "nubile young guard", though Joxer prevented her from giving too many details, and she took an interest in Autolycus, though Joxer discouraged him from having a relationship with her. Apart from the episode's unpopularity with the "mainstream" Xenaverse due to it being Gabrielle-less and Xena-light, some GJers were disturbed by the failure of any of the characters to mention even a line about Gabrielle.
Analysis of "The Last Four Episodes" Of Season Five
Meg and Joxer suck face on screen first in WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP.
[5] IAXS project #749, "Asperger Syndrome and Joxer" (WHOOSH! #42) (http://whoosh.org/issue42/andjam1.html), analyzed what a permanent Joxer-Meg relationship could be like.
[6] If TPTB (the powers that be) pursue a Joxer-Meg relationship (possible), and respect Joxer and Meg (less likely), then it has to be seen as more than a default once they want Xena and Gabrielle together[Note 03]. TPTB succeeded in this, with Joxer and Meg running a tavern[Note 04] and having at least two children[Note 05] and possibly five or more[Note 06].
[7] Most of the hostility to the Meg-Joxer pairing might be due to the suggestion that the pairing is often presented by those who think Gabrielle is "too good for Joxer"[Note 07].
[8] Many Joxerites were upset with a Joxer-Meg relationship, since many of them would prefer him to be with Gabrielle. However, the Joxer-Meg pairing was not received as an unmitigated disaster by all, and was sometimes seen as the best aspect of "the last four episodes".
[9] The 25-year gap also meant that although Joxer and Gabrielle did not become a couple, at least the reason had nothing to do with Joxer's abilities. An old Xena would also be hard pressed to seduce Gabrielle.
A Warrior's Chance in the Elysian Fields: Can Joxer End Up With Gabrielle, and if not, Who Might End Up With Her?
Joxer and Gabrielle have been flirting with romance through several seasons.
[10] Even before he died, Old Joxer had virtually no chance of ending up with Gabrielle. Because he was in a long-term relationship with Meg, taking an interest in Gabrielle while Meg was still alive would be infidelity. Any advances he made toward Gabrielle would hurt their children, as well as Meg. Even if Meg died, it would be seen as poor taste for Joxer to switch to Gabrielle within the space of one season. There would also be a large age difference between Joxer and Gabrielle, though that in itself might be solved with ambrosia.
[11] The best chance for Joxer and Gabrielle would be for Xena and Gabrielle to travel back in time 25 years. Perhaps this might occur if a GJ fan fiction bard wrote an episode. However, if Joxer does not end up with Gabrielle, who will? Here are some possibilities.
[12] Virgil: There seems to be bi-partisan opposition to a Gabrielle-Virgil relationship. Subtexters[Note 08] do not want it, and neither do GJers. Two of the reasons GJers do not want it is that it is tokenism to those wanting a GJ relationship, and that it would send out a message that Joxer was not good enough for Gabrielle.
[13] Sappho as Xena look-alike: Having Sappho as a Gabrielle look-alike would be a mistake because look-a-likes are, as a rule, similar in appearance but different in personality. If Sappho were Joxer and Meg's daughter, it would provide an explanation as to why she looks like Xena. In addition, when originally rumored in season four, TPTB envisaged her as a Xena look-alike [Editor's note: The Sappho episode was withdrawn from production after this article was written].
[14] Since Virgil and Gabrielle, as well as Gabrielle and Sappho, are so similar to each other, a relationship between either pair would not be more serious than in a brief infatuation. Some GJers even view Virgil as the son Joxer and Gabrielle would have had, and therefore a Virgil-Gabrielle relationship would be mildly incestuous.
[15] Xena: TPTB cannot satisfy both subtexters and GJers unless they leave who will end up with whom open, or have a three-way relationship. However, to disappoint both groups would be a very bizarre decision.
[16] For many, one major issue with the Xena-Gabrielle relationship is domestic violence. No domestic violence please! If TPTB are going to pursue a Xena-Gabrielle relationship, I hope they do something about the "Gab drag". They could have Xena apologize more fully, without Gabrielle having to apologize[Note 09].
[17] The pattern of domestic violence was continued with Xena injuring Gabrielle critically in MOTHERHOOD (112/522). However, this event may have strengthened, rather than weakened, the relationship, as it gave TPTB another opportunity for Xena to express her regret for her actions. When Xena says she is sorry for throwing her chakram at Gabrielle in COMING HOME (113/601), she is also implicitly apologizing for the "Gab drag". Though this admission of guilt could have been more than a passing mention, it is a positive step considering TPTB's and scriptwriter Missy Good's views[Note 10].
Notes
Note 01:
A rallying cry for many Joxerites is TLFENH, an abbreviation of "The Last Four Episodes Never Happened". Missy Good and her fans have also applied this concept during season three, in reference to the "Gab drag" that never happened, as well.Note 02:
GJers - short for Gabrielle and Joxer, which indicates a fan who supports a romantic relationship between the characters Gabrielle and Joxer.Note 03:
Andjam, "Asperger Syndrome and Joxer", WHOOSH! #42 (March 2000), http://whoosh.org/issue42/andjam1.html, Paragraph 34.Note 04:
Unlike the previous tavern that Meg ran, this tavern was not a front for a brothel.Note 05:
It is unclear how Meg had children, given that Meg said she could not in KEY TO THE KINGDOM (78/410). There are several theories, one of which involves a Missy Good episode, a Joxer-Meg flashback, and an apple seed.Note 06:
In MOTHERHOOD (112/522), Virgil stated that Meg took his brothers and sisters to Athens. At least two brothers and two sisters, plus Virgil himself, would mean Joxer and Meg had five or more children.Note 07:
Andjam, paragraph 33Note 08:
In the context of Xena: Warrior Princess, "subtexter" is a term used to describe those who support a relationship between Xena and Gabrielle. However, it can have other meanings, such as those who support a romance between any two female characters in the show.Note 09:
Andjam, paragraph 36Note 10:
Scriptwriter Missy Good does not feel that the "Gab drag" or the chakram-throwing were examples of domestic violence, nor that Xena's actions condone similar actions in real life.Articles
Andjam, "Asperger Syndrome and Joxer", WHOOSH! #42 (March 2000),
http://whoosh.org/issue42/andjam1.html
Biography
Andjam@geocities.com
As I am a Joxerite, I cannot reveal my identity. However, as I am not a dentist, I can reveal my face. I am the Spokes-entity for Gungan and Ancient Greek Raving Loonies for the Sydney University Monster Raving Loony Party. When not writing letters to the editor or articles for the student media, I study science. I also run the mailing list distexters (http://www.yahoogroups.com/community/distexters), a mailing list formed for discussing Asperger Syndrome and other disabilities in Xena: Warrior Princess.
Favorite episode: WARRIOR...PRIESTESS...TRAMP (30/206)
Favorite line:Meg: "I need your sword in my service right now!" WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP (30/206); Rhea: "It's called kissing. Wanna try it?"; KINDRED SPIRITS (107/517).
First episode seen:THE WARRIOR PRINCESS (H09/109)
Least favorite episode:Anything without Joxer.
