Nikki

I loved the episode! I read "a good turn" A long time ago, and though I enjoyed it, I found it rather too extreme and unbelievable. But I was happy to see that you wonderful writers not only kept the basic concept of xena in a different reality *or time zone, whatever*, but you made it believable. I was a bit confused with Xena and Gabbys relationship, though I did enjoy the "its my first day" bit. I enjoyed the X/A relationship though, of course.

I really was curious about Strife's relationship with Zeb though :)

Steph

I was very surprised that the opening episode was a futuristic episode. I never really liked the future episodes in Xena but I think this one was handled well.

I enjoyed all of the fights especially with the pulsers and especially the relationship between Xena and Ares. It was very different from what we are used too and I kind of enjoyed it. I also liked that old characters like Hercules and Strife were brought back. The one thing I did not like about this episode was that Xena and Gabrielle did not seem to have a friendship with each other. I would have liked to see them bonding more towards the end of the episode especially since they are best friends. I also would have liked to see an intergalatic chakram for Xena to use or something similar like a powerful space weapon. It might have worked better than the dagger that she gave to Ares.

Another thing I was unsure about was if the characters were reincarnations like the other future episodes. If so than that means Ares must somehow die eventually since Strife was in the episode I guess gods can be reincarnated as mortals.

So if I were to rate this episode I would give it an 8 out of 10. It was good and plus it was something original. The images for this episode looked really cool to! Next episode looks interesting and I am hoping that with that storyline it will be a comedy. Although I cannot imagine Xena losing track of her most beloved weapon.

I have high hopes for this season and I look forward to seeing more amazing adventures and stories in the future.

Ryan

Now THIS is how ubers should have been done. It was a very exciting episode and I have always enjoyed sci-fi shows. The idea of Xena being set thousands of years into the future is very appealing.

The story had a great setup, from Xena changing and "switching" sides to tricking Ares in the end by teaming up together. I also like the fact that Strife appeared again, as well as Hercules.

Highlight of the episode for me would have to be the space age mobile phone ringing to the Xena theme song

Anyway, great job LK and Tango!!! I give it a 9/10. This could almost be a premiere for a "spin-off" it worked so well.

And Aurora great job on the images and the collage! I love their new suits, and great work to detail by giving Gabrielle tattoos!

This season is off to the a good start.

Efrieda

Great season starter!!! I thought that the futuristic sci-fi setting worked well with the story, and the characters were still true to the originals. Terrific artwork, and wonderful shipper moments!

Katyrina

I enjoyed the flashbacks to how Xena changed to a JS officer, and how she freed Ares.I also liked how Xena gave Ares her lucky dagger in the end.

Aurora

One of my favorite things about the episode was the clear connection between Xena and Ares. I liked how Xena seemed like she was going to miss him after she turned good, and then after she was good, how it was clear that she still cared about him even though he was fighting for the other side. The fact that she gave him her lucky charm, which she had kept with her since she was sixteen, was touching, I thought.

Actually, in this futuristic episode, the Xena/Ares relationship seemed more open between them. I'm not sure how, really, but after Xena was good, she wasn't afraid to be near Ares or to kiss him goodbye (and what a kiss that was ). In their normal time period, Xena would have been very hesitant about giving Ares such signals because she would fear turning over to his side again. Here, she didn't seem to hesitate when it came to their relationship. She was okay with it, even though they were on different sides.

Actually, Xena as a character seemed slightly different here. She felt "colder" to me, more hard. Maybe it was the way in which she reacted with Gabrielle or Ares. She seemed to have a slightly different personality, though I don't know how to explain it.

It seemed clear to me that Ares calling himself the God of War was just a title (clearly, he's got an ego ). It felt mortal to me.

The dynamic between Xena and Gabrielle was interesting, also, how they didn't really get along in the beginning.

I also loved the flashbacks to show Xena turning from pirate to JS officer.

And, you know, I was wondering why silver was such an important resource. I guess you wouldn't think of it being silver, but instead, being some sort of futuristic substance that everyone would want to get their hands on.

All in all, I thought it was a very unique way to begin the season. Great job, LadyKate and Tango!

X_A

Great episode!!

I love the "Season 1-ish" Xena, I've always been more fond of Xena's character in the earlier seasons and so it made this episode even better for me. To me all the characters feel just right being the type of story this is, plus it's more original than just recreating the characters in a different setting.

I never in a million years thought I would enjoy Xena in a Sci-Fi setting but you guys have proven me wrong and no I haven't read Tango's story (probably the only one I haven't) because I just couldn't imagine but I won't be having any trouble with it now.

Why will this just be a "one-off" story? We need to know how Gabrielle got her tatatoo's!! While I can understand why you guys might not want to do a spin-off, I think a few more of these "Sci-Fi" ones might be fun (listen to me, I couldn't even imagine a Sci-Fi story before this and here I'm asking for more).

Anyways you guys did a wonderful job with the story and Aurora did a great job with the images as always.

CasualFan

Well, that’s refreshing...an uber episode that isn’t a clip show!

I thought it was a fun, offbeat way to kick off the new season. There were several elements from Tango’s A Good Turn, but the plot in this ep is definitely original.

The story featured an interesting version of the X/G "First Encounter"--Gab is no teenage girl longing for adventure and prone to idol-worship, but an adult woman (albeit a bit wet behind the ears) with her own career and ideals, who views Xena with more than a little disapproval. It’s a pretty believable version of how a S1 Xena and a S5 or 6 Gab (sans angst) might have reacted to each other if they’d met at that stage of their lives.

Ares was deftly portrayed, and I could imagine a mortal GOW drifting naturally towards that line of work. His interaction and repartee with Xena had a good "edge," romantic, quick-witted and very unmushy. The denouement turned on a typical piece of Xena trickery "all the silver [Ares] can carry," indeed! Very clever, and quite in keeping with the X/A relationship. I wasn’t surprised that UX let UA go, even though he was as guilty if not guiltier than Zeb -- let’s face it, Xena’s standard is sometimes a double one, at least in regards to certain individuals. LK's point is a good one, though - Xena's particular sense of honor wouldn't allow her to manipulate Ares to entrap him, even though he might not hesitate to try a similar maneuver on her.

I appreciated the Strife cameo, too -- I always wished that he could have put in an appearance on the show.

Bravo, LK and Tango!

Lucia

I think it was a great idea to begin the new season with the prequel to A GOOD TURN. I read it like two years ago, and though I don't read many uber stories because most of them don't interest me, I really liked that one. And after I reminded myself that LOOKING FORWARD wasn't about morals (it seems I have a problem with Xena morals ) but just about a very nice, very entertaining and very shipper sci-fi adventure I just went with the story and fully enjoyed the read.

To me what makes this episode so special is that it's set in a world so different from the Xenaverse but the characters still feel like the ones we know and love, even if Ares isn't a real Greek God of War, Xena has no Chakram and Gabrielle isn't exactly like the innocent teenager from the first seasons of the show, or the boring hypocrite of the middle seasons, or like the "blonde Xena" of the end. I'm sure I would have very easily recognized them for the little things (like Xena not very orthodox methods, for example ), even if they had been written with different names and looks. Besides that, I think it was great that you could develop a simple but good "warlord of the week story" for them.

I'm not sure if I would like it as a spin-off , or for one whole season, or for a long time, but what you did as an uber story for the season 9 premiere and a prequel to A GOOD TURN worked perfectly for me. I also loved the graphics and I really can't imagine this episode without them. Besides, if I wasn't already very curious to see what was in this episode, that beautiful cover montage would surely make me.

And Hercules making a confusion with Gabrielle's name reminded me of what I think was a very good and funny moment of A GOOD TURN. I loved that too.

Thank you for the wonderful premiere, girls. You're the best.