Eve
written by George Strayton & Tom O’Neill
Interview with George Strayton
The Chakram Newsletter: Issue 14
SD: What story did they want to tell in “Eve” and what elements did you want to use?
George: That’s interesting because we started out with something different than what it turned out to be.
SD: For the whole Eve arc or this particular episode?
George: When Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman were the head writers, there was a totally different plan for the end of the fifth season. We kept to the basic story for this episode, but the continuation of the storyline changed for the following shows. These stories went through three stages. The first was what Tom and I envisioned under Bob and Alex. The second version was based on what Rob Tapert and R.J. Stewart said they wanted to do with the story we suggested when R.J. came back to head the show. And after we wrote the script, there were further revisions by Chris Black and Chris Manheim.
SD: Why don’t we look at the second version now?
George: Okay. Our original idea was that “Eve” would pick up almost immediately after the gladiatorial fight at the end of “Livia”. Livia has made a deal with Ares that she will wipe out Eli’s followers for him if Ares produces a siege engine she has designed. She tells Ares she needs this weapon to destroy Eli’s followers. At the same time, she’s been sending her troops around to battle with the Elisians to force them all to Ostia which is a real coastal city in ancient Rome. Ninety percent of the trade would go through this city before it reached Rome.
Xena realizes she has to stop Livia. She’s aware she might have to kill her daughter, but she’s going to do everything in her power to try and turn Livia back into Eve.
SD: Was this where Xena praying to Eli’s god came in?
George: Yes. She’s on the hillside saying, “I don’t understand. I’m a warrior. I fight for people who can’t fight for themselves. You helped me see that. Then you have me this child and I love her with all my heart. Now you’re asking me to choose between my way and my daughter’s life. What do you want from me.” Pause. “Are you enjoying this? I thought you were different. Maybe you’re just like all the other gods. What happened to your infinite love?”
SD: A spark of the old Xena scepticism.
George: Yeah. She doesn’t get an answer. Livia, meanwhile, is also playing with Ares. She doesn’t care about the Elisians, she wants to control Ostia and the Roman trade route so she can depose Augustus.
SD: Does Xena know this?
George: Xena is figuring out what Livia is up to and she’s trying to convince Ares that Livia isn’t on the up and up. Ares doesn’t believe her initially, but in the end, when he realizes he’s been duped, he leaves Livia to Xena to do with as she wishes.
SD: What was the end of this story?
George: The last act was a giant battle outside the gates of Ostia with a siege engine that shoots fireballs. In the aired version, at the end, Livia seems to be lost and confused as she wanders away from Xena.
In this earlier script, Senetus, Livia’s second in command, realizes that Livia has lost it and decides he must take over command of her forces by killing her. He climbs up on top of the siege engine to send a fireball straight at Livia. Xena sees him and battles Senetus up and down the scaffolding of the giant weapon. He climbs up to the top, knocks Xena to the bottom and aims the engine at Livia. Xena throws her chakram at the siege engine’s turret and forces it to point upward just as the fireball is lit. The fireball goes straight up and then straight down destroying both Senetus and the weapon. Cool shot, but too expensive. (laughing)
SD: The god of Eli was still part of this story?
George: Xena would be left wondering what Eli's plan was in putting her in this situation. The continuation of the storyline would have Xena in a position to kill her daughter and then realizing at the last minute, she just can't do it. That part of the story did end up in the final version that aired. When we were writing the script, it most reminded me of the battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi where Xena is Luke and Livia is Darth Vader.
SD: There was a final moment in the aired version where Xena is poised to use her chakram on Livia's throat and then she can't make herself do it. A beam of light appears and Livia sees moments of her life as a baby with Xena.
George: An early version we did of that scene had the Archangel Michael appearing to Livia:
Michael: “Be not afraid.”
Livia: “Who are you?”
Michael: “What's important is who you are, the Chosen One.”
Livia: “Ares, whatever kind of trick this is, it isn't going to work.”
Michael: “It was Xena's unconditional love that brought me. From birth you were blessed with a great power yet you consistently chose to walk the wrong path.”
Livia: “I did what I had to do to survive. You have no right to judge me.”
Michael: “It is you who must judge yourself. You’ve kept your sins hidden within the shadow of your soul long enough. Behold the Light of Truth.”
That's when the images of Livia's birth and life appear.
Livia: “What have I done?”
Michael: “You've destroyed love, in your heart and in your world. Eli's message must live on. You have a destiny to fulfill.”
Livia: “I don’t understand. What destiny.”
Michael: “A new kingdom will be built upon your shoulders.”
Michael disappears and Livia wanders off.
SD: The images made the aired version, but not the dialogue.
George: What Michael was saying was to set up Rob’s episode of “Motherhood.” He asked that we hint at the idea of a new kingdom.
SD: Was Joxer in this earlier version?
George: Joxer wasn't in it at all. Just Virgil whose original name was Jeric. In our version, Virgil wants to be a bard like Gabrielle. He goes around with her as her student and as he sees Gabrielle's life with Xena, he realizes how much she is exposed to and where she gets her material. He was also a follower of Eli. Virgil makes his own decision that Livia has to die. He sees the battle between Xena and Livia as a great tragic story. Gabrielle cautions him not to give up on Xena yet. Virgil argues with Gabrielle that every time they try to save Livia, she does something even more horrendous.
When Gabrielle sneaks off to Livia's camp to try one more time to talk her into believing in Xena and the goodness in her heart, Virgil goes after her. Remember, there's no Joxer in this version. Livia captures Gabrielle and Virgil is killed trying to save her. That was Virgil's storyline because we didn't want to kill Joxer.
SD: In your mind, who made Livia who she was? She was formed from Xena and Callisto. Was it the bad Callisto that was inside her?
George: I think it was an unformed Callisto that was part of her soul. The essence of Callisto was reborn in her with the potential to go either way. Callisto was given an opportunity to work off her karma, but there was no guarantee she would follow the good path the second time around. The person I would say is most responsible for how Livia turned out is Ares.
SD: How about Augustus?
George: To my way of thinking, Livia is the one who was a bad influence on Augustus, not the other way around. Ares corrupted Livia and she in turn corrupted Augustus. She became the power behind the throne.
SD: Augustus was in love with her.
George: Right. Originally, the power he gave her seemed innocent and it was too late when he realized he had given her too much. All he cared about was having her. And the real historical Livia married Augustus.
SD: When was it decided that Xena's daughter would be Livia?
George: It sort of evolved. Originally, Octavius knew it was dangerous to let anyone know who Eve was. It was his decision to change her name. I think it was during the changeover from Bob and Alex to R.J. when we were all meeting together that she became Livia.
SD: Why did Livia hate Xena so much?
George: The main reason was that Livia felt that Xena was solely responsible for destroying everything Livia had worked her whole life for. This was the moment in her career where everything was coming together. She was going to marry Augustus, become the Empress, and take over Rome. Xena foils that plan.
SD: Does Livia believe Xena is her mother?
George: Not at first. But she believes Ares when he tells her it's true. That doesn't mean she has any feelings for her either way. She doesn't crave her mother nor does she feel rejected because Xena wasn't around. As time passes, something inside her pulls her toward Xena and that just makes her more angry. She doesn’t want to feel anything for this woman.
SD: Xena seems to have become a legendary character during the 25 years she and Gabrielle were out of circulation. Did Livia know who Xena was?
George: In our discussions, we figured she was aware of Xena and she admired her for what she had done when she was with Ares. That was why Livia accepted Ares as her mentor even without knowing she was Xena's daughter.
SD: I wondered how Ares and Livia got together.
George: In our very first version of this storyline, Xena killed all the gods but Ares who managed to escape to Rome and became the Roman God of War, Mars. We had come up with the Tablets of Fate which was the instrument Xena used to kill the gods. And using the Tablets was what propelled Xena and Gabrielle into the future to a time when Ares would be vulnerable again. In real life, the Romans adopted the Greek pantheon of gods and changed their names. Xena would have landed in the future and been faced with Livia, Augustus and Mars and wondered, “Who are these people!” (laughing) So Livia would have been a disciple of Mars.
SD: How was season five going to end?
George: With Livia getting married to Augustus and becoming the Empress. Season six was going to be Xena realizing who Livia really is and trying to convert her. Augustus knows that he learned all his military tactics from Xena and if she’s still alive, she poses the biggest threat to his staying in power. Livia and Augustus tell all their soldiers in the Roman Empire, which stretches to Asia Minor, to capture Xena. So Xena becomes a kind of Robin Hood figure. She and Gabrielle have their regular adventures with the added problem that if she’s recognized by any soldiers, they'll immediately attack her. And she still keeps trying to find a way to get to Livia and, first, convince her she's Xena’s daughter and later on in the season that Livia has to give up this persecution.
SD: Was there any talk of a seventh season back then?
George: No. we figured the sixth season would be the last. And the plan for the last episode would be Augustus and Livia turning over a new leaf and introducing Pax Romana. And that it was Xena who was the cause of this.
SD: Was Eve going to be redeemed at the end of this episode?
George: The story we were thinking of telling at that time was that Xena was trying to turn her daughter around and coming to the conclusion it wasn’t going to be possible. Xena would be wrestling with the greater good on one hand and having to kill her daughter on the other.
SD: All the while Xena and Gabrielle are trying to save Eve, she's murdering people. They're responsible for whoever dies while they're trying to stop her.
George: Absolutely. That was Xena's conflict. She wouldn't necessarily go after someone to hunt them down and kill them. She would try to turn someone around if she thought she could. But she's spending more time on her daughter than she would on anyone else. Xena wouldn’t give someone else this much leeway and allow so much bloodshed to occur.
In one early outline, we had Xena and Gabrielle really in conflict about this. And Gabrielle saying, “You killed my child!”
SD: In the shooting draft, Gabrielle asks Xena if she could bring herself to kill her own child. And Xena answers, “You did. How can I do anything less?” But it was changed when they filmed it to, “If I had to, yes, I could.”
George: We thought this reverse situation between Xena and Gabrielle was very poignant. For me, this story wasn't about Eve, but about Xena. Xena trying to do the right thing, having this great love for her daughter and being put into a situation where people are dying because of her love.
SD: Xena's all-too-human flaws are what make her so compelling. These past two seasons, we’ve seen the greater good goes out the window when it comes to Gabrielle or her daughter.
George: I totally agree. Her ability to make mistakes and to be defeated by herself or others is what draws people to watch the show. They recognize themselves in her struggles.