Maternal Instincts
written by Chris Manheim - executive story editor
The Chakram Newsletter: Issue 03
SD: "Maternal Instincts" has given us some memorable images: Xena shooting arrows, one after another, into Callisto after Solan’s death. Those same arrows flying out of Callisto and back into the archers. Xena's cries of anguish at Solan’s death. Callisto's face as she listens to these cries, realizes she has achieved her life’s ambition and it's a hollow victory. Gabrielle bringing the wineskin of poison up to her lips. Xena watching as Gabrielle attempts to end her life. And the look that passes between them as Gabrielle realizes Xena has been standing there watching her. Xena’s breakdown at the funeral pyre.
And going from the sublime to the ridiculous, how come those arrows flying out of Callisto didn’t land in the archers feathers first?
Chris: Ah, good question. I'll tell you what happened. It’s because they went straight through her. They came in one way and she expelled them out the other side!
SD: Did you just think of that right now? (laughing)
Chris: Yes, I did. (laughing)
SD: On to more serious images: Xena’s cries of anguish at Solan’s death were heartrending.
Chris: Yeah, wasn't Lucy wonderful? It was very upsetting listening to that.
SD: How did you decide what Callisto’s reaction would be upon hearing Xena cry out?
Chris: I have to credit R.J. with that. We were talking about how Callisto would feel and the temptation was to go to the moustache-twirling, "Ah-ha, I’ve got my revenge at last!" It was not an interesting place to take that character. And I believe it was R.J. who said, "Wouldn’t the experience be empty for her?"
SD: So it wasn’t predetermined that this would be an empty experience. You decided then and there? It could have gone either way.
Chris: One of the things I love about working on this show, with these people, is that they keep your toes to the fire. It pushes you to do the unexpected. People’s behavior is all over the place. You can justify almost any reaction. To go to the unexpected place is what we do all the time here.
SD: Is Hope part human, part Gabrielle, or all god?
Chris: Definitely part Gabrielle. That's what makes her killable. She’s half-human, half-god. It allows us some creative ways to play with her. What part of her is dominant at what time. Can she be reached through that mortal side? Is there hope for Hope that she will be good? In the sense that Gabrielle is such a pure person — could that not rub off on Hope?
SD: I was thinking she was all god — an incarnation of Dahak.
Chris: Poison’ll kill her because she's half mortal.
SD: How does Xena know poison will kill her?
Chris: She’s very, very wise, (laughing) She knows these things. Actually, I think she and Hercules talk.
SD: Who is Xena that she deserves all this attention from Hope?
Chris: Xena’s the woman that took Hope’s mother away from her. Gabrielle chose Xena over Hope. I feel sorry for her because she's this little kid who’s mother abandoned her for somebody else. She hates Xena, hates her!
SD: Why would Hope need Callisto’s help?
Chris: She protects Hope. When Hope uses her powers, she's in a weakened state and needs somebody there defending her.
SD: Did Gabrielle kill Hope so that Xena wouldn’t have to do it? So that Xena wouldn't have to kill Gabrielle’s daughter?
Chris: No, that was not in my mind when I was writing the episode. She did it because Hope’s her daughter and she had to deal with it. Haven't you ever had something that’s really hard to do, but you can't let somebody else do it? You know you have to take this on, as painful as it might be.
SD: And after that, Gabrielle almost takes the poison herself? Why did she think of taking it and, then, why didn’t she do it?
Chris: She almost took it because the pain was so great. Gabrielle was convinced that Hope, having killed Solan, was probably irredeemable. So she killed her own daughter. I still think it’s her guilt. Not just that she killed her own daughter, but the fact that she is, inadvertently, responsible for the death of Xena’s son. And she’s seen the pain that cost Xena. So, why even live. And then reason reasserts itself, because she is basically a positive person.
We played with that scene. One way I remember writing it was that she decides to do it and Xena’s chakram knocks the poison from her hand. But then we decided Xena’s in such a dark, tormented place herself, she would just stand and watch. So now the question became, if Gabrielle had actually put it to her lips and started to swallow, what would Xena do? I believe Xena would have stepped in at that point. I don’t care what her pain was, she wouldn’t have allowed Gabrielle to kill herself. But Xena just standing there and not making a move to stop Gabrielle until she absolutely knew it was something Gabrielle was going to do, said a lot about where the two characters were. Especially where Xena was in relationship to her pain and the fault that Gabrielle should have.
SD: The love that Xena has for Gabrielle would not have allowed her to let it happen?
Chris: Right. And my personal feeling is that Xena would not have allowed Gabrielle to do it. We even wrote it that maybe Xena has her hand on her chakram so we know her intent would be to stop it. And then we decided, no, she just watches. Just to see. Because that’s where Xena was at that moment!
SD: Why does Xena go after Callisto, a god, with a bow and arrow?
Chris: Just to distract her and slow her down to give the kids time to get to the cave.
SD: Who was Xena crying for at the end? Solan, the loss of Gabrielle as a friend, or both?
Chris: Quite honestly, I think all her pain allows her to focus on is the death of her son. Here she was willing to tell him, “I’m your mother. Come live with me.” And it was jerked right out from under her. I think that's all she can think about now. It’s not about Gabrielle. She’s real clear that she can’t deal with any input from her. No, it was clearly Solan. And it continues because she doesn't allow Gabrielle to impact on her until they’re in Illusia. Until then, she continues the rage, the hate.