Xena to hang up sword

The lesbian cult classic Xena: Warrior Princess is capping off its six-year run with a two-part finale this month. Salon.com reports that, depending on your market, the parts could air separately, during the weeks of June 11 and June 18, or as a two-hour movie the week of June 23, so check local listings. The final episodes will find Xena, played by the impossibly robust Lucy Lawless, battling good and evil in a samurai sword–fest in Japan. It was the barely-beneath-the-surface lesbian subtext that initially attracted lesbian and gay viewers to the weekly adventures of the strapping Xena and her plucky blond sidekick, Gabrielle, played by Renee O’Connor. The show’s writers began catering to the loyal demographic, with the story line coming to a head in season 4’s big tease in the hot tub. Fans of the show who wish to reminisce or discuss the past six semi-sapphic years may visit the “Xena: Warrior Lesbian” Web site at www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/4580/.