The really clever thing about 'The Debt' that I always paid attention to is that none of the characters surrounding Xena in her backstory are actually evil no matter what Xena goes through. They all seem to hold a "weakness" or a place of compassion in their heart somewhere and it's mainly more so the circumstances that cause them to act or behave one way or another to each other. In fact the only character that seems to be really so far gone in terms of emotional connection is Xena. That's really why the juxtaposition from Borias to Lao Ma works as well as it does because she goes from a relationship that's completely about taking and having power - using and abusing each other in order to just get what they want out of their environment regardless of the way they treat each other within it to a relationship filled with care and compassion and tolerance and love in all kinds of ways. Lao Ma always puts Xena first despite how Xena's treated her and even though Xena doesn't understand why she would help her or how she could be nice to her after what she's done to her, Lao Ma is consistent in trying to get Xena to understand that a self-serving desire does not benefit either the giver or the taker in the longterm. That she's merely just poisoning her soul all the more the more she lives for herself in this very hateful, vengeful, wilful, destructive way against humanity. Xena says it's about survival why she behaves like this. That she's only dealing out the brutality that she's been dealt back. But Lao Ma rightly points out... she's already dead spiritually, emotionally, mentally. She's really lost the will to live in the sense of allowing the world to show her that it can be kind and beautiful too. That she's not even giving it the chance to be good to her back. To treat her better because she's already resigned herself to its pains.
'The Debt' story arc is so cleverly, carefully and intentionally crafted to show you that that path Xena's carved out for herself because of Julius Caesar's betrayal in the breaking of both her legs and her spirit simultaneously is only one that will forever destroy Xena even more and in order to become the person that Lao Ma knows she's capable of being, Xena had to let go of all of that anger within so she could correct and heal not just her body but her entire soul and it's karma because if she could do that - if she allowed that to happen - then she'd finally come to the person that would provide her it all back without asking for anything in return. At the time - Xena thinks this person is Lao Ma. But no, Lao Ma is only preparing her for Gabrielle.
Then for the creators to bookend all of this with the present day betrayal of Gabrielle just makes this story arc all the more powerful because then Xena proves she's truly put aside her past and a life of death and destruction by forgiving her, by understanding her, by loving her even though Gabrielle has done an awful thing to her. She's realized that even though hurt people hurt people - there is still a choice that the individual can make if their ego can allow them to see and get passed the anguish. To choose to comfort instead. That's what 'The Debt' is about. That's what Xena and Lao Ma is about. Watch it again and notice how every character is human and shows their humanity somewhere. Even if it's not to Xena. But they show you that every character in Xena's backstory is not a monster besides one. Ming Tien - who is too young to learn any such lesson and had to be put down because his influence of power would cause far more chaos and pain than his own life was worth and Xena makes the choice to kill him - without telling Gabrielle - because she knows that she created that monster so she knows that he is beyond the pale. He cannot be saved and he cannot be left to his own devices. She makes that judgement call not out of vengeance, but mercy because at the end of the day her cause was for the greater good and the person that originally instilled that conviction into her - that even named her 'the warrior princess' - is not a man, but a woman and the only person that can keep her in that conviction and on that right path that is truly destined for Xena, is also a woman. Gabrielle. Gabrielle is her destiny. Her cornerstone to living. Her future. Her way forward in life and love.
That's the story there. That's what they're really saying in 'The Debt'.
As I've said before... this is not a TV show about heroes vs villains. It's about actions vs consequences. It's about the human conditions and circumstances. It's about doing what we can when and where we believe we should. There is no inherent good or evil, right or wrong..., it all just depends on who we are and how we react in the moment and all the people surrounding us are there to bring that out in us whether we know it at the time or not. That's how life even works. To provide that much reality and truth in an action fantasy show... wow.
I love these episodes so fucking much. I love the characters, the themes, the arcs, the sets. I love the contrasting tones of edginess and grittiness with gentleness and smoothness. I love the LIFE in it when it's otherwise showing you the lead character at her deadest because the point is for her to realize and understand it's not the end for her but she has to make those choices and take those actions and ultimately allow LIFE in again. To allow her spirit to take flight and stop corrupting and sabotaging her own goodness and beauty by constantly choosing hate and revenge and rage and destruction because there's just as much power and control in the opposite.
Lao Ma is known to be hard and soft at the same time like water because she's mastered the ability to silence her ego and will. She's so powerful and influential and disciplined in the way of her being because she's learned how to conquer herself rather than others and we all should honestly learn from her example, not just Xena because humans do get in their own way. We're made that way because we have free will. But then that means that we can choose the opposite. We can freely choose whether to perpetuate our own self-serving goals or look in the mirror and change our life by changing ourselves.
