I have the feeling I did this once before, but no time to check, plus what the hell, it's always fun to rave about the women. Qualification: I'm choosing to interpret as referring to females who can do the kicking of the aforementioned backside both literally and figuratively. So ladies who could rule the universe by force of personality, cleverness and manipulative skills like Laura Roslin or Livia Drusilla won't show up; they're in a class of their own.

1) Abigail Brand (originally Astonishing X-Men, now Marvelverse at large). See icon. Green-haired, tough, abrasive, willing to put her life on the line along with everyone else's, with a gift for sarcasm and (so far) great taste in men. Has even mastered the art of admitting of having been wrong and drawing consequences, which is rare in ruthless types. I love her quite a lot.

2) River Song (Doctor Who). Was interesting in her first outing which due to timey-wimeyness was also her end, and became downright fascinating in the last season when we got to know her better; can wear space suits, uniform and evening wardrobe with the same aplomb and is played by the vibrant Alex Kingston. "Hello, Sweetie" will never sound the same again. :)

3.) Sarah Connor (The Sarah Connor Chronicles and the first two Terminator films). Transforming herself from hunted teenage waitress to warrior woman, Sarah picked up a lot of intimacy issues on the way, not to mention poetic if disturbing dreams. I love that she loves stories, which is rare in an action heroine, that she bonds with strangers but has difficulties with her nearest and dearest, and that she tries not just to win a fight but to do so without losing sight of what she fights for. Oh, Sarah.

4.) Ellen Ripley (Alien and subsequent sequels). Like Sarah, Ripley didn't start out as a warrior. She was the space equivalent of a trucker, and one of several reasons why I'm in the minority who prefers Alien over Aliens is that the crew of the Nostromo strikes me as much more real - they aren't marines who banter in movie speak, they are people doing their jobs who have been together far too long. (Also, more British actors.) And it's far from obvious or signaled that Ripley will be the one to survive. But survive she does, and while her life becomes one out of time nightmare in which she keeps being reborn, she never loses her humanity. I ♥ Ripley.

5.) Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess). Actually, most of the women of that show, but Xena is in a class of her own. Cheerfully anachronistic as her show was, she did the dark-haired brooding former villain seeking redemption stick before Angel and various imitations of same, and she did it (more often than not) better. Lucy Lawless gave her a fierce joy in fighting that ex-villains not often get to display, a deadpan sense of humour and a confident sexuality.

trobadora has started a rewatch of Xena: Warrior Princess, and I know I have some old Xena fans on my flist, so check out her posts, here and here. Thinking back, I conclude I enjoyed Xena for similar reasons I like Merlin today. Both shows are cheerfully anachronistic and unabashedly cheesy at times, but they also, for the most part, sell me on the emotional truth of the characters and their relationships, and they can go from silly to tragic and back within an episode.

Also Xena had Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor and Kevin Smith (the other one) and the great New Zealand landscape and Karl Urban doing double duty as Cupid and Caesar. What's not to love?

My Easter post was already made yesterday, so my continuing quest to stay free of Dr. Who spoilers until some well-meaning person, British, German or otherwise, enables the addict by ahem'ing 2.1 and handing it over is my very first poll. Because for some reason Easter with my family makes me think meta fandom thoughts, when combined with remarks like londonkds's recent review of City on the Edge of Forever (the Blake's 7 one, not the Star Trek one): "with Vila getting the equivalent of Sic Transit Vir or The Zeppo", he wrote. Which reminded me, not for the first time, there are certain types of episode most shows do - the bodyswap episode, the hostage episode, the canon AU "what if?" episode, etc. Hence, poll.

[Poll #711183]