u/NiceRefrigerator4079

I have a lot of problems with Season 5, and I think that is pretty clear from my reviews so far. But if there is one episode in this unfortunate season that I could call a masterpiece, then in my opinion it is definitely this one. Xena's world is set within Greek mythology, but only "Maternal Instincts" and this episode have truly shown the full depth and beauty of Greek epic tragedy.

First of all, Hercules. I am glad that Xena fans also got the chance to say goodbye to this character, without whom our show would never have existed in the first place. I do not have a particularly high opinion of Sorbo (as, I assume, does no sane person), but I always try to separate the actor from the person. If I did not, there are very few public figures I could watch lol. Sorbo really does an excellent job portraying Hercules and, in my opinion, he is the best live-action Hercules. The acting energy and chemistry between him and Lucy are always on point. I have not watched much of HTLJ apart from those few episodes that are part of the Xenaverse (I plan to correct that once I finish Xena), but I am of course familiar with the story of Hercules and Hera, and it is interesting to see them working as a team. Meg is also quite fascinating as Hera. I think she does an excellent job portraying a Goddess who is tired of hatred and simply wants to make peace with the world and redeem herself for her actions. Her ending here is truly epic, although I remember being confused about what had happened to her when I first watched it.

This is one of the very few episodes where I actually felt sorry for Ares. He finally gets the chance to free himself from the half-brother he hated so much (the scene with Zeus makes it pretty clear why. The classic story of the rejected and unloved older child. Ares probably would have turned out better if he had received parental love. Or at least a therapist lol), only for his own mother to turn against him. The scene with Xena in the corridors of Tartarus is also excellent. For the first time, Ares does not use threats or manipulation, but actually opens up to Xena about his feelings. Personally, I believe he is being sincere, but that does not erase all the evil he has done to Xena. If he expected her to suddenly throw herself into his arms, he was very much mistaken.

Charles Keating is the revelation of this episode for me. I know that when it comes to Zeus in the Xenaverse, everyone's first association is Anthony Quinn. I have not watched Quinn (yet), so I will not get into comparisons. But Keating is the perfect Zeus to me. He has exactly the right divine aura, and when I watch him, I genuinely feel like I am looking at Zeus. His ending is epic and, as I said at the beginning of this review, worthy of a Greek tragedy. It is incredibly moving when he dies at the hands and in the arms of the son he protected and loved so much. I also felt terrible for Hercules here. In order to protect his friend and her innocent child, he kills his own father. Righteous to the very end. Zeus's ending demonstrates the arrogance of all the Gods. Their belief that they are above life and death, their pointless fear of some stupid prophecy. In the end, neither Xena nor Eve nor even the Christian God destroyed the Olympian Gods. They destroyed themselves through their own arrogance. More on that in my review of the season finale.

This episode is definitely the end of an era. It represents the final farewell to Hercules, the character from which everything began, and I think his ending is epic and exactly what he deserved. To make the ultimate sacrifice for a righteous and selfless cause. The episode also delivers plenty of emotional moments. The scenes between Xena and Solan (by the way, I preferred the first Solan, but I understand that he is too old to play him again) are wonderful, and Lucy plays their reunion with so much genuine emotion. You can see the influence of motherhood on her. The moment Eve is born, Zeus's death as I already mentioned, and the final scenes between Xena and Eve are also incredibly powerful. These are the moments that make me love this show so much.

Probably one of the best episodes of the season. Although in terms of Xenaverse continuity it raises more questions than it answers (I already touched on the question of Xena’s baby’s soul and the inconsistency of Callisto being an angel outside while the baby is inside in my review of "Them Bones"), this episode delivers some truly powerful and emotional moments.

Eli’s departure is very memorable. I’m not his biggest fan, especially ever since they turned him into some kind of hybrid of Gandhi and Jesus. Still, I thought he was very good in this episode. Few people mention the scene between him and Callisto, which is an obvious reference to the Garden of Gethsemane. Maybe a little too much Christianity for my taste, but still an excellent scene and a great portrayal of Eli’s inner struggle and obvious fear over what God is asking of him. Timothy was excellent in this scene. The scene where Ares kills him is very powerful, as is Eli’s defiance toward Ares and his confrontation with Gabrielle. A particularly emotional moment, especially for Gabrielle, who had to stand aside and watch her friend and spiritual mentor die so that he could persevere in his fight against the Gods through love.

I liked the little conflict between Xena and Gabrielle after Eli’s death. They are both right when you look at things from their respective perspectives. But it is clear that at that moment, emotions prevailed over reason. This episode once again opens up the possibility of an alliance between Ares and Gabrielle, and once again I have to point out what a huge shame it is that this idea remained only a possibility. Another Rift between Xena and Gabrielle, this time with Gabrielle as Ares’ protégé, would have been incredibly challenging and interesting to watch. But I think the show’s writers simply didn’t have the courage to separate the two of them and put them on opposite sides.

I have to give special praise to Lucy. I don’t know what month of her pregnancy she was in when this episode was filmed, but doing fight scenes like the ones in the tavern or on the bridge in that condition is truly worthy of respect and admiration and shows the strength and ability of women.

And so, Callisto is the father, but also the baby at the same time. Now we know where the inspiration for the movie "Predestination" came from 😂

I’m not a fan of the way Callisto’s story was concluded (I already wrote that, in my opinion, her natural ending was in "Sacrifice II"), but the final scene between Xena and Callisto is genuinely beautiful and deeply moving. It even makes sense that they give each other the families they took away from one another. With that scene, we said goodbye forever to Callisto, my favorite character in the show. I consider her the equivalent of Xena in Hercules here. A character who stole the show from the main characters every single time she appeared. Callisto, victim and perpetrator, tragic and monstrous. My love for this character cannot be described in words. You could write an entire novel about her complexity. I loved every scene and every shot she was in. I loved the psychotic madness she brought with her every time she appeared. I also loved her vulnerable side, which she rarely, but nevertheless occasionally showed, such as the expression on her face when Xena gave her speech apologizing for what she had done to her family. Maybe this is a somewhat controversial take, but I don’t think Callisto ever truly grew up. I think she is a broken and destroyed child trapped inside the body of an adult woman. A child who only wanted to avenge her family, until that revenge consumed her and turned her into the very evil she was fighting against. Callisto went through so many phases, from warrior, to Goddess, demon, angel, and finally Xena’s daughter. And she always captivated, amazed, and won over the audience’s hearts, making us root for her against Xena and Gabrielle. Thank you, Callisto, for all the moments you gave us throughout five seasons, all the memories and battles. Thank you, Hudson, for your perfect performance. Without her, her charisma, and the madness she portrayed so masterfully through her character, Callisto would never have become so globally beloved.

We will ignore now that she was the opposite of an angel in character 🤣

I really enjoyed her performance as Rebekah. I loved Claire's performance in TVD, but in TO she felt like she lacked energy and didn't want to play the part anymore, but was acting just to play. I think Maisie provided a much more energetic dynamic that Rebekah's character lacked.

An episode that takes us back to the world of Chin, for the first time since The Debt. This episode is often considered one of the weaker ones in the fandom, but I’m not one of those people. Of course, when compared to The Debt, this is nowhere near that level, but I don’t think that comparison is entirely fair because The Debt is one of the best and greatest episodes of the show and probably its visual peak. This episode doesn’t come even remotely close to reaching the level of its predecessor, but personally, I enjoyed it. It’s true that the episode is confusing in certain aspects. Did Lao Ma have clairvoyant powers and know that her daughters would turn against each other (by the way, where did that even come from when there was no mention of them at all in The Debt?), did she prepare the riddle letters for Xena in advance, with the obligatory death of the person delivering the message (new curse: May whoever delivers a message from Lao Ma to Xena die) arriving every few years? Did Xena’s pregnancy sharpen her mind so much that she knew the whole time that Pao Ssu was the villain? Of course, my previous review has already covered Xena’s Superman ability to fly from one end of the world to the other in record time.

But even despite all these inconsistencies, I really liked the episode. It’s fun and keeps your attention the entire time. As someone who is a fan of low-budget Chinese kung-fu action movies, I quite enjoyed the fight choreography this episode has to offer. I also love the flashbacks and Xena’s memories of Lao Ma. You can see that even after all these years, Lao Ma still holds a very special place in Xena's heart.

Gabrielle wasn’t all that present in this episode, and was even somewhat reduced to being an ordinary sidekick like in the earlier parts of the show, which is one of the things I don’t like about this episode. But the scenes between her and Joxer are pretty funny, especially the one in the dungeon. "Three feet in his pants" is easily the funniest scene of the episode! Now we at least know why the women at Meg’s brothel loved him so much 🤣🤣
And whatever you may think about Joxer and his obsession with Gabrielle, I thought it was wonderful that he would rather die himself than let Gabrielle die 🥰

Still, the person who steals the show for me in this episode is without a doubt Marie Matiko. I was absolutely impressed by the way she played the twin sisters. She is so convincing in her transformation that at first I didn’t even realize it was the same actress. She really manages to portray two different people without ever making it feel like she is playing the same character. The only person who has given me a similar impression is Nina Dobrev in The Vampire Diaries. Still, I find Pao Ssu much more likable and interesting than K'ao Hsin, who is the prototype of the good, innocent and self-sacrificing girl who fights for justice. Pao is the opposite. A dark person, cruel, manipulative, ambitious, greedy. But she isn’t just a one-dimensional villain. The lack of maternal love and the feeling of abandonment shaped her into the person she is now. Ironically, Pao is actually much more her mother’s daughter than K'ao will ever be. Anyone who doesn’t think so hasn’t watched The Debt properly. Lao was a manipulator. Just a more subtle and tactical one compared to Pao. I really enjoyed Pao as a character and the way Matiko portrayed her.

I really love the final fight with the fireballs. I know many people criticize it for being too childish and naive, but since Charmed is one of my favorite TV shows, I actually quite enjoyed that final aspect. I don’t understand, though, how Xena and K'ao survived the explosion, but I suppose that’s just another plot hole we have to overlook.

And finally, this season has given us an episode that is actually excellent. Xena takes us back into the world of the Northern Amazons whom we met in Adventures in the Sin Trade, and of course Alti is here again, that irritating creature who simply does not know when to give up. Even though she has been killed practically every time she has encountered Xena, she still uses power from other worlds to break her. This time, she has set her sights on what is most precious to Xena. Not Gabrielle. The second most precious thing, the soul of her unborn baby. It is a nice bit of symbolism considering that Alti is also partly responsible for Solan’s death, since she cursed him before he was even born. Apparently, she will not stop until she destroys Xena’s entire offspring or, in this case, takes its place. Xena’s struggle to protect her child’s soul is admirable. You can feel her maternal instinct taking over. It is a shame she will abandon it a few episodes from now when she gives that very same soul to Callisto.

The relationship between Xena and Gabrielle is so beautiful, and Gabrielle’s determination to protect Xena’s baby is just gorgeous. I got all emotional when she said that she loved that child as much as Xena did. Even if she does not know where this child came from, that does not matter to her. The only thing that matters to her is that it is Xena’s child, that it is a part of her soul, and that she will not let anyone hurt it. On the other hand, even for the sake of the baby, Xena refuses to let Gabrielle sacrifice herself. She is horrified at the thought of Gabrielle facing Alti alone in the dream world. (Btw, am I the only one who thinks the scene where Gabrielle wakes up in the field looks like the opening scene of Lost? Did JJ take inspiration from Xena?) Her fear when Gabrielle almost dies trying to kill Alti is incredibly touching and memorable, just like her relief when Gabrielle wakes up. Lucy and Renee’s chemistry is once again at its absolute best, and this episode further strengthens the foundation of their relationship.

With this episode, we said goodbye to Amarice. Unfortunately, her character, which genuinely had potential, has been irrelevant for quite some time now. After the previous episode and that horrible romance with Arman, she does not really do anything here either, except that we find out she is not actually an Amazon at all. Although honestly, this feels like something they came up with at the last minute because it does not make much sense in the context of her previous appearances. Gabrielle’s gesture of bringing her into her tribe is very sweet. A true friend. Except Amarice should have gone with her then, rather than staying with the Northern Amazons, who are not even her tribe. But I understand that they had to find some way to write her out of the show, and this was probably the best solution. Still, I cannot help wondering what would have happened if Cleopatra 2525 had never been made and the original idea of Amarice becoming Gabrielle’s apprentice had remained. Personally, I would have loved to see that story because, as I said, Amarice was a character with (sadly unused) potential.

I really like the atmosphere woven into this episode. The parallels with AITST are unavoidable, and of course AITST is far superior. Still, I really love the world of the Northern Amazons and all the mysticism surrounding them. Personally, I find them much more interesting than Gabrielle’s Amazons, and I wish they had been present much more often. Alti is also excellent here, even though I do not like her. (More precisely, I do not like Claire’s overacting, sorry to her fans), but here she really leaves an ominous and creepy impression.

There are still some things I do not particularly like about this episode. First of all, the skeleton fight. I know it had to be done that way because of Lucy’s pregnancy, but the CGI is truly awful and almost unwatchable. The psychedelic editing when Gabrielle travels into the dream is also far too unnecessary. There are also some inconsistencies in the episode, such as how Yakut suddenly became the Queen of the Northern Amazons when the last time we saw them, Otere was the Queen. I am genuinely sorry they did not bring her back because I found her much more interesting. She is not even mentioned. And how did pregnant Xena get to the land of the Northern Amazons so quickly when it is quite far away?

Overall, I really like the episode. Still, I would love to know what Steven’s original script looked like before Dumb and Dumber changed it.

A fun episode and probably the most entertaining one of season five so far. Mavican is not exactly an unforgettable villain, although the same certainly cannot be said about her cleavage, but she is interesting enough to carry the story and provide a decent challenge for Xena and Gabrielle. Her fighting abilities, traps, and resourcefulness work well because she is not presented as just another generic warrior whom Xena can beat up in three minutes, but as an opponent who requires a little more thought and cooperation. Of course, Mavican still overestimated herself. Her ambition to become Ares’s right hand and the next great warrior is actually rather charming in its naivety, especially because she believes that jumping into Ares’s bed is enough to automatically earn her a place beside him. Dear Mavican, that is not quite how it works. Ares can be fascinated by you, he can use you, he can even give you a chance to prove yourself, but expecting that you will become the new Xena simply because of that is a little too optimistic. Her biggest mistake is not a lack of skill, but the fact that she does not understand the man she wants to serve. Ares never looks for an equal partner when he can find someone he can control. That is why she ended up in a cave.

The most interesting part of the episode for me, however, is the idea that Xena and Gabrielle switch bodies every time the sun rises and sets. It is a very cleverly used plot device for their relationship. The episode begins precisely with their misunderstanding. Xena, obviously still traumatized by the possibility of losing Gabrielle again, tries to protect her by practically not allowing her to fight. From Xena’s perspective, this is love and concern, but from Gabrielle’s perspective, it is suffocating and denies her the right to decide for herself what she wants to do. When they literally begin living in each other’s bodies, they are forced to experience things from the other’s perspective and finally understand just how different their needs and fears are. Xena has to understand that protecting Gabrielle does not automatically mean making decisions for her, while Gabrielle has to understand just how deep Xena’s fear of losing her really is. That is why their cooperation throughout the episode feels more natural as the story progresses. They do not become a team because they suddenly learned something new, but because they finally get the opportunity to see the world through each other’s eyes. Even the limitations of Ares’s game work in favor of their relationship, because they force them to rely on each other instead of Xena taking everything upon herself. I especially liked the scenes where they look at each other through that window between the worlds, knowing that they cannot physically be together. Visually, it is nothing spectacular that will go down in television history, but it is nicely executed and has that atmosphere of classic first-season Xena. The whole episode therefore reminded me a little of the older version of the show, an adventure story with a simpler concept, unusual rules, traps, and one major obstacle that Xena and Gabrielle have to overcome together.

Ares, of course, would not be Ares if he did not try to wedge himself between the two of them. What I find particularly interesting is that this time his predatory claws are not primarily aimed at Xena, but at Gabrielle. The idea of Gabrielle becoming his warrior initially seems almost ridiculous, especially after everything she has been through and everything she has learned, but that is precisely why it could have been a great story. Ares could have tried to seduce her with the idea that she no longer had to be the moral compass, that she could embrace her warrior side without guilt and use everything she had learned from Xena. He could have offered her power, freedom, and a place beside someone who understood her as a warrior, while his real intention would have been to separate her from Xena. That could have raised a much more interesting question about what would happen if Gabrielle actually accepted Ares’s offer, not because she wanted him, but because she wanted to protect Xena in her own way. Unfortunately, the show only touches upon that idea and then abandons it, leaving the feeling that there was a story here that could have been much more complex. I absolutely love the moment when Xena realizes what Ares is trying to do and simply punches him in the nose. That is probably the shortest possible answer to the entire situation. You can do whatever you want with me, but you do not touch my girl. Ares may be the God of War, but even he has a limit, and that limit is called Gabrielle.

Actually, this continues one of the most interesting patterns in their relationship. For years, Ares has presented himself as someone who can influence Xena, bring her back to her old nature, or convince her to embrace the warrior within her again, but his biggest problem was never just Xena. His real problem is Gabrielle. As long as she is beside Xena, there is someone reminding her of what she wants to be rather than what she used to be. That is why Ares constantly tries to find a way to put himself between them. Here it is especially obvious because he tries to lure Gabrielle to his side precisely when their relationship has once again been shaken by Xena’s overprotectiveness. It is actually the perfect opportunity for manipulation, because Ares always works best when he finds a crack in a relationship and widens it. Fortunately for him, his greatest flaw remains the same as always. He is so convinced that he can possess the people he wants that he never realizes some bonds simply cannot be controlled by him. Xena can change bodies, lose her memory, become an angel, a demon, or whatever else she comes up with next, but if someone tries to take Gabrielle away from her, they will very quickly learn why that is a bad idea.

This episode had truly excellent potential, primarily because it finally raises the question of the origin and nature of the Chakram, one of the most recognizable elements of the entire show, but unfortunately it manages to waste that potential in almost every possible way. Instead of getting an interesting story that would explain how the Chakram came into existence, what exactly it represents, and what its connection is to Xena’s dark side, we get a few more pieces of information that contradict what we already knew. So, Ares stole the Dark Chakram and gave it to Xena. Okay, except Xena’s first encounter with Ares already gave the impression that she had never met him before and even wondered what he looked like. So either Xena had serious memory problems long before she lost her memory in this episode, or Rob and Chris simply decided that previous continuity was not their problem. Even more confusion comes when we are told that it was the breaking of the Chakram that separated Xena’s dark side from her. Wasn’t that same Xena the one who showed in the afterlife just how deeply she still carried violence, anger, and her old nature inside her? Haven’t we seen her darkest sides even after all her redemption? Apparently, the Dark Chakram only works while a person is alive, because apparently Hell has different rules for Chakram usage. And then there is the question of how many Gods of War there actually are. Ares is the God of War, Kal is the God of War, and there are probably several more that the writers could have thrown in just to make things even more complicated. Apparently the Greek gods are not quite as powerful as we thought if they cannot have one God of War, Love, Wisdom, etc. for the entire world. If this was supposed to be the grand explanation of Xena’s most important weapon, I ended up with more questions than answers.

I’m glad Ares returned in full glory, even if I have to protest against his new hairstyle. Bring back long-haired Ares immediately. This man had the perfect combination of arrogance, charisma, and the looks of someone who would ruin your life simply because he was bored, and now he looks like he walked into a hair salon run by his worst enemy. At least his character remained the same. Ares once again shows that devious side of his when he tries to seduce Xena at a moment when she does not even know who he is. That is especially disgusting because he knows perfectly well how vulnerable she is. He is not trying to help her discover who she is, he is using the fact that she has no memory to win her over. That is Ares in his purest form, charming only while he wants something, manipulative the moment he gets the opportunity, and completely incapable of understanding that Xena’s love for him was never what he wanted to believe it was. That is why I love Gabrielle shutting him down so much. She is basically doing what any of us would do upon seeing Ares use the amnesia of the woman he loves to lure her into bed. No, buddy. Not today. Go back to your mythological hole.

Gabrielle also gets a new weapon in this episode, the Sai, meaning she becomes our Michelangelo. Or is it Raphael? Who knows, I’ve always liked them mostly because of those masks. Jokes aside, her new weapon is actually one of the best things about the episode. Many fans criticize Gabrielle for giving herself over to the warrior life so quickly, but I have absolutely no problem with it because that decision had already been made in The Ides of March. There, when Xena was helpless, Gabrielle picked up a weapon and slaughtered Roman soldiers to protect her. She had already shown that she was willing to cross that line when Xena’s life was at stake. There is no point in spending another ten episodes going in circles and wondering whether this is really her path. It is. She chose it. And she confirms exactly that in her conversation with Eli when she says that her path is to protect Xena. That is far more important than the question of whether Gabrielle should be a pacifist. Her path of love never meant that she would simply stand by while the people she loves died. Her evolution is not from warrior to helpless pacifist, but from someone who blindly believed in violence to someone who decides for herself when and why she will fight. And here the reason is very clear. She uses a weapon to protect Xena and other people, not because she wants glory, revenge, or power. That is why the scenes where she takes down opponents with the Sai are the best part of the episode for me. Not only because it is great to see Gabrielle looking dangerous again, but because you can see how far she has come. She used to be a girl who could barely hold a staff, and now she moves like someone who has been training for years. That development feels much more natural to me than her endlessly questioning whether she is allowed to fight.

What makes me roll my eyes again, however, is Joxer’s lovesick drooling over Gabrielle. After four seasons, the man still hasn’t gotten the memo that she simply isn’t interested. But even stranger to me is Xena giving him advice on how to win her over. Wait a minute, what exactly is happening here? First we had an episode where we got reincarnation and a kiss that practically says that their souls keep finding each other as lovers. Then, in the previous episode, we had Xena in Hell, so deeply connected to Gabrielle that she was willing to become a demon and rule Hell just so she could be with her forever. And now amnesiac Xena is giving Joxer advice on how to seduce Gabrielle. So either Xena only lost her memories of her warrior past, but somehow also forgot that she is completely crazy about Gabrielle, or this is one of those moments when the writers simply did not check what they themselves had written two episodes earlier. There is also a third possibility. Maybe Xena actually wants a threesome with Gabrielle and Joxer, but honestly, I would rather not find out the answer to that question. Some mysteries are better left unresolved. What is especially hilarious is how the show is simultaneously trying to convince us that Xena and Gabrielle are soulmates, while Joxer is still standing on the sidelines like a man waiting for an option to unlock that he is obviously never going to get.

And of course, we have to mention Xena’s statement at the end of the episode, when she combines the two Chakrams into one, that no one should have the power to kill Gods. Big LOL. Dear Xena, maybe you should wait a little longer before reaching that conclusion. Because we know very well where this season is going and just how many Gods are about to start dropping like flies, and precisely at your hand.

And yes, this episode ultimately destroys the canon established by Xena Scrolls, one of my favorite episodes, and that I simply cannot forgive. There is a certain limit to how much continuity can be stretched before it starts to break, and this season clearly plans to cross that line, jump over it, and then come back just to stomp all over it. Xena Scrolls was precisely one of those episodes that worked because it played with the history and mythology of the show in a modern and entertaining way, and now its version of the Chakram is practically being erased to make room for a new story. Rob and Chris, I genuinely hate you for this. You could have left things vague enough for both explanations to work, but no, you had to say exactly the thing that directly contradicts the previous canon. Now I remember why I hate season five, and it has barely even started. May the Gods help me.

Although during my previous viewing I thought it was wrong that The Ides of March was not the season finale, I now think this episode is actually an excellent choice for the ending. In fact, when you look at the season as a whole, it makes much more sense than it did to me before. The third season was defined by Gabrielle’s sacrifices, by her giving up everything she was, her innocence, her child, her relationship with Xena, and eventually her own life, so it was entirely fitting that her story ended on such a tragic note. The fourth season, however, explored much more deeply what actually makes Xena and Gabrielle Xena and Gabrielle, what remains when you take away the body, time, the past, the mistakes, and all the circumstances that brought them together. That is why the idea that their connection exists beyond a single lifetime is actually a beautiful way to close the season. After all the tragedies they have gone through, the final message is not that they will die for each other again, but that even after centuries have passed, they will find each other again. It is a much warmer and more optimistic ending, and at the same time a wonderful way to create a bridge between the world of the show and the world in which the show itself has become part of popular culture.

The episode thus takes us into the present, meaning the nineties, where Xena exists as a television show, which is itself a fantastic meta joke. Annie, played by Lucy, is completely obsessed with the show and convinced that she is Xena’s reincarnation, while her boyfriend Harry, played by Ted, tries to explain to her that maybe it is not entirely normal to take a television heroine quite that seriously. The two of them go to Mattie, played by Renee, a spiritualist specializing in past lives, and from that point on the episode begins playing with its own mythology in a way that I found much more entertaining than I expected. I had completely forgotten that this was a clip episode, but here that does not feel like a problem at all because the flashbacks are naturally integrated into the story, while the present gives entirely new context to scenes we have already seen. In fact, during those clips I was hit by a certain nostalgia for the earlier seasons. After everything we have been through with these characters, it is fascinating to watch old scenes through the perspective of characters from the nineties who see them as television footage, while we know how much all those events actually meant to Xena and Gabrielle. The episode therefore manages to make fun of its own past while also paying tribute to it.

The humor is probably one of my favorite things here. The writers mercilessly make fun of the show itself, its absurdities, clichés, overblown mythology, strange costumes, characters, and the whole idea that someone can spend half their life beating up gods, warriors and monsters while everyone acts as though this is completely normal. But what is important to me is that the humor never has a malicious edge to it. They are not making fun of the fans for loving Xena, they are laughing alongside them at everything that made this show so special. It is actually a very self-assured way of making a clip episode. Instead of trying to hide the fact that it is recycling old footage, the episode turns that very fact into the joke. It was also wonderful to see Robert Trebor one more time, for the last time in the show, even if he was not Salmoneus this time. That man had this completely inexplicable ability to bring charm and a mischievous energy into a scene simply by appearing in it. He did not even have to do much, he would just show up and the episode would immediately have a different atmosphere. That is why I am especially fond of his final appearance here, even in such a small role. R.I.P.

And then, of course, in the end of season, someone finally remembered that Ares exists. Yes, Ares. That great, powerful God of War who once seemed destined to become one of the central antagonists of the entire show. The character around whom they built an entire mythology, who had a complicated relationship with Xena, who tried to bring her back to the warrior path, who represented temptation, danger and everything she was trying to escape from. And then the writers simply left him on the sidelines for practically the entire fourth season, probably saying, we will remember him eventually. And they did. Right near the end. Well done. A five centuries later, here he is, alive, well, and still obsessed with Xena as if he had seen her yesterday. Actually, it is rather charming that no matter how many centuries and incarnations pass, absolutely nothing about him changes. He does not care what body Xena is in, whether she is a warrior, an ordinary woman or someone living in the nineties. He will find her. His greatest constant in life is not war, power, or even being the God of War, but Xena. They may have forgotten him for the entire season, but apparently Ares never forgot her. And perhaps that is exactly what makes his return here so entertaining. The man has practically survived the apocalypse, gods, changes of eras and of being ignored by the writers in this season, only to show up at the end and say, yes, I still want Xena. Incredible persistence. Or obsession. Probably more the latter.

The revelation that Harry is actually Xena reincarnated is a great twist because the episode deliberately leads us to believe that Annie is Xena. We spend the entire time watching Lucy play this somewhat annoying, nerdy fanatic who is completely convinced that she is Xena, so it is natural to expect that she will turn out to be right. That is why it is so much more fun when it turns out that she is actually the reincarnation of Joxer. Lucy is hilarious in that role, especially when Annie begins displaying Joxer’s characteristics, because only a few gestures and reactions are enough to completely transform the character. It is even more interesting to see Ted trying to play Xena. He did not completely capture her movements and physical energy, but that is precisely what makes it endearing to me that he at least tried not to simply play Harry with different lines. He tries to change his posture, way of speaking and behavior, and you can see that he is aware of the difficulty of the task. After all, I do not expect a man who spent four seasons playing Joxer to suddenly become Lucy Lawless, that would be asking a little too much. What is much more important is that this twist further confirms the episode’s central idea. Reincarnation here is not merely a gimmick for determining who plays whom. It is about the idea that what makes a person who they are is not their physical body, but what they carry within themselves. That is why Xena can be Harry, Joxer can be Annie, and Gabrielle can be Mattie, because their essence has not disappeared with the passage of time.

And then comes the ending, which I may actually find even more beautiful now than I did the first time. Xena and Gabrielle share a kiss, and although at that moment they are in Harry and Mattie’s bodies, the symbolism is completely clear. These are not Harry and Mattie who happened to kiss. These are Xena and Gabrielle finding each other again. After four seasons of looks, touches, jealousy, mutual sacrifices, separations, reconciliations, and everything the show had spent years leaving in the space between friendship and love, there is no longer any need to read between the lines. The episode itself says that their souls are connected and that they find each other from one life to another, and the kiss turns that idea into something completely tangible. It is even more beautiful that the kiss was not in the script, but was decided on set by Renee, who also directed the episode. That may be my favorite detail of the entire scene, because Renee did not simply play Gabrielle for four seasons, she lived that relationship through the character and clearly understood what it meant. That is why I find it particularly beautiful that she was the one who got to direct the episode that ultimately gives one of the most direct confirmations of their relationship. We can argue all we want about whether Xena was explicit enough throughout the previous four seasons, but after an ending like this, it is difficult to claim that these two are simply best friends. Their souls find each other again, they recognize each other even when they do not know who they are, and when they are given the chance, their first reaction is love. After all the tragedies they have gone through, I do not think there could have been a more beautiful message to end the fourth season. They did not end up together because they defeated every enemy, but because, regardless of time or body, they have always belonged to each other.

P.S. I really love “Annie Bananie”, such a catchy hit.

P.P.S. Tell me I’m not the only one who finds Renee so sexy with this hippie hairstyle.

Season 4 has quite a lot of things that just did not work for me, from the India arc to Gabrielle’s increasingly extreme pacifism, but honestly, I would put up with all of it again just to get this episode. It had practically been announced from the very beginning of the season, the entire season had been building anticipation for it, the crucifixion visions kept coming back, and when we finally got what they had been preparing us for all this time, the result was one of the greatest television masterpieces Xena ever produced. This is an episode that manages to bring together the personal tragedy of Xena and Gabrielle, the conclusion of one of the show’s most important rivalries, and the historical turning point of Caesar’s downfall into one enormous story, without ever losing its emotional center.

Callisto returns, and as much as I adore the character, I have to admit I was not exactly thrilled to see her again. For me, her character reached the perfect conclusion in Sacrifice II. There, she finally stopped hating Xena, stopped wanting revenge, and was left with only the desire to disappear, to stop existing. That is why I find it rather difficult to accept this new Callisto, who once again appears with that same hatred toward Xena. Where does all that hatred come from again? And wasn’t she supposed to end up in oblivion? How did she even get to Hell? Who is the Master giving her orders? From this distance in time, the most logical assumption is that he is the Christian God, but then an even bigger question arises about what his motive is. Why would he want Xena to abandon the way of warrior, why would he want Caesar to become emperor, and what exactly does he have to gain from all of this? I do not think the show ever clarified that. Still, I absolutely love Hell. It has this completely crazy, dark and entertaining aesthetic that fits the Xenaverse and Callisto as its guide through it perfectly. Even though I consider her return unnecessary, Hudson is still so charismatic that it is impossible to look away from her.

Caesar finally gets what he brought upon himself. Xena and Gabrielle are partly responsible because they planted the seed of doubt in Brutus’s mind and opened his eyes to the danger Caesar represents, but when everything is taken into account, Caesar is ultimately the greatest culprit behind his own downfall. His lies, manipulation and arrogance are what destroy him in the end. It is especially significant that he decides to execute Gabrielle after promising Brutus that he would not kill her. By doing so, he practically destroys the last remaining trace of trust Brutus had in him. And then comes the proclamation of Caesar as emperor, the moment when Caesar completely loses touch with reality and begins to believe that he is above everyone else. He develops a God complex, and that very complex destroys him. Ironically, the man who thought he could control fate ultimately becomes the victim of his own decisions.

But all of that is still secondary to me compared to what is truly the heart of the episode, and that is Xena and Gabrielle. Once again, we see what the show does best when it comes to their relationship, their willingness to sacrifice themselves for each other without a second thought. Both of them have a chance to escape. Both could save their own lives. But neither of them thinks about herself. Gabrielle cannot leave a helpless Xena behind, and Xena cannot allow Gabrielle to die. The moment when Gabrielle takes up a weapon and kills the Roman soldiers to protect Xena is perhaps the most romantic moment in the entire show for me. Especially because it perfectly reverses the situation from One Against an Army. There, Xena fought an entire army alone to save Gabrielle. Here, Gabrielle does the same for Xena. And what fascinates me is just how terrifying Gabrielle is in that scene. She no longer looks like the gentle pacifist trying to find a peaceful way out. She does not even look human anymore. She looks like a wild animal that has lost control because someone has hurt her partner. And Xena’s reaction is perhaps even more beautiful. She does not encourage her, she is not happy that Gabrielle has killed people because of her, she begs her to stop. Even while lying there helpless, she is more concerned about Gabrielle’s soul than her own life.

And that is exactly where, in my opinion, we can best see how wrong it is to reduce Gabrielle’s way of love to pacifism. Her decision to kill the Roman soldiers is not a rejection of love. On the contrary, it may be the most extreme expression of love she had shown up to that point. Her problem is not that she does not value life, but that Xena’s life is so precious to her that she is willing to violate her own principles to protect it. Gabrielle’s way of love was never simply a way of pacifism and nonviolence. It was always about her love for Xena and how she would give her entire being and soul for that love. That is Gabrielle’s true way of love, which she also confirms in their dungeon scene. Here we see two women who know they may die and who, in that moment, care more about each other than themselves. The chemistry between Lucy and Renee is incredible, and Gabrielle’s kiss on Xena’s forehead is the perfect ending to that scene. Such a small gesture, yet it says more about their relationship than ten minutes of dialogue ever could.

I also love the symbolism woven throughout the entire episode. Callisto dressed in white represents a kind of ironic innocence, which is especially amusing for a character who is practically the embodiment of revenge and hatred. I love the motif of the chakram even more. Throughout the show, we have seen how powerful that weapon is, how it can smash through trees and stone, only for it to finally break against Xena’s back here. It is almost as if this confirms how deeply connected the chakram and Xena have become, as though the weapon that had been an extension of her will for so long can no longer exist separately from her.

And then comes the finale, and I really do not have much to say except that it is epic. So many times throughout the season we watched visions of Xena and Gabrielle nailed to the cross, and now we finally get the entire scene. And it really is painful, but also powerful and breathtaking. At the same time, Caesar is being murdered, so every nail driven into Xena and Gabrielle’s bodies is accompanied by another stab of the knife into Caesar. It is as if their suffering and his punishment are unfolding in parallel, as a kind of symbolic justice. Xena and Gabrielle physically die, but in that death they actually triumph. Their bodies are destroyed, but their souls leave together, which may be the most beautiful possible ending to their story. After everything they have done to each other, all the betrayals, lies, arguments, pain, separations and reunions, when it matters most, they choose each other again. Honestly, if Xena had ended here, I would not have complained in the slightest. For me, this would have been the perfect finale to their story.

The very beginning of the episode immediately leaves a heavy impression. Ephiny, whom we had not seen since the middle of the third season, is killed right before our eyes, and her death genuinely hurts precisely because she was one of the most important characters among the Amazons. Still, she went out in her own way, like a true warrior, fighting and protecting her sisters. Her death also serves as a powerful reminder that war in this show is never just spectacle, because behind every battle are people who will never live to see the next day.

I understand what the writers wanted to accomplish with Gabrielle's path of love and nonviolence, but I have to admit that here this narrative only makes Gabrielle come across as hypocritical to me. Gabrielle preaches mercy and the rejection of violence, while at the same time accepting the role of Amazon Queen, taking responsibility for their war and effectively sending other warriors into battle and to their deaths. To me, that is quite contradictory. If you truly believe that killing is wrong, then it is difficult to justify not taking up the sword yourself while sending others to fight and die on your orders. That is why her decision at the end, when she finally gives up the crown, actually makes much more sense to me than everything that came before it. She could have done it immediately and avoided much of the moral hypocrisy her character displays here.

Brutus is therefore very interesting to me. Although we are introduced to him through Ephiny's murder, the show does not portray him as a typical villain, but as an honorable and decent warrior who has his own code and whose greatest flaw is his excessive loyalty to Caesar. I especially like his scenes with Gabrielle, because there is a certain mutual respect between them despite the fact that he killed one of her Amazon sisters. In a way, they are both people trying to find their place between their personal beliefs and their duty to those they serve.

This episode also introduces us to Amaris, who, interestingly, immediately reminded me of Tara. She is headstrong, stubborn, rebellious and constantly throws herself into danger to prove that she can hold her own against older and more experienced warriors. Unlike Tara, however, I find Amaris much more likable. She has more charisma, and her rebelliousness is entertaining rather than irritating, so I simply enjoy watching her much more than I ever enjoyed watching Tara.

The decision to have Xena be the one to behead Pompey once again shows how much this show loves playing with history. Of course, someone who looks at historical events completely literally would probably consider Xena beheading Pompey an absolute sacrilege. But this is Xena. The show has never tried to be historically accurate and has no problem putting Greek gods, Roman history and later Christianity into the same world, changing real events whenever necessary to fit its own mythology. So Pompey's death does not bother me at all in that context. On the contrary, it feels completely consistent with the alternate history the show has been building from the very beginning.

As with the other major war episodes, the visual side is excellent. The battle between the Amazons and the Romans looks huge and epic, while the sets and music give the whole story an added sense of grandeur. Still, what stays with me in the end is not the battle itself, but the final scene. Xena and Gabrielle stand before Ephiny's funeral pyre, and Gabrielle finally breaks down. Everything she had been trying to suppress throughout the episode disappears the moment she realizes that Ephiny is truly gone and that she will never see her again. For the first time, she allows herself to cry and finds comfort in Xena's arms. It is one of those simple, quiet moments that carry more emotional weight than any huge battle. Gabrielle has lost one of her Amazon sisters, and Xena is there simply to hold her and be by her side. The scene is so sincere and painful that it could make even a stone cry.

"This job is sucks!"

A charming and very entertaining episode that is clearly inspired by Agatha Christie's detective novels and, because of that, brings us a completely different type of story. I love that claustrophobic atmosphere where a group of characters is trapped in one place, everyone has their own little secret, and Xena has to figure out who the killer is before it is too late. It all feels a little like the old Whodunit movies, but fortunately it never takes itself too seriously and the humor is present practically throughout the entire episode. Joxer and Lila are really cute together here. Although I will always consider Meg his best match, there is a sweet and natural chemistry between the two of them, and it is a real shame that the show never tried to develop that relationship.

Discord is a story of her own. I think she is one of the most underrated goddesses in the entire Xenaverse. It is such a shame that she did not appear more often in Xena, because every appearance of hers guarantees some kind of dark humor and chaos, and she is fantastic once again here. Her cold-bloodedness, sadistic sense of humor and complete indifference to other people's suffering make her hilarious, especially combined with the fact that she is constantly surrounded by naked men. 😂 Honestly, every straight woman's dream.

The reveal that Argo is actually the killer is completely absurd, and that is precisely why it works. It is so ridiculous that I was laughing like an idiot. And somehow it is completely in the spirit of this episode that, in the end, the most innocent-looking member of the entire group turns out to be responsible for everything.

This episode marks the last time we see Autolycus, and it is honestly hard for me to believe that this is his final appearance in the show. Autolycus is one of those supporting characters who never needed to be constantly present in order to leave a huge impression. Whenever he appeared, he immediately brought a completely different energy to the episode. His combination of confidence, greed, charm, cowardice and surprisingly strong ability to still do the right thing made him one of the most entertaining characters in the show. What I especially love is that he never became just an ordinary comic thief. Through his various appearances, we also got to see his more vulnerable side, his guilt, his relationship with his brother and his willingness to change once he realizes just how far he can go because of his own selfishness. And yet, he never lost what made us love him in the first place. He always remained Autolycus, the King of Thieves who will think about how to steal something first and only then about how to save the world. 😂 Bruce Campbell played him with so much charisma and natural comedic ability that it is difficult to imagine anyone else in the role. He had that special ability to deliver even the dumbest line in such a way that it became funny. I especially love that we got to see him in so many different combinations, with Xena and Gabrielle, Joxer, Meg and other characters, because he had a completely different dynamic with each of them. Autolycus was one of those characters who could appear in a serious episode and break the tension, but could also carry an entire comedy episode without needing the main storyline to support him. That is why I am genuinely sad that this is the end of his journey in the show. I wish we had seen him a few more times, especially in some completely crazy adventure with Meg and Joxer. But if this had to be his farewell, I am glad that he leaves this way, in an episode that suits his character perfectly. Thank you, Autolycus, for all the scams, thefts, cowardice, unexpected acts of heroism and enormous amounts of laughter. You were one of those characters who made the Xenaverse feel like a much bigger and more entertaining world.

This is one of those episodes where you can really feel that they tried to cram two major stories into one, and I think it would have worked much better if it had been split into two separate episodes. Both stories have enough material for a great episode, but neither gets enough room to really breathe. The first, and by far the more interesting one to me, is Joxer's story, because his accidental killing in self-defense represents a huge moment in his character development. A man who has spent years dreaming of becoming a great warrior finally gets what he wanted, only to realize, once he actually takes someone's life, that he may not have wanted the price that comes with it at all. Ted Raimi shows here just how serious an actor he can be when given the opportunity, particularly through Joxer's remorse, guilt, and hallucinations in which the man he killed keeps appearing before him. I especially like Xena's attitude toward him, because she perhaps understands better than anyone what he is going through. She knows what it means to live with the weight of other people's lives on your conscience, so she doesn't approach him with judgment, but with understanding. His dilemma involving Arman, the son of the man he killed, is even more interesting, because Arman sees his father as a hero. The closer Joxer becomes to him, the harder it becomes for him to destroy that idealized image and admit that he was the one who killed his father. That is why I wish their final goodbye hadn't been so rushed, because there could have been much more emotion and a much stronger catharsis for Joxer. This could actually have been his major character moment.

The second story is, of course, the return of Najara, and although I understand the criticism that her character is simplified here compared with her previous appearance, I find it interesting to try to look at her from her own perspective. Najara genuinely believes that she is protecting Gabrielle. She is convinced that Xena is destroying Gabrielle and that her path will ultimately lead her to death and crucifixion, so everything she does is, in her mind, an attempt to save the woman she loves in her own fanatical and completely twisted way. The problem is that her manipulation of Gabrielle is so obvious here that you really have to wonder how Gabrielle falls for it again. But then again, Gabrielle and naivety are apparently inseparable right up until the end of the show. 😄 I am still sorry that this is Najara's final appearance, because she had the potential to become the show's best villain after Callisto. Her fight with Xena, especially that spectacular sequence on the lilies among the trees, looks phenomenal, even though it repeats the visual motif from Xena's fight with Alti.

The biggest problem is precisely that both stories needed to be much longer. Joxer's inner struggle deserved an entire episode, just as Najara's manipulation of Gabrielle deserved much more room. As it is, Arman's farewell comes far too quickly, while Najara remains somewhat superficial even though she could have been given a much more complex ending. Don't get me wrong, this is still a quality episode that holds my attention, but it is one of those episodes where I constantly find myself thinking about how much better it could have been if the writers had another forty minutes.

And I can't forget Gabrielle and her infamous powder in the face. 😂 Her hypocrisy genuinely annoys me here. She lives by principles of love and peace, rejects violence, and then, when things get heated, throws powder in an enemy's face to distract him. Gabrielle, sweetheart, that's still fighting. You can't keep saying that violence is wrong while throwing chemical powder into someone's eyes. 😄 I would have respected her much more if she had simply hidden in a bush until the fight was over. Thankfully, this remained essentially a one-time solution and never appeared again in the show. I suppose even the writers realized how cringe-worthy it looked.

I have always viewed this episode as a kind of criticism by Rob of film and television studios that try to control an artist's creative vision for the sake of profit. Gabrielle wants to create a play based on her scrolls and use it to convey a message of love, peace, and forgiveness to the audience, but as soon as the producers, actors, and money get involved, her original vision begins to fall apart. What I find particularly interesting is how the episode shows that what audiences want most isn't necessarily what the artist wants to say. Blood, violence, sex, and spectacle are much easier to sell than a serious message, so Gabrielle spends the entire episode trying to preserve the meaning of her story while everyone else keeps taking it away from her. That's why I also find it charming as a little satire of the entire entertainment industry.

The episode itself is charming and sweet, although it is far from being one of the more memorable ones. There are enough funny situations to keep things entertaining, and Joxer and Minya are hilarious in their attempts to turn Gabrielle's play into something she never intended it to be. I especially love the beginning, when Xena and Gabrielle temporarily part ways and we get Xena's disappointed expression when Gabrielle simply walks away. It's not some great emotional scene, it's more comedic than anything else, but it is precisely through little moments like that that you can see how difficult it is for Xena when they are apart, even when she knows Gabrielle will be back soon. Xena is mostly absent from the actual story, but of course, once things become serious, she shows up again to save the day.

The only thing I really didn't like is the ending with Minya and Paulina. To me, it has always felt a little like a mockery of the audience that had spent years reading the subtext between Xena and Gabrielle. I understand the joke and what the writers were trying to do, but I've never found it particularly amusing. Even with that criticism, though, I remember the episode as a pleasant return to the show's proper world after that whole ordeal in India. After all those episodes about reincarnation, Hindu gods, Krishna, and Eli, it was a real breath of fresh air to see Xena and Gabrielle back in their usual world. It isn't a masterpiece, nor is it a particularly important episode, but it is fun, has a few good ideas, and, most importantly, finally gives us the feeling that Xena is back home.

This episode is probably the most controversial one in the entire Indian arc, and I understand why it caused so much outrage in India because of the way Hinduism and Krishna are portrayed. Honestly, the only controversial thing to me is that R. J. managed to write such a bad episode. 😂 Even if I completely ignored the religious aspect and judged it purely as an episode of Xena, I would still be left with a criminally boring story, a rather pointless plot, an uninteresting main villain, and the feeling that everything drags on without ever generating any real excitement.

The biggest problem for me is the way Eli is completely changed here. We went from a man we met as a magician and charlatan who gradually found his own path and became a symbol of love and nonviolence, to what is essentially an Indian version of Jesus. I understand that he was supposed to represent a particular philosophy and religious ideal, but for me, his character completely loses what made him interesting in his previous appearance. Instead of watching the development of a character we already know, I feel as though an entirely new person with Eli's face has simply been inserted into the story.

And then there are the effects, which are genuinely among the worst in the show for me. Xena's transformation into Krishna in particular. Honestly, what the hell was that supposed to be? 😂 In a show that had already featured all kinds of crazy transformations and fantasy effects, this somehow manages to look so strange and artificial that it was almost uncomfortable to watch. I know this was television in the 1990s and they didn't have the technology available today, but even by the show's own standards, the effects here look pretty terrible to me.

Still, what bothers me the most is the ending and Gabrielle. Her entire storyline with Eli and his philosophy of love represents one of the worst periods of her character for me. I understand what the writers were trying to do, but I find her ultimate choice incredibly frustrating. Especially the moment when she takes her staff, the very same one Ephiny selflessly gave her, and simply throws it into the water. To me, that is symbolically all wrong. That staff wasn't just an object. It represented Ephiny's love, their friendship, and a part of Gabrielle's life that meant far more than simply being a weapon. That's why throwing it into the water felt almost like rejecting something precious rather than some grand act of spiritual enlightenment. It still doesn't work for me to this day.

And perhaps the best thing I can say about this episode is that the Indian arc finally ends after it. 😂 After all those reincarnations, karma, demons, gods, spiritual teachings, and everything else, I was honestly relieved that the show finally returned to its own world. This period had a few good moments and several genuinely beautiful episodes, but as a whole, it was by far the most difficult part of Xena for me to watch. Unfortunately, this episode feels like the perfect ending to that period because it brings together almost everything that bothered me about it, a boring story, a weak villain, strange effects, an overly religious plot, and Gabrielle making decisions I simply cannot get behind. At least with this, the whole Indian adventure is finally over.

Only if we're kidding.

Of all the Indian episodes, this is probably the most tolerable and least irritating one for me. Mainly because, despite all the reincarnation, karma, and Hindu mythology elements that I generally don't find particularly interesting, at its center we once again have what matters most to me, Xena and Gabrielle. This is another love story between them, only this time stretched across different lives and different eras. The idea that their souls keep finding one another, regardless of what bodies they are born into or what circumstances separate them, is very beautiful to me. It essentially confirms what the show has demonstrated so many times through their relationship, that their connection transcends one life, one body, and one historical moment. They simply find each other. Always.

I also like the way the episode portrays Indian culture, particularly the contrast between the beauty of the country and some of its morbid customs. The very beginning, where a woman is supposed to be burned alongside her deceased husband, is absolutely monstrous to me. Regardless of the historical context and attempts to explain such traditions through culture and religion, I find the very idea horrifying, and it makes Hinduism, alongside Islam, one of the religions I view most negatively, particularly because it demonstrates how women could be deprived of their own will and identity. That is precisely why the beginning of the episode is much more powerful than it might initially seem, because it immediately presents a world in which individuals, especially women, have to fight against a system that denies them the right to decide what happens to their own lives.

Alti's return also works much better for me here than in her later appearances. Her connection to reincarnation, karma, and her attempt to find her way back to power gives the story a certain sense of completion, while the battles against her are among the best parts of the episode. I particularly enjoy the fight scenes, which are very well choreographed, but visually the entire episode looks fantastic as well. It has a strong atmosphere, plenty of colors, unusual locations, and the feeling that we are genuinely somewhere completely different. Even when the story itself doesn't completely hold my attention, the visual side manages to keep me interested. Essentially, this is the last time Alti truly works as a character. She still has a certain mystery here and represents a genuine threat, whereas her later appearances are mostly just pale shadows of what she once was.

In the end, this isn't an episode I would rank among the show's best, but compared with the rest of the Indian arc, it is definitely the most enjoyable one for me to watch. It has an interesting premise, beautiful visual moments, good fight scenes, and, most importantly, another confirmation that Xena and Gabrielle's relationship isn't something that exists only within one lifetime. Even when their bodies, names, era, and circumstances change, the two of them find each other again. If this entire Indian storyline had to exist, I'm glad it at least gave us a love story about their souls like this one.

R.IP. Gabrielle with long hair. I will miss you 😢

This episode is primarily significant to me because of the appearance of Eli, although we meet him here in a rather different form. Instead of the peaceful prophet and kind of symbol of Christianity that he would later become, he is still a magician and a charlatan here, simply trying to survive by whatever means he can. That is precisely why I find it interesting to think about how the events of this episode might have influenced his later transformation. It is almost as if we are seeing a man who hasn't found his purpose yet, and his experience with Xena and Gabrielle begins to guide him toward the person he will eventually become.

Gabrielle is perhaps the most interesting character here for me. I have to admit that this is by far her sexiest incarnation in the entire show, especially once it is revealed that her body has been possessed by an ancient Indian demon. There is something twisted and provocative about her expressions, and the scene where she licks Xena is absolutely iconic. Renee is fantastic, and you can really see how much she enjoys playing this darker and more dangerous version of Gabrielle. There is something particularly creepy about seeing something completely different suddenly emerge behind her familiar face and gentleness. That contrast between the disturbing and the erotic is precisely what makes her scenes so effective.

Unfortunately, despite the interesting idea, I find that the episode itself struggles to hold my attention. I imagine it will mean much more to someone who enjoys Eastern culture, Indian mythology, and this kind of story, but I generally find this period of the show difficult to fit into the world of Xena. I often feel as though I'm watching a completely different show that has simply borrowed its characters. That feeling is particularly strong here, which makes it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the story.

What particularly bothers me is Xena's willingness to kill Gabrielle in order to destroy the demon. I understand the logic behind her decision and the fact that the situation is extreme, but emotionally, I find it very difficult to accept. After everything we have seen between the two of them, Xena has become someone who can barely imagine her life without Gabrielle. Her love for her is so strong that she is even willing to sacrifice her own life for her, so it is difficult for me to believe that she could truly bring herself to kill Gabrielle even under these circumstances. Especially because, in the end, it is Eli who manages to save her and prevent Xena from making the worst possible choice.

I understand the significance of this episode, but aside from Gabrielle in her dark form, it isn't really something I enjoy or particularly like watching.