Xena - Warrior Princess | 90ssci-fitvnostalgia

Xena: Warrior Princess (1995 - 2001)

Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001. The series was created in 1995 by writer-director-producer Robert Tapert under his production tag, Renaissance Pictures with later executive producers being R. J. Stewart (who developed the series along with Tapert) and Sam Raimi. The series narrative follows Xena (played by Lucy Lawless), a warrior in a quest to seek redemption for her past sins as a ruthless warlord by using her formidable fighting skills to help people. Xena is accompanied by Gabrielle (played by Renee O'Connor), who during the series changes from a simple farm girl into an Amazon warrior and Xena's comrade-in-arms; her initial naïveté helps to balance Xena and assists her in recognizing and pursuing the "greater good".
The show is a spin-off of the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys; the saga began with three episodes in Hercules where Xena was a recurring character originally scheduled to die in her third appearance. Aware that the character of Xena had been very successful among the public, the producers of the series decided to create a spin-off series based on her adventures. Xena was a successful show which has aired in more than 108 countries around the world since 1998. In 2004 and 2007, it was ranked #9 and #10 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever and the title character was ranked #100 on Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters. Xena's success has led to hundreds of tie-in products, including, comics, books, video games and conventions, realized annually since 1998 in Pasadena, California and London. The series has received a strong cult following, attention in fandom, parody, and academia, and has influenced the direction of other television series.

Plot

Xena: Warrior Princess is set primarily in a mythological fantasy version of ancient Greece and was filmed in New Zealand. Some filming locations are confidential, but many scenes were recorded in places such as the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, part of the Auckland Regional parks often credited at the end of the episodes.

The Ancient Greece depicted in the show is largely derived from historical locations and customs, modifying known places and events – battles, trading routes, towns, and so on – to generate an attractive fictional world. The settlements are presented as a mixture of walled villages and rural hamlets set in a lush green, mountainous landscape. They are often seen under attack from warlords, and travelling between them involves frequent encounters with small bands of outlaws. All of the main towns are named after historic towns of Ancient Greece, and exhibit some of their essential characteristics – Amphipolis (birthplace of Xena), Potidaea (birthplace of Gabrielle), Athens (birthplace of Joxer), Corinth, Delphi, and Cirra (birthplace of Callisto) which was burnt to the ground by Xena's army.
As the show progressed, however, events took place throughout more modern times and places, from Cleopatra's Alexandria to Julius Caesar's Rome. The mythology of the show transitioned from that of the Olympian Gods to include Judeo-Christian elements. Eastern religions were touched on as well, with little regard to accurate time-and-place concerns. One episode, "The Way", which loosely interpreted elements of Hinduism as major plot points, generated controversy, requiring the producers to add a disclaimer at the head of the episode and a tag explaining the episode's intentions at its end.
Mythological and supernatural locations are presented as equally real, physical places, often accessed through physical portals hidden in the landscape such as lakes and caves. They include the Elysian Fields, Tartarus, the River Styx, Valhalla, Heaven and Hell. The inhabitants of such places – gods, mythological beings and forces – are for the most part manifested as human characters who can move at will between their domains and the real world. Ares, the Greek God of War, for instance is an egotistical man who wears studded black leather, and Aphrodite Goddess of Love is a California Valley Girl who uses typical Valley Girl slang and dresses in flowing, translucent pink gowns.

Series Format

Xena is a historical fantasy set primarily in ancient Greece, although it has a flexible time setting and occasionally features Oriental, Egyptian and Medieval elements. The flexible fantasy framework of the show accommodates a considerable range of theatrical styles, from high melodrama to slapstick comedy, from whimsical and musical to all-out action and adventure. While the show is typically set in ancient times, its themes are essentially modern and it investigates the ideas of taking responsibility for past misdeeds, the value of human life, personal liberty and sacrifice, and friendship. The show often addresses ethical dilemmas, such as the morality of pacifism; however, the storylines rarely seek to provide unequivocal solutions.
Xena freely borrows names and themes from various mythologies around the world, primarily the Greek, anachronistically adapting them to suit the demands of the storyline. Historical figures and events from a number of different historical eras and myths make numerous appearances, and the main characters are often credited with resolving important historical situations. These include an encounter with Homer before he was famous, in which Gabrielle encourages his storytelling aspirations; the fall of Troy; and the capture of Caesar by pirates, with Xena cast as the pirate leader.
Competing religions are treated as compatible and co-existent in a henotheistic world, allowing the Greek Pantheon to live side by side with the Norse Gods, Indian Deities, the "God of Love" and others. Each god, or set of gods, controls a different part of the world, and (in the show) survives only while people believe in it. In seasons four and five, the Greek people gradually transfer their faith from the Greek Gods to the "God of Love" over a period of about 25 years, and as their power fades, the Greek Gods are almost all killed off in a climactic battle.
This quirky mix of timelines and the amalgamation of historical and mythological elements fueled the rise of the show to cult status during the 1990s and early 2000s (decade). It was one of the first shows to tap into its Internet following, allowing fans from all over the world to discuss and suggest things related to the show. The Xena fandom is still an active community today.

Casting

Xena: Warrior Princess starred Lucy Lawless as Xena and Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle. The first choice for Xena was the British actress Vanessa Angel, but an illness prevented her from travelling, and the role was offered to another four actresses before the relatively unknown Lawless. Sunny Doench was cast as Gabrielle, but she did not want to leave her boyfriend in the United States, so O'Connor, who had appeared in Hercules in another role, was chosen.
The show features a wide assortment of recurring characters, many of them portrayed by New Zealand actors. Ted Raimi became a core member of the cast from the second season as Joxer. Actor Kevin Tod Smith played popular character Ares, God of War, and Alexandra Tydings played his counterpart Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. Other notables included Karl Urban in a variety of roles such as Cupid and Caesar, Hudson Leick as Xena's nemesis Callisto (Leick also played a body-switched Xena in the episode Intimate Stranger), Claire Stansfield as the evil shamaness Alti; and a number of trusted friends – Jennifer Sky as feisty sidekick Amarice, Bruce Campbell as Autolycus King of Thieves, Robert Trebor as dodgy entrepreneur Salmoneus, William Gregory Lee as the warrior-poet Virgil and Tim Omundson as the spiritual healer Eli.

Theme Music

Composer Joseph LoDuca wrote the theme music and incidental music, and co-wrote the lyrics for the songs in "The Bitter Suite". The theme music was developed from the traditional Bulgarian folk song "Kaval sviri", sung by the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir. The original "Kaval sviri" can be heard where Xena races into battle in the Hercules episode "Unchained Heart".
The musical score of Xena: Warrior Princess was critically well received and garnered seven Emmy nominations for LoDuca, who won the Emmy award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the Season 5 episode Fallen Angel in 2000. Most of the series' music was made available on six soundtrack albums. Two of these albums contain the soundtracks from the musical episodes "The Bitter Suite" (Season 3) and "Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire" (Season 5).

Characters

The series follows Xena and her traveling companion Gabrielle. Xena is on a quest to seek redemption for her past sins as a ruthless warlord by using her formidable fighting skills to help people. In Hercules, during her two first episodes, Xena was an outlaw and a powerful warlord, but in her third appearance she joins Hercules to defeat the warlord Darphus, who had taken her army. During her own series, Xena spends almost every episode on a different mission, always trying to do the right thing, fighting for the what she refers to as the "greater good". Xena's trademark weapon is a Chakram, and she also uses a sword. Xena also has to fight her own past; she has never forgiven herself for her crimes, and often has to resist the temptation to return to her evil ways, but she always resists with the help of Gabrielle. Gabrielle is Xena's best friend and also her greatest ally. She is introduced in the first episode, first as a big fan of Xena and her history,[24] but soon becomes a notable character in her own right. As the show progresses she undergoes significant changes in costume and style, evolving from a simple farm girl to a talented bard, and eventually to a formidable warrior. She is initiated into a tribe of Amazons, learns to fight with a staff, and is trained by Xena. In the first season, Xena and Gabrielle meet Joxer a comic man who styles himself "Joxer the Magnificent", and later "Joxer the Mighty. Joxer's goal is to fight for justice, but unfortunately with no physical know-how of his own, he remains the show's main comic relief. Eventually, he becomes a close friend to Xena and Gabrielle.

Other Characters

Also in the first season, Xena and Gabrielle meet two of their biggest enemies: Callisto (Hudson Leick), a vengeful warrior woman, and Ares (Kevin Tod Smith), the Greek God of War. Callisto is Xena's arch enemy and also a major antagonist over the course of the series; when she was a child, Xena's army burned Callisto's home village of Cirra, causing the death of Callisto's entire family. Callisto, a child at the time, was left traumatized by the attack and eventually went insane and became obsessed with extracting revenge on Xena. She displays (major) signs of both bipolar disorder and psychopathy, manifested in a bizarre brand of sadistic, gleeful, shrieking cruelty towards Xena and her associates.
Suave, charming, witty, yet ruthless and amoral, Ares often represents, especially in the early seasons, the seductive power of war and the dark side. He repeatedly attempts to lure Xena away from her quest for redemption alongside Gabrielle, and to win her over as his Warrior Queen. He offers her huge armies and historic victories, great wealth and great power, and in later seasons his love, offers which she consistently rejects despite being sometimes tempted. Much of Ares' relationship with Xena remains ambiguous, including whether he is at least partly redeemed by his love for Xena, or is in fact her father, or to what extent Xena reciprocates his feelings. He says several times that he "has a thing" for Xena, and this seems to prevent him from killing her, even when pitted against her in deadly combat, yet he pursues her sexually and romantically. Likewise, Xena is suggested to have strong feelings for Ares, but over the course of the series, never pursued them.
Other major antagonists of the show include Caesar and Alti, a Roman official, and Shamaness respectively; Caesar's first appearance was in the second season episode "Destiny." Caesar's first introduced as a young Roman patrician, and is portrayed as being very arrogant, so much so that when he is captured by Xena and her pirates he is not afraid. When threatened by Xena he tells her "I know what I'm fated to do with my life" He allows Xena to seduce him, when in reality she is the one being seduced. This ultimately leads to both her capture and crucifixion at the hands of Caesar, along with both her legs being broken; an often revisited and referenced moment in Xena's past. This betrayal by Caesar is the direct catalyst for Xena's transition from pirate to ruthless warlord.
Alti is a Northern Amazon shaman driven out of her Siberian tribe by Queen Cyane, because of her hunger for power. She is one of the most influential people whom Xena encountered in her dark days, and possesses various spiritual powers. Alti is probably best known for her trademark stare, which brings up pain and suffering from the target's life and unleashes the torment (in the form of both pain and physical symptoms) once again. Whenever Alti stares at Xena, Xena often feels the pain of when her legs were broken, her back snapped by her Chakram, and multiple barrages of attacks from some of her mortal enemies. However, as Alti grows in power during the series, she is able to conjure up pain and suffering from both a person's future, and from future lives they have yet to experience. This power is what causes Xena to realize that Gabrielle is alive early in Season 4, after Alti shows Xena a vision of her and Gabrielle being crucified together on Mount Amarro.
Over the course of the series, viewers were also introduced to various members of both Xena, and Gabrielle's, families. This includes parents and siblings of both women, but most notably featured were their children. Xena gave her first son, Solan to a group of centaurs after the death of his father, Borias, who was killed in combat against a warrior in Xena's employ. Solan never knew that Xena was his mother, however knowing Xena for a long time. While aiding Xena and Boudica to defend Britannia against Caesar, Gabrielle comes into contact with an evil cult that tricks her into killing one of its priestesses, Meridian. Using her, the dark god Dahak impregnates Gabrielle just as Xena rescues her. Over the next few days the child grows inside Gabrielle, and she eventually (and quite dramatically) gives birth to a girl, naming her Hope. Even though she is the seed of an evil deity, Gabrielle tells Xena that she is also a part of her and that there must be some good in her as well. Being the daughter of Dahak, she quickly developed supernatural powers, and kills within hours of being born, proving to Xena that there was no chance of saving her. Hope aged amazingly fast, and, mere months after being drifted down a river by her mother, she appeared to be about 9 years old. Despite Gabrielle's hopes that she would "be good", Hope killed Xena's son Solan before being poisoned by Gabrielle herself.
During the episode "The Ides of March", at the end of season 4, Xena and Gabrielle were crucified by the Romans, as Caesar is betrayed and killed by Brutus. They are later revived by a mystic named Eli with the spiritual aid of Callisto, who by that time had become an angel; Callisto also makes Xena to conceive a daughter after the resurrection, and this child is prophesied to bring about the Twilight of the Olympian gods; this girl was named Eve. To escape the gods' persecution, Xena and Gabrielle fake their deaths, but their plan goes awry when Ares buries them in an ice cave where they sleep for 25 years; during that time, Eve is adopted by the Roman nobleman Octavius and grows up to become Livia, the Champion of Rome, and a ruthless persecutor of Eli's followers. After her return, Xena is able to turn Livia to repentance, and Livia takes back the name Eve and becomes the Messenger of Eli. After Eve's cleansing by baptism, Xena is granted the power to kill gods as long as her daughter lives. In a final confrontation, the Twilight comes to pass when Xena kills most of the gods on Olympus to save her daughter, and is herself saved by Ares when he gives up his immortality to heal the badly injured and dying Eve and Gabrielle.

Episode List

Season 1 (1995–1996)

1) Sins of the Past 4 September, 1995
Xena renounces her warlord past and begins burying her weapons. She later retrieves them to save a group of villagers from being sold into slavery. Gabrielle convinces Xena to allow her to travel with her.
2) Chariots of War 11 September, 1995
When Xena is injured during a fight, the widowed Darius and his children look after her. Xena is left with the dilemma of whether to settle down with them or continue her fight to protect the innocent.
3) Dreamworker 18 September, 1995
Morpheus kidnaps Gabrielle so he can make her his bride. In order to be married, Gabrielle must lose her "blood innocence". Using her wits, she manages to avoid causing any blood shed. Xena enters the dream world so that she can save Gabrielle, but while there she must battle her own evil side before she can accomplish her rescue.
4) Cradle of Hope 25 September, 1995
When a baby is prophesied to inherit the throne, King Gregor and his councillor, Nemos search for the newborn babe. Meanwhile, Xena and Gabrielle meet Pandora, while searching for the mother of an abandoned baby.
5)The Path Not Taken 2 October, 1995

A weapons dealer kidnaps a princess so he can profit from the resulting war between two feuding kingdoms. Xena pretends to be the ruthless warrior she once was, in order to gain access to the dealers base. While there, Xena meets an old lover, Marcus. Marcus prevents Xena from rescuing the princess, but later sacrifices his own life to save her.
6) The Reckoning 16 October, 1995
Ares plots to get Xena back into his fold by framing her for the murder of some villagers and organizing a lynching. Xena is put on trial and Gabrielle sticks by her throughout. Xena fools Ares into thinking she is joining him again, and he brings the dead villagers back from the dead.
7) The Titans 30 October, 1995
When Gabrielle reads from an ancient parchment, she unwittingly awakens three Titans, who believe that she is a goddess. While Xena works to stop Hyperion from awakening a whole army of Titans, Gabrielle searches for the parchment that will send the Titans back into slumber.
8) Prometheus 6 November, 1995
When people begin losing their healing ability, Xena and Gabrielle discover that Hera has chained Prometheus. Xena goes through a number of trials in order to gain a sword that will break Prometheus' bonds. She and Gabrielle team up with Hercules and Iolaus, both Xena and Hercules know that whoever uses the sword will die and they argue over who will use it.
9) Death in Chains 13 November, 1995
King Sisyphus has taken Celesta, Hades' sister hostage so that she cannot take him to the Underworld. Hades asks Xena for her help in freeing his sister. Xena and Gabrielle must rescue Celesta before she dies.
10) Hooves and Harlots 20 November, 1995
When Gabrielle risks her own life to protect the dying Amazon princess, Terreis, she is given the princess' Right of Caste, which effectively makes Gabrielle the heir to the current Amazon Queen, Melosa. Ephiny, one of the Amazons begins teaching Gabrielle the ways of the Amazons as she will one day be their queen.
11)The Black Wolf 8 January, 1996
When an old friend of Xena's lands herself in prison, Xena also gets herself arrested so that she can rescue her. Gabrielle begins a food fight so she can get into prison to help Xena.
12) Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts 15 January, 1996
The ongoing war in Troy prompts Helen to contact Xena for her help in ending it. When Xena arrives she finds that she and Helen are in the midst of a plot orchestrated by Helen's brother-in-law.
13) Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards 22 January, 1996
Gabrielle travels alone to Athens so she can enter a bard competition. the prize is a place at the Academy of the Performing Bards. While there she helps another bard who is under pressure from his father to succeed.
14) A Fist Full of Dinars 29 January, 1996
Xena and Gabrielle join a group of outlaws to prevent them from capturing Ambrosia, which can turn a mortal into a god.
15) Warrior... Princess 5 February, 1996
When Xena's look-alike, Princess Diana is under threat from assassination, Xena takes her place. While living with "the little people", Diana realizes that there is poverty in the kingdom, something that she is shocked to discover. Meanwhile, Xena plays matchmaker with Diana and the brother of her betrothed.
16) Mortal Beloved 12 February, 1996
Hades' Helmet of Invisibility is stolen by Atyminius and Hades calls for Xena's help. Xena convinces him to return Marcus to the land of the living so they can retrieve the helmet and restore order to the Underworld.
17) The Royal Couple of Thieves 19 February, 1996
Xena joins Autolycus, the "King of Thieves" so they can recover a chest, which contains the world's most powerful weapon. They disguise themselves as an assassin and his lover, and Xena has a fight with the real assassin.
18) The Prodigal 4 March, 1996
When Gabrielle journeys home to Potidaea, she discovers that her sister, Lila is angry at her for leaving her at home all alone. the village is also under attack from a warlord, so Gabrielle uses what she has learned while traveling with Xena, teaches the villagers how to defend themselves.
19) Altared States 22 April, 1996
Xena and Gabrielle must protect Icus, whose father believes he must be sacrificed. Xena discovers that Icus' older brother, Maell has fooled his father into believing he is the voice of his monotheistic god.
20) Ties That Bind 29 April, 1996
An elderly warrior, Atrius shows up claiming to be Xena's father. When he is captured and tortured by a village, Xena takes an army and almost slaughters the whole village. Then Atrius reveals himself to be Ares in disguise attempting to win Xena back again.
21) The Greater Good 6 May, 1996
Salmoneus asks Xena for her protection from an evil warlord. Xena is struck by a poisoned dart and dies, leaving Gabrielle and Salmoneus to save the day.
22) Callisto 13 May, 1996
Xena has to battle the fierce woman warrior Callisto, who is bent on revenge for the death of her family.
23) Death Mask 6 June, 1996
Xena meets her brother Toris, who has joined the army of the warlord who attacked Amphipolis and killed their brother Lyceus years before. Xena works hard to keep Toris from committing murder or being murdered himself before she can bring the warlord Cortese to justice.
24) Is There a Doctor in the House? 29 July, 1996
Xena and Gabrielle rescue the pregnant Ephiny from the battlefield and take shelter in one of Asclepius' temples, finding it full of casualties. While there, she gives birth to her centaur son, Xenan. Xena tends to the wounded and Gabrielle is mortally injured while helping out.

Season 2 (1996-1997)

1) Orphan of War 30 September, 1996
Xena meets Solon, the son she gave to the Centaurs to raise. Xena battles Dagnine, who has used the power of the Ixion Stone to transform himself into the most powerful centaur ever known.
2) Remember Nothing 7 October, 1996
When Xena saves the Fates from attack, they give her the chance to live her life again; if she agrees to give up her warrior ways. She accepts and in the new life, Lyceus is still alive, but her mother is dead and Gabrielle is a warlord's slave.
3) The Giant Killer 14 October, 1996
Xena faces her old friend Goliath in battle when he refuses to turn his back on the ruthless Philistines.
4) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 21 October, 1996
Xena and Gabrielle join forces with Joxer and Orpheus to defeat Bacchus, who is transforming innocent girls into deadly monsters.
5) The Return of Callisto 28 October, 1996
As Gabrielle and Perdicas marry, Callisto break out of prison. Callisto murders Perdicas and Gabrielle wants Xena to teach her how to kill Callisto, so she can exact her revenge.
6) Warrior... Princess... Tramp 4 November, 1996
Princess Diana is kidnapped and Meg, another look-alike, is recruited to impersonate her. Xena is called by the king to help rescue her. All three begin impersonating each other and much confusion ensues.
7) Intimate Stranger 11 November, 1996
Callisto convinces Ares to switch her body with that of Xena and she escapes from Tartarus. Hades allows Xena, now in Callisto's body, to go after her. Callisto in Xena's body, causes trouble for Xena's friends and family.
8) Ten Little Warlords 18 November, 1996
Ares' sword is stolen and loses his powers along with it. King Sisyphus brings Xena and some warlords together for a final battle to decide who will sit on the deposed Ares' throne. His plan is to take Ares' place and escape from Tartarus.
9) A Solstice Carol 9 December, 1996
Xena and Gabrielle arrive in a kingdom where celebrating the Solstice is forbidden. Xena devises a plan to stop King Silvus from closing an orphanage. He is visited by three ghosts, who show him the error of his wicked ways.
10) The Xena Scrolls 13 January, 1997
In 1940, the archaeologist, Janice Covington is searching for the key to unlock a tomb containing the ancient Xena Scrolls. With the help of Melinda Pappas and Jacques S'er she find the scrolls and releases Ares from his tomb.
11) Here She Comes... Miss Amphipolis 20 January, 1997
Salmoneus summons Xena to help keep the peace in the kingdom where he is organising the Miss Known World Beauty Pageant. Xena enters the contest as Miss Amphipolis so she can figure out who is sabotaging the pageant.
12) Destiny 27 January, 1997
Xena is badly injured and Gabrielle must take her on a long journey to a healer on Mount Nestos. While unconscious Xena remembers the first time she met Caesar, and the actions that turned her into an angry warlord.
13) The Quest 3 February, 1997
While mourning Xena's death, Gabrielle has to lead the Amazons, who want to give Xena an Amazon funeral. Autolycus, King of Thieves, tries to deal with being possessed by Xena's spirit, which uses his body to steal her body. He and Gabrielle must get to the Ambrosia in time or Xena will remain dead. Meanwhile, Velasca is angry at being passed over as queen.
14) A Necessary Evil 10 February, 1997
Velasca, having eaten Ambrosia, has become a god and attacks the Amazon camp. Xena makes a deal with Callisto, who agrees to fight Velasca for a chance to get her hands on some Ambrosia.
15) A Day in the Life 17 February, 1997
Two villages need Xena's help, but she cannot be in both places at once. One needs protection from a giant, the other from an evil warlord.
16) For Him the Bell Tolls 24 February, 1997
Responding to an urgent message from King Lias, Xena decides to go away for a few days, leaving Gabrielle and Joxer behind. Aphrodite has some fun when she causes Joxer to become a hero every time a bell rings.
17) The Execution 7 April, 1997
Xena and Gabrielle are summoned to a village by Meleager the Mighty, and find that their famous warrior friend has just been convicted of murder. Gabrielle breaks him out of jail and Xena looks for the real culprit.
18) Blind Faith 14 April, 1997
An aspiring warrior kidnaps Gabrielle so that he can pick a fight with Xena. During the fight Xena is blinded by Sumac oil and begins losing her sight. Meanwhile, Gabrielle has been sold to man who wants to marry her to the recently dead king. Can Xena save Gabrielle and save her sight also.
19) Ulysses 21 April, 1997
Poseidon warns Xena to stay out of his fight with Ulysses, King of Ithaca, but she is determined to see justice done.
20) The Price 28 April, 1997
Xena and Gabrielle encounter the axe-wielding Horde, who slew Xena's old army and learn that the only way to defeat them in to beat their leader.
21) Lost Mariner 5 May, 1997
Gabrielle finds herself on the cursed ship of the Lost Mariner, Cecrops, and Xena determines to save her friend and break the curse.
22) A Comedy of Eros 12 May, 1997
Cupid's son, Bliss, steals one of his father's crossbows and proceeds to wreak havoc on the mortal world.

Season 3 (1997-1998)

1) The Furies 29 September, 1997
Ares convinces the Furies to inflict madness on Xena because she has not avenged the death of her father. Xena heads off to find the culprit, only to discover it was her mother, Cyrene. With the help of Gabrielle and a tale from Cyrene about Xena's conception, Xena is able to persuade The Furies that Ares is her father.
2) Been There, Done That 6 October, 1997
Cupid causes a town to relive the same day over and over until a hero can help the two star-crossed lovers from feuding families. Xena is the only person who knows the day is resetting and must work alone to save the day and break the curse.
3) The Dirty Half Dozen 13 October, 1997
Xena seeks the help of a group of Greece's best convicts against Agathon. Ares has given Agathon the Metal of Hephaestus to forge his new superior weapons and it is up to Xena and the others to stop Agathon.
4) The Deliverer 20 October, 1997
Xena travels to Britannia to help Boadicea in her fight against Caesar. While there Gabrielle learns about a cult who worships "The One God". She is tricked into killing one of the priestesses and is impregnated with the spawn of the evil Dahak.
5) Gabrielle's Hope 27 October, 1997
As the baby in Gabrielle's womb grows at an alarming rate, she and Xena are followed by Banshees and the Knights of the Round Table. The knights fear that the unborn child is the great evil they have heard about. When Xena finds one of the knights dead, she decides that the baby is evil incarnate and must be killed.
6) The Debt, Part 1 3 November, 1997
Xena receives a message telling her to kill the "Green Dragon". As she travels to Qin to complete the request she tells Gabrielle about her and Borias and the time they met Lao Ma, one of the first people who tried to teach Xena about The Way.
7) The Debt, Part 2 10 November, 1997
After betraying Xena to Ming T'ien, Gabrielle begs for forgiveness and asks Ming T'ien to spare Xena's life. While awaiting execution, Xena remembers what Lao Ma had been trying to teach her, which gives her access to special powers.
8) The King of Assassins 17 November, 1997
To prevent the assassination of Cleopatra, Xena joins up with Autolycus and Joxer. The problem is the assassin is Joxer's brother Jett, who is really working with Autolycus.
9) Warrior… Priestess… Tramp 12 January, 1998
Meg switches place with her look-alike, the Hestian Priestess Leah, so that she and a corrupt priest can bring the cult into disrepute. Meanwhile, Leah experience life in the world beyond the temple.
10) The Quill Is Mightier… 19 January, 1998
Aphrodite decides to have some fun and enchants Gabrielle's scroll so that everything she writes comes true. The resulting chaos leads both Ares and Aphrodite to lose their powers and sends Xena on a fishing trip.
11) Maternal Instincts 26 January, 1998
Hope returns a releases Callisto from the lava and presents herself to Gabrielle, who decides to keep Hope a secret from Xena. Meanwhile, Hope and Callisto plan to murder Solan.
12) The Bitter Suite 2 February, 1998
After fighting and attempting to kill each other, Xena and Gabrielle are transported to the land of Illusia. In the strange land they journey through their shared hatred and pain and regain their lost friendship.
13) One Against an Army 9 February, 1998
During the Persian War, Xena and Gabrielle shelter in an old barn. Xena plans to use the weapons there to stall the advancing army. Gabrielle is then hit with a poisoned dart and Xena must fight the army alone while trying to keep Gabrielle alive.
14) Forgiven 16 February, 1998
Tara, a bratty tearaway teen wants to replace Gabrielle as Xena's sidekick. She beats Gabrielle and leads Xena to the stolen Urn of Apollo.
15) King Con 23 February, 1998
Xena and Gabrielle join forces with a couple of con men after Joxer is almost beaten to death on the order of the local casino manager. Her plan is to take the owner to the cleaners. The two men make a bet: who will be the first to kiss Xena? Things get complicated when Xena starts falling for Rafe.
16) When in Rome 3 March, 1998
To force Caesar's hand in releasing the Gaulish chief, Vercinix, Xena kidnaps Crassus, one of Caesar's allies. Xena rescues Vercinix and places Crassus in his stead. It is up to Caesar and Gabrielle either to save Crassus or let him be executed in Vercinix's place.
17) Forget Me Not 9 March, 1998
Still pained by the memories of Hope and recent events, Gabrielle seeks the help of Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. A priestess sends her on a dream journey with Ares as her guide. Upon completion of the journey she is given the choice to suffer the pain or let it go, and all her happy memories along with it.
18) Fins, Femmes and Gems 13 April, 1998
Aphrodite wants to steal the North Star to put in her own constellation, so she puts charms on Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer. Xena becomes preoccupied with fishing, Gabrielle, with herself and Joxer becomes "Attis the Ape Man".
19) Tsunami 20 April, 1998
Gabrielle, Xena and Autolycus are trapped in a ship's hull after it is hit by a tsunami. Xena comes up with a risky plan to save everyone and get them all to the surface.
20) Vanishing Act 27 April, 1998
After a golden statue is stolen, Xena calls on Autolycus, the King of Thieves, to help her steal it back. She and Gabrielle pose as rival buyers in order to discover where the statue is being hidden.
21) Sacrifice, Part 1 4 May, 1998
Callisto, with the help of Dahak's priest, brings Hope back into the world. Ares sides with Dahak rather than against him. He tells Gabrielle that if Xena kills Hope, the Fates will cut her life thread and she will die too.
22) Sacrifice, Part 2 11 May, 1998
Ares and Hope consummate their new relationship and followers of Dahak plan a sacrifice that will usher him into the world. Meanwhile, Xena searches for the Hind's Blood Dagger, the only thing she knows of capable of killing Hope.

Season 4 (1998-1999)

1) Adventures in the Sin Trade, Part 1 28 September, 1998
After Gabrielle's death, Xena goes to Hades looking for her. He tells her she is in the Amazon Land of the Dead. While there, Xena discovers an old ally, Alti, has enslaved the souls of an Amazon tribe. Xena stops to teach the Amazons how to fight back against Alti.
2) Adventures in the Sin Trade, Part 2 5 October, 1998
As Xena prepares the Amazons to fight back, she remembers her alliance with Alti and her betrayal. Meanwhile, Alti plagues Xena with disturbing visions of her and Gabrielle being crucified.
3) A Family Affair 12 October, 1998
Xena and Joxer reunite with Gabrielle in Poteidaia, but Hope is posing in her place and has taken the family hostage. Meanwhile, she raises her child, "The Destroyer". Xena and Gabrielle trick the beast and the wounded creature, mistaking Hope for Gabrielle, kills her.
4) In Sickness and in Hell 19 October, 1998
Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer have to stop the Scythian army from attacking some villages. Xena and Gabrielle are struck down with lice and moldy feet. Joxer saves the day by giving the army food poisoning.
5) A Good Day 26 October, 1998
When Caesar and Pompey bring their war to Greece, Xena joins up with a Greek mercenary and the country people in order to trick the Romans into battling each other, thus leaving Greece reasonably unharmed.
6) A Tale of Two Muses 2 November, 1998
In a town where dancing is banned, Xena and Gabrielle find Tara about to be whipped for breaking the law. While there Gabrielle withstands the urge to dance, while Xena gets Autolycus to help bring dance back to the town.
7) Locked up and Tied Down 9 November, 1998
Xena is arrested for an old murder and sentenced to spend the rest of her life at Shark Island Prison. Xena believes her time prison will help atone for her past, but with Gabrielle's help they discover that the victim survived and is now the prison warder.
8) Crusader 16 November, 1998
Xena and Gabrielle meet Najara, a woman who fights evil and converts people to "turn to the light". Xena tries to leave Gabrielle with her, fearing the visions that Alti showed her. Xena later discovers that Najara kills anyone who refuses to convert to her way.
9) Past Imperfect 4 January, 1999
While Xena tries to protect Gabrielle from the events that occurred in her vision, she is confronted by her past and learns that an opposing army's leader is the woman who helped her give birth and also killed Borias years earlier.
10) The Key to the Kingdom 11 January, 1999
Joxer, Autolycus and Meg team up to save a baby and find the key that will fulfill a prophecy that the baby will become king.
11)Daughter of Pomira 18 January, 1999
Many years ago, Vanessa was kidnapped by The Horde, now Xena goes off to rescue her. Once returned to her family, they discover that she was not being held as a slave, but had been adopted by the leader of The Horde. She reveals that she regard herself as Pomira, the Horde's real name, and not Greek. Through her Xena and the others learn that the Pomira are not savages.
12) If the Shoe Fits 25 January, 1999
Princess Alesia has run away from home because she does not like her new stepmother. Xena, Joxer, Gabrielle and Aphrodite try to persuade her to return by telling her their own versions of Cinderella. Meanwhile, Aphrodite wants the girl to be the new Demigoddess of Puppy Love.
13) Paradise Found 1 February, 1999
Gabrielle and Xena have an accident and find themselves in a hidden paradise. The guru there begins instructing Gabrielle about inner peace and healing her pain. Xena becomes more and more agitated and violent, while Gabrielle slowly begins turning into stone.
14) Devi 8 February, 1999
In India, Gabrielle and Xena meet Eli, and Gabrielle is possessed by the spirit of the demoness, Tataka. She begins healing people, poses as a devi and tries to kill Xena and Eli, who is the real devi.
15) Between the Lines 15 February, 1999
After being saved from her husband's funeral pyre, Naiyima sends Xena and Gabrielle on a spiritual journey to a future life. In that time Xena is the Mother of Peace and Gabrielle is a warrior prince, their enemy is the reincarnated Alti. Using the powers that Naiyima taught them, they bring Alti back to their own time and defeat her.
16) The Way 22 February, 1999
Eli and Gabrielle are kidnappd eby Indrajit, and Xena and Hanuman go to rescue them. Hanuman tells Xena she will need Krishna's help to defeat Indrajit so she prays to him. He tells her she only need call his name and help will be given. After being saved, Gabrielle chooses to follow Eli's Way of Love and Xena dedicates herself to the Way of the Warrior.
17) The Play's the Thing 1 March, 1999
Gabrielle gets the opportunity to have one of her scrolls turned into a play. She becomes embroiled in a scheme to con some warlords out of their money and cannot find an actress good enough to play herself.
18) The Convert 19 April, 1999
Joxer accidentally kills a warlord and feel guilt at his actions. He decides he has to tell the man's son himself. Meanwhile, Najara has escaped from prison and tells Xena and Gabrielle she now follows Eli's way of peace.
19) Takes One to Know One 26 April, 1999
A bounty hunter is found dead in Cyrene's inn and Discord declares she will take all of Xena's friend to Tartarus unless she brings her the real culprit. The whole gang turn detective to try to find the one responsible.
20) Endgame 3 May, 1999
Ephiny is killed by Brutus and Xena and Gabrielle learnt that the Amazons have been caught in the Roman civil war. Xena rescues some of the Amazons and lures Caesar and Pompey to fight each other again. Gabrielle and Brutus try to forge peace between Caesar and the Amazons.
21) The Ides of March 10 May, 1999
With the help of the demonic Callisto, Caesar places a trap for Xena, with Gabrielle as the bait. As Xena and Gabrielle attempt an escape, Brutus revolts against Caesar and the vision Alti showed Xena comes to fulfillment.
22) Déjà Vu all over Again 17 May, 1999
In the present, Annie Day is a hardcore Xena fan with the belief that she is the reincarnation of Xena. She visits a past life therapist in order to discover the truth. She finds that she was Joxer, her husband Harry was really Xena and the therapist was Gabrielle

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Season 5 (1999-2000)

1) Fallen Angel 27 September, 1999
After Xena and Gabrielle are crucified by the Romans, an archangel takes the warrior princess to heaven, while a demon spirits Gabrielle to hell.
2) Chakram 4 October, 1999
Xena has no recollection of being a warrior after she and Gabrielle are resurrected from the dead by Eli.
3) Succession 11 October, 1999
Xena and Gabrielle must face Mavican, Ares' new right-hand woman, with some added complications.
4) Animal Attraction 18 October, 1999
Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, and Amarice travel to the town of Spamona, where Xena is shocked to learn that she is pregnant.
5) Them Bones, Them Bones 25 October, 1999
Alti, an evil shamaness Xena killed, returns through the spirit world to gain control of her unborn baby's soul.
6) Purity 8 November, 1999
When Xena returns to Qin to recover Lao Ma's book of power, she must defeat one of Lao Ma's twin daughters, who wants to acquire the power for her own evil purposes.
7) Back in the Bottle 15 November, 1999
Xena must master Lao Ma's powers to save Gabrielle, Joxer and the people of Qin from a militia led by the evil spirits of Pao Ssu and her brother, Ming T'ien.
8) Little Problems 22 November, 1999
Gabrielle and Aphrodite have until sundown to save Xena's soul from being trapped inside a young girl, Daphne, forever.
9) of Faith 10 January, 2000
We discover the father of Xena's child is Callisto. Includes Ares and other surprises. This leads into a series of episodes that begins with the birth of the baby and triggers a cataclysmic change for Xena, her baby and the entire world.
10) Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire 17 January, 2000
To avoid a war over who gets possession of Terpsichore's lyre, Xena organizes a battle of the bands in this musical episode that reunites Xena with Cyrene, Joxer with his twin brother Jace, and Gabrielle with a lovesick Draco.
11) Punch Lines 24 January, 2000
Gabrielle and Argo are shrunken into miniature versions of themselves when they cross paths with Lachrymose, the god of despair.
12) God Fearing Child 05 February, 2000
Xena's baby is born after Hercules steps in to battle his father Zeus, who learns that the birth of the child will signal the end of the Olympian order.
13) Eternal Bonds 12 February, 2000
When Joxer is wounded by a poisonous sword intended to kill Xena and Eve, it is up to Gabrielle to get him to the antidote while Xena combats armies sent by priests of the gods.
14) Amphipolis under Siege 19 February, 2000
Athena wages war on Xena's hometown of Amphipolis in an effort to kill Eve and stop the Twilight of the Gods.
15) Married with Fishsticks 21 February, 2000
W)hen Gabrielle is knocked unconscious into the sea, a merman convinces her that she is his wife and the mother of three.
16) Lifeblood 13 March, 2000
Xena and Gabrielle travel to the Amazon village to make Eve an Amazon princess and discover that it is up to them to prevent unnecessary bloodshed in a vengeful war.
17) Kindred Spirits 20 March, 2000
Joxer breaks Amazon laws that force Queen Gabrielle to choose between settling down in the Amazon village and life on the road with Xena.
18) Antony and Cleopatra 24 April, 2000
When Cleopatra is murdered, Xena assumes the Egyptian queen's identity.
19) Looking Death in the Eye 24 April, 2000
This is a combination flashback and flashforward episode. It has Joxer, in the autumn of his life, looking back and telling a story of how Xena and Gabrielle opposed the gods and won.
20) Livia 1 May, 2000
Xena and Gabrielle awaken in the ice tomb where Ares put their bodies when he thought were dead. They find out that those events happened 25 years before and Eve has grown up as a Roman, Livia, who is now a bloodthirsty warrior who is trying to eliminate Eli's cult.
21) Eve 10 May, 1999
Livia refuses to accept she is Eve, the daughter of Xena, and keeps killing the followers of Eli even in a more cruel way to please Ares and become the Empress of Rome.
22) Motherhood 17 May, 1999
When the Olympians gods discover that Livia is Eve, they start fearing again the Twilight prophecy. Athena sends the Furies to a special mission: they must turn Gabrielle mad until she kills Eve. However, when Eve is initiated in the Way of Love, Xena is given the power to kill gods.

Season 6 (2000-2001)

1) Coming Home 2 October, 2000
Ares needs Xena's help to restore his godly powers, but he gets more than he bargained for when the Furies play a trick on him.
2) The Haunting of Amphipolis 9 October, 2000
Xena is forced to battle Mephistopheles when she returns to Amphipolis with Gabrielle and Eve to find her home haunted by evil.
3) Heart of Darkness 16 October, 2000
Xena fights to avoid inheriting the throne of Mephistopheles by devising a plan to turn the cocky archangel Lucifer into the King of Hell.
4) Who's Gurkhan? 23 October, 2000
When Gabrielle learns that her niece has been captured by the vicious raider Gurkhan, she sets sail for North Africa on a rescue mission with Xena, Eve, and Virgil.
5) Legacy 30 October, 2000

On their travels through the North African desert, Xena and Gabrielle intervene to help two tribes of warring nomads unite against their Roman enemies.
6) The Abyss 6 November, 2000
Xena and Gabrielle are forced into a deadly confrontation with cannibals when they go in search of Virgil.
7) The Rheingold 18 November, 2000
A highly dramatic three-episode arc that takes Xena and Gabrielle north when a Norse warrior named Beowulf approaches Xena for help. Filled with elaborate special effects, these stories involving Norse mythology will feature such entities as Odin, Grindl, Valkyries and flying horses.
8) The Ring 20 November, 2000
In the conclusion, Gabrielle, Beowulf and Brunhilda discover a severely wounded Xena hiding from the beast Grindl. Xena explains her history with the beast, and how a magical ring is at the root of the problem. Later, Brunhilda kidnaps Gabrielle and confesses her love for her. Xena and Beowulf, meanwhile, battle an array of villains who seek to take possession of the ring.
9) Return of the Valkyrie 2 December, 2000
Xena has amnesia as Hrothgar's bride, Wealthea, and must regain her memory in order to save Gabrielle.
10) Old Ares Had a Farm 15 January, 2001
To protext Ares from a gang of revenge-seeking warlords, Xena brings him to her childhood home and disguises him as a farmer.
11) Dangerous Prey 24 January, 2001
Xena finds herself matched against the twisted Prince Morloch, who has been hunting Amazons for sport. After killing the queen of the Amazons, he sets his sights on Xena, who promised the late queen that she would watch over her daughter, Varia. Together, the two women battle Morloch and his henchmen.
12) The God You Know 29 January, 2001,
The Archangel Michael asks Xena and Gabrielle to stop the evil---and immortal---Roman emperor Caligula, who is slaughtering innocents. Afraid for her daughter Eve, who is in Rome, Xena agrees to the job. But her plan takes a bad turn when she learns Caligula has taken Aphrodite as a sex slave. If he dies, she will die, too. To complicate matters, Michael manipulates Eve into becoming the bait he believes Xena needs to kill Caligula.
13) You Are There 5 February, 2001
Much to their chagrin, a tabloid-TV reporter attempts to learn why Xena and Gabrielle have returned to Norse lands. His investigation leads him to suspect that Xena is plotting to kill Odin and make herself a god in his place. But his story takes a twist when a mysterious informant explains that the Warrior Princess is trying to save the world and that the reporter should follow the love if he wants the true story.
14) Path of Vengeance 17 February, 2001
Eve is taken prisoner by Varia, the queen of the Amazons, who seeks revenge for Eve's past life as Livia, when she slaughtered Varia's younger sister during an attack on the Amazons. When Xena learns of Eve's fate, she and Gabrielle set out to rescue Xena's daughter. In the process, they learn that the Amazons are preparing to wage war against the Romans and that none other than Ares is behind the plot.
15) To Helicon and Back 19 February, 2001
The Amazon Queen Varia is kidnapped by a masked warrior, leaving Gabrielle to lead the other Amazons on a bloody rescue mission. The plan takes a downward turn, however, when Xena's efforts to counteract the warrior's catapults are ineffective.
16) Send in the Clones 23 April, 2001
Modern-day Xena fans clone Xena and Gabrielle and Alti awaits their rebirth.
17) Last of the Centaurs 30 April, 2001
We revisit Ephiny and her son, Xenan, along with Borias and his son, Belach.
18) When Fates Collide 07 May, 2001
After escaping from Hades, Caesar takes control of the Fates' "Loom of Life," which he uses to splice the past with a new future---a future in which Xena becomes his wife and Brutus remains his loyal aide. In the rearranged world, Gabrielle is a playwright for whom Xena feels an intense attraction. Sensing their bond, Caesar charges Gabrielle with being an assassin, and orders that she be crucified.
19) Many Happy Returns 14 May, 2001
On their way to deliver the Helmet of Hermes to Thebes, Xena and Gabrielle save the young virgin Genia (Katie Stuart) from being sacrificed by religious zealots. Renee says this was kind of like A Day In The Life. A comedy with Alex Tydings as Aphrodite. There's a tip of the hat to the musical that never was in this episode.
20) Soul Possession 4 June, 2001
Soul Possession, is a clip show featuring Ted Raimi as Harry O'Casey, Renee O'Connor as Mattie Merrill and Lucy Lawless as Annie Day, the reincarnation of Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer, respectively, previously introduced in Déjà Vu All Over Again. The episode, helmed by seasoned director Josh Becker, focuses on the present-day discovery of a scroll which fills in the gap between Xena finding out that Gabrielle is alive in Adventures in the Sin Trade, and actually locating her partner in A Family Affair. Ares, played for the final time by Kevin Smith, has a significant role in the story, and we discover that, ironically, Harry and Mattie (alias Xena and Gabrielle) are now married to each other.
21) A Friend in Need, Part 1 11 June, 2001
Summoned by a long-lost spiritual soulmate, Xena heads for Japan with Gabrielle on a daunting mission to save the city of Higuchi from destruction and make amends for her past.
22) A Friend in Need, Part 2 18 June, 2001
The two-part series finale concludes with Xena and Gabrielle entering into battle against a samurai ghost, Yodushi, and his army of 20,000 warriors. As the adventure series draws to a close after six seasons, two questions loom for fans. Will Xena and Gabrielle share a meaningful kiss? And will Xena die---again? Neither Lawless nor her husband, executive producer Rob Tapert, will reveal the answers. Instead, Lawless notes that the series strove to leave Xena and Gabrielle's relationship “as open to interpretation as possible.” And what about Xena's future? Tapert only admits he'd “love to do a movie.”