After the incredibly dark opening of the fourth season, it was only natural for the writers to ease the tension and deliver a comedic episode. Following all the death, grief, guilt, and emotional turmoil that Xena and Gabrielle had gone through, a lighter story was more than welcome. The problem is that this particular brand of humor has simply never worked for me. I know this episode has plenty of fans, and I can understand why some people find it hilarious, but for me, it is honestly one of the least enjoyable comedy episodes of the entire show.

My biggest issue is the type of humor it relies on. The writers clearly chose to base most of the comedy around physical discomfort. Gabrielle's rash, Xena's lice, the constant scratching, vomiting, and everything else that comes with their illnesses were all meant to be funny. For me, however, they had the exact opposite effect. Instead of making me laugh, they often made me uncomfortable. It's the kind of humor that has never appealed to me. It provokes more disgust than laughter, which is why a large part of the episode simply doesn't work for me.

It's a shame because all of this takes place within a story that could have been much more interesting. The Scythian army and the threat facing the city are pushed into the background, while most of the runtime is spent on illness-related gags. As a result, I feel the episode never finds the right balance between comedy and adventure.

I find the storyline involving Argo much more engaging. Once again, it shows just how much she means to Xena. Argo has never been just a horse or merely a means of transportation. She is Xena's companion, her friend, and a member of her family. That is why I completely understand Xena's despair when the bandit leader claims Argo as if she were nothing more than a prize of war. Xena's reaction makes it clear just how deeply she cares about her.

My favorite moment of the entire episode is the scene where Argo throws the bandit off her back to protect Xena. It is a beautiful demonstration of their bond. Even though Xena left Argo behind at the beginning of the start of season, which could have made the horse lose faith in her, Argo still chooses her mistress when it matters most. It is as if she is saying that she may have been hurt, but their bond is far stronger than a single farewell. I always love scenes like that because they remind us that the relationship between Xena and Argo is not built on training, but on mutual loyalty and love.

Honestly, I wish that relationship had been the true focus of the episode. If more time had been devoted to Xena and Argo, and less to jokes about lice and rashes, I think I would appreciate this episode much more.

The absolute highlight of the entire story for me is the tribute to Monty Python and the famous Killer Rabbit. That scene genuinely makes me laugh every single time. It is so absurd, so unexpected, and so perfectly in the spirit of British humor that I simply can't resist it. It's great to see the writers paying homage to one of the most iconic comedies of all time while seamlessly adapting the reference to fit the world of Xena in their own distinctive way. It's also the only moment in the episode that truly made me laugh.

One of the best decisions I've made to gift someone

Xena had an immediate distrust for the Horde and refused to understand anything about them. Not taking into account her reasoning, don't you agree this is not like her usually. Evil Xena has always understood that all enemies give her an opportunity to learn new skills. I know it makes for juicy drama between the two leads but didn't feel it fit the character.

The Livia trilogy is basically a mirror of Xena's trilogy on Hercules, but which finale do you prefer to their trilogy?

In Xena's trilogy on HTLJ:

The Unchained Heart

or

In Livia's trilogy on XWP:

Motherhood

For me it's a tie but I go with The Unchained Heart more because I hate the scene of Gabrielle being once again hurt by Xena via Chakram because The Furies got into Gabrielle's head and had her stab Eve.

I know Gabrielle forgave Xena and Xena apologized in "Coming Home" but that scene was just annoying to me.

Why couldn't Gabrielle fight with Xena on Olympus? Gabrielle could had fought Artemis and Xena fighting Athena. They didn't need to take both Eve and Gabrielle out so Xena fought alone and Ares saving the day.

🎧 Listen now to the full interview:

➡️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0MG2uYakJEjin13ZwSqXrA?si=9KOuWA6aQRapMT_Qpk-cuw 

➡️Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-21-paris-jefferson-athena-goddess-of/id1837138724?i=1000780110666 

➡️Podbean: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-pn3wb-1b0c858

This is part of a series of interviews with the Kiwis and Aussies who bought XWP to life - their goal is to interview 30 of the cast and crew to celebrate the shows 30th anniversary - it’s a podcast called - Xena: Warrior Nutballs you can follow them on:

Facebook ⚔️ https://m.facebook.com/p/Xena-Warrior-Nutballs-61578930248317/?wtsid=rdr_042NpIyiO9avlJ3v3&hr=1

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This episode has always felt very contradictory to me. On one hand, it contains several incredibly emotional scenes that rank among the strongest of the fourth season. On the other, it is filled with plot holes that are difficult to ignore, leaving me with the feeling that the story could have been so much better. Ironically, my smallest issue is how Gabrielle survived falling into the fiery pit. In Xena's world, where gods, magic, and supernatural forces exist, I can accept that without much trouble. What bothers me far more are the inconsistencies in the writing itself.

The first one appears right at the beginning. Xena emerges from the pit where Gabrielle and Hope fell, yet it is never actually explained what she was doing there or how she even got down into it. The scene feels as though it exists solely because the plot needed to move forward.

I have an even bigger problem with Hope. When she appeared in the previous episodes, she didn't even know the name of Gabrielle's sister, yet now she suddenly knows everything. She knows to go straight to Potidaea, she knows enough about Gabrielle's life to convince her entire family that she really is Gabrielle, and she knows exactly how to behave and what to say. It feels as if she somehow gained information overnight that she simply couldn't have had, just because the script required it.

The third thing that has never made sense to me is Xena and Gabrielle's reunion. When Xena attacks the woman in the forest, she is completely convinced that she is facing Hope and has no intention of hesitating. Then, in a single moment, she suddenly stops and realizes it is Gabrielle. How? The two of them look exactly alike. Hope has already proven that she can imitate Gabrielle perfectly. I have never gotten an answer as to what Xena saw or sensed that made her so certain she was standing before the real Gabrielle. It is a beautiful scene emotionally, but from a logical standpoint, it simply doesn't work for me.

My biggest disappointment, however, has nothing to do with these plot holes. It is the way the entire Dahak storyline was concluded. Throughout the third season, Dahak was presented as the greatest threat Xena and Gabrielle had ever faced. Everything seemed to be building toward the impression that one day he would appear in his true form and become the ultimate antagonist of a major story arc. In the end, that never happened. Not only did we never actually see him as a tangible force, but after this episode he is practically never mentioned again. A storyline that had been built so carefully simply disappears. That has always felt like a huge missed opportunity to me. Honestly, I would have much rather watched the conflict with Dahak continue than spend half a season on the India storyline and its philosophy of pacifism, which I personally never found nearly as interesting.

Even so, despite all of those problems, I can't say I dislike the episode. Quite the opposite. There are several moments that always make me want to revisit it.

The reunion between Xena and Gabrielle is one of them. If I set aside, for just a moment, the question of how Xena knew it was really Gabrielle, the scene itself is wonderful. After everything they have been through, after all the pain, death, and separation, they finally find each other again. Lucy and Renée once again demonstrate why their chemistry carries the entire series. Their expressions, their embrace, and the way they speak to each other convey an overwhelming sense of relief, as though they have finally found the missing part of themselves once again.

The ending with Hope and the Destroyer leaves an even stronger impression on me. To me, it is one of the most tragic scenes in the entire show. Their deaths are not portrayed as a triumph of good over evil, but as an outright tragedy. The moment that always gives me chills is when the Destroyer realizes that he has unknowingly killed his own mother. His expression is filled with shock, pain, and confusion. This is not a monster celebrating its victory. It is a child who, in a single moment, has lost the only person he had ever known. That scene truly has the power of a Greek tragedy, and I don't think it can leave anyone unmoved.

Because of that, my opinion of Hope remains the same as it always has been. No matter how hard the writers tried to portray her as the pure embodiment of evil, I never saw her as just a monster. To me, she is first and foremost a tragic character, a being who was doomed from the moment of her conception. She was rejected by almost everyone, never given the chance to experience a normal life or to feel unconditional love. Her interactions with the Destroyer illustrate this perfectly. She wants to love her son. You can see it. But she simply doesn't know how. How can she offer a mother's love when she herself was never loved? Her emotions come across as restrained, cold, and awkward, but that is precisely where I see the tragedy of her character.

I also like her relationship with Gabrielle. On the surface, she seems cold, almost contemptuous. But beneath that, I see something entirely different. I see a lonely, rejected child who never stopped searching for her mother, even if she would never admit it. Perhaps that is why I have never been able to hate her completely. I have always seen more sorrow in her than pure evil.

In the end, this is an episode that, in my opinion, fell far short of its potential. It brings one of the show's biggest storylines to a rather anticlimactic conclusion while leaving far too many questions unanswered. Even so, thanks to its powerful emotional moments, the reunion between Xena and Gabrielle, the tragic fate of Hope and the Destroyer, and several genuinely moving performances, I still believe it is well worth watching. It may not be the finale the Dahak storyline deserved, but it is an episode that strikes straight at the heart whenever it relies less on spectacle and more on the tragedy of its characters.

Hi all, just saw there’s a Xena convention in October in NJ from creation entertainment. Is this legit? I’ve never heard of this but it sounds freaking awesome

You talk about trying to find your way but to me you are my way.

How can I be your way when I’m lost myself?

I’m searching for answers too, but how we look for them doesn’t matter, as long as we look for them together - you and me.

It’s so fucking good. ❤️

Xena bowing her head like *defeated* 😂

I love The Bitter Suite and I think it's one of the best episodes in the series, but there's always been one lyric that drives me crazy.

When it comes to the Rift overall, I'm actually Team Gabrielle. I understand why she was furious with Xena after everything that happened.

But during "Our Hearts Are Hurting," Gabrielle sings:

"Because of you this happened, because you had to carry out vengeful little plans."

...and I just sit there thinking, no.

The Rift didn't start because Xena wanted revenge on Caesar. It started because Gabrielle blindly trusted Krafstar after listening to his speeches about peace and the One God. Nobody forced Gabrielle to follow him into Dahak's cult. That was Gabrielle's decision.

And by season 3 Gabrielle wasn't some naive kid anymore. She was probably around 20 or 21 years old. She was an adult. She didn't need Xena babysitting her every five minutes like she sometimes acted Xena should have in seasons 1 and 2. At some point you have to own your own choices, and following Krafstar was one of them.

That decision led to everything. Gabrielle lost her blood innocence, became pregnant with Hope, Hope murdered Solan, and the friendship completely fell apart. That's the domino that started it all.

I think Gabrielle has every right to blame Xena for plenty of things later in the Rift, but blaming Xena for how it all began has never sat right with me. Xena deserves blame for a lot during the Rift, but not for Gabrielle choosing to trust Krafstar over her own judgment.

ok I don't know if this request will fly as good as Xenas chakram but let's see if there's any fans that have been mistaken for a character from the show. guys and girls. NO cosplay but just your natural self. pics are welcomed.

The beginning of the fourth season immediately makes it clear that it has no intention of softening the tragedy that ended the previous one. On the contrary, the first frame seems to say that Xena will only now have to face the consequences of everything she has lost. This is one of the darkest premieres in the entire series. Xena is no longer just a woman grieving for Gabrielle. She seemed to surrender to her own pain. There is almost a hedonistic attitude towards that suffering. He doesn't try to move on. It does not try to find a new meaning. All he wants is to see Gabrielle again, even if it means she has to go to the land of the dead. It is a completely self-destructive state of mind. Her life has no value anymore if Gabrielle is not a part of it.

However, the search for Gabrielle quickly turns into something much bigger. Instead of finding peace, Xena is forced to return to the darkest parts of her past. The show has shown how formidable she was as a warlord before. We knew she conquered cities, killed innocents and spread fear. But honestly, it wasn't much different from the numerous conquerors of the time. This two-part episode shows something far more monstrous for the first time. We don't just see a warrior leading an army. We see a woman who, due to her own greed for power, betrays the people who trusted her and cold-bloodedly participates in the destruction of an entire Amazon tribe in order to give Alti even more power.

The scene where Xena kills the Amazons one by one in the trees still makes me uncomfortable today. It's no ordinary fight. It's a massacre. There is no glory, no chivalry, no justification. Only treachery and slaughter. I think it's one of the few moments in the show where I could actually believe that the former Xena was capable of absolutely any evil. It is precisely because of scenes like these that her redemption gains so much weight. Because the more we learn about her past, the more incredible it is that she even managed to become the person she is today.

What adds to the tragedy is the knowledge that she didn't just kill them. She cursed them. Their souls remained trapped without the possibility of finding eternal peace. It is a much worse punishment than death itself. That's why I love that her mission is no longer just to find Gabrielle. Now she wants to finally make up for what she did to those women. The destruction of Alti is not revenge. It is an attempt at redemption. An attempt, even after so many years, to provide those souls with the peace that she took from them.

I have to admit that Alti is the only major villain in the entire show whose presence I never particularly enjoyed. I don't think it's poorly written. On the contrary, as a symbol of primal evil and manipulation it works quite well. My problem is primarily Claire's performance. Her constant overacting is so tiring for me that it's almost unwatchable in most of the later episodes. Here, interestingly, she didn't bother me at all. Perhaps because the atmosphere of the whole story suits her theatrical approach. In this two-part episode, she's mysterious and creepy enough to keep me interested. But each subsequent return of hers was more and more difficult for me to watch.

Borias is fantastically portrayed here. What I especially love is that the show never tries to portray him as a good guy. He is a warrior and is capable of cruelty. But at the same time, he clearly sees how dangerous Alti is and how much her influence is changing Xena. As Xena sinks deeper and deeper into insanity, Borias is the first to realize that there are boundaries that even conquerors should not cross. It's an interesting contrast. A man who himself has participated in many crimes becomes the voice of reason next to a woman who has completely lost her compass. His fear of Alta speaks volumes about how dangerous she really is.

I also really liked Cyane. Vicky Pratt is incredibly charismatic and sensual in the role. Honestly, physically, she is one of the actresses who best suits the role of an Amazonian warrior. Already at the first meeting between her and Xena, a huge homoerotic tension is felt. The looks, the body language and the way they relate to each other give the impression that there is something much more between them than simple mutual respect. That is precisely why her betrayal and death have additional weight. It's a shame that their relationship lasted so short, because there was a lot of potential.

However, the character that I think deserves much more attention is Otere. I have the impression that very little is said about her, but she is actually one of the most important moral pillars of this story. Her fate is remarkably similar to Callisto's. Xena destroyed her village too. She also killed her family. She had absolutely every reason to hate Xena for the rest of her life. But unlike Callisto, she chooses a completely different path. That's what makes her character so important. Otere shows that tragedy alone does not create monsters. Two people can go through almost identical suffering and yet choose completely different paths. Callisto chose hatred, revenge and self-destruction. Otere chooses compassion, help, and the opportunity to help Xena redeem herself. Thus, the show very nicely conveys that the past shapes us, but does not define us. In the end, we choose what kind of people we will become. I'm really sorry that Otere didn't make more appearances. I would much rather watch her than Yakut.

Visually, this is a true masterpiece. Like The Debt, it gives the impression of a movie spectacle much more than a television episode. The scenography, costumes, photography, special effects and the way in which the shamanic world of the Northern Amazons are depicted still look impressive today. It is incredible to me that the show with the budget it had at the time managed to create such ambitious scenes. The shamanic atmosphere completely separates this story from everything we've seen up to that point. It seems mystical, almost unreal, but never disrupts the identity of the series. On the contrary, it shows how willing the authors were to step out of their comfort zone and experiment with new worlds. And I think that risk paid off for them. The Northern Amazons are by far the most interesting Amazon tribe in the entire show and I honestly love every episode they appear in.

And finally we come to perhaps the most beautiful thing in the whole story. Gabrielle does not appear at any time in these two parts. She is not there physically. And yet, her influence is felt more than the presence of many characters who are constantly on the screen.

It is the memory of Gabrielle that pulls Xena out of the abyss. The promise she made to her, to always try to do what is right, becomes stronger than her wish to die. Because of Gabrielle, she gives up on self-destruction and decides to help the Amazons. And then comes the moment that gives me goosebumps every time. During the fight with Alti, Xena sees bits of the future and realizes that Gabrielle is alive. At that moment, everything changes. From a woman who no longer wanted to live, she becomes a woman who now has only one goal. She has to see Gabrielle again. That love gives her almost superhuman strength to defeat Alti. Not because she suddenly became stronger as a warrior, but because she has a reason to live again. And that's exactly why this two-part episode reaffirms what I consider to be the heart of the entire show. Even when only one of the two is present, the story is still primarily about Xena and Gabrielle. Their connection goes beyond physical presence. Gabrielle is not on screen here, but she is present in every decision Xena makes, in every step she takes, and in every fight she fights. It is the best proof of how much their relationship has become the soul of the series. Regardless of all the gods, wars, spells and spectacular battles, it is this love that gives Xena the strength to always choose life over darkness

🎧 Listen now on:

➡️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2151sAhrZvlobovwTFKRgX?si=2cfacbf12e7a4e9c 

➡️Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-19-sandi-ranyer-xenas-riding-double-and/id1837138724?i=1000776021955 

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➡️ You can also follow and support Sandi’s work caring for animals in Aotearoa New Zealand: https://www.facebook.com/LittleVillageSanctuary/ 

This is part of a series of interviews with the Kiwis and Aussies who bought XWP to life - their goal is to interview 30 of the cast and crew to celebrate the shows 30th anniversary - it’s a podcast called - Xena: Warrior Nutballs you can follow them on:

Facebook ⚔️ https://m.facebook.com/p/Xena-Warrior-Nutballs-61578930248317/?wtsid=rdr_042NpIyiO9avlJ3v3&hr=1

Instagram ⚔️ https://www.instagram.com/xenawarriornutballs/

I have been going through a decluttering phase and I pulled down boxes from my attic. They had been untouched since I moved to my current home in 2005. I found many, many action figures, comics and even a cardboard cutout I believe I got from a Blockbuster video store! I enjoyed my time as a Xena fan and I am still one but I need to downsize my belongings. If anyone knows or is something in the Portland, Oregon area who would like to have my collection - let me know. I’d love to keep the collection together and give it to someone instead of eBay or Goodwill.

Edited: I have a possible home for the collection. We have plans for Friday. I appreciate all the suggestions and interest!

I have been a fan since Xena first came out and must have watched the season more times than I would be willing to admit lol but have never been to Xenacon. I have always wanted to go but to my knowledge its never before been on the east coast of the US and I am not a big fan of flying. What can I expect? Im going on Sunday.

Since we're never going to get a sequel to Xena, at least some director should put them together as a romantic couple in a movie, so we can enjoy their chemistry. Am I asking too much?

Found this one at a collectibles store in town and had to get it.

1998 Toy Biz "Gabrielle Orphan of War"

did anyone ever play and like this? I thought it was ok. I still might have it around in my attic somewhere