A GOOD DAY

Xena uses her chakram to stop a crowd of innocents from being killed. We meet Phlanagus and his wife and child. Caesar and Pompey's civil war has reached Greece. Xena plans to ensure the war's happening so that they'll waste their forces and be forced to return to Rome. Phlanagus is a true Greek who just wants to be a fisherman. But war keeps calling. Gabrielle has some miners make a map of the local caverns. Meet Temecula. He's good with a bow and arrow so Gabrielle recruits him as messenger. Soon, Xena requires that everyone destroy their homes and cattle so as to leave the land worthless. After that task is complete, they plant Caesar's banner on the hill. This causes Pompey to want that hill. The trick is that the opposite side of the banner looks like it belongs to Pompey! Thus, the armies attack each other. "Xena," says Caesar upon discovering the trick. Preparations are made for more battles and Xena spies on Caesar only to learn half of his plan. That night, Xena hints to a very reluctant Gabrielle of putting Gabby in charge since Xena will be absent and "you know how I think." Later, Xena meets Pompey in the woods and they are soon joined by Caesar. Right where she wants 'em. Fire catapults! The three of them fall into one of the caverns. Caesar's troops retreat but Gabby suspects it's a trap! They must pursue the troops. Phlanagus puts Gabrielle in command! War! Gabrielle fights with her staff. Meanwhile, Xena sword fights with Caesar and Pompey. And we learn the second part of Caesar's plan. He figured Xena would have them follow his retreating troops! "I'll destroy them," he says. Xena leaves the two of them to fight and heads into battle looking for Gabrielle. Gabby sees Phlanagus go down. She throws a javelin but misses. Phlanagus is killed! Temecula kills his killer with an arrow. The fighting stops and Caesar and Pompey emerge to view the devastation. Back to Rome they go. Xena finally finds Gabrielle and brings comfort. At the funeral pyres, Xena tries to tell her how "it was a good day of fighting."

IN SICKNESS AND IN HELL

One beautiful morning, Gabrielle wakes up with foot rot and Xena with lice! (Xena's searching for Argo now.) Enter Joxer. He's been hired to protect a village from marauders and is looking for their help. As Gabrielle's fungal condition worsens, she heads off to catch some rabbit for breakfast. The rabbit attacks (in Monty Python fashion) after she lures it in, feeding it berries which "play tricks on the mind." They end up eating Joxer's radish stew, instead. Xena wonders why Argo is avoiding her. Was it because she saw Xena ride off on another horse? Gabby uses the chakram to scratch her fungus. So Xena ties Gabrielle's hands to keep her from scratching. Joxer returns. A sarcastic and irritable Gabby begs to be untied and throws up at his feet! Later, we find that Joxer's stew has given our duo stomach problems. Elsewhere, the bad guys capture Argo! Finally, Joxer and the girls arrive at the village. Their sickly condition does not inspire much confidence. We learn that the enemy is after the town's "Greek fire" -which is oil heated deep in the ground. Xena and Gabrielle bathe in the mineral bath and find they've caught each other's rot/lice. AH!!! Later, by an indoor fire, Gabrielle and Xena talk about Argo. Xena figures there's an assassin out to get her. Gabrielle drinks linseed root for her skin -which was supposed to go on her skin! Consequently, her tongue goes numb. That night, the assassin tries to kill Xena to no avail. Gabby drools all over his face in a very funny "pinch" scene. A demanding interrogation. Later, an attack and a fight! Argo's on the dark side? Joxer feeds his stew to the baddies and they are down for the count. Xena tries to free Argo and Gabrielle gets her hair tangled in a shrub while failing to whistle a warning about approaching warlords. Fight! Xena gets her horse back. Another fight! The village is saved. ...Joxer gets sick!

A FAMILY AFFAIR

A man goes in search of his dog only to be killed by some (as yet unrevealed) creature. Back at the fateful lava pit, Joxer is laying flowers in memory of Gabrielle. Suddenly, Xena grabs his wrist as she climbs out of the pit! "She's alive," Xena explains. "I had a vision." Joxer's not convinced but he follows Xena to Potadeia anyhow. Xena hears a group of kids cheering for a story and does a double take. But the storyteller isn't Gabrielle. Joxer sits and listens to the puppet show and Xena, quite suddenly, senses something. She turns around. Gabrielle? As they begin to walk towards each other, Joxer steps between them, amazed. She gives him a hug and a quick kiss and he faints. Xena and Gabby happily hug, Joxer heads off to let them catch up, and Gabrielle explains how she had sent out messages. Xena explains that she never got them. Gabrielle "got knocked into a niche in the wall" but Hope didn't survive. Next, Gabby tells Xena that there is danger in Potadeia. Joxer returns. "You guys better take a look at this." It's the remains of the man from the beginning. Later, Joxer and Xena are introduced (or reintroduced) to Gabrielle's family. Her father is harsh towards Xena because he feels she's had a bad influence on his daughter. Later still, Xena sets bait and has a fight with the creature. Sunlight scares it away. "That thing is Dahok's grandchild, the Destroyer." Worse news? "The girl in the other room is not Gabrielle; it's Hope!" And we're back to not knowing if Gabrielle is even alive. Soon "Gabrielle" and her sister, Lila, go for a walk. Xena catches up. Hope causes a broken bridge to collapse, endangering Lila, and then disappears to visit her child/monster. Xena goes on a "search and destroy" mission. Joxer is elsewhere, helping Xena. He crosses paths with Hope. Xena crosses paths with...Gabrielle? "Is that you?" Reunion! Xena let's Gabrielle know that Hope's alive. Joxer has been gagged and hung up by Hope where the Destroyer can eat him! Back at Gabrielle's home, Hope has convinced the family that Xena has wounded her. So, when Xena arrives, they kick her out. The real Gabrielle sneaks in and gives Lila the lowdown. But Hope sneaks up on Gabby! Xena frees Joxer and lets the monster chase her. Hope and Gabrielle share words and then Gabrielle escapes the household. Xena is fighting when Gabrielle walks in and pretends to be Hope. This distracts the Destroyer long enough for Xena to stab it in the back. When Hope comes in, the poor confused beast stabs her! They die together. Later, at night, Gabrielle tells Xena that the same things seem to come around -only they're wearing a different face. "You talk about trying to find your way," Xena says to Gabrielle, "but, to me, you are my way." "How can I be your way when I'm lost myself?" Gabrielle questions. How they look for the answers doesn't matter, reassures Xena. "As long as we look for them together."

ADVENTURES IN THE SIN TRADE II

After Xena performs an Amazon purging ritual, she has memories of a fight with Cyane when Borias, who was there to make peace, basically saved Xena's life. Later, Xena and the Amazons prepare for Alti. Meanwhile, Alti summons spirits to aid her cause. These very spirits inhabit the tranced Amazons, Xena fights them off, and the Amazons use their willpower to exorcise themselves. Later, the group makes camp on their way to Alti's stronghold. They set up a charm ring for protection. Xena recalls how Cyane had once asked her to join them. "We can teach you a new way; a new code to live by." Alti shows up saying, "We both live for power." But Cyane interrupts and quickly wins a spiritual duel (which looks a lot like an intense staring contest). Cyane makes her offer again. And we're back in present day. That night, Alti shows up as a spider, then takes the form of Gabrielle, then finally reveals herself as Alti. "Tell me who the blonde one is." Alti reveals to Xena how she cursed Solan before he was ever born. "Make sure that he never experiences the love of either of his parents." (She fears Gabrielle for the same reason that she feared Solan. She knows they have a stronger power than she has and can turn Xena from her darkness.) Xena kills the spider and Alti flees. Next, they head to the stronghold. Xena explains to the group how she murdered Cyane's Amazons at Alti's bidding. Flashback to a fight in the trees! Suddenly, in present day, Xena puts the pinch on everyone in the group -including herself. (Alti's spirits are close and there is no time for a trance dance.) Their spirits join Xena's and she faces Alti. Another fight in the trees! Alti shows Xena pieces of her future in order to make her live her death. And, in a pivotal moment, Alti shows Xena the crucifixion of Xena...and of a short-haired Gabrielle! She's ALIVE?!?! Xena kills Alti, un-pinches everybody, discovers the new holy word (love), and says farewell!