CRUSADER

We see Xena and Gabrielle battling a band of attackers. A woman rides in on horseback and joins the fight against our heroes. She is about to kill Gabrielle when she suddenly stops and gets on her knees begging forgiveness. Meet Najara. Her invisible guides through life (the "Jinn") told her all about them and their quest. They agree to join her in her fight against a man named Marat. At the campfire that night, Najara offers her army to Xena in order to gain her trust. The next day, they battle the baddies and Najara catches an arrow meant for Gabrielle. Remember Xena's crucifixion vision? Well, the Jinn tell Najara about it while Xena is worrying over it in her own private moment. She believes it can be avoided. Xena figures that if she leaves Gabrielle with Najara (so they can start a hospice), their fate will be altered. "Goodbye," she says to the sleeping Gabrielle. But Xena soon learns that Najara eventually executes the "not decent people" who don't turn to her "light." She races to find Gabrielle who has just been initiated into this "light." Feeling that Gabby is now her responsibility, Najara gets possessive and fights Xena. She even wins! Gabrielle convinces Najara not to kill Xena and they leave together. When Xena comes to, she sneaks her way into their cave of a hideout and fights Najara again. This time, however, she uses Gabrielle to distract her. Finally, they have Najara tied up and taken away. She never told Gabrielle about Xena's vision, though. Why not? Because that would hurt her. And Najara doesn't ever want to do that. "That's your job," she tells Xena.

LOCKED UP AND TIED DOWN

A good ol' back massage gets interrupted by a band of thugs. Fight! It turns out they're actually there to arrest Xena for the murder of some woman named Thalassa. Xena surrenders, guilt-ridden. She is taken to court where testimonies are given and she's sentenced to life imprisonment on Shark Island. Gabrielle soon learns of a job opening on the island and asks when the next boat leaves. Xena arrives on the island and is recognized by one of the inmates who soon asks for help escaping. "Not interested," Xena replies. Next, Xena buries a woman who was hung for killing a guard. The guards continue to give Xena hell and fight her after she defends an inmate. A cloaked commandant woman appears and has Xena chained. She then reveals herself as an embittered Thalassa! (The old Xena had left her to the flesh eating crabs.) She has Xena thrown into a pit with rats. Gabrielle arrives as the new healer and helps Thalassa. Later, she uses a broom as a staff and gets rid of the guard. She delivers the chakram to Xena. But Gabrielle is captured and taken to be hanged! Just as Thalassa decides that she can't go through with it, the guard goes against her wishes and opens the trapdoor. Fortunately, Xena throws her chakram, cutting the rope just in time. Chaos ensues. A fight! Thalassa gets back in touch with her soul and thanks Gabrielle. She also gives some advice to Xena -which she takes. Xena won't let "that monster I used to be...destroy all the good I can do now."

A TALE OF TWO MUSES

Xena and Gabrielle travel across a desert and enter a town to get some new shoes. They find Tara there and save her from being punished for dancing. That's right. Dancing. The chief magistrate, Istafan, allows her to be banished instead of whipped. However, they soon return to town because Tara's got a mind to change things. She apologizes to the community and to Istafan. He shows her mercy enough to let her stay. That night, Xena regrets having fried food and Gabrielle feels the forbidden urge to dance. Later, a reformer named Philipon arrives. (It's Autolycus in disguise. Xena sent for him.) He preaches about the evils of dancing and goes around reforming the town. A townsman named Andros dances secretly with Tara and tells her he's leaving. (He wants her to go with him.) Xena learns of this and convinces them that running away isn't the answer. Stand and fight. Elsewhere, Philipon senses Gabby's unresolved energy. "I can tell you need to get...." "-Dancing!" Soon, Xena and Gabrielle lead the town's kids into their new choreographed military training exercises. Gabby's shoes have new metal patches on them. So, she does something a lot like tap dancing. We then learn that the kids will be taught how to kill. After all this egging on, Andros' dad finally protests. He announces his intention to run against Istafan in the upcoming election. Later, Istefan stages an assassination attempt which Xena quickly uncovers. A dance!