THE BITTER SUITE

Gabrielle has been undergoing an Amazon purification ritual for 3 days. Xena is elsewhere singing a mournful melody on a mountaintop when Ares appears and inspires vengeance against Gabrielle. Also, a vision of Callisto appears to Gabrielle and inspires hatred against Xena for deserting her in Brittania. Joxer is concerned for Gabrielle's well-being and gets her out of the hut. Just then, Argo gallops into the camp carrying one angry warrior princess. Xena gives Ephiny, the Amazons, and Joxer a beating and then violently drags Gabrielle behind her running horse (NOT Argo) to a cliff where they both fall. Suddenly, as they land in the water, we hear Callisto's voice reciting something poetic. She looks...different. (Maxfield Parrish's artistic influence is beginning to show!) "Don't use words; sing a song! This is Illusia!" Yep, it's a MUSICAL, folks! Commence song sung by tarot card characters! Next, Gabrielle too is pulled nude from the waters -only, by Joxer. (He's dressed just as colorfully as Callisto.) He, too, clothes her. (There will be many costume changes.) Then we have a Xena war number followed by a Gabby in Potadeia number. The two worlds clash and it ends with Xena running Gabrielle through with a sword! After a song and dance with Ares, however, Xena feels remorse. "Did that ease your suffering?" asks Callisto. Then Gabrielle appears! Alive! "You killed me!" "I killed an illusion." "If that's supposed to make me feel better...." Next, the duo are transported to a large hall where they blame each other in song. Suddenly, Dahak's flames transport them to where Gabrielle lost her blood innocence. A song about hate is sung by their enemies: Callisto, Ares, Caesar, Khrafstar, and even each other. "That's what we're fighting -hatred!" Next is a loving "how could I hate you" tune. All of the bad guys burst away -except for one mysteriously cloaked figure.... Next, they find Solan at a waterfall. And the one enemey unveils himself as Ming Tien! Xena admits to killing him. "You lied?" asks Gabrielle. Xena asks for forgiveness in song. She also tells Solan she's his mother and apologizes, listing her regrets. Gabrielle offers her hand to pull Xena through the waters. Ming Tien bursts away and the next thing we know they are out of Illusia as friends once again.