ADVENTURES IN THE SIN TRADE

Xena tracks down Hades and discovers that Greek Amazons go to a different land of the dead. And Xena heads off on a horse other than Argo. She kills an animal, collects some herbs, and begins to hear Gabrielle's voice calling her name. She has flashbacks of being with Borias and meeting a Shamaness named Alti. This Alti correctly perceives that Xena is with child. (Solan!) In present day, Xena has adorned herself in Shaman garb. She finds a dead Amazon, fights off some thugs, and buries her. Some other Amazons witness this from a distance. Xena has memories of Gabrielle and mourns. She remembers Alti teaching her that she can visit the dead. Xena slaughters the horse, drinks blood, and goes into a dance trance. "She must want to cross over to the other side and she needs the horse's spirit to do that," says one of the spying Amazons. Suddenly, Xena falls and her spirit is transported to the land of the dead. She meets the Amazon that she buried earlier and tells her about Alti. We hear Alti claim she'll make Xena "the destroyer of nations." Xena also meets the legendary Cyane, Queen of the Amazons. "I killed her." She and her tribe are stuck there. (Alti's doing.) Meanwhile, the spying Amazons relocate Xena's body. Back in the land of the dead, as Xena is told the path to Gabrielle, Xena realizes that she can't follow. "There's something I gotta do; something you'd want me to do." She's going to try to stop Alti and find the right holy word that will allow the Amazons to fully cross over into eternity. Xena returns to the land of the living. Soon, she finds herself fighting the Berserker. He has the power to make you relive your past. But Xena defeats him. And, since this power is ultimately Alti's, she must be defeated next. To be continued....

SACRIFICE II

Xena and Callisto fight! Xena traps her under boulders yet again. Another fight! Xena vs. Hope's special powers. Callisto frees herself. (That didn't take long.) Xena things Gabby's protecting Hope when she's really protecting Xena. So Gabby clears the air. Xena notes how "the one I love the most in all the world and the one I hate look exactly the same." (I didn't know Xena liked Hope so much.... Just kidding!) Callisto disguises Hope in a getup just like Gabby's. We see Ares kneel before Dahok's flames in servitude. Later, after Hope mentions something about unfinished business, Ares and Hope share a few kisses! Callisto finds Xena and tries to switch sides. Seems Hope isn't giving her oblivion soon enough and she's getting impatient. She's after something called the hind's-blood dagger. (It can kill a god.) Xena eventually allows her help. Elsewhere, Joxer and Hope cross paths and he thinks it's Gabrielle. Soon, Xena makes the same mistake. (Hope's trying to find the dagger to kill the Olympian gods.) When Xena realizes who it really is, Ares shows up and disappears with Hope. Later, as the gang travels, Joxer falls off his horse and Xena harshly makes him leave their company.... We learn that Hope is pregnant with Ares' child! Hope and Gabby have a talk. "Come be my mother." But Gabby's sorry the poison didn't finish Hope off! Next, Xena and Gabrielle have a talk. Xena is fully expecting to die in this fight. Fight! Turns out that Joxer was sent to get the dagger -which Xena now takes. Callisto takes out Ares while Hope tries to turn the blade on Xena as she goes in for the kill. But Gabrielle yells and tackles Hope and both fall into a deep lava pit! NO! Callisto gains some meaning to her life, having witnessed this, and a stunned Xena turns around and kills her.

SACRIFICE

Callisto escapes from a portal in the sky! Elsewhere, Xena and Gabrielle rescue Gabby's childhood friend, Seraphin, from being sacrificed. We learn that she wanted to be sacrificed...for the goddess, Hope! Hope is helpless and in a cocoon awaiting her rebirth. She has promised Callisto oblivion in return for her help. Ares feels the threat of all this. Later, Xena manages to trap Callisto under some boulders. With Callisto out of the way, Xena goes in to kill Hope. But as she goes in for the kill, Ares disappears with Hope! Next, Xena, Gabrielle and Seraphin escape a zombie-like crowd of disciples. Seraphin places enough doubt (about Hope's evil nature) in Gabrielle for her to let Seraphin go free. However, it was an act and all part of Xena's plan. "That was good," says Xena. "Seraphin should lead me right to her." While Xena follows, Ares takes Gabrielle to the Fates. He's calling in her debt! (Remember how he got her to Chin ahead of Xena?) "The burden is on Gabrielle," says the Fates. If Xena kills Hope, they will cut Xena's life thread! Elsewhere, Xena throws her chakram just as the priests are about to sacrifice Seraphin...again. A fight! Seraphin is wounded and smears her blood on the cocoon to release the newly strengthened Hope. And just as Xena tries to kill Hope before she is reborn, Gabby comes out of nowhere and tackles her! Hope is reborn! And she looks just like mommy. To be continued....

VANISHING ACT

Some guy named Adar gives a speech honoring a statue called Pax. It's a symbol of peace for the surrounding villages. However, it quickly goes missing. But who is in charge of this misguided, albeit impressive, act? Xena soon finds Autolycus hiding incognito amongst the crowd. Only, she finds him disappointed that he didn't steal it himself! His reputation as the King of Thieves is at stake. So, in order to regain his title, the gang agrees to steal Pax back "the Autolycus way." (Xena is talked into this because Autolycus saved her life back when she inhabited his body.) They learn that the thief is a man called Tarsus. To the ship! Gabrielle goes in first, disguised, and makes an offer for Pax. Next comes a disguised Xena. The first step is to keep Tarsus from melting down the statue. Auto is introduced as Xena's slave. He causes a diversion while Xena causes the furnace to lose heat. Later, Auto sees an optical illusion in the castle and gets an idea. Meanwhile, the gals bid over Pax and Xena wins. Gabrielle joins the following party while Xena and Auto get some paint. They soon join the party, however, where Tarsus is revealed as the man who killed Autolycus' brother! Not only that, but he recognizes and points out Autolycus! To the locks and chains for Auto! Xena is tied up and gagged. (That lasts a whole five seconds.) She meets up with Gabrielle and they figure out that Autolycus' new plan is to kill Tarsus! Xena talks him out of it. (What would your brother want and all of that.) A fight! Pax, after being hidden via optical illusion, is returned.

TSUNAMI

Gabrielle sees a fortune-teller who foresees danger and death. (A typical day!) Xena tells Gabby that fate is more what you make of it. They split up to get supplies when Gabby finds Autolycus boarding a ship as a convict! She gets arrested trying to free him and the ship leaves port. Xena hops on board and discovers that Auto wanted to be captured! (The convicts were being sent to mine diamonds.) Suddenly, passengers begin feeling the ship jolt. (Gabrielle learns that Thadeus, the man in charge, has a wife named Soraya who is secretly pregnant.) Xena discovers that the sea level has dropped significantly. In fear, the captain changes course. Too slow! They're hit by a tsunami and the ship is sent floating upside down underwater! Xena is relieved to find her friend alright "'cause I need your help." Xena helps Thadeus (who has a broken leg) while Macon (one of the convicts) opens Door #1. This releases air making the ship sink lower! They manage to steer themselves onto the reef's edge near a geyser. "What are we going to do?" asks Gabrielle. "I'm workin' on it," Xena replies. Auto feels guilt about getting his friends in this situation, but he says something that gives Xena an idea. Soon, one by one, they're gonna ride the geyser's current to the surface breathing with wineskins. Soraya finally tells her husband that they're going to be a family. On the way up, Macon loses his air bag and fights Xena for hers. Xena saves him regardless. "Why'd you come back? What did you expect?" he later asks Xena. "From you? Nothing. From me, nothing less." And Thadeus learns to treat people fairly.

FINS, FEMMES & GEMS

Aphrodite has stolen a mystic diamond for use in her own constellation. And, so that Xena and her "pesky posse" (Gabrielle and Joxer) don't get in the way, she puts a spell of obsession on each of them depending on what they are thinking/looking at. Coincidentally, Joxer becomes obsessed with acting like an Ape from a love story, Gabby becomes full of herself, and Xena just has to go fishing! Xena maintains focus (somewhat) on retrieving the diamond. She creates an avalanche...then she goes fishing. Soon, while preparing a fire, she notices that Gabrielle is missing! She saves her from drowning! (Gabby had fallen in the water while trying to kiss her own reflection!) Then, while talking to Joxer, Gabrielle appears to him as a she-monkey. And Xena remembers catching fish with a young Lyceus. They had found a "great opponent" (for a fish) named Solaris. Now Xena has a renewed interest in catching him. She cuts off a piece of Gabrielle's hair to use as bait. "Do you ever get the feeling that we're forgetting something really important?" asks Gabrielle. "That diamond thing," replies Xena. The next thing we know, the ape-man returns and takes Gabby away. Xena rescues her...and goes back to fishing. Then, Xena inspires jealousy in Gabrielle, making her think that Aphrodite only wanted the diamond because she thinks she's more deserving/perfect. Thus, Xena uses Gabrielle's obsession to put her focus back on the diamond. Gabby finds the diverted thugs and fights them, capturing the gem. Joxer helps. Finally, Xena launches the diamond into the heavens (along with Solaris -who took it as bait). Suddenly, with some insight, the spell lifts from each of them in turn. Well, except for Joxer. (They'll help him tomorrow. Anything to torture the poor guy!) Xena learns to make sure Gabrielle feels appreciated for a change.

FORGET ME NOT

Looks like Gabrielle's past has finally caught up with her. She has memories of what happened with Hope and they're affecting her ability to even eat and sleep. "It's like I'm paying for something but I don't know what it is." Xena is elsewhere, so Joxer steps up to try and help. But Gabrielle eventually decides to enter the temple of Mnemosyne. The priestess there has the ability to empty a person of all their memories. Even the good ones! Gabrielle learns that her memory has three rivers and that she must cross them all in order to find the answer to her pain. Only then will she make the decision to lose her memories or to keep them. Soon, Joxer breaks his way into the temple to rescue Gabrielle. But he leaves with a memory-less version of her. Next, we see the journeying Gabrielle on the bank of the first river. Ares appears and warns her! She steps into this River of Wailing anyway. She remembers losing her blood innocence and all that went down with Crassus. She ends up covered in blood and screaming! After that ordeal passes, she manages to make her way to the icy River of Woe. Ares warns her yet again. Elsewhere, Joxer tries to remind the shell of Gabrielle who she is. (The first scroll he reads to her is called "Sins of the Past!") Meanwhile, the journeying Gabrielle falls into the water and remembers what happened in China. (Joxer is busy making himself out to be mighty.) After a setback, Gabrielle moves forward through a fiery river where she recalls Illusia...and the moment when Xena left Gabrielle to head off to Chin. It was Ares! He's the one who transported Gabrielle to China ahead of Xena! And, most importantly, we learn that Gabrielle's motivation wasn't to stop Xena from killing. It wasn't to save a best friend. No, it was out of jealousy over Lao Ma. She was jealous that someone else might be more important to Xena than herself! This has been torturing Gabby because her action (based on such a petty feeling) nearly destroyed her best friend. Now that she has the answer, does she decide to get rid of her memories? Back with Joxer, Gabrielle's memories return to her in full! Suddenly, Xena shows up. She knew what was going on with Gabrielle (Gabby talks in her sleep) and had them wait at the temple to give her a chance to deal with it all. Now, Xena's just glad that she made it back. Gabrielle tries to apologize to Xena. "No, it's over," Xena replies.