Tag: Syndicated

While searching for a path through a forest, Xena hears the sounds of an attack in progress. She arrives on the scene and discovers the bodies of three men. A fourth is about to be killed by a man in a black hooded cloak. She fights the man until he leaps into the air and disappears. She tends to the survivor of the attack, but he is delirious and pushes her away just as villagers appear. Seeing the blood on her hands and sword, they are convinced that she is the one who attacked the farmers. They try to grab her, but she lets out her war cry and waves her sword before running off toward Argo. She races back through the wilderness looking for Gabrielle. Xena doesn’t have time to explain for the villagers are not too far behind.

Back in the village, the people are upset and want revenge for the deaths of their friends and loved ones. But Benitar thinks they should have a trial. Xena has found a place in the mountains for them to hide and has told Gabrielle about what happened. She knows she will have a hard time getting out of this. The next morning, the several of the villagers are waiting as Xena and Gabrielle make their way back down the mountain. Gabrielle is thrown from the horse, and the men grab her. Xena tells them to release her or else. Finally they agree and Xena surrenders. In her cell, the hooded man reappears. Xena has figured out who he is – Ares, the god of war. He tells Xena that he wants her to be his warrior queen and ruler of the world. He can make all of that happen, if she will call for him.

Gabrielle begs Benitar to let her be Xena’s advocate. He says he can’t, but before they can discuss it further there is a comotion outside. The villagers have just demonstrated how they execute criminals, by dragging a dummy through the streets from a wagon. They plan on doing the same to Xena. Ares allows Xena to see him, hoping she’ll call for him, but she doesn’t. Benitar tells the people there will be a trial, and finally agrees to let Gabrielle to speak on behalf of her friend. Gabrielle decides to return to the scene of the crime for a look around. She discovers that there are footprints made by a warrior’s boots different from Xena’s. But before she get get Benitar there to see them, Ares has wiped them away. The trial gets under way, with Benitar as judge. Gabrielle has her work cut out for her in defending Xena. Things go fairly well, until the survivor is brought in. He doesn’t remember much about the attack, but he does remember Xena.

Later that night, one of the villagers enters Xena’s cell and begins to beat on her. Ares appears to her and tries again to convince Xena to agree to his plan. He encourages her to use her superhuman strength and she does. The man and the guards are surprised when she yells and breaks the chains. She knocks the man to the ground and the guards hurry out of the cell and close the door. But that doesn’t stop the warrior princess. She breaks the door down and attacks the guards. She has just taken the last guard when Gabrielle enters. Before she realizes what she is doing, Xena has hit her friend and knocked her into the stairs. Only when she sees the look on Gabrielle’s face does she stop. The young woman rushes out.

Benitar comes to the prison. Xena is tending the men she has just beaten. Benitar is puzzled by her actions. Xena realizes that it doesn’t matter what has happened here. She has done worse in her past and could be capable of doing it again. Benitar says the judgement will be in the morning. Later, Xena is surpised when Gabrielle appears outside her cell. The bard has found Argo and plans on having the horse help her break Xena out of the prison. Xena appriciates the gesture, but tells her no. She has another way out of this.

written by Peter Allan Fields
directed by Charles Siebert
music by Joseph LoDuca

Guest Cast: Kevin Smith (Ares), Bill Johnson (Benitar), Ross Harper (Polinios), Christian Hodge (Teracles), Sam Holland (Teen Son), Phaedra Hurst (Teresia), Danny Lineham (Grathios), Meryl Main (Areolis’ Widow), Christopher Mayer (Peranis)

LogBook entry by Mary Terrell

Xena is in pursuit of the bandit Hesiot. She has cornered him and his men. They try to take her, but she easily subdues all of them except Hesiot. He steals a horse from a man that has entered the area. Xena takes off after him, leaving Gabrielle behind. Hearing voices from a cave, Gabrielle decides to investigate. Several priests have gathered and they are having a young woman read a chant from a scroll. They are about to give up on the chant, when Gabrielle tells them that the girl is using the wrong rhythm. She takes the scroll and reads it aloud. When she has finished reading, the ground shakes. She has just freed three Titans – Hyperion, Thea, and Crius. Xena has caught up with Hesiot at a tavern in the village. Before she can take him away, warriors appear in the tavern. Surrounded, Xena will have to let Hesiot go to fight them. Gabrielle suddenly appears, and she has brought the Titans with her. Believing that she is a goddess, they will obey her commands. When she orders it, Crius scatters the warriors easily. Gabrielle then orders the Titans to make repairs to the dam and other things that the villagers need taken care of. When they return, Hyperion demands that she uses her powers as a goddess to create a feast for the Titans. Gabrielle makes excuses as to why she doesn’t want to do that. Hyperion blows the young woman down. He’s annoyed to learn that he has been taking orders from a mortal. The Titan wants to take Gabrielle with them, but Xena stops him. He laughs when she says that she’s the “goddess’s” protector, until she stabs him in the foot when he tries to crush her and Gabrielle. Xena tries to find a place to hide Gabrielle, but Hyperion is demolishing all of the buildings in the village.

Finally a young preist leads the to women to the temple of Cronus. The Titans will leave that temple alone since it honors a fellow Titan. Hyperion threatens to kill any mortals he finds unless the villagers hand over Xena and Gabrielle. But the villagers are just as afraid of the warrior princess as they are the Titans. Some villagers realize that several of the children are missing. They had set out on an excursion earlier in the day and haven’t returned. Xena leaves the temple to search for them. Hyperion has heard the children and manages to send them into the cave that the Titans are staying in. Crius doesn’t like the what Hyperion is doing, and the two soon get into a fight. While they are fighting, Xena sneaks in and rescues the children. When she brings them back to the temple, Hesiot has convinced the villagers to free him and help him capture Xena. Hesiot and one of the villagers take Xena to the Titans. But while he and the other man aren’t paying attention, Xena has freed herself and escaped. Hyperion is angry and crushes the two men.

Xena returns to the Titans cave and overhears what Hyperion is planning. There are hundreds of Titans imprisioned in the cave and he wants Gabrielle to read the chant that will free them. When Xena goes back to the temple, she tells the villagers of Hyperion’s plans. She has an idea of her own and puts the villagers to work on it. Later Xena gets into an arguement with Gabrielle. And when no one else is looking, the young woman sneaks out of the temple.

written by R.J. Stewart
directed by Eric Brevig
music by Joseph LoDuca

Guest Cast: Andy Anderson (Hesiot), Edward Campbell (Crius), Jack Dacey (Creon), David Mackie (Rhodos), Syd Mannion (Calchas), Mark Raffety (Hyperion), Paolo Rotondo (Philius), Amanda Tollemache (Thea), Simon Cameron (Villager #2), Julianne Evans (Second Woman), Sian Hughes (Young Woman), Peter Morgan (Barkeep), Maggie Tarver (Villager #1)

LogBook entry by Mary Terrell

A group of bounty hunters attempt to kill Xena, but fail. One is hit in the throat with a dagger and Xena removes it and treats his wound. Later at an inn where she and Gabrielle have taken the man, loud screams are heard. The gods have chained Prometheus. Immediately mankind looses the gift of healing that they recieved from the great Titan. The next morning, Xena and Gabrielle head to a temple. Inside Xena recieves instructions from the oracle about how to free Prometheous. When she returns to Gabrielle, she asks what her friend would do if anything were to happen to her. Gab says she could become a bard, but doesn’t really want to discuss it further. They stop at a merchant’s tent to ask directions to Vulcan mountain. Xena asks Gabrielle to wait there for her. At the cave of Hephestus, Hera’s warriors chase after Xena. She finally loses all of them and finds the sword she has been looking for.

Returning to Argo, she is greeted by Hercules. He insists that she hand over the sword. She fights him briefly, and then leaps onto Argo and races off. While Gabrielle is waiting for Xena, Iolous arrives. The two talk briefly until Xena shows up. She warns Iolous not to follow them. They stop for a rest at a barn, and more of Hera’s warriors appear. Hercules and Iolous are also there and soon they have defeated the warriors. But one is still determined to stop them and he grabs the sword that Xena retrieved earlier. When he swings it at her, Hercules blocks the blow with his guantlet and the soldier disentigrates. The chains of Prometheus were made by Hephestus, just like Hercules’ guantlets, so whoever breaks the chains will meet with the same fate as the soldier.

The foursome have reached the mountain that Prometheous is chained upon and enter a cave. Zeus had once shown the caves to his son and he knows that it will be a shortcut to freeing the Titan. Not far into the cave, Gabrielle discovers that Iolous was wounded during the fight in the barn. At his insistance, she agrees not to tell the others. As they continue on, there is a cave-in. During the commotion, Gabrielle bumps into Iolous and aggravates his injury. She decides to break their agreement and tells Xena and Hercules about what happened to Iolous. They decide it would be best if he stayed behind and rest. Gabrielle agrees to stay with him. Xena and Hercules continue on, but soon the gift of fire is lost. Fortunately they have found the opening they will need to reach Prometheus. Hercules starts to climb up to it, but Xena knocks him out and takes the sword, and then begins to climb out of the cave.

written by R.J. Stewart
directed by Stephen L. Posey
music by Joseph LoDuca

Guest Cast: Michael Hurst (Iolous), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), Jody Dorday (Io), John Freeman (Prometheus), Russell Gowers (Demophon), David Mitchell (Innkeeper), Paul Norell (Statius), Sarah Wiseman (Young Woman)

LogBook entry by Mary Terrell

In Corinth, King Sisyphus is preparing for a visitor. That visitor is Celesta, otherwise known as Death. Sisyphus manages to trap Death and separate her from her eternal flame. As Gabrielle and Xena are walking through an orchard, they are confronted by a warrior named Toxeus and his men. He wants Xena to join him. She tells him she’s not interested, but he won’t take no for an answer. They have a brief struggle and Xena kills him. Or so she thinks. As she and Gabrielle walk away, Toxeus opens his eyes and sits up. With Celesta being held captive, no one will die. Xena and Gabrielle are traveling down a road when they hear a thunderous noise that shakes the ground. Xena tells the bard to take cover, and a menacing chariot approaches from a fog that has appeared. The driver removes his helmet and the warrior recognizes him immediately. It’s Hades and he has come to ask Xena to free his sister from Sisyphus’ castle. Further down the road, Xena and Gabrielle encounter a group of people, many of them injured. While Xena tries to ease the wounded’s suffering, Gabrielle goes to get water. Toxeus appears and grabs the young woman. The warrior shows up and fights Toxeus again. She manages to trap him with a tree limb she cuts with her chakrum. Gabrielle has made friends with a young man, Talus, who was traveling to Corinth and stopped to help the injured people. He joins the warrior and the bard on the road. He also gives Xena more information about Sisyphus’ castle since he grew up there. The warrior sends them on to the hospital near Corinth and tells them to wait there. Toxeus has found where his friends are. They are surprised to see him still alive. He stabs all of them, making a small army of the undead. Toxeus wants to find out where death is being held and he sends men to follow Xena as well as Gabrielle and Talus.

When Gabrielle and Talus reach the hospital, an old woman is asking for water. The bard goes to talk to her while Talus gets the water. The woman tells her that she died this morning, but before she crossed over she got sent back to the living. She warns Gabrielle that if Xena touches Death or if Death touches her, she will die. Gabrielle is upset and decides to head for the castle. Talus agrees to go with her. Xena easily takes care of the two men that have been following her, and makes her way to the castle. Once inside, she is met by Sisyphus. She asks him to free death, but he won’t. Instead he opens a trap door that the warrior is standing on and she falls into the dungeon of the castle. Talus shows Gabrielle a hidden entrance to the castle. As they are walking through the hallways, some of Toxeus’ men show up and chase them. They go up a flight of stairs, but before Talus can reach the top they colapse and he slides into a trap door. The stairs return to the way they were and Toxeus’ men run up after Gabrielle. She manages to find a hiding place in a recess behind a curtain. Xena has regained consciousness and is searching for a way out of her prison, when Talus appears out of a chute nearby. Together they find a passage out of the dungeon. Finally they make their way up into the main part of the castle. But Talus is in pain. He explains to Xena that he has been ill for sometime and is about to die. He reassures Xena that she is doing the right thing. Neither see that Karas, Sisyphus’ wife, has been listening. She returns to her husband and pleads for him to release Death but he won’t. Instead he goes off in search of Xena. Karas finds her before he does and tells the warrior she can help her to find Celesta before her eternal flame is extinguished.

teleplay by Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster
story by Adam Armus, Nora Kay Foster and Babs Greyhosky
directed by Charles Siebert
music by Joseph LoDuca

Guest Cast: Ray Henwood (Sisyphus), Leslie Wing (Karas), Erik Thomson (Hades), Chris Graham (Toxeus), Gordon Hatfield (Seerus), Kieren Hutchison (Talus), Kate Hodge (Celesta), Paul McLaren (Streptus), Wayne England (Wounded Man), Kelly Greene (Guard), Beryl Te Wiata (Old Woman), Allan Wilkins (Thug)

LogBook entry by Mary Terrell