Episode 5
The Path Not Taken
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Written by: Julie Sherman
Directed by: Stephen L. Posey
Edited by: Doug Ibold

Regular Cast
Lucy Lawless as Xena
Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle

Guest Cast:
Bobby Hosea as Marcus
Stephen Tozer as Mezentius
Nicola Cliff as Jana
Jimi Liversidge as Agranon
John O'Leary as Antonius
Iain Rea as Brisus
Crawford Thomson as Dictys
Peter Sa'ena-Brown as Soldier #1

Two young lovers are sat under some trees in a small glade. They are celebrating their coming marriage and the fact that their union will end a centuries old feud between their families. Suddenly, Princess Jana (the girl) is startled by something. A group of soldiers appear and kidnap Jana whilst her betrothed, Prince Agranon, is knocked out cold.

Gabrielle and Xena are walking through a town. Gabrielle is philosophising about life. They reach a tavern and enter. Whilst Gabrielle chatters away, Xena deals with the unsavoury customers and manages to secure a table for her and Gabrielle.

Agranon has been watching Xena from a nearby table. He approaches her, placing a large bag of money on her table. He explains to her that his fiancee has been kidnapped and that this will lead to war between their respective kingdoms. Agranon believes an arms dealer from the city of Tracus is responsible. He pleads for Xena's help but she refuses at first. Finally she agrees, on the condition that Agranon distributes his gold amongst the hungry townspeople. She also takes Agranon's medallion.

Gabrielle is worried about Xena going to Tracus. She fears Xena might go back to her old ways. Xena reassures her. Agranon returns and is told to wait with Gabrielle for Xena to come back.

Xena rides to Tracus. Before reaching the city, she dismounts from Argo and sends her away.

Antonius, an emissary from Boeotia is negotiating with Mezentius, the arms dealer. He is requesting weapons for the coming war against Kolonus, in revenge for Princess Jana's abduction. Mezentius pretends to be sympathetic to their cause but as soon as Antonius leaves, he asks his second-in-command, Marcus if the princess has arrived. It appears he is preparing to supply arms to Kolonus as well.

In a tavern, a cutthroat named Dictys is boasting loudly of his exploits to his companions. Xena walks in and is immediately the centre of attention. Some patrons are suspicious of her because of rumours of her helping peasants but she tells them it is all part of her plan to gain their trust and that Draco spread these rumours because she bested him. Marcus, who is in the tavern, sounds unconvinced. Xena issues a challenge to him but he then asks about her mother and they embrace. It seems they are old friends.

Back in the town, Gabrielle asks Agranon about Jana. She persuades him to try to talk to Jana's father and convince him he would never hurt Jana. They both leave for Boeotia.

Marcus and Xena catch up on lost time. Xena lies to him, telling him she recently ransomed a king's baby. Marcus believes her and confesses that he's missed her. She admits she's missed him too.

Mezentius enters the tavern and addresses Dictys. He accuses him of stealing and then seems to be about to strike him dead. At the last minute, he kills a nearby man instead. It seems the man betrayed Mezentius by helping Dictys to steal from his boss. Mezentius seems impressed by Dictys' initiative so he offers him a job. He then leaves.

Marcus takes Xena to meet Mezentius, who plans to ravish the princess and kill her the following day. Marcus introduces Xena but Mezentius already knows of her and calls his guards. They surround Xena and Marcus, pointing their crossbows at Xena. Mezentius thinks Xena intends to steal his weapons and sell them back to him. Xena offers to talk business and he agrees to meet her in one hour's time. Xena asks Marcus to show her around in the meantime.

On their way to Boeotia, Gabrielle and Agranon are captured by the king's soldiers. Gabrielle is optimistic but Agranon is not so sure.

Marcus shows Xena where the weapons are kept and then takes her to his "favourite place in the compound". It is a room containing a natural hot spring. Marcus compliments Xena but she is distracted by the cries of the princess. She and Marcus go to find Mezentius, who is not happy about the distraction. Xena demands an immediate meeting and Mezentius reluctantly agrees.

In Mezentius' office, Xena makes him an offer. She tells him she can prolong the war indefinitely by fighting first for one side and then the other. This would distract both sides from realising Mezentius has the princess. Mezentius turns down her offer, stating the princess will be dead by tomorrow anyway. Xena tells him Jana is worth more alive as she can be ransomed back to the victor for a handsome sum. Mezentius is now interested. In return, Xena wants weapons and half his profits from both the war and the ransom. Mezentius agrees and a deal is struck. However, they are interrupted by Jana's voice.

They go outside to find Jana is threatening to jump from the high ledge of a building. Mezentius is about to shoot her down but Xena offers to speak to her.

Xena goes to Jana and explains Agranon sent her. Jana does not believe her until she produces Agranon's medallion. Xena tells Jana to meet her near the hot spring that night. Jana agrees and goes inside. Xena returns to Mezentius and persuades him to leave the princess alone, saying she will lose half her ransom value if he 'spoils' her.

That evening, Xena breaks into the weapons compound but she is discovered by Marcus. He is now suspicious of her but before she can explain, Mezentius arrives. Marcus pretends he was showing Xena the weapons and Mezentius leaves. Marcus accuses Xena of intending to steal weapons and she lets him believe that. Marcus then admits he also steals weapons and smuggles them out of the city via a well. He tells Xena he tried to change once but it didn't work out. They kiss.

Gabrielle and Agranon are in stocks in a prison cell. They discover they are to be executed the next day.

Xena and Marcus are getting very passionate but Xena puts a stop to it as it is time to meet up with Jana. She hurries to meet her and they are about to leave when Mezentius knocks on the door. Xena hides Jana in the hot tub, changes into a bath robe and then opens the door to Mezentius. He informs her that Agranon has been captured and is to be executed tomorrow. After receiving this news, Xena gets rid of Mezentius, who wants to join her in the tub. Once he has gone, she ushers Jana away.

Marcus enters the tavern. Brisus, one of Dictys' friends, tells Marcus that Xena did not kidnap the baby from King Gregor but rescued it instead. Angrily, Marcus attacks Brisus, but Brisus swears it is true. Marcus lets go of him. He looks troubled.

Xena is in the weapons store. She hides Jana in one of the weapon crates but then Marcus appears. He asks what is in the box. She tells him just bows and arrows, like the one he is holding. Marcus tells her he hadn't shown her this type of arrow yet. He offers to demonstrate its power by pointing it at the wooden crate. He is about to shoot the princess. Xena pleads with Marcus but he is angry that she used him to get to Mezentius. Xena suddenly realises how much Marcus cares for her and she asks him to come with her. He refuses and calls for the guards. Xena knocks Marcus down and then quickly ushers Jana onto some scaffolding, hopefully out of harm's way. She then fights and defeats the guards. However, Marcus has reached Jana and is holding a knife to her throat. Mezentius also appears, bow in hand.

Xena persuades Marcus not to kill Jana and he lowers his knife. However, Mezentius aims his bow at Jana and Marcus shields her with his body. He is struck with the arrow instead. Xena cries out his name as he falls from the scaffold. She hurls her chakram at Mezentius, cutting his throat open. He falls down dead.

Xena hurries to Marcus' side but there is nothing she can do. He dies in her arms.

Xena and Gabrielle follow a funeral procession. Marcus' body is carried towards a pyre and it is set alight. Xena sings a funeral dirge for Marcus. She mourns her lost love, calling him "my friend, my friend".

Episode 6
The Reckoning
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Written by: Peter Allan Fields
Directed by: Charles Siebert
Edited by: Doug Ibold

Regular Cast
Lucy Lawless as Xena
Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle

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

Synopsis:
Xena comes upon a group of dead villagers and fights their mysterious cloaked killer, but when the rest of the villagers arrive, only Xena is standing there with blood on her hands. The villagers think Xena was trying to rob their friends and they close in on her. Not wanting to hurt them, Xena flees but Gabrielle is captured, forcing Xena to surrender. In her cell, Xena is visited by Ares, god of war, who wishes her to become his queen. He will save her from her fate if she agrees.

Gabrielle wants to defend Xena at her trial, however, the villagers have other plans. They are about to lynch Xena. Benitar orders them to stand down and insists that Xena must have a fair trial.

Gabrielle goes back to the crime scene and finds an extra set of footprints. Excitedly, she fetches Benitar, the appointed judge but when he returns with her, the footprints have gone. He thinks Gabrielle is wasting his time.

The trial begins and the evidence is pretty damning. The surviving villager only remembers seeing Xena's face. The verdict is to be given the next day.

Back in her cell, Xena is severely beaten by Peranis. She passes out and appears in Ares' chamber. He reminds her of who she used to be. She loses control and escapes her bonds. In a battle frenzy, she attacks Peranis and breaks out of her cell, attacking the guards as well. Gabrielle enters and Xena strikes her too. Shocked, Xena realises what she has done. Gabrielle flees.
Xena tends the wounded, Peranis included. Benitar applauds her actions, especially the fact that she didn't run away even though she could have done.

Gabrielle returns that night, with Argo in tow. She intends to break Xena out of prison. Xena refuses to go with her. Instead, she calls on Ares and gets him to agree to give her what she wants. She asks that she can choose whichever great heroes she wants to fight alongside her in her newly-formed army.

The next day, Xena is declared guilty of murder and is taken out to be executed. The villagers jeer at her whilst Gabrielle watches anxiously. Ares stands silently watching. Xena calls for Ares to give her Areolis, Doracles and Polinios. As they appear, the villagers cheer. Polinios explains he and his companions were attacked by a cowardly hooded man and that Xena battled to save them. Hearing this, Benitar drops all charges against Xena - she is free to go. Ares, meanwhile, is gracious in his defeat.

As Xena and Gabrielle leave, Gabrielle tries to hit Xena in revenge for what happened earlier. Xena doesn't even seem to feel it, whilst Gabrielle clutches her hand in pain. Gabrielle asks about the dead villagers and Xena tells her about Ares. We hear his voice saying "until next time, Xena....until next time".

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