Episode 3
The Dirty Half Dozen
Written by: Steven L. Sears
Directed by: Rick Jacobson

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

Guest Cast:
Kevin Smith as Ares
Charles Mesure as Darnelle
Katrina Hobbs as Glaphyra
Jon Brazier as Walsim
Jonathon Roberts as Agathon
Stephen Ure as Monlik
Peter Ford as Villager #1
Roy Snow as Athenian Captain
Adam Schlooz as Guard #1
Amron McCormack as Warrior #1
Campbell Rousselle as Warrior #2

Synopsis by Don MacLeod:
Xena rescues from prison a quartet of condemned mercenary killers - a thief, Monlik - a warrior, Darnelle - an assassin, Walsim - a slaver, Glaphyra - with the various skills she needs to go up against Ares and deprive his pet warlord Agathon of the metal of Hephaestus. With this metal Agathon will be able to organize an invincible army if Ares' plans are not nipped in the bud. She promises the quartet their freedom if they will aid her in this one task.

Xena sends Glaphyra and Darnelle to buy supplies at a nearby village while Monlik and Walsim are required to map Agathon's castle preparatory to an attack. When they return from scouting the castle Monlik rebels against Xena's authority and dies in a lone attack on Xena, without drawing up a plan of the interior.

In the night Walsim encourages Darnelle and Glaphyra to side with him against Xena and go free without taking the risk of challenging Ares, but Xena interrupts their secretive talk before anything is decided. Ares appears and tries to put Xena off attacking Agathon's castle. Agathon is aware of her intentions.

Xena, Glaphyra and Gabrielle are captured breaking into the castle, betrayed by the other two. Darnelle brings Xena a chain forged of the metal of Hephaestus. His apparent betrayal was part of a ruse to get inside the castle alive by seeming to be captured. The chain makes short work of sawing through the cell bars. Breaking out, they fight their way to the forge. Xena sabotages the furnace so that it will explode, taking the metal supply and Agathon's army with it.

Walsim flees, judging correctly that Agathon's chance of success is slim. Ares has promised not to intervene so Agathon and Xena face each other while the pressure builds in the furnace. Agathon dies rapidly - his specially forged weapons not being a match for Xena's chakram. Gabrielle, Xena and the remaining two mercenaries escape in the nick of time.

Episode 4
The Deliverer
Written by: Steven L. Sears
Directed by: Oley Sassone
Edited by: Robert Field

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

Guest Cast:
Kevin Smith as Ares
Jennifer Ward-Lealand as Boadicea
Marton Csokas as Khrafstar
Meighan Desmond as Discord
Karl Urban as Julius Caesar
Catherine Boniface as Meridian
Anthony Ray Parker as The Deliverer
Anton Bentley as Centurion
Patrick Kuhtze as Brit Guard
David Holton as Lieutenant
John Manning as Captain
Brad Homan as Jiela
Daniel Martin as Soldier
Andre Coppell as Squad Leader

Synopsis by Don MacLeod:
Discord and Ares argue about how best to deal with the growing cult of the One God. Ares is untroubled for he believes he knows an exceptional mortal who will destroy the god's temple for him.

Xena and Gabrielle meet a couple of bounty hunters transporting some prisoners from Britannia. When Xena hears that they are being taken to Caesar for fomenting rebellion in alliance with Boadicea she frees them, deciding to travel with them to the aid of Boadicea. One of the freed men, Khrafstar, is the chief priest of the temple of the One God in Britannia. He befriends Gabrielle, enthralling her with his exposition of the seemingly pacifist philosophy of his religion.

Ares appears to Xena and encourages her to destroy the temple of the One God, claiming that Caesar will be discommoded if it is overthrown. Xena and company take ship for Britannia. The ship is boarded by Romans who demand that they follow Caesar's decree that no ship is to land on the island. Xena agrees to turn back for Gaul.

On the shore the Romans are engaged by Boadicea and Xena, who secretly landed while sending her ship away. They see off the soldiers but Gabrielle and Khrafstar are captured. At dawn Caesar has the captives tied to crosses. Just as their legs are to be broken, Xena and a party of rebels spring from hiding and free them, rending Caesar's captured banner while he watches. Enraged, he summons all the Britannic legions to augment his army.

Xena and Boadicea make a stand on a range of hills, taking command of the One God's temple. Caesar's legions draw up on the plain beneath. Xena awaits the final battle with Caesar. Ares appears and urges her to destroy the temple. She refuses.

Khrafstar invites Gabrielle to witness the ceremony of Rejoining in the temple. Meridian, priestess in Khrafstar's absence, invokes the One God. His name turns out to be Dahak. Khrafstar seems confused when the ceremony calls for the blood of an innocent. Protesting, he is spreadeagled on the altar. While saving him from sacrifice, Gabrielle stabs and kills Meridian. The priestess looks at her with an odd grimacing smile, a mixture of pain, gratification and cunning. Khrafstar takes the knife from bewildered Gabrielle's bloody hands and thanks her for sacrificing her innocence in the cause of restoring Dahak to the world.

About to confront Caesar, Xena sees a storm brewing over the temple. Rushing there, she finds Gabrielle distraught beside Meridian's corpse. Khrafstar enters and thanks Xena for bringing Gabrielle to the temple. Xena fights him while Gabrielle floats in the air, enveloped in streamers of fire over the shattered burning altar. Khrafstar transforms into a horned demon, the Deliverer, and tries to drive Xena away. His bombast silenced by Xena's taunts, he is easily defeated while distracted by rage. Gabrielle starts to fall into the intensifying fire from Dahak's dimension but Xena hurls her out of danger at the last second.

The temple crumbles, walls and roof collapsing, leaving an arrangement of standing stones. While the wind whines through the tumbled temple, Xena holds a shaking Gabrielle who says, "It hurts inside. Everything's changed. Everything." Xena replies, "It's going to be okay. Promise."

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