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Xena: Warrior Princess Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
24 Episodes 1995 - 1996
Episode 1
Sins of the Past
Mon, Sep 4, 199545 mins
Xena returns to Amphipolis, the place she grew up, in order to try to make up for past sins. On the way, she saves the people of Potidaea from the warlord Draco. Her actions attract the attention of a young woman, Gabrielle, who decides to follow Xena in the hopes of a more exciting life. Xena easily bypasses the Cyclops, whom she blinded in an earlier fight. Gabriel is trapped by him in a cage as she tries to pass. She uses guile to escape, claiming she is hunting Xena and will bring a leg for him to eat once she kills her. Xena is not welcomed by her mother as she brought so much trouble to their community in the past. Gabrielle arrives in time to successfully defend Xena to her mother. Xena seems destined to bring a new round of trouble because Draco has sent Hector to track her down and take out her village. Hector, still stinging from his defeat at Potidaea, wants revenge. Xena's hometown residents offer carts of food and money to Draco to leave them alone. Draco refuses, insisting he wants Xena. Xena talks him into fighting a duel to the death. He lets her pick the weapon. She picks swords. He picks the site - the scaffolding where they have met. The first person to touch the ground is to be shot by Draco's troops, even if it is him. As the fight ensues, Xena nearly goes down when the bamboo decking becomes loose and starts to roll out from under her. She regains her balance and knocks Draco off. Draco's soldiers won't shoot him. She makes him swear by the hand of Ares that he will leave and not ever attack Potidaea again.
Episode 2
Chariots of War
Mon, Sep 11, 199545 mins
Xena heads out looking for a river crossing, leaving Gabrielle behind in a tavern full of soldiers and cut-throats. Xena happens upon a group of pacifist farmers. One farmer's little girl senses some approaching danger but is unable to speak yet. Soon enough, a band of soldiers shows up planning to kill the community that is trying to establish themselves in lands Cycnus claims as his. Xena springs to the farmers' rescue but takes an arrow from Cycnus' son, Darius. The girl's father helps Xena remove the arrow although it requires he push the arrowhead all the way through her abdomen. She cauterizes the wound with a hot bar. Back at the tavern, a ruffian hits on Gabrielle. She puts him off by declaring her boyfriend is Darius. She hops onto his lap and gives him a kiss as a demonstration of her story. He likes it. So does she. Cycnus chides Darius for being a coward, unlike his brother who died at Corinth. He tells Darius to call a meeting with the farming community to talk peace but actually getting them all together for a slaughter. Darius does so but is uncomfortable about massacring everyone. Xena sees Cycnus coming in his chariot to do battle. She sends Gabrielle riding ahead of them as a decoy while she commandeers the second chariot from behind. She manages to wreck Cycnus before she and Gabrielle also crash. Cycnus shows up at the meeting wanting the killing to start. He tells Darius that it was Xena who killed his brother. She corrects him telling the brother was trying to bring about peace when his own troops killed him from behind. Darius refuses to do his father's will. Xena slays Cycnus in a sword fight.
Episode 3
Dreamworker
Mon, Sep 18, 199545 mins
Gabrielle wants Xena to teach her how to defend herself. Xena says taking up arms should be a last resort. Suddenly, a group of armed men appear demanding tribute. Xena takes them on, dispatching their leader. From the bushes, two men watch with interest. They think Gabrielle is a perfect candidate to be their innocent maiden in their Solstice celebration to Morpheus. The chosen woman must not have killed anyone. When Xena and Gabrielle get to a nearby village, there are no women and the men run for cover as Mystic warriors appear. While Xena fights them off, they snatch Gabrielle for their ceremony. To be the Bride of Morpheus, Gabrielle must pass three tests. These are designed to confirm her innocence. If she draws blood, she will be sacrificed. In the first test, she lets the two warriors fight each other, just as Xena had suggested as a good strategy. Xena enters her own dreamscape with help from an old, former Mystic who is grateful for her replacing a missing halter for his horse. He sends her in a dreamscape passage where she can interact with Gabrielle. She tells Gabrielle to use wisdom the next time, namely, talk herself out of fighting. Gabrielle succeeds with this in getting the three warriors haggling over who is the best. The third challenge has a knife-bearing wall forcing her into combat with a swordsman. About this time, Xena frees herself from her dreamscape trance just in time to avoid being killed by the Mystics. She rushes to help Gabrielle survive her last challenge and free her from the Mystics. The former, old Mystic is restored to power and will work collaboratively with the community.
Episode 4
Cradle of Hope
Mon, Sep 25, 199545 mins
When a seeress tells King Gregor that a newborn child will one day sit on his throne, a woman sets the baby in a basket on a river to protect him from the king. Xena and Gabrielle find the baby. King Gregor doesn't want to harm a baby but his guard captain is determined to eliminate any threat.
Episode 5
The Path Not Taken
Mon, Oct 2, 199545 mins
Agranon, the prince of Colonus, and Jana, the princess of Boeotia, are celebrating how their upcoming wedding will settle a centuries-old feud between their respective countries together. Suddenly, masked mercenaries overpower Agranon and kidnap Jana. Xena and Gabrielle learn of this when Agranon approaches for help at a tavern. He is sure that his bride-to-be has been taken to the arms dealer Mezentius who stands to gain much wealth if he can supply weapons to both sides in the war that will surely break out with Jana's disappearance. Xena travels to Trachis, his stronghold, acting like her old, fame-and-profit driven self. She needs to disguise her altruistic mission. There, she encounters and old friend in Marcus. He senses that she has somehow changed, but Xena uses her feminine wiles to remind him of past times in which they enjoyed each other's company. After scoping out possible means by which to effect Jana's escape, she settles on stowing her inside a large arms chest that will be shipped out. But Marcus catches her in the midst of her preparations. Xena has an emotional discussion about the rewards of doing things for their merit instead of profit. Marcus shouts out an alarm. Mezentius rushes in and draws an arrow to shoot Jana. Marcus jumps in front of her and takes the shaft in the chest. He changed his mind. Xena, incensed, quickly kills Mezentius with her chakram. At Marcus's funeral, Xena mourns the loss of a true friend and sings a burial dirge.
Episode 6
The Reckoning
Mon, Oct 16, 199545 mins
Xena is set up by a mysterious man to look like she has slaughtered villagers, who want swift revenge even though their headman insists on a fair trial.
Episode 7
The Titans
Mon, Oct 30, 199545 mins
Xena encounters Hesiod, an old ruffian of the road, and fights him and his men. He escapes to a nearby village on horseback. Gabrielle enters a cave where some a holy party are reading an inscription on an old scroll, hoping to waken a trio of Titans that were turned to stone. Nothing happens until Gabrielle reads the scroll with the correct pronunciation. The three Titans break out of their rock shells and proclaim Gabrielle as the goddess who can direct them. She assigns them duties to help out the villagers whose priests were trying to awaken some Titan help. One of the Titans, Hyperion, begins to tire of doing menial tasks. He suspects that Gabrielle is not a goddess and proves so by blowing her over. When he would squish her, Xena steps forward as her protector and pokes him in the foot with her sword. This gives him license to go on a rampage and ruin much of the village. All the people rush to the Temple of Chronos that the Titans respect. Hyperion claims he will kill anyone who come out unless Xena is turned over to him. Hesiod figures that he can get in Hyperion's good graces by turning over Xena to him. He works with one of the villagers to throw a net over Xena and confined her in a cage made of stout sticks. He bargains with Hyperion who is ready to hand over a golden reward. But Xena escaped out the back end while he bargained. Hyperion dispatches Hesiod and his villager companion. He swears to do in anyone venturing out of the temple. Gabielle, upset when Xena leaves her out of plans to overcome the Titans, strikes out on her own. If she can find the correct scroll in the cave, she can reverse the awakening. She succeeds in getting to the scrolls before being discovered. Xena arrives just as Hyperion is ready to crush her with a cave formation. Xena and her crew manage to trap Hyperion's hand in a wooden clamp that allows Gabrielle just enough time to read the incantation that will return them to stone.
Episode 8
Prometheus
Mon, Nov 6, 199545 mins
Xena fights off a quartet of thugs wounding two of them. As she tries to nurse them back to health, they suddenly die, even though one was only slightly hurt. This is a sign that Hera has chained Prometheus and the healing powers he brought to humans is no longer working. This is underscored when several more ill people suddenly die. To return the ability to heal, Xena needs to win the sword of Hephaestus and use it to break his chains. Alone, she heads to the temple to learn how to obtain the sword. It involves navigating a maze with a series of booby traps while evading armed guards. She succeeds and pulls the sword from a stone. When she rejoins Gabrielle, Hercules and Iolaus have attached themselves to the party. Hercules and Xena argue over who gets to cut Prometheus loose. It's not vanity that causes the scuffle but trying to protect the other. As the sword cuts the chains, both it and its holder will be converted to ash. En route to where Prometheus is bound, the quartet encounter a party of guards. In the skirmish, Iolaus is injured. He starts to deteriorate, hopeful that Prometheus will be freed before he perishes. Xena knocks Hercules out so that she can climb the grapple line and free Prometheus. At the top however, she finds a nest with 7 large eggs filled with warriors who prevent her from approaching Prometheus. Hercules awakes and climbs up to the nest without a rope. As the two fight, a flying dragon snatches Xena from the nest. In the air, Xena manages to work her way to its back. She stabs it to death with her sword. As she is falling, she tosses the sword to Hercules who deflects it with a rock to cut one of the chains. No one was holding the sword. Immediately after that, Hercules lines himself up with the plummeting Xena and catches her. Mission accomplished. Xena and Hercules exchange a kiss as do Iolaus and Gabrielle.
Episode 9
Death in Chains
Mon, Nov 13, 199545 mins
King Sisyphus is sure his time is at hand. When Celesta, the Goddess of Death, approaches his castle carrying a candle, one of the guards tries to stop her. The guard tries to impede her progress and promptly falls dead upon touching her. Inside, Sisyphus is ready for her. Before letting her collect him, he invites her to a sumptuous feast that has been laid out on the table. She sits to share the food but is immediately trapped as iron manacles, hidden in the chair's arms, clamp her wrists firmly in place. Iron chains are added for extra security. As long as Celesta is unable to carry her candle, no one can die. Sisyphus thinks that his trick has brought immortality to previous mortals. This becomes obvious when Xena and Gabrielle are beset by a band of swarthy warriors under the command of Toxeus. Although Xena mortally wounds him in a sword battle, he pops back up after being down a few moments. A short time later, Xena and Gabby are met on the road by Hades. He tells her about his sister Celesta's captivity and asks for her help in freeing her. Xena agrees to aid him. On the way to Sisyphus's castle, they encounter a band of residents who were injured in a landslide. Some of them should have been killed outright but cannot die. Gabby is smitten by Talus, a handsome man on his way to Corinth. He tells her a romantic tale as they take some of the wounded to the closest hospital. Xena continues to the castle, leaping up to catch projecting rods to find her way in. She confronts Sisyphus in the hallway. He knew she was coming and is prepared. Suddenly, a trap door in the floor opens and she plunges down a shaft into a torture chamber. Gabby talks Talus into coming after Xena fearing that she is not aware that touching or being touched by Celesta is fatal. Soon, Talus ends up trapped with Xena. He grew up in the castle and helps her find her way to the king's chambers. Talus tells Sisyphus that if Celesta's candle burns out, humankind will be subjected to eternal agony. Despite terrible wounds or pain, death will not be able to free them from their pain. Sisyphus recants just in time, although Toxeus and his band storm into the room hoping to stay immortal.
Episode 10
Hooves and Harlots
Mon, Nov 20, 199545 mins
Someone is trying to start a war between the Amazons and the centaurs, which Xena tries to prevent after a dying Amazon princess leaves Gabrielle her right of caste.
Episode 11
The Black Wolf
Tue, Jan 9, 199645 mins
King Xerxes arrests a group of villagers, demanding they surrender the mysterious "Black Wolf" and followers. Xena arranges to be arrested to help them escape.
Episode 12
Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts
Mon, Jan 15, 199645 mins
Xena and Gabrielle arrive to Troy during the Trojan War when the warrior princess is required by an old friend, Helen. While Xena tries to win the war, Gabrielle meets Perdicas, her ex-fiancé, who's working now as a mercenary for Troy.
Episode 13
Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards
Mon, Jan 22, 199645 mins
Gabrielle auditions to attend the Athens City Academy to train as a bard -- but others trying for the few open spots include Homer and Euripides.
Episode 14
A Fistful of Dinars
Mon, Jan 29, 199645 mins
Xena and Gabrielle join two men of doubtful reputation (including Xena's ex-fiancé) in order to find the Treasure of the Sumerians and prevent the wrong hands from getting the most valuable part of it: Ambrosia, the food of the gods, which grants immortality.
Episode 15
Warrior... Princess
Mon, Feb 5, 199645 mins
Someone is trying to kill Princess Diana, so Xena has to protect her. Since Xena and Diana are physically identical, they exchange their roles so Xena can discover who's the killer.
Episode 16
Mortal Beloved
Mon, Feb 12, 199645 mins
Xena's dead love Marcus appears on Earth to tell her the underworld has been taken over by mad Atyminius, who has confined the good souls to Tartarus and given evil the run of the Elysian Fields. But if Xena succeeds in getting Hade's Helmet of Invisibility back, Marcus will be punished in Tartarus forever.
Episode 17
The Royal Couple of Thieves
Mon, Feb 19, 199645 mins
Xena drafts Autolycus to steal back the property of some friends of hers, which turns out to be the Ark of the Covenant.
Episode 18
The Prodigal
Mon, Mar 4, 199645 mins
After she and Xena are assaulted, Gabrielle asks herself if that's really the kind of life she wants to spend and returns to her village, Potadeia, which is going to be attacked by a warlord. Their only help will come from a former mighty warrior, Meleager, who is now but a shade of he used to be, while Gabrielle has to face her sister, Lila, who doesn't like the decision she took when she decided to travel with Xena.
Episode 19
Altared States
Tue, Apr 2, 199645 mins
Xena rescues a young boy on the run from his father, who wants to sacrifice him.
Episode 20
Ties That Bind
Mon, Apr 29, 199645 mins
An old warrior claiming to be Xena's father complicates her rescue of a group of slaves.
Episode 21
The Greater Good
Mon, May 6, 199645 mins
Xena gets poisoned, and Gabrielle must take her place in fighting a warlord and protecting a village and the merchant Salmoneus, a.k.a. Lord Seltzer.
Episode 22
Callisto
Mon, May 13, 199645 mins
A blonde woman called Callisto kills innocent people stating she's Xena, Warrior Princess, and Xena and Gabrielle try to stop her. They meet for first time a warrior-wannabe called Joxer, and Xena has to face a dark event from her past related to Callisto and her village, Cirra.
Episode 23
Death Mask
Mon, Jun 3, 199645 mins
Xena finally confronts Cortese, the warlord who burned her village and turned her into a warrior.
Episode 24
Is There a Doctor in the House?
Mon, Jul 29, 199645 mins
When Xena and Gabrielle take a wounded and pregnant Ephiny to a healing temple in the middle of a civil war, Xena must take over as healer when the priests would rather pray than act.
