-> Written by Creator/PaulRobertCoyle
-> Directed by Creator/GarthMaxwell

Xena and Gabrielle respond to an urgent message from Meleager the Mighty (Creator/TimThomerson). By the time they have arrived, he has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. The duo now race to find out whether he was innocent or not.


!Tropes

* TheAlcoholic: Meleager himself which put him in his current mess in the first place.
* ArrowCatch: Xena catches a few crossbow bolts, including one with her ''teeth''.
* AssholeVictim: Kalaman was a violent thug. Xena was defending an unarmed man when she killed him.
* BrokenPedestal: Gabrielle's faith in Meleager is shattered when she learns he lied about giving up drinking. In getting them to make up, Xena cautions Gabrielle about putting people on a pedestal and having expectations that are too high.
* CallBack: Kalaman was actually killed by Xena. This happened when Gabrielle was at [[Recap/XenaS01E13AthensCityAcademyOfThePerformingBards the Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards]].
* CorruptBureaucrat: Judge Arbus runs the town and has a reputation as a ReasonableAuthorityFigure interested in justice above all else, but he's actually this. He supposedly gave Volkur the Vicious a fair trial rather than turn him over to a bloodthirsty mob, but a witness tells Xena that's a lie. An innocent man was mistaken for Volkur, and Arbus knew that, but he didn't care and had the poor guy tried and executed for the sake of his own reputation. He's also content to let Meleager be executed, despite the insistence that Xena is on the way with proof of his innocence; he even orders his men to kill Xena if she shows up.
* FakingTheDead: The plan to shake up Arbus and get him to confess relies on a belief that the dead haunt a guilty person. Xena poses as the executioner and fakes the hanging, leaving the supposedly dead Meleager to confront Arbus when they're alone.
* LikeASonToMe: While filling out his will, Meleager intends to leave everything to Gabrielle, who he refers to as the closest thing to a daughter he has ever known.
* OffTheWagon: Meleager had worked to quit drinking since he last saw Gabrielle, but he slipped. As a result, he was drunk when the murder happened and can't be sure he didn't actually do it.
* PartingWordsRegret: Gabrielle gives up on Meleager after learning he lied and actively avoids him. Xena warns her that this will happen if she doesn't talk to him while she still has the chance.
* TheReveal: Meleager didn't kill Kalaman; Xena did.
* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: Gabrielle tampered with the food she knew the guards would take from Meleager.
* WhamLine: "You didn't kill that man. I did."
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->'''Disclaimer:''' ''[[CostumePorn By popular demand, "The Executioner" will bring back his comfortable lightweight cotton-flax blend robe in a variety of spring colors.]]''