Directed by Doug Lefler
Written by RJ Stewart, Rob Tapert, & Sam Raimi
Xena journeys homeward determined to make amends for the sins of her past, but her efforts to begin a new life are challenged by the vengeful warlord Draco.
Tropes
- Arrow Catch: Draco practiced this with the help of his mooks, managing to catch three at once. When he tries to catch four at once, he is tagged by one of them. When he confronts the person who drew blood, he complements the man and signs him up to his army.
- Duel to the Death: Xena challenges Draco to a fight on the scaffolding where the first one to touch the floor dies.
- Eye Scream: On the way home, Xena encounters a cyclops she once blinded and easily gets the best of him.
- Human Ladder: When the fight moves out of the scaffolding, both Xena and Draco resort to standing on villagers' sholuders.
- I Am a Humanitarian: The cyclops likes to eat humans.
- I Gave My Word: Draco honors his word without hesitation.
- I Have No Daughter: Cyrene feels this way towards Xena, but they make up in the end.
- Jumped at the Call: Gabrielle is eager to leave her town and join Xena in her adventures.
- Mirror Character: Xena and Gabrielle are very different, but they're also not the kind of people others think they are and struggle to prove it.
- My Grandma Can Do Better Than You: Lila doesn't think that Gabrielle has much of a chance to become a warrior.Lila: Gabrielle, I can beat you up.
Gabrielle: Yeah, well you're very strong for your age. - My Greatest Failure: Visits the grave of her brother, Lyceus, Xena reflects on how she lost her way since he died and regrets that no one believes she's changed.
- Reformed, but Rejected: The others in Xena's village don't believe her claims of having changed or warnings about Draco—thinking it's just another con to raise an army and telling her to go away. Cyrene wants to believe it's true, but she can't. Defied in the end when she saves them from Draco.Xena: It's not easy proving you're a different person.
- Shoot the Dangerous Minion: Averted. Instead of punishing a mook for managing to draw blood with an arrow, he promotes the man instead.
- Shadow Archetype: Draco to Xena, being a warlord whose attempt at redemption failed.
- Villain Team-Up: Draco wants nothing more than to team up with the old Xena.
- You Have Failed Me: Draco kills an underling for failing to follow Xena and instead telling her his plan. He gives the mook the opportunity to defend himself, but the guy clearly never stood a chance.
- You Are Not Alone: At Lyceus's grave:Xena: I wish you were here. It's hard to be alone.
Gabrielle: [appearing] You're not alone.
