Written by RJ Stewart
Directed by Gilbert Shillton
When the Furies find out that Xena never avenged the death of her father, they curse her with persecution and madness.
Tropes
- Batman Gambit: Xena manages to turn the tables on Ares by insisting that the Furies are present for when she kills her mother, only to convince them that Ares is her father, therefore acquitting her mother from the crime.
- Bed Trick: This is implied to have happened between Cyrene and a god — possibly Ares.
- The Cameo: Callisto appears for a split-second in one of Xena's hallucinations.
- Driven to Madness: Xena by the Furies
- Full-Frontal Assault: Not played for laughs or titillation, but when a confused Xena confronts a village full of women and children, accusing them of murder.
- Human Shield: Xena is about to use Gabrielle as one of these — then informs her she's just kidding.
- The Madhatter: Xena's bout of insanity if a more nuanced take. She acts crazy and sees hallucinations, but she's still capable of kicking butt. She even managed to see through Ares plan to bring her to his side. All while being aware that she's gone nuts.
- Mama Bear: When Xena was seven, Atrius came home drunk from a temple of Ares and insisting he had been told to sacrifice her. When he refused to listen to Cyrene and threatened to kill her, too, she picked up an axe and put him down.
- Morton's Fork: Gabrielle seeks out Orestes for help, as she heard he was obligated by the Furies to avenge Agamemnon's murder at the hands of Clytemnestra or suffer madness. She finds Orestes in an asylum and initially thinks he didn't go through with it, but the keeper of the place tells him he did.Keeper: Ahh, it's all a lie. If they persecuted him for not avenging his father's murder, what were they going to do to him for killing his mother? There was no way out for him.
- Reluctant Psycho: On some level Xena realizes that she's going mad and tries to protect the people around her.I am a lunatic with lethal combat skills. If I stay around here innocent people are gonna get killed.
- Rhymes on a Dime: The Furies
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge:
- Rule of Three: The Furies
- Slasher Smile: Xena
- Spectacular Spinning: Rufinus believed Xena's easy pickings with her insanity. She proceeds to knock down everyone by twirling her fists.
- Staring Kid: One boy in particular gets an eyefull of naked Xena.
- Stripperiffic: The outfits of the Furies, which are basically bikinis and capes.
- Villain Respect: Ares once again congratulates Xena for figuring a way out of one of his schemes.
- Wham Line:
- Lysis explains that Xena is tasked with avenging a family member, but she initially assumes he means Lyceus and is told different.Lysis: Your father.
- And, of course, the confession.Cyrene: I killed Xena's father.
- Lysis explains that Xena is tasked with avenging a family member, but she initially assumes he means Lyceus and is told different.
- Wild Hair: Two of the three Furies save for Alecto, who has Boyish Short Hair. Xena has it too by the end.
- What Does She See In Her: Once again, Ares voices his frustrations on Gabrielle's ability to bring her back to the side of good.
- Ares: I still don't get what you see in her.
- You Killed My Father: Inverted. By the end it's Xena comforting her mother over the fact that Cyrene killed her father.
