Written by RJ Stewart
Directed by Andrew Merrifield and Charles Siebert
The devoted friendship between Xena and Gabrielle is severely threatened when Gabrielle gives birth to the child of Dahak.
Tropes
- Animal Stereotypes: When Hope is born in a stable, all the other animals are panicking except for a single goat.
- Balance Between Good and Evil: Xena is warned that Dahak entering the world would break this balance and lead to the end of goodness.
- Burn the Witch!: Some villagers try to do this to Gabrielle.
- The Dragon: Hope to Dahak, at least in time.
- The End of the World as We Know It: Discussed. Some of the Knights believe that Hope will eventually lead to Dahak entering the world, which would mean the end of all good.
- Express Delivery
- Faking the Dead: Gabrielle claims to have throw Hope from a cliff, but viewers see she's still alive. That will have consequences and not just on this show.
- Fetus Terrible: Hope, of course."You carry within you the child who will bring a new order to the world—the child of darkness."
- Later graduates to Enfant Terrible. Best exemplified when she strangles a guard to death with his own medallion, offscreen. Xena enters the room to find the guard dead with horrible chain marks in his neck, and Hope innocently sucking on the medallion.
- Knight Templar: The Knights of the Pierced Heart.
- Morning Sickness: Gabrielle
- Oh, Crap!: After insisting she's not pregnant, Gabrielle freezes up."It moved."
- Our Banshees Are Louder: They're also intangible when they want to be and freakin' crazy. They also worship Gabrielle due to her being pregnant with Dahak's child.
- Surprise Pregnancy
- Wacky Cravings: Gabrielle
- Wham Shot: Hope in the basket.
