GUEST STARS
Kevin Smith (Ares)
Jennifer Ward-Lealand (Boadicea)
Martin Csokas (Khrafstar)

CAST
Meighan Desmond (Discord)
Karl Urban (Julius Caesar)
Catherine Boniface (Meridian)
Anthony Ray Parker (The deliverer)

CREDITS
Written by Steven L. Sears
Edited by Robert Field
Directed by Oley Sasson

The Synposis of the One-God

Ares shows off a new kind of metal to a disinterested Discord, but it seems Ares has other things on his mind as well. A "one-god cult" seems to be giving Ares a bad feeling. Discord wonders why Ares does not just destroy the temple and get it over with, but Ares wonders aloud if any gods on Olympus would dare to make this "one-god" angry. Ares claims he has a mortal handing this image/delicate affair and everything will be back to normal on the old Mount.

Meanwhile back on Earth, Xena and Gabrielle are discussing Gabrielle's new theory of everything. Xena wonders aloud why Gabrielle is thinking about such things. Their musings are interrupted however by a band of Roman guards leading prisoners back for trial. Xena walks by seemingly disinterested until one of the prisoners utters, "we will never bow to Caesar!" Of course, Xena turns around and helps the prisoners...after all, she knows just how Caesar deals with his prisoners. Xena learns from one of the prisoners named Khrafstar, First Priest of the Temple of the One God (ah..if someone introduces himself to you like this...I suggest you run the other way), that Boadicea is making a stand against Caesar. Khraftsar tells them Caesar has captured this temple in Brittania and he wants it back. Xena smells a chance to get back at Caesar the only way she knows how...a battle!

Xena joins Khrafstar and the other prisoners on a boat bound for Brittaina. But just before she is about to board, guess who should show up...ah, all together now...ARES! It seems that the god of war wants a little favor to ask his favorite warrior, destroy the temple (I guess godhood doesn't come with a set of...well, you know) for the greater good. To push Xena on, playing on her hate for Caesar, he tells her that Caesar sometimes asks some advice from the god of war, but according to Ares, "I don't always answer." Ares request seems clear enough...destroy the temple!

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a conversion to monothesism..." Ah, while Xena is off planning her date with destiny and Caesar, Gabrielle begins to have a heart to heart chat with our one-god priest. He speaks of his god, the one-god, and how his god changed his life (can I get an amen! Hallejuhah! Lord, have mercy?). Gabrielle seems to understand and teaches Khrafstar the pressure point to avoid sea-sickness. Roman soliders board the ship and tell them to turn around, but of course Xena's got other plans. She signals her connect with her trusty sword and heads for shore anyway (like Xena ever needs permission to go anywhere!). Roman soliders realize too late that Xena and her gang have made it ashore, but they begin to prepare for battle when suddenly a woman riding a chariot approachs. It is Boadicea. A battle on the beach ensues as Xena and Boadicea forget their past (seems Xena betrayed Boadicea by joining up with her army and then stealing the army right from under Boadicea's command)...well, at least for the moment! But in the confusion, Gabrielle and Khrafstar are captured by Roman soliders (insert Gabrielle with knife to her throat shot here) and taken back to the Roman camp...and right into Caesar's hands.

Just when Xena and Boadicea are getting chummy and cozy with one another, Xena realizes Gabrielle is missing ("have you guys seen my best friend? Anyone?"). Xena does some butt-kicking when she realizes Gabrielle has been captured and Boadicea knew it the whole time. Meanwhile in the Roman camp, Gabrielle has a little "foot in the mouth" moment when she reassures Khrafstar that Xena will get them out of this. Of course who should be sitting just hidden out of sight, but...you guessed it...Caesar! Caesar gives our bard a nice "divide and conquer" philosophy lesson and then utters in his oh-so-scumbag way... "So you're a friend of Xena's!" Gabrielle tries to back pedal, but Caesar isn't buying it. Her fate has been sealed, Caesar tells her, she is to be taken up to the hill come morning. Gabrielle and Khrafstar exchange some more "one-god" moments...god is good, god is great...yadda, yadda, yadda. Morning has arrived too soon, and Gabrielle and Khrafstar are placed on crosses. And in the Caesar touch, he has ordered Gabrielle's legs broken because "it would mean something to Xena." Just as hammer is about to meet bone, Xena pops out of the ground and saves the day and Gabrielle's legs. And in one "up-yours" moment, Xena tears Caesar's personal flag to pieces. This angers Caesar (hey, maybe his mother made it for him or something...) and he grabs a javelin and hurls it toward Xena (yeah, like she won't see a large stick flyin' toward her...real subtle Caesar!). Xena counters this "attack" by launching her chakrum at javelin, it splits into two and a large splinter arches back and embeds itself in Caesar's hand (ouch, I get misty-eyed when I get a splinter the size of a needle gets caught in my foot). Caesar orders, "I want ever legion in this country here by tomorrow!" And walks away...("ah, divine and conquer this pig..sorry...").

Xena and Gabrielle have a little heart to heart chat about our Roman friend in the armor. Gabrielle tells Xena about her little philosphy lesson and says "he has this aura about him" (don't you think Xena should have had a little talk about Gabrielle about her taste in men!). Later on, Xena and Boadicea having a meeting of the minds to determine their next move. Xena decides to throw a little of the "divide and conquer" stategy back at Caesar. They decide the best approach would be to split Caesar's army, so they attack his strongholds. First, they decide to free the temple. Once this mission is completed, Xena leaves Gabrielle with Khrafstar at the temple (have you ever had a "if only I'd have done that" moment...well, Xena is about to have one!). Ares appears to Xena and asks her to destroy the temple again! Xena wants to know "what is it about this god that bothers you so much!" Ares shouts "this is our world, Zeus, Hades, Poseidan!" Xena counters, "and before that it was the world of the Titans. Oh, but that's right, Zeus overthrew them. You're just afraid that history will repeat itself" (well, at least we know Xena payed attention in those Greek history classes in school!). Ares warns, "we're not evil. This god is." As Xena walks away, Ares seemingly pleads, "trust me Xena." But Xena turns around and shouts, "based on what!" (Oh, well Ares, that was smooth. I guess trying to get Xena to kill her own mother wasn't the greatest of plans!").

Khrafstar invites Gabrielle to witness the rededicatition of the temple. Meridan tells Khrafstar that the ceremony has changed some since he left, so she offers to lead the prayer. As Meridan progress, Khrafstar leans over to Gabrielle and tells her that the ceremony has changed a lot since he left. Suddenly she says there must be a blood sacrifice, a sacrifice of an innocent, to the dark one, called Dahak. Worshippers grab a confused Khrafstar and tie him to a flat stone altar. He calls for Gabrielle to help him. She manages to break free just as Meridan prepares to stab Khrafstar with the sacrificial dagger. She pushes Meridan out of the way and manages to get the knife away from her. She starts to cut Khrafstar loose when Meridan lunges at Gabrielle with a sword. Gabrielle ducks, but turns around and stabs Meridan. Before Meridan falls to the ground, she gives Gabrielle an odd smile. She is dead. As Gabrielle looks at the blood stained knife and her own blood stained hands, Khrafstar takes the knife away and utters the lines that still give me nightmare at night...okay, they just really make my skin crawl:

"Thank you Gabrielle. Dahak needed a sacrifice and not just one of flesh and blood, he wanted your purity, your innocence of evil, and you just gave it to him. This world and all who are on it will be no more. The new kingdom of Dahak will rule and you Gabrielle will bring it to us."

Gabrielle lets out an blood-curdling scream...now this did give me nightmares at night.

Xena prepares for battle with Boadicea by her side. Boadicea acknowledges that Xena has changed and although all is not forgiven, she does owe her a thank you for coming up with a plan to defeat Caesar. Boadicea notices dark clouds gathering almost unnaturally over the temple. Xena utters with stark realization, "that's where Gabrielle is!" She arrives at the temple to see Meridan layed out on the altar and Gabrielle crying in the corner. She asks Gabrielle who did this.

"I did. I killed her. I killed Xena.
"Gabrielle, you couldn't have..."
"No, I did. I just stabbed her."
"Accidently..."
"No, Xena. I murdered her."

Khrafstar enters the room as Xena is comforting Gabrielle. Gabrielle pulls away in disgust and Xena realizes that something is VERY wrong. Xena draws her sword and yells, "what have you done to her, you bastard?" Insert Khrastfar scary monologue number two:

"Done to her...I fulfilled her destiny. She's for Dahak!"
"Who's Dahak?"
"The blinding force that will sweep this Earth. The old, blind, crippled, mammed, your so-called gods all will be destroy. Dahak will bring the cleasing fire of war to the world, a war begun of innocene."
"This is not the one god of the Israelittes."
"No, but that one will be taken care of in due time, but thank you for Gabrielle."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Look inside yourself, you brought her here and why did you come to defeat Caesar. Dahak appreciates rage."




Xena launches into an attack, but she is tossed around like a rag-doll. Khrafstar seems to possess god-like strength. The altar then explodes and a pit of fire eminates from the large opening. A stream of fire starts to descend the altar steps and becomes a hand. It grabs Gabrielle's leg and pulls her toward the pit. Xena tries to save her, but is tossed aside by Khrafstar. Khraftstar begins to change shape ("it's morphin' time") and into a horned-beast with a nice sword. He is now calling himself the deliverer (I guess "First Priest of the Temple of the One God" was too long a title for him). By this time, Gabrielle is being hoisted into the air by the fire high above the altar and is engulfed in flames. The image/deliverer and Xena fight and Xena isn't doing too well. Let me just put it out there...she's losin'...BAD. She launches her chakram at him, but he simply deflects it with his sword. Meanwhile, Gabrielle is being encircled by the fire as she lets out occassional moans of pain. Xena is wounded on her arm by the image/deliverer's knuckle, razor weapon (don't know what else to call it), but finally she is able to wound him with her breast dagger. Xena now sees a way out of this mess and begins to taunt her opponent. She is finally able to toss him over her and send him into the pit of fire. Xena catches Gabrielle in her arms, but then the temple starts to collaspe on itself. Xena leds Gabrielle to a safe place. As the smoke clears, Xena is holding Gabrielle:

"Xena..."
"I'm here Gabrielle."
"It hurts inside."
"What?"
"Everything's changed...everything."



As we pull away, the rumble of the temple ruins become visible. It is Stonehenge.

"image/deliver This" or Points-O-Interest

• Ares is testing out a "new kind of metal" which many of recognized as the metal of Hephaestus. "The Dirty Half Dozen" was originally slated to air after The Debt I and II.
• Another "Dirty Half Dozen" connection...the explosion of the temple of the one-god looks a lot like the explosion of Agathon's castle a week earlier. Hmm...maybe there wasn't enough in the budget for two explosions.
• The image/deliverer looks and sounds a lot like Bacchus from "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"...could it be that they are played by the same actor! "By the light of the Bacchi moon..." or "I am the image/delIVERER" pick which one is your favorite.
• The breast dagger from "Dreamworker" makes a memorable appearance...but I think you have to agree that anytime Xena pulls something out of her chest area...it's gotta be memorable.
• Talk about an acting coup! Khrafstar, better known to his friends and family as Marton Csokas, is so evil you just wanna rip his face off or any other body part. Marton is SO good at being evil apparently TPTB asked him to come back as Borias in The Debt I and II.
• There goes the Blood Innocence! This episode gets my vote as one of the most painful episodes to watch (Maternal Instincts just beating it by a hair) because of Gabrielle's loss of her blood innocence. Renee was in TOP form in this episode as she goes from friendly listener, to active particpant to horrified screamer! Renee is an acting GOD!
• Light moments please...(1)when Ares appears with Xena's sword in his chest and she utters, "I kind of like the look of it there." (2)when Xena pulls the sword out of Ares, she wipes it off on the boot. (3)When Xena smacks Gabrielle on the shoulder at the beginning of the episode and she utters, "I hate it when you do that." (4)Notice the Renassiance paintings on the floor in Caesar's room.
• Best Line of the Episode: "What have you done to her you, bastard?"
  Runner-up (TIE): "Everything's changed...everything." And "Sit on this!"
  Cheesiest Line: "Now, Xena you have to go, it's Dahak's will."

Everybody Hurts...Sometimes or Detailed Analysis and My Warped Theories

Coming Soon...

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Image Links

• Tom's image/deliverer Images
• MaryD's image/deliverer Montage
• Michelle's image/deliverer Gallery

image/deliverer Grab Bag

• LaLa's image/deliverer Episode Review
• Whoosh's image/deliverer Review

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DISCLAIMER:
Gabrielle was slightly well-done during the production of this motion picture. However, the producers would like to recommend a zesty barbeque sauce to bring out the full flavor of this episode.