Unchained Heart

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys episode
“Unchained Heart”
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 13
Guest star(s)	Michael Hurst (Iolaus); Lucy Lawless (Xena); Robert Trebor (Salmoneus); Matthew Chamberlain (Darphus)
Writer(s)	Steve Polivka (editor); John Schulian (writer)
Director	Bruce Seth Green
Production no.	#76613
Original airdate	1995 May 8
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"The Gauntlet" (H)	"The King of Thieves" (H)
"The Gauntlet" (X)	"Sins of the Past" (X)
List of Xena episodes

Third in the Hercules "Xena trilogy", but a direct sequel to "The Gauntlet" .... Xena trilogy #3.

Episode notes

Salmoneus, Xena & Hercules are traveling together. They learn that Darphus is still alive and determine to go after him. On the way, Salmoneus and Iolaus run into each other, and find Hercules. H persuades Iolaus to join the group, even though Iolaus is suspicious of Xena. He wonders if Xena is trying to get Hercules' pity, and Hercules says no; "Xena doesn't accept pity. She's a warrior in the truest sense of the word -- that's why she's going after Darphus again." They encounter Darphus' men who throw many boulders at them. Herculean strength holds the boulders off everyone while they dig their way out. (The camera showed him throwing himself over Xena protectively, shielding her body with his own.)

Later that night at a campfire Xena has an early redemption moment and dialog with Hercules.

X: "I have done terrible things. I've killed so many men that I'll never wash their blood from my hands."

H: "You've already started. You saved that baby."

X: "But when you help people, you honor the wife and children that Hera stole from you. There is nothing in my whole life that moves me that way."

H: "You're wrong. There's the goodness in your heart."

X: "You really believe that?"

H: "I wouldn't say it if I didn't."

In battle, Xena saves Iolaus' life; he yells thanks to Hercules and then sees it was her. She nods. Afterwards, they regroup and discover Salmoneus is missing; he's consumed with guilt over the fear he showed when they were trapped beneath the boulders. He's gone off on his own, but the group is worried that he might have been kidnapped. Hercules searches for him and finds his early notes at a Hercules biography, writing about Xena and Hercules being perfectly matched was warriors, and wondering about them falling in love, getting married, having children. (Salmoneus invents fanfic.) Hercules muses aloud that he hopes that Salmoneus' imagination isn't the only thing that ran away.

Meanwhile, Iolaus confronts Xena: Why did she save his life? She says it's because they're on the same side. Is that it? he wonders. Xena replies that by the code she lives by, that's enough of a reason. He asks her about their past (see The Warrior Princess) and she says she'll go to her grave regretting what she did; that she was all twisted up with hit, probably as he is now. He pauses, and says not any more. They bond.

They continue to trek together, seeking Darphus. Iolaus goes off to scout, Xena says she'll get wood but won't cook, implying that Hercules will have to do the cooking. While Iolaus is off scouting and realizing that Darphus has Ares' hell-beast as a hungry pet, Xena tells Hercules that she wants to let him know how she feels about him in case she dies fighting Darphus. They kiss and make out.

Later, they are fully dressed and caressing each other affectionately (apparent post-coital cuddliness?), when Iolaus comes back. He wonders aloud if he came back too soon; they don't respond; and he gives them the bad news that Darphus has Ares' hell beast Graegus.

They concoct a plan and attack the camp, working together to defeat evil. The plan doesn't go perfectly, but they manage to rescue Salmoneus who had eventually been nabbed by Darphus' men; rid the world of Darphus and the hell-beast; and defeat the rest of Darphus' men.

Iolaus asks Hercules if he wants to come back home with him, and Hercules says in a minute, and goes to find Xena. She's packing up to go, and they kiss passionately.

X: "Let me go. There's so much of my life I have to make amends for. I've gotta get started!"

H: "I wish you'd let me help."

X: "You already have. You unchained my heart."

She rides off into her own series, and Hercules and Iolaus go hang out together in Homoerotika, Greece.

Xena character arc

Xena's personality is more like her own from XWP: amused, determined, fierce. Here we see her alluding to the past that's built out in XWP, and see her wrestling with her conscience. She's not quite as mighty/super-heroish as we see her become, and she's definitely second-stringing to Hercules, but she's described as perfectly matched as a warrior with Hercules, and she is shown to be quite the warrior. She's considerably softer in personality at this point, but it all just feels somewhat unformed.

Disclaimer

"No Vicious Beasts intent on taking over the world were harmed during the production of this motion picture."