Legacy (Xena episode)

Xena: Warrior Princess episode
“Legacy”
Episode no.	Season 6 Episode 5
Guest star(s)	Alison Bruce (Kahina); Owen Black (Korah); Rawiri Paratene (Tazere); John O'Leary (Dalius); Lorraine Calvin & Jamin Tahere (desert women)
Writer(s)	Melissa Good; Rob Field (editor)
Director	Chris Martin-Jones
Production no.	#V1405
Original airdate	2000 Oct. 30
Episode chronology
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"Who's Gurkhan?"	"The Abyss"
List of Xena episodes

Gabrielle and Xena find themselves in the desert fighting an old enemy, while Gabrielle reflects on her voyage and role as a warrior.

Summary

After Who's Gurkhan?, Xena the legendary warrior princess and Gabrielle the Battling Bard of Poteideia are trekking across the desert. Apparently Eve and Virgil stayed on the boat and took the easy way home.

After trekking, they hit an oasis and have a playful & sexy bath. Another hot tub sequence, and then they get out of the hot tub. They most naked Xena and Gabrielle have gotten on screen. Relaxing afterwards, they hear sounds of a nearby fight, and see raiders attacking a small group of people. They decide to "even the odds". Gabrielle, while fighting, looks one of her vanquished in the eye, and decides to spare him.

Afterwards the people they've rescued are angry and prepare to fight with them, and are further angered by the idea that their rescuers are pretending to be Xena the legendary warrior princess and Gabrielle the battling bard of Poteideia. When Xena proves with her chakram that she is indeed Xena, they fall and worship them; then provide them with way more hospitality than they really want: an unrecognizable "something yummy" to eat and a couple of elders to bed them. Nice twist: one tribe of desert nomads, led by a woman, hosting women warriors, offering them the sexual services of some of her men. But really they want Xena and Gabrielle's help in organizing and leading them against their true enemies -- the Romans, who are trying to wipe them out. Some things never change.

Xena and Gabrielle, visiting the people they fought just yesterday -- a neighboring tribe -- meet with the young man that Gabrielle spared. While Xena, Kahina, and the other troop leader (Tazir?) strategize, Gabrielle hangs out with Korah, the young guy she spared. He is quite impressed by her:

I want to be a warrior. I dare not aspire to Xena's greatness, but I see in your fighting style such intelligence and restraint. I'm going to model myself after you.

He wants to wash Gabrielle's feet, which Xena notices. When he realizes Xena's seeing him he falters. Next, Xena and Gabrielle are riding towards the Romans to check things out, Xena asks "What's with the desert boy?"

Gabrielle explains he wants her to teach him to use her sais, and says, "It's kind of strange being thought of as a warrior more than a bard. ... Guess I've come a long way." "Is that a good thing?" Xena asks. Gabrielle pauses, then answers: "Yeah. It is."

Entering the town in disguises (stolen off clotheslines? or packed in their voluminous desert robes?), Gabrielle says sotto voce, "For once, Xena, I'd like to be the Roman noble and you be the slave." Heh.

There, pretending to be a wife scouting out prospective investments, they quiz the local Roman leader on his prospects and concerns, if any, about revolt. The Romans sneer about the locals who, as Kahina noted, fight more amongst themselves than against the Romans. They dream of rescue from Xena, but Caesar's Thracian whore is a long-crucified annoyance, which description elicits an irritated and amused smirk from Xena. The Governor assures Xena (Lady Scipio), "My dear lady, your money will be safe with us. At this moment, three legions are preparing an offensive to pacify the ethnics once and for all. Call it a ... 'cleansing', if you will."

Gabrielle comments, "Seems overconfident, if I may say so," and is swiftly rebuked by the Governor who notes, "You seem a little outspoken for a slave." Turning to Xena, he says, "I think someone should be punished." She rises to her full height and looks down on him: "Oh, someone will be, I promise. Thank you, Governor; you've been most helpful."

... Later, trekking through a sandstorm, Gabrielle and Xena become separated. Barely able to see through the flying sand, Gabrielle spots someone coming to Xena, holding what may be a raised weapon. Gabrielle quickly attacks and kills the assailant -- only to realize that it was Korah, Gabrielle's would-be mentee, carrying a copy of the peace treaty between Tazir's people and Kahina's people.

Xena and Gabrielle, cleaning themselves at the same oasis they found earlier, reflect sadly that neither of them had ever imagined Xena cleaning blood from Gabrielle's hands. Xena insists on bringing Korah's body back to Tazir alone. Tazir freaks out, and almost destroys the peace treaty between Tazir and Kahina, before Xena thinking swiftly suggests it was the Romans.

The people, frenzied, go off and find a random Roman and plan to execute him. Xena tries to tell Gabrielle to keep quiet, because the punishment is death. But Gabrielle can't keep silent, and says, "Wait! He isn't the killer. I am." They take her off to execute her at dawn the next day. Kahina says there is no way

Gabrielle, near Korah's body, reflects on her journey. Mournfully, she says aloud, in a quiet dialog with Xena (who is not there), "Xena, you once prayed never to see the light go out in me. I just don't think there's much of that left in here. This is best. For everyone."

The next day they grow Gabrielle into a pit and begin to bury her in the sand.

Xena as Lady Scipio strides into the Governor's palace, and tells him the desert nomads are united.

Gabrielle, fully buried with only her head out of the sand, faces horseriders who will club her to death in a skull-and-polo sort of game.

Xena rides up just as a messenger alerts the gathered nomads that the Romans are coming. The nomads scatter and Xena manages to dig Gabrielle up rather quickly (and with very little dirt on her outfit).

Watching the scene, Gabrielle says, "Saved by the Romans. I would have bet against that."

X: "Gabrielle, you may never forgive yourself for what happened to Korah, but you'll be a stronger person for it."

G: "I don't know."

X: "I felt that way once. I felt there was nothing left to live for. I was tired of hurting and I just wanted it to end."

G: "What changed it for you?"

X: "You did."

G: "I guess we've come full circle, huh?"

Gabrielle and Xena come back to help the nomads. Gabrielle tells Tazir that his son's blood will be on her hands as long as she walks the earth, but by helping his people win their freedom, his death may have some meaning; Xena says she keeps her promises. Reluctantly Tazir agrees and they go off to schedule a fight.

Before the fight Kahina runs to Gabrielle & Xena:

K: "Funny how the Romans showed up just in time to save your friend. Almost like it was planned."

X: "You got the fight you wanted. Stop complaining." Xena strides off impatiently to do her battle oversight thing, and Kahina walks up to Gabrielle to give her a hard look.

K: "Left a few details out of those stories, didn't you?"

Big fight. Xena, Gabrielle, and the nomads kick ass. Gabrielle saves Tazir's life, and she's using a staff again. Xena kills a Roman and as he is dying says "Tell Caesar Xena sends her regards."

Xena and Gabrielle ltalk.

G: "You saved me today, Xena, against the greater good. Why? Isn't that what we've been fighting for?"

X: "Gabrielle, in everyone's life there's something that goes beyond the greater good. That's what you are in my life."

Tazir acknowledges that the scales are even because Gabrielle saved his life, and they both agree that that doesn't really balance the scales. Tazir says, "He could have become a great warrior, just like you." and walks off.

"Just like me," Gabrielle repeats, staring at her own hands and the invisible blood. Xena reaches over to touch her comfortingly.

Disclaimer

"Despite severe air turbulence, no sand fleas were harmed during the making of this motion picture, although some experienced periodic bouts of motion sickness."