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| The Deliverer | |
| Series: | Xena: Warrior Princess (1995) |
| Season: | Three |
| Story Number: | 050 |
| Writer: | Steven L. Sears |
| Director: | Oley Sassone |
| Producer: | |
| Broadcast: | 20 October 1997 |
| Previous Story: | The Dirty Half Dozen |
| Following Story: | Gabrielle's Hope |
Synopsis[]
The show opens with Ares and Discord discussing a monotheistic temple. Ares tells Discord he is handling it.
Xena and Gabrielle walk along talking. They pass some Roman soldiers with prisoners. One of them mentions Caesar's name, and Xena frees the prisoners. One of the prisoners is called Khrafstar, First Priest of the Temple of One God. Caesar has captured this temple in Brittania. Khrafstar has been hiring mercenaries to help him recapture the temple. He is being assisted by a warrior woman named Boadicea, who dislikes Ceasar too.
Xena decides to join the man. Before boarding a boat, Ares appears to Xena and tells her the temple should be destroyed. On the boat, Khrafstar tells Gabrielle about his god, talking of love, friendship, and bringing his kingdom to earth. When they they reach Brittania, they join up quickly with Boadicea and have a very good fight with the Romans guarding the beaches. During the fight, though, Gabrielle and Khrafstar are captured and taken to Caesar.
Boadicea and Xena talk strategy and then Xena realizes Gabrielle is missing. Boadicea had told her Gabrielle was OK even though she knew differently. Xena draws her sword on Boadicea. Gabrielle meets Caesar, who decides she should be hung on a cross. During the evening Gabrielle and Khrafstar talk more about faith and the concept of one God. Then they are taken out the next morning and placed on crosses. Caesar had ordered Gabrielle's legs be broken (it will mean something to Xena). Xena suddenly pops out of hiding and saves Gabrielle and Khrafstar. Xena defiantly tears Caesar's flag into pieces, and Caesar, who has been watching some distance away, picks up a javelin and hurls it at Xena. She throws her chakram at it; it splinters and a large piece of wood goes into Caesar's hand.
Xena and Boadicea determine their next move. They want to split Caesar's army, so they attack his strongholds. They start with the temple, and recover that. Xena goes on to the next battle, leaving Gabrielle with Khrafstar at the temple. Ares appears to Xena and asks her to destroy the temple. Xena wants to know why Ares fears this God. Ares says Xena must trust him and destroy it. "We're not evil. This God is," Ares says. Xena walks away.
Khrafstar and the other worshippers want to rededicate the temple. A woman tells Khrafstar that the ceremony has changed some since he left, so she leads the prayer. Suddenly she says there must be a blood sacrifice, a sacrifice of an innocent, to the dark one, called Dahak. They grab Khrafstar and tie him to a flat stone altar; Gabrielle is held back.
As the woman prepares to stab Khrafstar, Gabrielle jerks free, rushes up, and pushes her away. She takes a knife and cuts the rope holding Khrafstar. The woman returns with a sword. Gabrielle turns and stabs the woman in the stomach, killing her. Blood covers her hands. Khrafstar takes the knife from Gabrielle and thanks her for helping to bring Dahak into the world. Dahak wanted her "purity and innocence of evil." By killing, she just gave that to this evil god. Gabrielle screams.
Xena stands with Boadicea at the battle site. Legions of Romans are before her. She is ready to ride off to find Caesar, to kill him herself. Then she sees dark black clouds over the temple. "That's where Gabrielle is!" Xena says, and rides off. She reaches the temple; it is empty. A dead woman lies on the altar. Then Xena hears Gabrielle sobbing in a corner, finds her, pulls her close. Xena asks what happened, and Gabrielle says she killed the woman. Xena cannot believe it. Then Khrafstar walks in and Gabrielle pulls away from Xena, almost into a fetal position. Xena draws her sword. "What have you done to her, you bastard?" she growls. Khrafstar tells Xena that Gabrielle is for Dahak, the one god. Xena realizes this is not the one god of the Israelittes. Then Khrafstar thanks Xena for bringing Gabrielle to them. "Your hatred brought you here," he says.
Khrafstar and Xena fight. Khrafstar has god-like powers and flings Xena away. Suddenly the altar bursts into flames, and the flames chase Gabrielle. They come alive and pull Gabrielle into the air, hoisting her above the altar. She is engulfed in flames. Khrafstar changes into a devil-like being, and calls himself The Deliverer. He and Xena fight, and Xena isn't winning. Xena keeps trying to get to Gabrielle as she hangs suspended in the air, flames all over her body. Finally Xena wounds Khrafstar and changes tactics. "You half-witted toady to a third-rate God, come and get me," she says. She taunts him and then when he attacks her, she throws him into the flames that are beneath Gabrielle. She dives and catches Gabrielle as she falls. They have no time for anything else; the temple explodes.
Xena and Gabrielle sit among the rocks, with Xena holding Gabrielle. Gabrielle tells Xena that "It hurts inside." Then she says "Everything's changed. Everything."
The show closes with a shot of the remaining rubble, which is Stonehenge.
Memorable quotes[]
Cast[]
- Lucy Lawless as Xena
- Renée O'Connor as Gabrielle
- Kevin Smith as Ares
- Anthony Ray Parker as The Deliverer
- Jennifer Ward-Lealand O.N.Z.M. as Boadicea
- Meighan Desmond as Discord
- Marton Csokas as Krafstar
- Anton Bentley as Centurion
- Catherine Boniface as Meridian
- David Holton as Lieutenant
- John Manning as Captain
- Andre Coppell as Squad Leader
- Daniel Martin as Soldier
- Brad Homan as Jiela
- Patrick Khutze as Brit Guard
Background information and notes[]
- First appearance of Meighan Desmond as Discord.
- This episode was originally intended to be aired much earlier in the season.
Continuity and mistakes[]
- During Khrafstar's explanation to Gabrielle about faith, watch Khrafstar's arms. They change positions depending on the camera angle.
- The episode places Stonehenge in a hilly area, when it real life, Stonehenge is located on a vast plain.
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.