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| When in Rome... | |
| Series: | Xena: Warrior Princess (1995) |
| Season: | Three |
| Story Number: | 062 |
| Writer: | Steven L. Sears |
| Director: | John Laing |
| Producer: | |
| Broadcast: | 2 March 1998 |
| Previous Story: | King Con |
| Following Story: | Forget Me Not |
Synopsis[]
Do as the Romans do. In this case, attack Gaul. (Be sure to watch the captions at the bottom of the screen during this show.) As the soldiers fight, Vercinix and his wife run off a troop. Vercinix sends his wife and children to the hills. When the Romans return, led by Caesar, Vercinix, who is the leader of the Gaul "barbarians," is captured. Then cut to captured Romans in Syria. One of the Romans is chosen by a Syrian leader to be beheaded. Suddenly there is a war cry and a blanket full of swords falls at the feet of the captured Romans. Fighting ensues, and Xena appears on Argo. She grabs the Roman leader and drags him off. She meets Gabrielle, who tells her they must hurry to reach the ship. Xena tells Crassus, the Roman troop leader, that she intends to trade him for Vercinix. On board the ship, Crassus questions Xena's motives and adds to the doubt in Gabrielle's mind as to Xena's intentions.
Caesar, in his palace, talks to Pompey about Rome and rule and stuff of state. Xena strides in like she owns the place, leaving Caesar somewhat speechless. Xena shows him Crassus' royal ring and says she wants a trade. Caesar wants to see for himself that Crassus is alive, so Gabrielle stays at the palace while Xena escorts his royalness to the ship. Xena and Gabrielle talk about their plan, which is to go ahead and make the exchange in the cell block because Xena does not trust Caesar. Gabrielle is worried that Crassus will die and she will be responsible for it (she needs a chill-pill). Xena tells her what happens to Crassus will be Caesar's responsibility. Crassus is a murderer anyway.
Xena goes back to the castle and attends a "formal" presentation of Vercinix. Pompey tells Xena some Romans would not cry if Caesar died. Xena sees Vercinix and tells him she has a plan to save him. She makes a mold of the jail cell key. Gabrielle and Crassus talk in the hold of the ship. Crassus says he was not responsible for the murder of 100 women and children in a town called Gardinia. Gabrielle goes to sleep and Crassus escapes. Xena arrives as he heads up on deck and she kicks him back down the stairs. She puts her 'touch' on him and Gabrielle, thinking Xena is killing him, pleads with her. Xena tells her to shes not going to kill him. They tie him back up. Xena tells Gabrielle that Caesar has moved up Vercinix's execution. She admits it is possible that Caesar won't stop the execution if they make the exchange and Crassus will die. Gabrielle says she will do what Xena asks with the exchange in the cell block, but she doesn't like it.
Xena returns to the palace. Pompey tells her that Caesar is double-crossing her and is out looking for Gabrielle because he wants to "divide and conquer" using their friendship. Gabrielle takes Crassus to Rome. Crassus accuses Gabrielle of having no morals, but she says she will leave his royal ring with him so the soldiers/guards will know who he is and he won't be executed. She puts a powder in some water and when they enter the city she accuses him of being a drunken husband. She acts drunk as well, and they are both thrown into the cell block where Vercinix is. Xena takes a knife that Pompey leaves on a table and goes after Caesar. She is captured (way too easily). Caesar laughs and tells Xena that "somewhere out there is an irritating blond about to follow a plan that no longer exists." Xena is taken to the cell block. Gabrielle is not surprised to see her; it was part of the plan. The guards come and take Xena to the gladiator arena. Gabrielle and Vercinix make the switch, putting Crassus in Vercinix's cell and dressing Vercinix as a Roman guard. Gabrielle begins to leave the ring with Crassus, but Vercinix tells her Crassus personally ordered the death of his family in Gardinia. He says his niece, who was crucified, told him just before she died.
Xena faces Caesar in the arena, then two men on horseback with weapons come after her. She gets pounded a little; one of them throws a net over her and she is dragged around and around the ring. Gabrielle watches this happen. Xena gets out of the net and sees Gabrielle in the crowd. She knows the switch has been made. Now she's super (normal?) Xena again, and she tosses the soldiers around. She gets one down on the ground and could kill him but she doesn't. Caesar says she should go back to the cell. The man they think is Vercinix is led out to the chopping block. Caesar sees it is Crassus. Crassus does not have his ring. Caesar waves his hand for the execution to take place. Vercinix, dressed as a guard, lets Xena out of the cell. Gabrielle turns to walk away; we hear a mighty splaat!!! as the axe falls on Crassus.
Back aboard the ship, Gabrielle looks at the ring. She is unhappy. Xena talks to her and apologizes for putting her in a bad situation. "How many more times am I going to hurt you?" Xena says. "You are the most dear thing to me in all the world ..." Gabrielle says she is with Xena of her own free will. She tells Xena she loves her. Xena says, "I love you too." Gabrielle drops the ring into the water.
Memorable quotes[]
Cast[]
- Lucy Lawless as Xena
- Renée O'Connor as Gabrielle
- Karl Urban as Julius Caesar
- Riqi Harawira as Guard
- Gavin Rutherford as Centurion
- Graham Smith Boat as Captain
- Matthew Chamberlain as Crassus
- Katrina Browne as Mendala
- Jeremy Callaghan as Pompey
- Grant Triplow as Brutus
- Tamati Rice as Vercinix
Background information and notes[]
- This episode had the working title First of the Three.
Continuity and mistakes[]
Disclaimer[]
- Caesar's Palace was not harmed during the production of this motion picture. However, Crassus and the gladiators went down for the count.