From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   6-07    The Rheingold   
      
   (or Rhinegold)   
      
      
      
   `First air date was Nov. 13, 2000.   
      
   The episode starts out with Xena sitting beside a campfire at night. She   
   wearing different armor   
   and a helmet with wings on it. Something is moving in the woods around her.   
   She looks at a large   
   gold ring, then has flashbacks of pouring molten gold into a mold and casting   
   it. Flashback is over   
   and a monster comes up behind her and she fights it, driving  it into a cave   
   with iron bars. As she   
   wraps a chain around the bars to lock it, the monster grabs her arm and pulls   
   it between the bars.   
   When she snaps a lock with two birds on it and she pulls her arm out, the ring   
   is gone. She yells   
   to the monster that even though it has the ring it can never use its power   
   because the chains will   
   hold it for eternity.   
      
   She then climbs onto a horse, it gallops up into the air, and she rides off.   
      
   Fast forward thirty five years to the "present."   
      
   Xena and Gabrielle are in a tavern eating. A man comes in and stares at Xena.   
   She asks if he wants   
   something. He says his name is Beowulf and puts a rusty looking lock with two   
   birds on it down on   
   the table. Xena tells Gabrielle she has to talk to the man.   
      
   Later, in their room, Gabrielle accuses Xena of still keeping secrets from   
   her. But she says being   
   a friend is letting her keep her secrets. They go to bed. The next morning   
   Xena is gone but leaves   
   a note saying she's gone to take care of unfinished business. And it is so   
   dangerous she doesn't   
   think she will survive and can't ask Gabrielle to die with her again. And her   
   love for Gabrielle is   
   endless.   
      
   Gabrielle follows, writing on a scroll as she does. She writes she's been   
   traveling north for   
   weeks, farther than she's ever been before. She comes into a (Norse?) village   
   and sees a tapestry   
   with Valkyries on it. One of them has long dark hair. Gabrielle asks a man to   
   explain the meaning.   
   He can't remember the name of the woman, but a blond woman (named Brunhilda)   
   who's been watching   
   Gabrielle, tells her it's Xena. Gabrielle wants to know about her, and the   
   woman tells her Xena's   
   reign of terror ended 35 years ago.   
      
             Brunhilda says Xena came in from the distant land of Chin. In a   
   flashback,  Xena finds   
   Odin, the Norse god, tied to a tree and asks who he messed with. He says he   
   did it to himself   
   because of all the strife he sees. Xena tells him it's what makes life worth   
   living. As she talked,   
   he regained hope and made Xena a Valkyrie.   
      
   Xena eventually came into conflict with Odin's lover - Grinhilda, the leader   
   of the Valkyries.   
      
   Norse soldier are running from other soldiers. They are outnumbered. Xena and   
   Brunhilda see them   
   and Xena convinces them to fight for Odin and they watch as they are   
   slaughtered.   
      
   In Odin's banquet hall in Valhalla, Xena is next to Odin. Brunhilda comes and   
   complaining about   
   having to escort the dead soldiers to Valhalla. And theirs was a useless death   
   over greed. Xena   
   says greed is one of the fundamentals of life. Odin agrees and Brunhilda   
   leaves. Odin is sad,   
   saying he loved her once. Xena says he can live without love.   
      
   Gabrielle feels sorry for Xena. She tells Brunhilda she and Xena are friends.   
   She wants to know   
   what else Brunhilda can tell her. Brunhilda tells her to camp there and she'll   
   return that night.   
      
   Gabrielle is writing again, saying she knows Xena is trying to correct some   
   great wrong. She hears   
   noises in the woods. Brunhilda attacks her. They fight and Gabrielle causes   
   her to get cut with her   
   own sword. Gabrielle is knocked down, and Brunhilda says she was testing   
   Gabrielle to see if she   
   (Brunhilda) was worthy to fight along side Xena.   
      
   They talk and Brunhilda tells  Gabrielle she knows the woods and can help her   
   find Xena. The next   
   day as they walk Brunhilda continues her story of Xena -   
      
   Odin has taught Xena how to make fire with her mind but she wants more. Then   
   she asks Odin about   
   the Rheingold. He doesn't want to tell her. She says  how can she give her   
   love to him if he won't   
   trust her. He tells her the Rheingold is dangerous to anyone who has forsaken   
   love.   
      
   Grinhilda tells Odin Xena is looking for the Rhine (Rhein) Maidens and wants   
   to know how she knew   
   about them. Then she says he told her because Xena pretended to be in love   
   with him. She wants   
   command of the Valkyries back to go after her.   
      
   Xena is on a flying horse going down the Rhine (Rhein) River to find the Rhine   
   Maidens. Grinhilda   
   and three Valkyries ride after Xena. One circles around in front of her and   
   Xena knocks her of off   
   horse. She uses two swords to take out two more. She and Grinhilda fight side   
   by side then they   
   both fall. Tree branches break their fall to the ground. Xena recovers first   
   and gets her sword.   
   She starts to kill Grinhilda, but just knocks her out, then rides off the find   
   the Rhein (Rhine)   
   Maidens.   
      
   Xena dives into the water and comes up where the three Rhine maidens are   
   swimming. One says she   
   loves Xena already. Xena whispers that she wants her to show her something.   
   The maiden doesn't want   
   to but Xena asks how can she be a Rhine Maiden of she doesn't see it. They   
   dive down and swim   
   underwater for a very long time. When they come up in a cave, Xena goes to a   
   chest and opens it. It   
   contains a lump of gold - The Rhinegold. She takes it, elbows the maiden --   
   giving her a very   
   bloody nose, and swims away with it.   
      
   Next are the scenes of Xena melting the gold and making the ring. Brunhilda   
   says Xena put the ring   
   on and became invincible.   
      
   Gabrielle says Xena wouldn't need the ring because she's the best fighter   
   there is. Grinhilda says   
   Gabrielle must love her very much. Gabrielle says she's her best friend, but   
   it has a price.   
   Grinhilda says a price worth paying, and Gabrielle agrees, and hopes Xena   
   feels the same way.   
      
   Cut to Xena and Beowulf walking to somewhere. He is taken with Gabrielle's   
   beauty but says neither   
   will live to see her again.   
      
   Brunhilda asks if Gabrielle knows why Xena has come. When she mentions   
   Beowulf's name and the lock   
   with the two birds (ravens - the symbol of Odin), Brunhilda says she knows why   
   she came north, and   
   she is on a suicide mission.   
      
   Beowulf and Xena come up to a large barn, tavern, or inn and there are dead,   
   bloody bodies   
   everywhere. Beowulf says the beast killed 23 men including friends and two   
   brothers. Others were   
   dragged off to its cave to be eaten alive. Xena tells him whatever happens   
   she's with him. He tells   
   her the beast's name is Grindl. Xena says she created it.   
      
   Brunhilda wants to stop for the night but Gabrielle want to travel on. (I   
   suppose Gabrielle's horse   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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