From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   6-09    The Return of the Valkyrie   
      
      
      
      
      
   First air date was Nov 27, 2000.   
      
   The episode starts out with scenes from "The Rheingold" and "The Ring."   
      
             It is one year later and Vikings are moving through the bog toward   
   the Living Flame that   
   protects the sleeping Gabrielle. Beowulf and his young friend, Wiglaf, are   
   chasing after them. They   
   catch up just as Lord Erick is about to go through the flame to rescue   
   Gabrielle. Beowulf shows him   
   a burn-scarred hand where he tried and failed. He says only Gabrielle's soul   
   mate can go through   
   the fire. Grindl appears and the Vikings fight and die. One has both his arms   
   torn off. Beowulf   
   convinces Erick to call him men off. Then Erick jumps (or is thrown by Grindl,   
   I didn't get a clear   
   shot of what happened) into the flame and is burned up. Beowulf says they are   
   going to Denmark to   
   get help from an old friend, Hrothgar.   
      
             There is a celebration. Someone tells Beowulf Hrothgar is marrying   
   Wealthea. She comes   
   riding out on a gussied up cow, and it is Xena. Beowulf calls her name but she   
   ignores him. The   
   ceremony begins and the priest says they will exchange blades. They exchange   
   rings instead, and   
   each time, Xena sees flashbacks of the Rheingold ring and Grindl, which   
   startle her. She recovers   
   and says she's the luckiest woman in Denmark. Hrothgar kills the cow as a   
   sacrifice to the goddess   
   Freya.   
      
             The Valkyries are rounding up the men killed by Grindl. One of them,   
   Waltraute, talks   
   about the waste of lives over the ordinary Gabrielle. Sieglinda tells her that   
   since Brunhilda   
   turned herself into flame to protect her, maybe she's not so ordinary. And   
   that Xena cared for her.   
   Waltraute lays into her for mentioning Xena's name. And thanks the gods she's   
   dead.   
      
             Everyone is toasting and celebrating the wedding. But Wealthea is   
   troubled. She balks at   
   having sex with Hrothgar until she has to. Beowulf finds them and mentions to   
   that Wealthea they   
   might have met, but she doesn't recognize him and leaves, with Hrothgar going   
   after her.   
      
             Later, Wealthea is in her room brushing her hair. A knock on the   
   door and she thinks it's   
   Hrothgar. He comes in wearing a mask. It is Beowulf and he tells her that her   
   life is in danger and   
   she must rescue Gabrielle. A raven sees them and Beowulf says Odin will know   
   she's still alive.   
      
             Hrothgar and his sister come in and think they are together. They   
   are arrested and taken   
   to the dungeon. On the way,  they escape with Wealthea using fighting skills   
   she didn't know she   
   had. When Beowulf reaches down with his hand to pull her to her feet, Wealthea   
   sees Gabrielle   
   saying, "I'm lost without you, Xena."   
      
    The are on a boat back to (Norway?). The men rowing see her and stop rowing.   
   Beowulf tells her   
   they are looking at a legend and can't wait to see her in action. She still   
   can't believe she's   
   Xena, but when Beowulf slashes at her with his sword, she easily grabs it and   
   turns it aside.   
      
   Odin tells Waltraute Xena is alive and heading toward the ring.   
      
   Wealthea is walking in the ocean on the beach. Wiglaf and another Viking fight   
   over who's going to   
   give her a ladle of water. Just then they see five Valkyries riding on horses   
   coming down from the   
   sky. The Vikings pull their weapons but Wealthea tells Beowulf to have them   
   put them down or she   
   won't go with him to save Gabrielle. The Valkyries land and Waltraute pulls   
   her sword and tries to   
   kill Wealthea. But by Xena using defensive moves, Waltraute is unsuccessful.   
      
   Odin rides down. All the Vikings go to one knee except Beowulf. When Odin he   
   realizes Xena has lost   
   her memory he sends the Valkyries back to Valhalla because she is more   
   valuable to him alive. He   
   rides off into the sky.   
      
   Back in Valhalla, Waltraute accuses Odin of wanting the ring for himself   
   instead of giving it to   
   her as he promised. He tells her to make sure nothing stops Xena from getting   
   to Gabrielle. Out of   
   earshot, she vows to kill Xena before that happens.   
      
   Wealthea takes off her wedding ring and another vision of Gabrielle come to   
   her, but when Gabrielle   
   touches her cheek, she feels it and freaks out. Beowulf comes in and gives   
   Xena her Chakram back,   
   telling her when the time comes, she'll know what to do with it. They arrive   
   at the Flame, but   
   before Wealthea can go through it, Waltraute runs up and starts swing her   
   sword at her, but she   
   keeps ducking away. Then more Valkyries arrive and everyone fights. Wiglaf   
   throws Wealthea his   
   sword and Waltraute throws a knife into him. Wealthea/Xena kicks Waltraute   
   into the flame and she   
   burns up.   
      
   Grindl shows up and stabs Beowulf through the back and lifts him into the air.   
   Beowulf yells for   
   Wealthea to go, that Gabrielle needs her. She runs and dives through the   
   flames. She uses her   
   Chakram to cut away a year's growth of vines covering Gabrielle.   
      
   She leans down to kiss her on the lips and sees visions of her and Gabrielle   
   together. After the   
   kiss ends, Gabrielle wakes up and Xena is back in her warrior clothes and   
   Gabrielle is back in her   
   Amazon clothes, but her hair is still long. They hug and Xena tells her she   
   didn't remember her,   
   but felt her presence. Gabrielle gives her ring but tells her not to put it   
   on. The flames die down   
   and Grindl is there. Xena says she forged the ring and now has to undo the   
   evil it caused.   
      
   She tries talking to Grindl but is "back-handed" into Grindl's cave. She tries   
   again to talk to it,   
   but has to keep on the move. Finally Grindl grabs her. The ring begins to glow   
   as Xena begs Grindl   
   to look into her heart and forgive her.   
      
   There is a huge explosion from the cave that knocks everyone back. Xena comes   
   out unharmed and the   
   ring is a lump of gold again. Then Grinhilda come out. Beowulf and Wiglaf are   
   okay. Xena sees two   
   horses and says it's time to take Grinhilda home to Valhalla. Gabrielle hugs   
   Beowulf, climbs up   
   behind Xena, and they gallop up into the air.   
      
   Xena enters first and Odin asks if she brought the ring. She says she brought   
   something else that   
   belongs there, and Grinhilda and Gabrielle enter. Grinhilda asks Odin to make   
   her chief Valkyrie   
   again. When Odin says he'll think about, it Xena tells him not to think too   
   long. He looks at   
   Grinhilda and agrees. As Xena and Gabrielle leave, Odin welcomes her back and   
   they hug.   
      
   Xena dives into the Rhine River going to the Rhine Maidens. She gives the ring   
   back to them. When   
   one asks what magic turned Xena into a noble creature who would give up the   
   power of the Rheingold,   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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