From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
   2.12 Destiny   
      
   First air date Jan 27, 1997   
      
   The episode starts out with Xena and Gabrielle looking out over a green   
   valley. Gabrielle says that the barely seen remains are that of Cirra (the   
   village where Callisto's parents died). Xena rides out leaving Gabrielle. As   
   she rides through the remains of the village, she is haunted by flashbacks   
   of the carnage and fire.   
      
   She hurriedly rides away, but when she returns to the spot she left   
   Gabrielle, only her staff is there. Xena has Argo kick it up to her and she   
   rides off looking for Gabrielle.   
      
   Next we see Gabrielle and some women with their hands tied to a rope over   
   their heads. They are being held captive by a group of barbarian looking men   
   dressed in furs with their faces painted. Xena looks down on them from a   
   tree. One of them, the leader, thinks Xena is The Mistress of the Stars and   
   asks what their future is.  She says it's bad news. Xena jumps down from the   
   tree and begins to fight them. She throws her Chakram and frees everyone.   
   She uses Gabrielle's staff then throws it to her and Gabrielle yells to   
   everyone to run away.   
      
   Xena catches up to them, but they are caught up to by the barbarians. They   
   all run away again except one girl and Xena. The barbarian leader cuts a   
   rope that frees a huge log that swings down toward the girl. Xena pushes her   
   out of the way, is hit by the log and is sailed into a tree. Gabrielle runs   
   up, is stabbed in the upper thigh by the barbarian, drives him off, then   
   looks to Xena, who is bleeding from the ear.   
      
   Xena tells her to take her to Mt Nestus.   
      
   We flashback to ten winters ago.   
      
   Xena is taking tribute from a burning village and tells the people her army   
   will punish any village who sides with the enemies of Amphipolis.   
      
   Next scene is a (pirate?) ship of Xena's. They have captured a Roman   
   soldier. Xena orders a soldier to find the nearest Roman garrison and demand   
   20,000 dinars for his release. The Roman says it's not enough, she should   
   demand 100,000. He says his name is Julius Caesar.   
      
   Xena finds a stowaway on her ship. It is a young girl who uses martial arts   
   and Xena's 'pinch' to defend herself. She is captured and Xena tells Caesar,   
   who speaks her language, that she won't kill her if she teaches her the   
   'pinch'.  Caesar tells Xena he's destined to rule the world. Xena invites   
   him to dinner.   
      
   Xena tries seducing Caesar with a sexy red dress. She wants to conquer the   
   world with him. He seems to go along with the plan.   
   On a beach, the ransom has been paid and Xena and Caesar part ways.   
      
   Later on Xena's ship they spot Caesar's ship and pull along side. Just when   
   Xena thinks things are all right, Caesar puts a knife to her throat and his   
   men take over the ship.   
      
   The next day on a beach, Xena is tied to a cross, along with her men. Caesar   
   tells one of the soldiers to break her legs with a huge maul.   
      
   Back to 'present day' and Gabrielle is taking Xena on a litter pulled by   
   Argo to Mt Nestus. It is snowing and Gabrielle is wearing a parka.   
      
   Back to the beach in the 'past', the stowaway beats up the guards and frees   
   Xena. Then she whistles for a horse and takes Xena to a healer named   
   Nicklio, who lives on Mt Nestus. He sets her legs and uses acupuncture to   
   block her pain. Nicklio tells Xena the girl's name is M'Lila.   
      
   'Present' – Gabrielle has reached the cabin of Nicklio and begs him to save   
   Xena's life.   
      
   'Past' -- Roman soldiers break in and try to capture Xena. Xena fights as   
   best she can. M'Lila gets between Xena and crossbow arrow and is killed.   
   Xena kills a Roman soldier saying for Hades to prepare himself, a new Xena   
   is born, who's purpose in life is death.   
      
   Back to the 'present' and Xena has died of her injuries. Gabrielle begs for   
   Nicklio to do something, then begs to Xena not to die.   
      
   Next we are in a fiery, volcanic place. Xena is once again on the cross.   
   M'Lila appears to her and mentally tells her she chose a destiny. Xena   
   agrees, but she chose evil. M'Lila tells that since she was evil, she can   
   fight evil. Then she tells  her to listen to Gabrielle's thoughts. Gabrielle   
   is saying she can't be strong without Xena. It's not Xena's time to die, and   
   for her to fight to come back because she (Gabrielle) and the world needs   
   her.   
      
   End of Part One.   
      
   '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''   
      
   Another very good episode. Lots of information about Xena's past. Not very   
   much of Gabrielle in this one, but I guess Renee appreciated the downtime.   
      
   Obviously Xena was a most successful pirate – gorgeous clothes, lots of   
   booty on board (even elephant tusks), and her men were dressed pretty well.   
      
   But even the best of us make mistakes when we let our emotions cloud our   
   judgment. And Xena's boredom and her attraction to Caesar was her undoing.   
   The tables turned for a change.   
      
   I noticed that the young Callisto in the flashback had the same medallion as   
   M'Lila. A coincidence? Probably not.   
   Liked Xena's Roman salute back to Caesar.   
      
   Xena learns the 'pinch' and learns to fight using the martial arts. She did   
   a pretty good job fighting with two broken legs.   
      
   And she sure was a cold-blooded Xena when she killed the guy to send the   
   message to Hades.   
      
   I guess the fiery place was her own personal Tartarus, and she was   
   crucifying herself over her guilt and remorse for her past life.   
      
   Love seeing the softer side of Xena. Lucy at her most beautiful,   
   particularly in the clothes and makeup she was wearing when she invited   
   Caesar to dinner.   
      
   Beautiful shots of the sea and the beautiful song M'Lila was singing.   
      
   It's odd, but the better the episode, the more things to pick at –   
      
   Where did Gabrielle get the parka?   
      
   When Xena was paid Caesar's  ransom, she was letting the gold and jewels   
   drip through her hands, then just walked away to go with her men.   
      
   Another flashback to ten years ago – must have been a very, VERY long year!   
      
   For those who hate spoilers I'm sure they didn't like the last few seconds.   
   We were more or less told that Xena wasn't going to stay dead – she told   
   M'Lila she had to go back (to Gabrielle and life), and the episode was 'To   
   Be Continued.'   
      
   We saw shots of dolphins swimming ahead of Xena's ship. It's almost a   
   certainty that she was sailing in the Mediterranean sea, but didn't  we also   
   see killer whales??   
      
   Where did M'Lila get the horse?   
      
   And a couple more things –   
      
   The soldier with the maul who was told to break Xena's legs was Lucy's   
   brother, Dan.   
      
   The episode was rewritten so Xena would stay dead because Lucy was still   
   recuperating from her fall on the Leno show.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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