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Guest Stars:
Karl Urban (Julius Caesar)
Ebonie Smith (M'Lila)
Nathaniel Lees (Nicklio)
Grant Triplow (Brutus)
A trip to Cirra, scene of Callisto`s family`s death results in a life threatening injury to Xena and she flashes back ten years to her first encounter with Julius Caesar. We meet a younger Xena whose main motivation was to defeat the enemies of her home town of Amphipolis. However, she has expanded her horizons and is a pirate now. Capturing Caesar, she realises they can get a good ransom for him. The two bond, the young Xena giving him her trust in a way the Xena we know never would. Of course this is a mistake. Caesar takes revenge on the pirates who kidnapped him by capturing them and crucifying them! Another important part of this episode is the meeting between Xena and M`Lila, a gaelic slave girl who teaches Xena pressure points. She is a REAl friend, and it is M`Lila who rescues Xena from the cross and takes her to a healer, Nicklio - the same healer that Gabrielle takes Xena to in the present day. Caesar intends to destroy Xena and sends his men after her. M`Lila is killed defending the injured Xena, and this sacrifice and betrayal is what started her on the road to evil. After M`Lila is killed, Xena declares she now has one purpose in life - death! Meanwhile, Gabrielle arrives at the healer after a difficult journey through snow and rain. Even Nicklio can do nothing for her, and the episode ends in Xena`s death! And a to be continued....
Notes:
Disclaimer :-
Go to my review of this episode
This was the first Xena episode to be directed by executive producr Rob Tapert, who also wrote the story. Look carefully at M`Lila`s shirt - it has the same pattern as Xena`s breast plate. Another thing to look out for, the soldier who swings the giant hammer to break Xena`s legs is played by Daniel Ryan - Lucy`s brother!
Here we meet Brutus #1 - Grant Triplow. He will be replaced..
Julius Caesar was not harmed during the production of this motion picture. However, the Producers deny responsibility for any unfortunate acts of betrayal occurring soon thereafter.