Death Mask

Season one, episode 23

In Death Mask Xena is reunited with her estranged older brother and decides to join him in his plans to kill the raider who destroyed their village years before.

Xena and Gabrielle get the better of two masked assassins who ambush them on a mountain trail and Xena learns that their leader is none other than Cortese, the ruthless warlord who killed Xena’s brother, Lyceus and destroyed her village many years before. Cortese is the reason Xena became the Warrior Princess.

Xena is determined to defeat Cortese once and for all. When she rides into a small town under siege by Cortese’s masked bandits, she charges into battle to take on the entire raiding party by herself. But the fighting is soon interrupted the king’s soldiers under the command of Aescalus. Cortese’s men beat a hasty retreat into the woods, but not before Xena is recognised by one of Cortese’s men, who turns out to be her estranged older brother Toris who also has plans for Cortese. In the end Xena and Toris team up to defeat Cortese.

Here we meet Xena’s other brother (the cowardly one). A day late and a dollar short. He struck me as a bit of a wimp regardless of the fact that he was hell bent on getting revenge against the Warlord who set Xena on her warrior trail. Do you think he looks a bit like Kevin Sorbo?

Disclaimer: “No messenger doves were harmed during the production of this motion picture. However, several are reportedly missing in action and search-and-rescue efforts are under way.”