Xena: Warrior Princess

Season 1, episode 8

When Prometheus is captured and chained by Hera, mankind starts to lose all the gifts he has given them. Xena sets out to find the one sword that will free him. She is helped by Hercules and Iolaus.

Xena is committed to freeing Prometheus, so she seeks counsel from the oracle Io and is put subjected to some dangerous trials to demonstrate her commitment and how much she is willing to sacrifice. After completing the trials Io tells her she should go to Vulcan Mountain and enter the cavern of Hephaestus where she will find the only sword that can break the chains that bind Prometheus. Io cautions her, that there are warriors who are faithful to the Temple of Hera that will make sure she doesn’t achieve her goal. Xena is up for the challenge.

when Xena reaches Vulcan Mountain she encounters Hera’s soldiers but she manages to flee into the cave and retrieve the sword. When she leaves the caves she sees Hercules waiting there. He wants the sword. It turns out that the person who uses the sword to strike the chains that bind Prometheus will die. Xena and Hercules fight over who should free the titan.

In the end, the two join forces to free Prometheus without having to strike the fatal blow.

This is the first crossover episode in the Xena Series. I liked the two halves of a whole story that Gabrielle told Iolaus but, making him Gab’s man of the week was a bit weak. Aren’t we lucky that Xena’s attempts to sacrifice herself to save Prometheus and Hercules didn’t come off?

For those who can never remember the story that Gabs told to Iolaus here it is:

“Once a long long time ago, all people had four legs and two heads, and then the gods threw down thunderbolts and split everybody into two.

Each had then two legs, and one head. But, the separation left both sides with the desperate yearning to be reunited. Because they each shared the same soul. And ever since then all people spend their lives searching for the other half of their soul” Aahh.

Disclaimer: “Iolaus was harmed during the production of this motion picture. However, the Green Egg men went on to live long and prosperous lives.”