Xena is sent mad by the Furies for not avenging her father’s murder. The Warrior Princess must defeat the curse and regain her sanity.
Xena’s immortal enemy Ares (Kevin Smith) enlists the help of the Furies for his latest bid to get her back on his side. The three campy goddesses, Alceto (Asa Lindh), Megaera (Graciela Heredia) and Tisiphone (Celi Foncesca) declare that the Warrior Princess has committed “a terrible crime. She will be punished by persecution and madness.” Just what is the “terrible crime”? Gabrielle investigates and discovers that Xena had failed to avenge the murder of her father. That’s news to Xena: she didn’t know that her father had been murdered, much less the identity of the killer.
Pre-season rumours aside, after watching this episode, you’re left feeling that season three will be different. We find out that Xena’s Mommy, Cyrene (Darien Takle), has a little darkness in her past too, and Xena is tasked with killing her to end the madness she is suffering. I felt saddened by Xena’s insanity. Lucy played it so well. Despite her madness, Xena once again managed to outsmart the god of war and turn the Furies against him.
I believe the whole “Is Ares Xena’s father” gig was just a smokescreen to disguise what season three really had in store for us.
Disclaimer: Xena’s sanity was not harmed during the production of this motion picture. The Furies, however, will be opening their own lap-dancing variety show off-off-off Broadway soon.
