WARNING: There are wig atrocities throughout this episode. The worst one is worn by Dean O’ Gorman’s character that is fittingly named Wiglaf. Yeah, his wig was a major laugh! I must say that Gabby’s wig is excellent and looks exactly like her old, long hair. The other characters didn’t fair so well and I couldn’t help but laugh at Dean’s wig throughout the episode! We are considering doing a fundraiser to provide better wigs for the show. If anyone has suggestions for what type of fundraiser we can do, feel free to inform us!

The episode begins with an extended clip of the previous episode and the announcement: ONE YEAR LATER! There is a group of burly Viking men walking through the forest in search of the ring and of course, they all think they are man enough to walk through the fire to get it out of Gabrielle’s hand! Beo and Wiglaf (Yeah, I’m laughing looking at that hideous wig...poor Dean for having to wear it!) are moving through the forest at a fast pace trying to catch up to them. They come upon the towering ring of fire surrounding the sleeping beauty Gabrielle and the leader, Lord Eric arrogantly proclaims, "Lady of the ring, the legend of your beauty does you no justice, I’ve come to save you," and pulls out his sword. Beo and Wiglaf stop him and Beo informs him, "My lord this is madness, you cannot penetrate the ring of fire. Only Gabrielle’s soul mate can pass through the flames, all other flesh is doomed," as holds up his charred hand, showing that he had already tried to pass through. Now, Beo darling...I really dig your character, but you knew that Xena is Gabby’s soul mate...you shouldn’t have tried it! Of course, Lord Eric doesn’t believe him and thinks that he will be able to pass through because he is a Viking Lord! Beo tells him that the ring of fire is not the only thing standing in his way and he makes a sarcastic comment about worrying about mud on his boots. Beo tells him that wasn’t what he was referring too and Lord Eric turns around to find Grinycockroach standing behind him. Her Rasta dreadlocks get in a wad and she starts throwing him and his men around. Beo pleads with him to call off his men and he doesn’t before Griny tosses him into the flames, killing him instantly. Beo orders everyone back to the ship and Wiglaf asks him if he’s giving up. Beo informs him he’s seeking help from an old friend, King Hrothgar. Before leaving, Beo pledges to Gabrielle that he will return for her.

Beo and Wiggy head into a room filled with people celebrating. Beo asks someone what the conquest is all about and he informs them that it’s a conquest of King Hrothgar’s heart. He explains that he is marrying the noble and fair Wealthea (I wonder if she’s wealthy...haha...couldn’t resist). Beo and Wiggy try to figure out what her nationality is as they determine her name isn’t a Norse name and Beo replies, "My guess would be a Celtic or..." as he pauses and looks at the beautiful Wealthea who is riding through the doors on a cow. He replies, "Warrior Princess," with a look as if he had just seen a ghost. She looks very happy as everyone is greeting her and Beo is calling out her name in a whisper...Xena that is, but she doesn’t hear him. She is getting married to King Hrothgar. Beo tells Wiggy that he no longer needs the king now that he has Xena and Wiggy is bugged out about it saying he thought she was dead. Obviously she isn’t! There is a woman who is very intrigued by their conversation and is trying to hear as much as she can. The ceremony begins and King Hrothgar puts the ring on her finger and she has flashbacks of making the Rhiengold ring and is pretty shook up by the memory. She’s flustered and Beo picks up on it as everyone else does. He knows the truth, it’s the ring that spurred her memory not her being overcome with joy as King Hrothgar announces. Please...dude get a grip! Did I mention how butt ugly this guy is? If I didn’t, please forgive me. Well, he is and he’s gross too!

She places the ring from her on his finger and remembers the battle she had with Griny cockroach and it shakes her up. She plays it off by announcing to the crowd that she’s the luckiest woman in Denmark. I beg to differ dear! King Hrothgar kills the cow as a sacrifice for the wedding tradition and the scene changes to the Valkyrie picking up the dead men outside of the ring of fire. The scene changes back to the wedding party and King Hrothgross is chugging down some port and is confronted by the woman who was intrigued by Beo’s conversation earlier. It seems she’s his sister. She informs him that he’s made a mistake by marrying Wealthea as she will never love him or their people as she does. He isn’t pleased and tells her to not speak of his marriage that way again or he’ll have to banish his own sister. Xena/Wealthea is aimlessly walking through the crowd, trying to figure out what all of the flashbacks were about and King Hrothgross approaches her. She tries to explain that she had a strange sensation at the ceremony and he tells her he did too, but they aren’t the same one’s. Seems he has the hots for a tall, dark haired woman and wants to have her...right there! He starts slobbering all over her and it’s really gross. Xena/Wealthea is repulsed and tries to fiend off his advances telling him tradition says they can’t be together before the moon is high or it will jinx their union. He doesn’t care and starts groping and kissing her. I told you he was gross! EEEWWWW...I was grossed out and repulsed. She explains that she has been devoted to him since he pulled her out of the icy water and asks him to wait for a few more hours. He pins her against the wall and continues to kiss all over her neck. She pushes him away telling him that their union has given her a new purpose and that her priorities are different from other women’s. He doesn’t like that and grabs her by the mouth telling her that her priorities are what her master decides as she is now a Viking queen.

Beo interrupts and King Hrothgross is happy to see him. He introduces him to his wife and she turns to face him. Beo stares at her as she curtseys. Beo asks, "Perhaps we have met before."  She looks up at him, but no one’s home inside Xena’s head, well, except Wealthea who is clueless and says, "I think not," as she walks away. King Hrothgross laughs saying, "Women," and walks away to catch up to his wife and grabs her as they are walking. Did I mention, she doesn’t like this guy too much? I foresee a quick divorce from this marriage. I’m sure they could kit her into the docket fairly quickly on Divorce Court. Afterall, she is Xena! King Hrothgross’ sister approaches Beo and says, "How intriguing. When you saw my sister-in-law this evening you looked as if you’d seen a ghost and now, she looked right through you as if you were one." She isn’t pleased with her brother’s union and it spills through with her comments. Beo stops chewing on his fingernail and says, "It’s kind of a long story," and she tells him, "Perhaps if you tell it to the right audience, you’ll get the happy ending that you seek." He’s intrigued; he has an ally and looks over her shoulder to see if the coast is clear.  He turns to face her and the scene changes to Xena/Wealthea brushing her hair. She doesn’t look well; she looks repulsed by the fact that King Hrothgross is rapping at her door ready to fill his husbandly duties. She tells him to come in and he’s got his armor on and a mask covers his face.

She submissively asks, "You wish to play a game...master," as she’s facing him and he drops his coat. He removes the mask and it’s Beo! Yeah, he saved the day on more than one occasion in this episode! He tells her she’s Xena and if Odin knows who she is he’ll kill her. She’s freaking out and is looking around the room unsure of what to do. She’s fearful of what her husband will do if he finds Beo there with her. He tells her, "Gabrielle will never be saved if she you are dead," and she asks, "Gabrielle?" in a confused, scared manner. He reaches to grab her arm and says, "Please try to remember," as she instinctively flips him away from her. A raven is sitting on the perch and Beo tells her Odin already knows she’s there. At that moment, King Hrothgross and his sister open the door to see Beo laying on the bed. Bitchy ally sister tells King Hrothgross, "You see brother it’s as I said. She cannot give you her heart, as she’s too busy giving it to your old friend." He’s not pleased and his sister tells them to haul them off to the dungeon. Xena doesn’t understand why Beo doesn’t tell King Hrothgross the truth and he tells her it’s because he needs her. As Beo is fighting off his captors and is ready to be stabbed, Xena knocks the guy down. Beo reaches out to help Xena up and she sees a vision of Gabrielle saying, "I’m lost without you Xena." She takes his hand and they make their escape.

They are now on a boat and Xena is dressed in a beautiful ensemble of a white hat and white coat. The men are all staring at her awestruck and their mouths are agape. She asks Wiggy what’s wrong with them, that it looks like they’ve seen a ghost and he tells her no, that they’ve seen a legend. She’s shocked and Beo comes in, sending Wiggy off to polish his sword so he can talk to Xena. She tells him she’s uneasy as she was betrothed and condemned to death on the same day by the same man. Beo explains that he is not the same man that he once knew. He explains that he rescued a beautiful woman and gave her a new name with a lame story about her being a sole survivor of a shipwreck. Xena smiles and says that she thought he loved her. She believes that she could have done a lot of good for the Viking people and Beo adamantly tells her, "You’re Xena and you can do more good with this sword," as he holds up her sword in front of her, "Than a hundred Viking queens could do." He adds, "The Xena I remember could never forget what happened in that swamp and the face of Gabrielle...the most loyal friend in the world." Xena tearfully tells him, "I remember none of these things." He pretends like he is going to walk away and moves the sword towards her and she blocks his attempt. He tells her, "You may not remember them, but they are inside of you." She’s shocked and looks at her reflection in the sword as the scene changes.

The scene is of Odin entering his castle and his Valkryie are all playing around fighting one another. The blonde leader tells him she has a new fighting method to show him that she’s learned and he tells her, "Well you better get ready Walltrout...(okay, it’s spelled Waltraute...but it sounds like walltrout...so, that’s what she shall be named. At first I thought he said wildtrout) Xena is about to test it." She is not pleased that Xena is alive and he informs her that Xena and Beo are on their way. The scene changes to Xena on the seashore looking out over it, with quick flashbacks of the rheinmaidens (which we have now renamed the prunemaidens as they spend so much time in the water), Grinhilda (not the monster) and a glimpse of Gabrielle. She walks back as Wiggy decides to bring her a ladle of water. Another guy tells him that he’s going to offer it to her and they begin to fight. She doesn’t like all the fighting and is getting very upset. She’s pissed that all they want to do is fight. Wiggy tells her that Vikings fight and that it gives their lives meaning. She’s pissed and says, "Fighting gives your lives meaning. Do you have any idea how stupid that is?" as Beo approaches her and says, "Yeah, well it didn’t sound so stupid when it came from you," as he pushes his men away and stands before her. She’s in shock and says, "From me?" He explains, "Long ago it was Xena who first taught Odin to embrace violence and bloodlust." She defiantly replies, "Well, if that is true then I know that I am not this Xena," as the flying Valkryie approach led by Walltrout. Beo turns to look at the flying Valkryie and says as he turns to Xena, "They know who you are and they want you dead," before turning back to the Valkryie.

Beo tells his men to ready their weapons and Xena adamantly tells him that she won’t have this resolved by violence. He doesn’t want to do it and tells her that they’ll kill her. She demandingly screams, "If you want me to help you save your friend Gabrielle, then you’ll do as I say." He reluctantly agrees and gives the orders for them to put their weapons down. They do and Xena approaches Walltrout telling her there won’t be any bloodshed today. Walltrout just isn’t taking the Warrior Princess who’s still dressed in her off-white wedding gown very seriously and begins to fight with her. Xena gets knocked around a bit, gets up and tosses Walltrout away from her. She gives her the steely Xena gaze as they circle one another and Walltrout makes the stupid mistake of trying to fight Xena again. She blocks Walltrouts attempts to kill her with her sword and Odin rides up, demanding that they stop. He dismounts his horse and all the men except Beo and Xena kneel to him. Beo grabs Wiggy and pulls him to his feet...they don’t bow to Odin! She tells Odin that she’s not the Xena he seeks and he asks who she is which Xena answers, "I don’t know." He asks (what is this...the question game?) if she knows who he is and she says, "I don’t know you from your horse." Walltrout isn’t pleased, as she wants Odin to kill Xena. He orders her back to Valhalla at once. He believes that Xena knows nothing and rides off as well. Xena says smiling, "See, we saw them off without violence," as she watches Odin riding off and Beo counters, "Only because he considers you more valuable alive then dead...he’ll be back soon enough," and walks away from her.

Back at the castle, Walltrout is upset with Odin because he didn’t kill Xena. She reminds him that Xena has the power to kill gods and he tells her he hasn’t forgot, but that her motivations are gone now that she doesn’t have her memories. He explains that once she gets the ring it will be easier to rest it from her in her current weakened state.  Walltrout thinks that Odin loves her and he tells her his heart is hardened, which she just can’t believe because she thinks she’s all that and that he is in love with her. He laughs in her face and tells her he loves no one. He also tells her that once he gets the ring from Xena he will fear nothing. She begins to tell him that Grinhilda won’t allow it. He informs her that the Valkryie and herself will make sure that nothing stops Xena from getting to the ring. He tauntingly laughs and walks away. Walltrout nastily replies as her Valkryie are behind her, "On my life, Xena will die before she gets close enough to those flames to singe an eyebrow." Of course, Odin hears none of it.

The scene changes to Xena sitting by herself and a vision of Gabrielle approaches to the side of her. She nervously asks, "Are you a demon or my own mind made mad?" She glances at her and Gabrielle says, "I’m the truth of who you are. Our souls are united Xena," as she reaches to touch Xena’s cheek who jerks away scared and looks around to find no one there. Beo enters and asks if she is all right as he notices the frightened look on her face. She sits down and asks. "This Gabrielle truly loved Xena didn’t she?" Beo sits before her and says, "And will till the end of time," with a slight smile...adding, "Gabrielle saved you from what you were as you must now save her." Xena replies," I heard the men talking. They say that Xena created this monster that awaits us." Beo says, "Grinhilda," and Xena is stunned saying, "Then it’s true." Beo reaches down and says, "I’ve waited a long time to return this to you," and hand her the chakram. She asks, "What is it for?" as she looks at it with a scared look on her face and he tells her, "You’ll know, when the time comes you’ll know." She grabs it by the middle and takes it from his hand. 

The scene changes to Xena, Beo and Wiggy walking through the forest and they approach the firewall. Xena is amazed by the firewall and is afraid. She asks Beo, "Beowulf if I’m not the one?" He reassures her, "You are. Brunnhilda’s fire will recognize you as Gabrielle’s soul mate." He watches as she walks closer to the firewall. She stands before it lovingly looking at Gabrielle who is peacefully sleeping. There are a lot of vines that have grown over her body and her hair is long. She hears a voice from the fire saying, "Xena..." and sees the face of Brunnhilda in the fire and which tells her, "The love in your heart burns stronger than any flame. You belong together Xena." Xena is amazed and reaches towards the fire to touch it and is attacked by Walltrout. Walltrouts School of fish (the other Valkryie), Seabass and Salmon attack Beo and Wiggy as Walltrout continues to battle Xena. Xena tells her she has no quarrel with her that she is only there for Gabrielle. Walltrout isn’t impressed and tells her she sounds like one of the other love sick men that have tried to save Gabrielle as they continue to battle. Seabass fires her dagger at Wiggy and it plunges in his side, knocking him to the ground. Beo rushes to his side as Xena continues to battle Walltrout. She knocks Xena on the ground and tells her, "I’ve waited a long time for this," and Xena tells her, "Wait longer," as she kicks her into the flame. Anyone care for some blackened Walltrout? Beo hits Seabass in the back with his hatchet and then gets her in the gut before rushing towards Xena. He tells her she has to go into the fire and she is hesitant. Grinycockroach skewers Beo through the shoulder and lifts him up before her. He’s pleading for her to go that Gabrielle needs her and she’s worried about him and hesitates.

He tells her to go and she finally does. She dives through the fire and as she is doing that she is remembering Gabrielle. They show stills of the three of them together with the baby, of her pulling the arrow out of Gabrielle’s chest from One Against An Army, of them looking at one another in the end of Fallen Angel and of them on the ship from When in Rome where Gabrielle is telling Xena she loves her and of Gabby holding Xena in her arms from the prison scene in The Ides of March. Great scene by the way. They put her dive in slow motion and the stills are faint and they look like they are in the fire. Very cool special affects. She puts her hands out to break her fall and rolls over to a standing position. She looks around at the fire and then to Gabrielle. She cuts the vines away with her Chakram and moves closer. She lovingly looks at Gabrielle and slowly moves down to her and closes her eyes as she lightly presses her lips against Gabrielle’s. Yes folks, it was a lip to lips kiss for a count of two before it changed to flashback scenes. The first scene is the campfire one from Sins of the Past where Xena throws a blanket to Gabrielle and you hear Xena saying, "You’re my best friend, my family," as the clip changes to Xena and Gabrielle crawling to hug each other from Between the Lines when they defeated Alti and you hear Gabrielle say, "Hey, I just saved your life!" The scene changes to Gabrielle and Xena sitting on a log as Xena cleans her sword from the episode The Abyss and you hear Gabrielle say, "I’m not the little girl that my parents wanted me to be." The scene changes to Xena looking over her brother Lyceus’ casket and Gabrielle walks into the room smiling from Sins of the Past and we hear Xena say, "It’s hard to be alone," and Gabrielle answers, "You’re not alone," as it cuts back to the kiss and Xena breaks it. Damn! I wanted more! Who didn’t?!

Xena slowly backs away from Gabrielle’s mouth and lovingly looks at her. She tells Gabrielle, "I’ve waited so long for this moment...that kiss just wasn’t suitable. Here’s a better one!" as she gathers her into her arms and passionately kisses her. Gabrielle opens her eyes, smiling and tells Xena, "What took you so long to do that?" and deepens the kiss. Okay...here I go again. The Cruise embellishment...sorry, but I just can’t help it! Xena slowly moves away to a sitting position lovingly looking at Gabrielle who slowly opens her eyes. She smiles and sits up when she sees Xena there. She says, "Xena." Xena has a surprised look on her face and sighs, happily as they embrace. She puts her hand on the back of Gabrielle’s head as she holds her in her arms saying, "Gabrielle." Gabrielle smiles as she’s looking up and being held in her lover’s arms saying in a soft voice as her eyes closed, "I dreamed you’d come back for me." She opened her eyes and Xena tells her, "It was like I was in a dream too," as she moves her hand down Gabrielle’s hair, breaking the hug. She faces Gabrielle and regretfully tells her, "I forgot everything. Even though I didn’t remember you."  Gabrielle looks down as if she’s hurt that she didn’t remember her and Xena puts her hand on the side of Gabrielle’s cheek. Gabrielle looks up at her when she says, "I felt your presence," in a whisper and continues as she is still holding Gabrielle’s face in her hand, "I knew I would never be complete unless those shadows would be brought into the light." She smiles and looks like she’s going to cry, but they hear a noise and look away from each other.

The scene changes to Beo being tossed around by Grinycockroach. He lands on the ground writhing in pain and Xena screams his name. The fire whispers, "The ring," as they both look around and Gabrielle says, "The ring," and they look down at her hand. Gabrielle puts her hand out with her palm up and Xena gently holds the bottom of Gabrielle’s hand with her own as she removes the ring from it with her other hand. They both look at it and Xena holds it up. Gabrielle reaches to stop her and in pleadingly tone tells her, "Xena don’t put it on again."  Xena puts her hand on Gabrielle’s before grasping Gabrielle’s hand in a reassuring way.  She turns to Grinycockroach as the firewall is lowering to almost nothing and says, "I forged this ring. Now I have to use it to undo the evil that it has caused." The fire dances around the ring as she holds it up and disappears within it when she closes her hand with the ring inside it. Xena does her battle cry and back flips through the air at Grinycockroach who tosses her into some cave conveniently located behind her. She follows Xena in there and Xena tries to reason with her saying, "Grinhilda...listen to me. You weren’t always this way. It was my actions that turned you into this beast." She back flips away from her as Griny takes a swipe at her but misses. Xena tells her, "Grinhilda, I put the evil into this ring and I can undo it to if only..." and has to back flip away from Griny who tries to hit her. Xena tells her, "Grinhilda, you must listen to me," as she holds the ring up and it begins to glow in her hand.

Griny isn’t listening and picks her up, squeezing her. They are looking eye to eye and Xena pleadingly tells her, "Grinhilda, look inside your heart. Find the woman you once were, forgive me...forgive me, forgive me." It doesn’t look like Griny is in the forgiving mood and Xena screams in pain as she is squeezing her to death. The scene changes to Gabrielle and Beo. Gabrielle is checking on him and shouts out Xena’s name as a bright light comes out of the cave Xena was in. She tells Beo to run and they both do so as the cave explodes. Xena comes walking out unscathed as Gabrielle comes out from behind the rock. Xena holds up the gold, which is no longer a ring with a smirky smile on her face. She turns back to the cave and the original Grinhilda appears. She is no longer a cockroach-looking monster and she’s happy about it too! Everyone is surprised that its Grinhilda and heck I’m surprised to see Gabrielle with long hair. It’s too weird to see her with it long! Beo and Wiggy get up and approach. Xena turns to Beo smiling and gratefully says, "Beowulf, I’ll always be indebted to you for bringing me back here." He smiles and says, "I needed the best. The legends didn’t lie Xena, you are the greatest warrior I’ve ever known." Griny is looking down, but looks up when he says that and Xena smiles saying, "Thank you friend." She hears the horses standing nearby and turns to Griny saying, "Let’s take you home," as they head towards the horses.

Gabrielle hugs Beo and says, "Thank you." He smiles and breaks the hug saying, "I’ll miss you." Gabrielle smiles looking up at him and replies, "You have a good heart Beowulf, if it weren’t for you. I’d still be in Brunnhilda’s flame." She chuckles and he says, "I think we both know Xena would have found you eventually."  He raises her hand to his lips and kisses the back of it smiling as Wiggy blushes in the background and looks down. Gabrielle smiles and clasps his hands with both of hers and walks towards Xena who is already on the horse. She smiles and turns back looking around saying, "Thank you Brunnhilda," and heads to the horse as she hears Brunnhilda whisper, "Godspeed Gabrielle." Xena helps Gabby up on the horse and they all fly off into the sunset and Wiggy moves closer to Beo and Beo tells him, "Not a word Wiglaf, not a word," as he turns to walk away.

They take Griny back to Odin’s castle. He’s worried, as Xena has found herself again. She tells him that she has brought something back to Valhalla that belongs there and Griny walks in. She explains that Griny was the best thing to happen to Valhalla until she poisoned it by her bloodlust. Odin asks her what Griny wants and she asks him to give her back her position as head of the Valkryie of which he says he’ll think about it. Xena warns him, "Don’t think too long," and glaringly stares at him. He says, "Welcome back Grinhilda," and Xena turns away to join Gabrielle. She says, "Thirty-five years ago. The shame of it makes it seem like just yesterday." They begin to walk out of the castle. That was a mistake as it should have been thirty-six years ago considering a year was lost, not sure why they said thirty-five years. Gabrielle tells her with a smile, "Memories are powerful Xena. I’m so thankful that yours brought you back to me." Xena answers, "There’s still one that’s troubling me," as the scene changes to Xena swimming in the water to find the prunemaidens. She surfaces and the one prunemaiden she beat up is scared of her and tells her, "Stay back Xena. You took what we had years ago." Xena remorsefully tells her, "I know. I came to apologize and to bring you this." She holds up the ring and we see Gabrielle walking up through the rocks behind Xena. She’s looking down on the scene and Xena swims closer to her prunemaiden admirer and holds up the gold to her. She says, "This belongs to you," and hands it to the eager, happy prunemaiden who asks, "What magic has made Xena into such a noble creature that she would give up the power of the rhiengold?" Xena informs her, "It wasn’t magic," as she turns to Gabrielle and appreciatively looks at her. There is a close up of Gabrielle smiling and the episode ends.

I enjoyed the episode and wished the kiss had been longer. I know it’s not right to be greedy as TPTB did give us a lip to lips kiss even if it was brief. The thing that I liked was the fact that no one told Xena she had to kiss Gabrielle to wake her, she did that one on her own. The part that impacted me the most about the episode was the last line and look by Xena towards Gabrielle. It was beautiful. I would like to have seen the reunion scene after the kiss more endearing or emotional...something was lacking there. I thought it might be me, but I did a consensus amongst friends and my partner and they agreed, the emotion just wasn’t there. It was touching, but I hoped there would be the type of emotion Gabrielle showed when she saw Xena and hugged her during the episode ‘The Ring." I viewed it with about twelve other Xenites and I expected everyone to fall out of their chairs during the kiss scene, but no one did. We all kind of sat silent and went okay...is that it? It was a bit of a let down as I’m sure everyone’s expectations of the kiss were extremely high, including mine. After discussing the episode more with my partner and other Xenites, I have come to realize that it is a kiss with just Gabrielle and Xena and they aren’t in anyone else’s bodies like from The Quest. They also did it on the lips and not the corner of the mouth. The best part of the kiss is the fact that Xena does it on her own, without anyone telling her she has to kiss her to wake her and the looks Xena gives Gabrielle before kissing her. I must say, as much as I loved Gabrielle’s hair long before and wasn’t a big proponent for her short hair, I like it much better short! I know, call me crazy, but the short hair makes her look a lot more mature and not so young. The wig was great on her and didn’t look cheesy at all. I actually thought I was having flashbacks from an old episode where Gabby’s hair was long. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing how long it takes for her to cut it again. J

Enjoy!