Disclaimers: There are some very offensive words in this review that are present in the episode. They tried to bleep them out, but you can hear them pretty good. I of course, inserted the real words here for your reading pleasure! J So beware, if cuss words offend you look elsewhere! Also, Nigel’s microphone is very offensive and just remember, as he speaks to anyone the microphone is in their face. So, picture it, I didn’t want to have to keep saying it. Now, on to the episode review!

The episode begins with Xena and Gabrielle riding through the woods on their horses, then the scene changes to them on a boat, then the sunrise, then to Oden’s crows and surprise...they are heading back to Vallhala!  We see Odin’s castle and his crow flies in to inform him of the latest news. He shouts, "What? Here!" and the crow squawks as the scene changes to the nearby village. Beowulf is sidled up to the bar drinking some port and is greeted by Xena and Gabrielle. He’s pretty cold to the two of them and Xena asks why he’s that way. That the last time he saw Gabrielle he would have walked through a column of fire to be by her side. His cold demeanor surprises Gabrielle. She looks between Xena and Beowulf confused. He casually tells her it was love struck foolishness and that he likes his bones without the flesh seared through them. He tells them to rest and quench their thirst. Xena tells him they aren’t there to drink with him that they are there to see Odin. He tells her she knows how to get there and Gabrielle reminds him that it’s not easy to get there. The Valkyrie enter and remind Xena that she was a Valkyrie once and that she knows how to get there. She angrily tells Xena to die a hero’s death and she’ll escort her there herself. Xena turns to her and says with a smirk, "That’s part of my long range plan. Right now I need to see Odin." The leader tells her that they have orders to keep her away from him and Xena sarcastically says, "I don’t mean to make a sister Valkyrie look bad, but you’re going to have trouble following those orders."  The chick says, "You think so?" as they all raise their swords. Xena smirks arrogantly as she draws her enforcer (sword) saying, "Uhmmm...hmmm," and heads for them. Beowulf casually chills by the bar enjoying his port and the catfight that is about to begin. Xena and Gabrielle start fighting and the scene changes to Michael Hurst as a modern day reporter just outside the tavern. He’s doing a microphone check and you hear the battle going on in the background with the swords clanging together and the Valkyrie shouting.

He’s your typical annoying reporter and heads towards the tavern as a Valkyrie comes flying out of it, then another, courtesy of Xena! Xena leads the head chick out, followed by Gabrielle, as our roving reporter looks at the camera and says, "Here’s Xena now. I think we’re just going to go over and talk to her." She tosses the lead chick down the stairs and smirks when she hits the ground.

The interviewer rushes in and asks." Xena would you care to tell me why you’ve returned to the Norse lands at this time?" He shoves the microphone in Xena’s face and she looks confused as to what is going on. She looks at him then to the camera and isn’t sure what to make of it. Gabrielle does the same thing and they look like two people who have never seen a camera before. Well, Okay...yes, they haven’t but the looks on their faces are too funny! The interviewer puts the mic back to him and says, "You do realize that Odin vowed to kill you should you return to Valhalla. Would you care to comment on that?" He sticks the mic in Xena’s face and she curls her lip up staring into the camera as she pushes it away from her. She moves towards the camera and glaringly stares into it as the opening credits begin!

The interviewer begins his summary of the show and what they intend to accomplish. He starts his interview as he’s walking through the village, "The Warrior Princess. By many she’s seen as a protector to the down-trodden and the innocent. Others however see her as nothing more than a butcher, her hands stained with the blood of hundreds, no thousands, of innocent people." He stops as the camera is to his profile, removes his glasses and dramatically asks, "Which is it?" He turns to face the camera and says, "Tonight we put that question to the legendary woman herself." He stares into the camera and puts his glasses back on. The scene changes to the studio and someone is putting makeup on Xena who is none too pleased. The woman is trying to put blush on Xena’s face and she backs away then points to the girl and threateningly says, "Hey!" as she points to her. The camera backs away and a man is putting a microphone on Gabrielle. She tells him, "Hey, watch where you put your hands," as he’s adjusting the microphone around her bust area. Xena is leaning on her hand that is resting on her leg and she looks at Gabrielle who is blowing into the microphone as Xena warningly tells him, "You watch where you put your hands buddy." Xena is sitting so butch that it isn’t even funny! She leans to see if Gabrielle is okay, as if she is protecting her property as the lights turn on and the interviewer takes his seat before them.

Interviewer: "Xena, welcome."  The camera pans in for a close-up as he remarks, "And also joining us this evening, Gabrielle the battling bard of Poteadia."

Close up of Gabrielle who is very pleased with her title and looks at Xena with a big grin on her face.

Interviewer: "Xena’s constant traveling companion and the chronicler of her deeds. Glad you could make it."

Gabrielle looks between him and the camera a few times as the camera moves in for a close up of the interviewer. Then moves to Gabrielle who shifts in her seat smiling and says, "Thank you, it’s good to be here." She looks extremely happy to be there.

Interviewer: "Xena, first to you." Xena looks up unenthused about being there as he continues. "You don’t have the greatest reputation here amongst the Norseman. As a Valkyrie you used Odin's runes to visit a reign of terror amongst the people of this land.

Xena’s not sure what to answer and she looks at Gabrielle who leans to her saying, "Everyone has seen the tapestry."

Xena: "Aah...that was a long time ago."

Interviewer: "So why go back now? There’s no love lost between you and Odin."

Xena: (she leans forward in her chair) "Oh, but that’s just it. That’s exactly why Gabrielle and I..." she’s interrupted.

Interviewer: "You betrayed Odin didn’t you? Turning his lover, if you will, Grinhilda into a hideous monster.

A picture of Grinhilda as the monster appears on screen saying, ‘File photo and Grinhilda there, before changing back to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle: "Yeah, but Xena changed her back." (She came to Xena’s defense. You go girl!)

Interviewer: "But not before the she-beast and her son sent many Viking warriors to Valhalla." Xena is not pleased by these accusations.

Xena: "Is there a question in this somewhere?"

Interviewer: "Xena is it your intention to kill Odin and have yourself proclaimed a god in his place?"

Gabrielle is flabbergasted and laughs, "What?" Xena uncomfortably sits back in her chair scoffing the insinuation.

Xena: "Crazy."

Interviewer: "Do you deny that you stole the Rhine gold..."

Xena: "No..."

Interviewer: "And forged that into a ring that gave you the power of a god."

Xena: (angry) "I gave back the Rhine gold, you can ask the Rhinemaidens." And looks at Gabrielle who confirms with a nod that she did.

Interviewer: "And what about the Olympian gods. You destroyed them also, didn’t you?"

Xena: (nervously turning her head from him to Gabrielle) "Not all of them, no..." as Gabrielle interjects.

Gabrielle: (defensively informs him) "Oh, see they were trying to kill her daughter."

Xena: (looks at him) "Right."

Camera moves to Interviewer who accusatorily tells the viewers, "Aah...a daughter who was following very successfully in her mother’s footsteps."

Xena: (angrily snarls and leans forward, towards the interviewer) "Now, wait just a dog gone minute."

Interviewer: "Xena do you still have the power to kill a god?"

Xena threateningly stands as Gabrielle tries to hold her back: "I’ve got the power to kill much more life forms than that."

Interviewer: (who leans back in his chair afraid of her) "What’s the matter Xena? Uncomfortable with the truth?"

Xena angrily stares at him, taking off her mic, "Truth? You know what? You wouldn’t know the truth if it grew fangs and bit you on the ass..." Gabrielle covers her mouth, but you do hear it.

Gabrielle replies with a chuckle: "This interview is over," and directs Xena, who has thrown her mic down, away as they both rush off the set.

Interviewer stands up shouting: "Xena why don’t you just admit it. You always lusted to have the power of a god and now you’re here to kill Odin, isn’t that right Xena?" He turns to the camera. "I thought that was good. I had her on the ropes," and chuckles as the scene changes to Tartarus.

The interviewer is conducting interviews in Tartarus with Charon and Caligula is behind him. He interviews him and he’s ticked that Charon has denied him from getting into Tartarus. He is badmouthing Xena and says, "Like that bard of hers, yeah, like we don’t know what’s going on there!" During the interviews, they put up subtitles as to who the people are and they are very funny. The interviewer discusses Odin and tells us that he declined to be interviewed for this piece. They show a picture of Valhalla and it says, ‘Artists rendition, Valhalla.’  He is interviewing an invisible person in the studio. Well, it’s Odin and he explains that Xena is there for the golden apples to become a god. He appears and tells all the Norsemen to keep Xena from stealing the golden apples. He explains that Xena will get the golden apples and restore Ares’ godhood and he'll make her his queen. There is a small TV on the set and it shows a clip of Ares with subtitles saying, ‘Ares... God of War.’ The interviewer implies that they had an adversarial relationship and Odin asks him to think as to why Xena didn’t kill Ares when she had a chance saying she’s always had a thing for him. He threateningly yells at the TV, which has clips of Ares and Xena on it, "Stay away from Valhalla Xena or you know what’s going to happen to you," and throws a fireball at the TV as the interviewer hides behind the chair for cover.

The interviewer is in the woods and wants to know why Xena would want to possess the golden apples for herself. He opens the tree branches and sees Gabrielle bathing by a small water hole. He rushes towards her with his microphone in hand, "Can you tell me if there is a sexual relationship going on between Xena and Ares." Gabrielle is pissed and is beating him with a rolled up towel asking, "What are you doing here?" He asks, "Is Xena Ares love slave?" Gabrielle takes offense to that comment and rears back with the towel, hitting him hard before shoving him to the ground and walking away. His face is all muddy after that encounter with the battling bard of Poteadia. 

The interviewer is now outside the farmhouse where Ares is shacked up. Ares comes out without a shirt on drinking a mug of beer. It’s really frothy and it sticks in his mustache. He could do a milk commercial! Ares comes out and sees the camera. He nervously looks from the camera to the interviewer, very skeptically. He asks Ares why Xena wants to steal the golden apples and he tells him he has nothing to say about Xena. Ares scoffs at the notion that Xena is working with him and tells him he wasn’t the only god sent down from Olympus.

We hear Xena yell Ares’ name from inside the house. The interviewer and cameraman barge into the house.  Xena comes in and is mad that he is there. She nervously looks at the camera and then back to him. She tells him to stay out of her business and reveals his name...Nigel. He asks if it’s true that she’s in love with Ares and Ares gets pissed, saying it’s time for him to leave and starts shoving him out the door. Xena is giving the thumb for them to get out and Ares is covering the lens to the camera, as Nigel is moving out of the door with Ares’ help.

The scene changes to Nigel in Heaven talking to Michael.  He tells him he wouldn’t trust Xena and informs him that Xena exercises her free will with abandon. He tells him that she puts herself before the greater good and risked hell on earth to protect her own daughter. Michael keeps correcting him that he’s an archangel, not just an angel. He falls from heaven and goes straight to hell to see Lucifer.

He walks with Lucifer and interviews him saying, "The public wants the truth. A portrait of the demon behind the myth." 

Lucifer looks at him and asks, "The real demon?"

Interviewer: "Please try not to cover anything up."

The Devil: "Cover anything up. I’m the devil you idiot. I’m really bad; I’m evil incarnate. What do I have to cover up?" What a great line. I loved it!

The interviewer informs him he is there looking for information on Xena. The devil gets pissed at her name and tells him Xena is a lying sack. He also tells him he wishes he could get her down there to give her some everlasting punishment. The devil informs him that he can’t wait to get his claws into him when he gets back down to hell. Nigel is scared and tells the camera that this concludes a rather disturbing interview with the prince of darkness before he passes out.

The scene changes to Eve and her group praying to Eli in the woods. I have to say that this is one of the best Eve parts I’ve seen yet! Nigel keeps badgering her about her mother and Eve tries to avoid him, but he keeps following her.  He informs her that Xena is trying to restore Ares’ godhood and Eve doesn’t believe him. He tells her she is shacked up with him and is trying to get the golden apples to give him his godhood back. Eve gets pissed and says, "You want to know about my mother?" She shoves him. "I will tell you about my mother you little bleep (shit-yes, you can see her mouth the words) if my mother is with Ares you can bet she has a really good bleep (fucking...yes, you see it and hear part of it) reason."

Interviewer: "Are you still jealous that Ares was obsessed with your mother the entire time he was sleeping with you?" I think this is the Jerry Springer show!

Eve: "You...bleep (fucking)...brat, stay the hell away from my mother," and shoves him away as her peace loving group holds her back from him. She’s ready to kill him. "You stay the...bleep (fuck)...away from me or I’ll kick your...bleep (fucking)...bleep (ass)..." as she turns to walk away.

He turns to the camera and says: "Not the kind of words you’d expect to hear from Eve, the messenger of Eli’s." He’s following behind her and jumps in front of her, "Whatever happened to walking the path of light Eve?"

Eve: "Bleep (fuck) off!"

Nigel: "You want your mother on Olympus don’t you?  You want to see the God of War put back on the throne so that you, your mother and Ares can continue your bloody Ménage a trois. Eve has had it with him and angrily snarls her face before punching him in the mouth. He falls to the ground as Eve and her group walks away. He stands up with his glasses crooked on his face and asks, "Tell me you got that? You got that didn’t you? Huh?"  

Nigel is back in the studio watching that footage on the TV and turns to the camera over his right shoulder, dramatically saying, "A shocking display from the messenger of Eli, but not so shocking coming from the daughter of Xena." The camera turns and he is now facing the camera. "For Xena provokes strong emotions among those who cross her path. Feelings of intense fear and hatred among her enemies and equally intense feelings of loyalty among her friends. It is perhaps this loyalty that brings the person sitting opposite me into the studio." He turns to Gabrielle whom we can’t see yet saying, "Gabrielle, thank you for talking with us."

Gabrielle: "Aah...well, you’re welcome, but don’t thank me," as she comes into frame with subtitles saying, ‘Gabrielle, Xena’s sidekick.’ "I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong about Xena."

He’s intrigued and leans on his hand that is resting on the chair asking, "Wrong in what way?"

Gabrielle: "In everyway, Xena...aah...you know you make it sound like Xena and Ares have this conspiracy to try to rule the world."

Nigel: "But they don’t?"

Gabrielle: "No, no Xena wants to save the world. That’s why she wants to the golden apples."

Nigel accusatorily asks: "And I suppose Ares wants to save the world also?"

Gabrielle nervously chuckles: "It’s hard to explain...he..."

Nigel: "Well maybe it’s not so hard Gabrielle. Maybe it’s quite simple. Maybe it’s not Xena’s lust for war that drives her, but Xena’s lust for the God of War."

Gabrielle nervously laughs and tries to refute the claim. I think she’s jealous!: "Xena doesn’t lust for Ares!"

Nigel takes his glasses off: "Gabrielle, kindly direct your attention to the monitor," as he turns towards it along with Gabrielle. There are clips of Xena and Ares kissing from various scenes over the years.

Gabrielle swallows the lump in her throat and tries to explain: "So they have history," with a jealous chuckle as she sits back in her chair, uncomfortable. Nigel is sitting there grinning as he’s watching the monitor and Gabrielle adds, "It doesn’t mean anything," trying to hide the anger she feels inside from those instances with Ares. She looks like she’s mad as hell, but is being polite about it as she doesn’t want Nigel to know.

Nigel: "Gabrielle isn’t it possible you’re confused about your own feelings about Xena?"

Gabrielle: "By my feelings for Xena?"

Nigel: "Come on Gabrielle, I know that Xena is more to you than just...a friend."

Gabrielle nervously chuckles: "Okay...you’re right, she’s my lover...(oops no that is my dialogue...sorry)...she’s my best friend."

Nigel: "What would you say Gabrielle that I told you not too long ago I found your friend Xena in a tumbled down little love shack at the edge of town in the arms of Ares." I think I hear the B-52’s singing! Gabrielle looks like she is devastated and like a woman who is ready to lose it. She smiles to try and play it off as Nigel asks, "How do you feel about that Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle looks dazed and confused as she searches her feelings replying, "I don’t know how I feel."

Nigel places his glasses back on and sits back in the chair: "Tell us all the truth. You and Xena are lovers aren’t you? Or should I say you were lovers before you were replaced by Ares." Oh, the tawdry questions this man asks and the scandalous music enhances the scene. Let’s hope Gabrielle let’s the cat out of the bag about what everyone in Greece, hell the Xenaverse wants to know...are they lovers? I’m shoving a microphone to Gabrielle for that answer! Tell us damn it! Confirm it for the non-believers!

Gabrielle is not sure what to say and she seems very upset about the insinuation that Ares replaced her, she avoids the question and is interrupted by Nigel (damn that man!) "Gabrielle."

Gabrielle is flabbergasted and hurt: "I..."

Nigel: "Gabrielle...are you in love with Xena?" He asks her matter of factly. Of course she is you idiot! I have to agree with Lucifer on this guy, he’s an idiot!

Gabrielle narrows her eyes and shakes her head no: "I don’t love Xena."

Nigel shakily asks: "You mean you don’t love Xena?"

We hear a shout: "Hey, it’s a closed set!" as Xena enters.

Xena: "Closed set my butt!" as she knocks the crew to the ground.

Nigel is nervous and stands up as Xena approaches the stage where they are conducting their interview.

Xena: "Gabrielle."

Gabrielle: "Xena I was just trying to stop him from telling lies about you."

Xena is standing with her hand out for Gabrielle: "I know let’s go."

Nigel blocks Gabrielle from leaving and demands an answer from Xena: "Xena are you in love with Gabrielle?"

Xena is upset with his question and moves towards him saying, "You’ve got some pair on you mister."

Nigel defensively says: "Hey, I’m just doing my job."

Xena: "And I’m just doing mine." She puts the pinch on him and Gabrielle guides him to the floor. "You want to know if I love Gabrielle. Well, let me ask you a question. Do you love anybody?" she asks as she shoves his glasses back in place.  "Do you love your wife, do you love your dog, do you love yourself?" as she’s contorting his nose with her finger and asks, "Is there anyone in this world that you love with all your heart? No, there isn’t is there? Because you can’t love, none of us can. The world has lost the greatest thing the gods ever gave us and I’m going to get it back. Now, that’s your story," she confirms pointing at him before removing the pinch. Xena looks at the camera and screams, "You hear me Odin? I’m coming for ya!"

Xena and Gabrielle walk out of the studio and Gabby asks, "What’s the plan?" Xena says, "I’m going after Odin," as if Gabrielle should just know that. Gabrielle says, "There’s got to be more than that." Xena is mad and looks at Gabrielle, "Why do you do that?" and Gabby asks, "What?" Xena says, "Ask me to spell out the plan. You’d think that after all these years you could maybe join the dots yourself." Gabrielle is perturbed and angrily asks, "Well, why do I have to drag it out of you?" Gabrielle gets really sarcastic with Xena and says, "You know I wish I knew the pinch so I could force you to share your plan with me," as she tauntingly wiggles her fingers and changes her voice mocking Xena. Xena replies, "Nah, nah nah, you can take the pinch off but you’re not allowed to put it on!" Gabrielle gets pissed and grabs her arm to stop her. She turns Xena around to face her, "Oh, I’m not allowed? Oh, that’s right I’m the sidekick. You go ahead Xena I’ll walk ten paces behind you AND YOUR HORSE!" Her voice gets louder and more resentful towards the end of her statement. Ooh, such a nasty lover’s quarrel. Xena angrily protests, "You could walk beside my horse!" Gabrielle retorts, "That’s really big of you Xena!" Xena shakes her head and puts her hands up. "Gabrielle stop it. What’s going on? This isn’t us?" Gabrielle stares at her and says, "We are saying things that people who love each other would never say." Xena says, "Yeah, we’ve got to get love back into the world and fast." Gabrielle says, "Yeah, so what’s the plan?" and gives Xena a huge mischievous grin. She is so freaking adorable!

Nigel goes to the Norse tavern and finds a bunch of women servicing men. Ares happens to be there and rushes out when he sees the camera remarking, "I’m trying to get laid, I’m not a criminal." Nigel follows him out and the scene changes to a cave. Well, that’s what was indicated on the screen! With every scene change they put up where the place is, such as Cave with an arrow pointing to it. Nigel explains that he was contacted by a source that has some answers. The source is draped in a cloak and won’t reveal her to him. It’s Grinhilda! She tells him that Xena is trying to put a god back on Olympus, but not the one he thinks. He guesses the wrong god and she tells him it’s not about Xena and Ares. She tells him that Xena doesn’t want to rule the world she wants to save it. She tells him to follow the love to find his answers. So, he goes and finds Aphrodite who is being accosted by a group of people who want to touch her.  She’s angry that he grabbed her, but changes her tune when she sees the camera. She’s smiling and fixes her hair to look better as she’s looking into the camera. People in the background are grabbing her. She turns around to punch them and says, "Get off!" Before she turns back to the camera with a smile. She’s flirting with Nigel as he is interviewing her. Aphrodite informs him that love has faded away without her to replenish it. She tells him that the morals take love for granted and allow it to slip through their fingers. She tells him that there is nothing she could do as her powers are tied to Olympus and Xena made sure there was no way she could get back there.

The scene changes to the area below Valhalla and Nigel is running up to a rock with Aphrodite holding onto him. He asks Gabrielle, "Gabrielle, where’s Xena?"

Gabrielle: "What are you doing here?" She angrily asks and looks at Aphrodite. "Aphrodite!" She smiles excitedly and hugs her as Beowulf looks on.

Nigel: "Gabrielle, where’s Xena?"

Gabrielle pushes him away: "Get lost!"

Gabrielle and Beowulf explain that Xena has gone in to face Odin and to get the golden apples.

There is a huge battle up in the castle with lightening and Xena menacingly laughing. Nigel dramatically sets up the scene as to what is going on with Xena and Odin.

Aphrodite: "Gabrielle, I’m glad to see you are still traveling with Xena. I was afraid with me away from Olympus that you two might not be so close."

Gabrielle looks at her nodding her head yes and says: "No, we’re partners."

Nigel conducts his commentary and asks, "Who will she bestow the godhood too?"

Xena exits the castle with Odin in front of her and she’s kicking him in the butt to get him moving. She has a branch full of golden apples.

Nigel: "Xena, you’re not going to eat that apple you?"

Xena: "Why ever not?

Nigel: "Because you don’t plan to install yourself as a goddess on Olympus. Your plan is to bring love back into the world. That apple is for Aphrodite isn’t it?"

Xena: "Give this apple to Aphrodite and bring love back into the world. That’s a novel and very unselfish idea. You know it’s not something that the Xena you knew would do."

Nigel: "Maybe before I was reporting on the wrong Xena...Xena."

Ares: "Or maybe not."

Nigel pleads with her to not give him the apple but she holds the apple for him to take a bite and boy does he ever. Quite seductively I might add. He thoroughly enjoys every bite of that apple as he turns back into the God of War. Xena is tempted to take a bite of it and of course, Ares tries to entice her. Gabrielle pleads with her to not do it. Xena tells him she wouldn’t want him to be alone on Olympus as she’s holding the apple very close to her lips to take a bite. Gabrielle tells her, "Xena don’t." Xena looks at her and tells him Aphrodite will keep Ares company as she throws the apple to Aphie. She gets her godhood back and spreads her love to everyone as little hearts are falling around all of them. It is too funny seeing everyone smiling as the little pink hearts float around them. Gabrielle lovingly stares at Xena smiling and Xena does the same to her blonde bard. Beowulf smiles and walks up to Gabrielle stroking her cheek. Yuck! He tells her, "It really is good to see you again Gabrielle." She puts her hand on his shoulder and says, "You’ve got that gleam back in your eye Beowulf." Aphrodite turns to Ares and asks, "Shall we leave these mortals to their business Ares?" As he turns to Xena, "Aphrodite gave you back the power of love, think about it Xena. Think about the possibilities." She walks past Ares and hands the golden apples to Odin. Ares tells her he won’t stop trying and Odin wants to know how she breached his defenses. She tells him that she had help from a friend, Grinhilda.

Nigel interviews a number of different people in this segment beginning with Grinhilda. He wants to know how Xena asked her to help her. Nigel asks, "Why did Xena send Ares back to Olympus?"  

Xena is now in the chair to be interviewed. Xena replies, "You can’t have love without hate, can’t have peace without violence and you certainly can’t have forgiveness without anger. I knew I couldn’t just send Aphrodite back to Olympus without Ares; it would have thrown the whole world out of balance. 

Grinhilda is back in the hot seat and explains that she sent him off after Aphrodite as she went to get Ares to fulfill Xena’s plan. It finally dawns on him that she was the mysterious person in the cave. 

The next ones to be in the hot seat are Eve and her followers. They are all sitting on the floor begging for his forgiveness for the way they treated him and ask that he flagellate them for their transgressions.  He doesn’t want to and Eve angrily yells at him, "do it!" as he takes the broom looking thing from her to use. 

Nigel is interviewing Ares and he’s lounged over his chair in his temple. He explains that there are sparks between him and Xena but she did it for the good of the people...just like always.

The best scene of the whole episode. Nigel is sitting with Xena and Gabrielle in the tavern. He asks, "Are you two lovers?" Xena looks at Gabby, who looks at her and Xena looks at Nigel.

Xena: "You’re asking if?" as Gabrielle chuckles.

Nigel: "That’s right, I’m asking if you two are lovers?" and holds the mic to them.

Xena gets mad and stands up saying: "It’s none of your beeswax Nigel," as Gabrielle is trying to calm her down.

Gabrielle: "Okay, Xena you just risked everything bringing love back into the world." Xena sits down.

Xena: "So, what?"

Gabrielle turns to Nigel with a sneaky grin: "I think you should answer the question." Gabrielle is mischievously grinning and chuckles as Xena looks at her.

Xena: "You do, do ya?"

Gabrielle snickers: "Yeah."

Nigel stops Xena from answering and looks directly into the camera. He fixes his hair and sets up his question. Xena and Gabrielle are looking at each other grinning and laughing as well as nudging each other.

Nigel: "And now ladies and gentleman a world exclusive, for the first time anywhere. Xena and Gabrielle reveal the true nature of their relationship. He turns to them and says, "Gabrielle...Xena...are you two lovers?"

Gabrielle and Xena are ready to bust a gut over the question and Gabrielle is chewing the inside of her mouth to contain her composure as she waits for him to finish talking.

Xena: "You want to the truth?"

Nigel looks at the camera: "That’s right Xena, we want the truth. The whole world wants the truth," as he turns to Xena and Gabrielle with the mic for them to answer.

Gabrielle is fighting hard not to laugh hysterically and Xena’s lip is curled up at him. The TV screen starts to get a lot of static on it as Xena says, "It’s like this...yes, we are lovers and have been for years now! How could you not realize that? Do we have to spell it out for everyone? WE ARE LOVERS! (This is Cruise inserted dialogue once again...I do apologize)

The real dialogue as the static is getting worse is...Xena says, "It’s like this...technically..."

Nigel in a panic says (so were we!): "What? It’s dead? The battery is dead?" as we see a sign that says please stand by. "The world’s greatest story and you’re telling me the battery’s dead? Oh, man!" as he throws the microphone on the table and a different screen pops up with circles and numbers on it.

Oh, they are such a tease! But we all know better! As usual, LL and ROC did a great job on this interview. Renee looked like she was going to lose it and start laughing at anytime during the last scene as well as many other places. The looks on their faces were great! I just loved this episode. It was great! The subtext...I mean maintext is full blown in this episode, that’s for sure! By all means I’m not an Eve fan, but the scene where she is cussing Nigel out is hysterical! Loved it. And the scene with Gabrielle being interviewed is awesome too. The best part of the episode is watching their faces and how they react to the questions that are being asked of them. 

The last scene takes the cake and is fabulous. The grins and chuckles they give throughout the scene is wonderful and enhances the drama to find out the answer. I guess we will have to wait until the last episode to see if they come right out and say it for sure. I must say that if no one knows they are lovers they need to be hit over the head with Minya’s frying pan to snap out of it! Michael Hurst is fabulous in this episode, just smashing! He did an awesome job on this as Nigel, just perfect! I would love to see him reprise his role of the Widow Twanky so we can see more of his wonderful talents. This one is not to be missed!

Enjoy!