Vanishing Act

Gabrielle travels on ahead to attend the opening of an annual celebration of peace at a small coastal village. The following morning the villagers are shocked to discover that their precious statue of Pax, the god of peace has been stolen. Surveying the situation Xena spots a shifty figure by the dock and reveals it to be none other than Autolycus, The King of Thieves. However, Autolycus swears blind that he didn't steal the statue and enlists Xena and Gabrielle's help in finding out who did steal it with the aim of stealing it back. The only problem is that Autolycus insists on doing it his way, which involves endless disguises and silly voices. Along the way, they discover who is responsible - the man who killed Autolycus' brother and soon the mission takes on a different complexion as Autolycus continues his quest for revenge. Xena is desperate to stop Autolycus from killing him because she fears for what Autolycus will become a deadly but soulless assassin if he manages to carry out his plans. There is also the small problem of returning the massive statue to the villagers.

Sacrifice

It is the two-part season finally. My all time FAVOURITE EPISODES!!!!!!!! So far. J

Callisto emerges through a hole she has created from the vortex where she was trapped with the Sovereign. Meanwhile, Xena and Gabrielle watch a demonic cult prepare for a human sacrifice - Gabrielle's childhood friend Seraphin. True to form Xena uses her Chakram to halt the proceedings and managed to get Seraphin only to discover she was a very willing participant. Callisto kidnaps one of the priests and takes him to a cave where Hope is growing in a cocoon and is about to hatch. When Seraphin tells them of the Goddess, Xena and Gabrielle assume it's Callisto, but as Xena tries to stop yet another human sacrifice, she suddenly realises that it is Hope rather than Callisto that they are up against. Ares further muddies the waters by calling in his debt and telling Gabrielle that if Xena kills Hope, then Gabrielle must cut Xena's life thread kept by the Fates, killing Xena. Gabrielle tries to talk to Seraphin, only to disclose to her that she is Hope's mother - the Betrayer as Seraphin calls her. Xena then decides to let Seraphin go and she and Gabrielle follow Seraphin to where Hope's cocoon is now placed. In a struggle, Xena tries to stop Seraphin getting sacrificed again but Seraphin does get a flesh wound in the process; as the fight continues Seraphin crawls towards Hope's cocoon and smears her own blood onto it, causing Hope to hatch.

Sacrifice part II

As Hope hatches, it turns out that she looks exactly like her mother, Gabrielle. Things turn distinctly cold between Xena and Gabrielle because of Gabrielle's intervention, which stopped Xena killing Hope – Gabrielle tries to explain but Xena won't listen. Tending to Seraphin's wound, they head off to try to find where Hope now is. Meanwhile Hope insists on Callisto making her look just like her mother and tries to pursuade Callisto to join her army of darkness rather than seek the oblivion she so desperately wants. Hope also talks to Joxer while posing as Gabrielle in order to find out why everyone loves her mother, and why she appears to have no love for her own child. In the meantime, Hope and Ares start getting rather amorous and Hope becomes more dismissive of Callisto's insistence that she fulfil their pact, causing Callisto to turn to Xena for help - offering her assistance in exchange for Xena killing her with the Hind's Blood dagger which they now know Xena knows the whereabouts of. Ares appears to Xena and Gabrielle informing them that he and Hope are having a child. Although Xena is totally dismissive at first, Gabrielle persuades her to accept Callisto's help. As they continue their quest for Hope, they see more and more innocent villagers being rounded up by the cult as sacrifices. Xena decides to try to save them and starts a fight during which time Gabrielle slips away and Hope tries impersonating her mother. Xena begins to guess what is going on and catches Hope out just as she's rescued by Ares. Ares then explains to Xena that she can't win and what he has forced Gabrielle to agree to to repay her debt. Xena of course continues anyway, the confrontation comes as Hope, and Ares start the sacrifice. Thanks to Joxer smuggling in the Hind's blood dagger, Xena is able to come close to killing Hope but at the last minute, Gabrielle decides to save Xena's life by killing herself and Hope with a plunge into the fiery abyss in Hope's temple. Xena is heartbroken, and turns the dagger on Callisto as she laughs about Gabrielle's death. Ares, somewhat stunned, leaves the temple having seen Hope, Gabrielle and Callisto die and fearing he may easily be the next in line.