Past Imperfect

Xena and Gabrielle are on their way to a city to warn them that a hostile army is in the neighborhood. Since the city has its own army, Xena's plan is to warn them and move on so she and Gabrielle don't get caught in the middle. Xena is still worried about the vision of their death (first seen in Adventures in the Sin Trade II), and doesn't want Gabrielle to be in any more danger than necessary.

As expected in this kind of story, Xena finds the city is in trouble because a large portion of its defenders are sick and unable to fight. Also, the attack on the city by hostile forces begins, forcing everyone, including Xena and Gabrielle, to remain inside the city. During the first wave of bombardment, Xena saves the life of a child, gets knocked on the head, and has a flashback to her attack on Corinth, about ten years earlier.

Chronologically, the flashback story takes place about nine months after the flashbacks from Adventures in the Sin Trade II. Solan was conceived in that episode's flashbacks, and he is born in this episode's flashbacks.

What develops is a parallel story -- Xena recognizes the tactics used in the present day attack, because they're the same ones she used against Corinth. Whoever it is knows Xena and her strategies.

Eventually, Xena figures out that the commander of the enemy army is her slave girl from the battle at Corinth, defeats her, and rescues the city. In the flashback sequences we witness the final schism between Borias and Xena, the birth of Solan, the loss of Calliopus' eye, and Xena putting Solan in the care of the centaurs. Some of these events were shown (in a different form) during Orphan of War from Season 2.

This episode has some excellent drama in both the conflict between Borias and Xena (in the past) and Xena and Gabrielle (in the present). Gabrielle chafes under Xena's over protection, and there is a wonderful exchange between the two about halfway through the episode regarding the crucifixion vision, and how Gabrielle doesn't believe it because she "can't afford to."

My biggest gripe with the episode relates to the vision. The episode opens with Xena telling Gabrielle about it. Since Gabby's knowledge of the vision is one of the main sources of conflict in the episode, it is necessary that she know. However, based on the previous episode, Crusader, Xena had no intention of telling Gabrielle about the vision.

Why the sudden change? It isn't like Xena to suddenly change her mind like that. I would like to have seen the moments leading up to the revelation of the vision, to perhaps explain why Xena felt the need to tell Gabrielle about it.

Regardless, Gabrielle's words to Xena in this episode (with regard to the vision) are true to the character. She says, "Now either I prove you wrong, and we move on from here, or I prove you right and we die." Gabrielle has accepted that there is risk in what they do. The thought that she might die as a result of her association with Xena does not keep her from what must be done.

It's an interesting reversal between the two women -- one we regularly see this season. Gabrielle does what is necessary regardless of the personal risk, while Xena worries about what might happen to Gabrielle. Xena still does what is necessary, but those moments of concern were not a major part of Xena's character when the journey started.

Interestingly enough, Gabrielle understands Xena's fear -- she even shares it -- but she doesn't let that fear stop her from doing her thing.

I was slightly disappointed by the addition of yet another woman pushed towards evil by Xena's dark past. Satrina, in contrast to the warden from Locked Up and Tied Down, was already on a dark path before Xena showed up.

Satrina serves as a reminder of the influence Xena has had in people's lives. If so many people have been warped by her, what does that say about Gabrielle's ultimate fate -- especially in light of Alti's vision?

I was also a bit surprised that Ares wasn't helping this one out. While his appearance would have been superfluous, it would have made sense that he would have been backing somebody who was (tactically, at least) nearly Xena's equal. Maybe he was still nervous about the Hind's Blood Dagger. After all, we don't know what happened to it after Xena killed Callisto, do we? Perhaps Ares is keeping his distance because Xena sleeps with it under her pillow.

In the end, this is solid episode that is mostly true to the characters we know. The interpersonal conflicts are a lot more significant than the physical battles, which ultimately serve as a backdrop to the personal drama.

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