Callisto (episode)

Xena is once again reminded of the sins of her past when a malicious female warrior, whose family was killed by Xena's former army, exacts her revenge on the Warrior Princess by impersonating her.

Summary
Callisto, a ruthless woman warrior leading a band of cutthroats on a bloody rampage, tells a terrified village survivor to spread news of the devastation and identifies herself as Xena.

The real Xena learns of this cruel charade from Melas, a griefstricken young man who has lost his two-year-old son to the murderers and vows revenge on the warrior princess. Determined to stop the destruction, Xena and Gabrielle set out to find the imposter. They sense this imposter was the one responsible for nearly killing Xena with a poison dart.

On the road, Xena and Gabrielle are heading towards Corinth, as they walk through a group of villagers, likely traveling from a village destroyed by Callisto, they meet Joxer. Joxer offers his services to Xena, to which Xena refuses. Later, after foiling an assassination attempt by Melas, Xena comes upon Callisto and her warriors, who are in the process of sacking another village. Xena rides in and starts fighting, Xena lets loose with her chakram and to her amazement, it is caught by Callisto.

Drawing their swords, the two charge each other on horseback and a fierce battle ensues which proves them to be almost evenly matched. Callisto mentions she just as good as Xena. Xena realizes that it was Callisto who shot her with that poison dart. Callisto reveals that it left her free to revive Xena's reputation as a wanted killer of women and children. Xena tells her she never killed women and children, to which Callisto says she has now. The two begin to fight again, only this time with staffs. They knock each other off their horses, but Callisto manages to escape with Xena's chakram, asking the warrior princess before she flees if she remembers Cirra -- a village Xena conquered in her dark past.

After the fight, Xena puts her "touch" on the throat of Callisto's warrior Theodorus, forcing him to reveal Callisto's intentions. He tells her that Callisto's family died in Cirra when Xena and her army laid waste to the village and that the woman warrior is determined to exact her revenge. He also reveals that Callisto plans to murder the Oracle of Delphi the following day and blame it on Xena.

Meanwhile, Callisto is visited in her stronghold by a weasly little man named Joxer, who is desperate to become one of her warriors. She tells him he must prove himself by bringing her Gabrielle, which he attempts repeatedly, but to no avail.

At night, Xena, Gabrielle and Melas camp at a fire. Gabrielle asks Melas when was the last time he slept, he tells her when he buried his son. Melas reveals that he will be happy when Callisto is dead. Gabrielle walks away and joins Xena by the fire and asks Xena if she wants to talk about Cirra. Xena reveals the story of Cirra, that it was just another village to conquer, nothing out of the ordinary. A fire broke out and she didn't know if it was one of her men or just an accident. She goes further on to reveal that it was one time when her army was responsible for the death of women and children. Gabrielle says Callisto will do anything for revenge, which Xena doesn't blame her for. Gabrielle then demands to know when will this end, the lust for revenge. Xena says she was lucky, but if something happened to Mother, or Hercules, or Gabrielle, she might do just the same. Gabrielle asks Xena to promise her if something happens to her, that Xena will not become a monster, that the only way to end hatred is through love and forgiveness. Xena laughs and so does Gabrielle, and she hugs Gabrielle.

The next day, Xena, Gabrielle and Melas -- who now knows that Xena did not murder his son -- go to the temple at Delphi. Xena spots and charges Callisto in the crowd just as she hurls Xena's chakram towards the Oracle. The warrior princess manages to thwart the assassination attempt and jumps on her horse to pursue the fleeing Callisto. Xena gives chase over the hills and valleys, finally managing to take Callisto prisoner and plans to return her to the village.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle is confronted by Joxer who unsuccessfully tries to capture her for Callisto. Gabrielle tries to reason with Joxer, but instead he tries to grab her again to which Gabrielle hits him in the nose and leaves. Xena leads the horses, with Callisto on Argo heading back to the village. The two begin to talk about rights and wrongs. Xena tells Callisto that what happened to her was terrible and it was her fault. Callisto spits on Xena's head and doesn't accept it. Xena asks her what she would do if she left her go, to which Callisto laughs and tells her she would dedicate her life to killing everything Xena's loves.

Meanwhile, Melas, consumed with grief and hatred, organizes a lynch mob bent on revenge. When Xena returns with her captive and refuses to give her up to Melas and the crowd, she takes her to the jail. In the jail, Callisto starts taunting Xena asking her why she's fought her sense of guilt. Xena promises to not let anything happen to Callisto without a fair trail. Callisto laughs and tells Xena that as a villain, she is honored, but as a hero, she is a sentimental fool.

Gabrielle watches the mob when a noose is thrown over her neck. Joxer returns to capture Gabrielle for Callisto a second time. Gabrielle hits him and the two sit down and talk. She asks why he's trying to attack Gabrielle and Joxer tells her he wants to make a name for himself as a warrior. Gabrielle tells him he has no chance and after some talking the two appear to be getting along better. When Joxer and Gabrielle exchange names, he tries to attack her again. She hits him and walks off.

Melas and the crowd set fire to the jail. In the confusion, Callisto escapes and takes Gabrielle hostage. Xena follows and when she reaches Callisto's stronghold, she finds Gabrielle suspended from a rope over a huge vat of wood.

After igniting both the rope and the wood with a torch, Callisto draws Xena into battle and a furious fight-chase on ladders begins. Eventually, Xena gets the upper hand and catches Gabrielle just as the rope gives way. She then saves Callisto from falling into the burning pyre, though the embittered warrior tells Xena that she hates her for doing so.

In the end, Callisto is put in leg irons by a posse of citizens from Delphi, and Melas -- now aware of the near-tragic consequences of his blind hatred -- promises that she will get a fair trial for her crimes. Gabrielle mentions to Xena that she's glad she saved Callisto, to which Xena remarks it was the right decision. As the two begin to leave, Callisto lets slip that it the right thing to do is what they think.

Disclaimer
''Joxer's nose was not harmed during the production of this motion picture. However, his crossbow was severely damaged.''

Behind the Scenes

 * Shooting Dates: February 5, 1996 through February 16th, 1996 (9 day shoot).
 * Original US. Ratings (first airing): 5.1
 * This episode was one of seventeen that fans selected to be featured on the Xena: Warrior Princess: 10th Anniversary Collection and is subsequently considered one of the greatest episodes in history.
 * Although revealing that it was Callisto that fired the poisoned dart at Xena in the previous episode, 'The Greater Good', this one was actually filmed before it.
 * The 2nd unit crew spent a record-making nine days working on the Xena/Callisto ladder battle.
 * Robert Tapert, mentioned at 1998 Burbank II Con that didn't take the credit for Callisto. R.J. Stewart created the character and he knew how they wanted her character to be like.
 * The original draft of the episode included Xena and Gabrielle entering a village and meeting Akteon, who apparently knew of Xena from her past, as well as who doesn't know Xena is reformed, this was something that occured in The Path Not Taken, where Xena pretends to be evil Xena, but by the time they got to this episode, the writers felt it long enough that people probably know by now she is reformed.
 * In the original script, Joxer actually does shoot an arrow at Gabrielle with his crossbow in the Delphi alleyway, she however ducks it and defends herself.
 * An extended Gabrielle/Joxer scene was cut from the aired version. It occurs while the two are tied up in Callisto's camp, where the two comment on the hero in both of them.
 * In the Starlog 2000 Magazine #271, R.J. Stewart stated that the episodes Callisto and Return of Callisto were originally conceived as a three-parter when the story was first pitched, but they decided to not commit to a three-parter until they saw how Callisto's character was like first in a stand-alone episode.

Key Events

 * This episode introduces two characters who will become essential to the future of : Callisto and Joxer.

Other

 * This episode scored 5.1 million viewers on its original airing.
 * Chakram Count: 4
 * 1) To take out three of Callisto's soldiers.
 * 2) Callisto throws it into a watermelon.
 * 3) Callisto throws it to try and kill the Oracle.
 * 4) Xena throws it to cut the rope to free Gabrielle.

Guest Stars
Hudson Leick as Callisto Ted Raimi as Joxer David Te Rare as Theodorus

Ian Hughes as Melas

People
Oracle

Places
Stonehenge, Delphi