Amarice reunites Xena with her broken Chakram, but she doesn't know what it is, or remember anything about her evil past. The group realise that she has completely lost her edge and abilities without her memories of the past and the only way to restore this is to repair the Chakram. But they must avoid Ares and another God of War, Kal, on their way to the temple of the Chakram.
Summary[]
[]
Ares and Kal argue about the Chakram
Ares and Kal, another war god, argue in Kal's temple. Kal wants Xena, but Ares tells him to stop it: she isn't his to take. Ares says Kal is upset because Ares stole the Dark Chakram a long time ago. Kal says Xena has teamed up with Eli and that this is bad. Ares disappears.
The Chakram chambers.
Kal sends the monk Calib into the Chakram Chamber. Calib finds himself surrounded by skeletal remains as he approaches the altar, which contains two interlocking circles. One of the circles is empty and the other holds a silver and white chakram. Calib grabs the chakram and is engulfed in flames when fire erupts from the altar.
Joxer and Amarice stare in wonder as Xena and Gabrielle lock in an emotional embrace. Eli has done what seemed to be the impossible -- raise them from the dead. Joxer says he is glad they aren't dead. Amarice pulls the two broken halves of Xena's chakram out of her bag and Xena eyes them curiously. Amarice puts a blanket around Xena and gives her the broken chakram. Joxer leads Amarice away.
Gabrielle is surprised Xena can't remember her Chakram.
Gabrielle says she can't believe they're back. Xena says they're together always. Xena says she has misplaced something. She put the chakram together. Gabrielle says she doesn't know how it can be fixed. Xena says she doesn't know what it is, but it's sharp and looks dangerous. Gabrielle can't believe Xena doesn't remember. Xena says she's hazy on everything.
Act One[]
Amarice is surprised Xena won't defend herself and even more so by Gabrielle's new way of butt-kicking!
Xena, Joxer, Gabrielle and Amarice go to town. Gabrielle gets cool threads -- brown Amazon-like clothing. Xena has a long red gown one with a scarf. Gabrielle also has sais, which Amarice says are for Xena. Xena says she doesn't know anything about weapons. Someone asks what is a warrior without a weapon: Xena thinks it's a riddle. But a guard says she's ripe for the picking. Fighting ensues, with Gabrielle using those sais very well and Amarice kicking butt. Xena gets hit in the face and knocked down. The head guard goes for Xena. Joxer knocks down a bunch of guys and Gabrielle tells him to go help Xena while she and Amarice kick more butt. Xena and Joxer run. The head guy knocks down Gabrielle and Amarice. Xena drops the town gate and they escape.
Eli questions Xena's resurrection and loss of herself.
Back at the Cave, Eli waits. Everyone is confused as Xena continues to behave like a completely different person. Xena says she can't remember anything about violence. Xena has lost her fire, her edge, her marbles, her self. Xena feels empty. Eli can't figure out what happened. When Eli learns that it was Kal's guards who attacked them, he realizes there must be a reason for Xena's condition.
Suddenly, Kal's guards approach the temple and the group slips out the back to find Eli's friend Calib in search of some answers.
Meanwhile, Ares materializes in Kal's fortress and the two gods agree to work together to prevent Xena from becoming herself again.
Xena plays with the sais, but doesn't know how to do anything with them. Xena tries to remember but doesn't believe the stories the others are telling her about her evil days. Amarice gets upset with the memory loss and Xena's "innocence" and goes off hunting, Xena follows Amarice. Eli and Gabrielle talk. Gabrielle says she isn't taking the way of love anymore. She says her path is with Xena, helping her however she can.
Later, Xena and Amarice are hunting for food when they are attacked by Kal's lieutenant. Amarice is knocked unconscious and Xena is taken to Kal's fortress, where she is put in manacles.
Act Two[]
Gabrielle searches for Xena and finds Amarice. Gabrielle tracks Xena, everyone else follows. Ares pops in and watches. Kal starts to explain his plans for Xena, but Ares arrives and sets her free. Convinced that Kal is trying to pull a fast one, Ares engages him in battle. Xena looks at a mural on the wall and becomes mesmerized by an image of a chakram. She suddenly has visions of past battles, but shakes the memories from her head. Xena escapes through an open window and meets up with her friends.
They arrive at Calib's library, which has been totally ransacked. Xena and Eli realize that Calib is dead. Joxer just misses watching Xena disrobe. Xena climbs in the bath. Joxer turns around and finds Xena there. He is embarrassed. He asks Xena about Gabrielle and how to tell her he loves her. Xena says Joxer expects too much: he should just tell her with no strings attached. Joxer leaves.
Ares appears to Xena. He gives Xena a massage. Xena doesn't seem to understand what "bad" is. Ares gives Xena the speech about how they are destined to rule the planet together and bring order to the Earth. Ares moves in to kiss Xena.
Act Three[]
As Xena and Ares are about to kiss, Gabrielle walks in. Unwelcome having to see Ares, she tells him that he is still the same as always, taking advantage of Xena's circumstances. Leaving his words to confuse Xena, Ares left.
After looking through Calib's scrolls, Eli discovers that they need the chakram of light to bring Xena back to normal. But only the purest soul can touch it without being destroyed. The chakram of light is also one of the few things on earth that can kill a god, which explains why Ares and Kal are so eager to get hold of it. Whoever has possession of the chakram could wipe out all the other deities. Kal and Ares talk. They call a truce and agree to work together against Xena's efforts to get the Light Chakram. They decide to greet Xena with an army at the Temple of the Chakram.
Xena prays.
Xena prays, with the broken chakram in her hands, questioning the restoration of her dark self. She doesn't know if they're doing the right thing. Amazed that Xena was praying, Gabrielle walks towards her. Xena then speaks about her concern to Gabrielle. Without the darkness, the light in Xena is defenseless against the evil, the people who harm others. Only with the strength of her darkness, she can protect the innocent.
Ares makes Xena an offer for the Chakram
The group rushes to the Chakram Chamber and Xena retrieves the chakram of light. When she exits the chamber, her friends are surrounded by Ares, Kal and his guards. Ares and Kal freeze when they see that Xena has the chakram, but she can't make the kill and drops it to the ground.
Act Four[]
Ares laughs at Xena's lack of killing. Gabrielle yells "Run" to the group. Amarice grabs the chakram of light and Eli rushes everyone back into the chamber.
The two chakrams are merged.
Xena places the broken halves of her dark chakram into one of the altar's interlocking circles and the chakram of light into another. Ares and Kal burst into the chamber, facing Eli and Gabrielle respectively. As Kal is about to attack Gabrielle, Xena picks up the chakram of light and cuts Kal in his stomach. Xena stood stunned as Kal turns into ashes. Ares tells Xena it was not her fault and persuaded her to give him the chakram of light. Xena turns and picks up the dark chakram, as shown to have been repaired by the altar. She holds both chakrams above her head and strikes them together. Sparks fly and Xena is left holding a new chakram forged from the dark and light ones, designed with the Yin and Yang symbol. Xena is back! Together with the rest, they defeated Kal's army. Ares asks Xena why she neutralized the chakrams, the power to kill gods, and Xena replies that no one deserves to own that power.
Tag[]
How Xena got her groove back
Back at Calibs, Eli bids them all goodbye, as he chose to stay and study Calib's' scrolls. Eli tells Xena that it was not entirely his credit for resurrecting them. Joxer tells Gabrielle she does not have to say anything, he just wanted her to know. The four walk toward Greece. Xena and Gabrielle lag behind Joxer and Amarice. Xena thanks Gabrielle for putting her back together again. She tells Gabrielle that when she asked for a sign, she got the Bard, as well as that meant they were doing the right thing.
Disclaimer[]
Xena's Dark and Violent Past was restored during the production of this motion picture.
Background Information[]
Behind the Scenes[]
- Clips used in this episode are from:
- The set used for the archway around the entrances to the Chakram's altar were also used in "The Debt II" and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys's "Men in Pink."
- In the opening segment of this episode, just after Amarice gives Xena the broken Chakram, music from "The Bitter Suite" plays.
- Mark Rounthwaite, the actor who plays Calib in this episode, is usually a stunt-man on Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Young Hercules.
- Kevin Smith debuts a new short haircut that he keeps for the rest of the series. He asked to be allowed to cut his hair, since he felt that his long hair made it tougher to get other acting jobs.
- The scene of Ares confronting Eli was not in the original script. It was included as it seemed akward that Eli be in the middle of a fight and not doing anything.
- The scene of amnesiatic Xena contemplating her life was not part of the original script. Director Doug Lefler brought the crew back in for another day of shooting because there wasn't a strong enough reason for Xena to want to return to her past self. Also, according to writer Chris Manheim, they added the scene in order to lengthen the show, since they were a few minutes shorter than their alloted episode length.
- "Chakram" scored a rating of 8.0 out of 10, making it the third-highest rated episode of the season by 2000.
- Gabrielle had been intended to return to fighting with a staff and they were going to bring back the eagle-headed one that Ephiny gave her in "Hooves and Harlots", since it looked more warlike than the old one. But when Lucy became pregnant they knew that Gabrielle was going to have to carry the bulk of the action sequences for a while, so Rob decided to give her a pair of sais instead.
- Renee's favorite costume was the one introduced in this episode. It was comfortable and she liked the fact that the underskirt was actually shorts, giving her more freedom of movement. She kept one set of this when the show ended.
- "Chakram" debunks the episode "The Xena Scrolls", by changing the design and function of the chakram, which would be found by Melinda Pappas in it's original design.
- Lucy's pregnancy is already noticable in this episode.
- The costumes worn by Kal's men are made up of re-painted pieces of the armour worn by Hera's Guards.
Key Events[]
- This episode marks the return of Ares in the main Xena: Warrior Princess timeline.
- Only appearance of the Light Chakram.
- This episode marks the first appearance of the Balanced Chakram.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Gabrielle's sixth costume and her sais. Strangly enough, the atire that Xena wears in this episode does not appear in any other.
- Although Joxer does not usually fight well, in this episode he surprising does, given that he had his first kill in The Convert.
Trivia[]
- This episode and the following one are the only two episodes that depicts Xena holding one of Gabrielle's sais.
- Gabrielle once again kills several times in this episode. She later reaffirms that she has finally found her true path in fighting by Xena's side.
- This episode picks up on the Joxer-Gabrielle romance superarc started in "A Comedy of Eros."
- This episode almost implies a confirmation of a psychic connection between Xena and her Chakram. When her Chakram is broken, her memories go along with it. She then restores them when she fuses the Light and Dark Chakram together, as if she has balanced out her past.
- It is confirmed in this episode that Ares stole the Dark Chakram and gave it to Xena during her warlord years. It is revealed later that it was between the Battle of Corinth and travelling to the Norseland where she finds Odin and becomes a Valkyrie.
- The Light Chakram is never thrown.
- The Light Chakram only killed one known time and that was Kal by Xena.
- Amarice managed to retrieve the broken Dark Chakram from the Romans.
- This Episode Breaks the continuity of The Xena Scrolls.
- Chakram Count
- Knockdown Soldiers
- To take out the Soilers trying to kill Joxer, Amarice, and Gabrielle.(First-time split.)
Links and References[]
Guest Stars[]
- Ted Raimi as Joxer
- Jennifer Sky as Amarice
- Timothy Omundson as Eli
- Kevin Smith as Ares
- Antonio Te Maioho as Kal
- Mark Rounthwaite as Calib
- Jason Tahu as Fat Arse Guard
References[]
People[]
- Xena
- Gabrielle
- Joxer
- Eli
- Amarice
- Caleb
- Alti (Mentioned)
- Julius Caesar (Mentioned)
- Callisto (Mentioned)
Deities[]
Places[]
Gallery[]
[]
| << Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6 >> | ||||||
| #01 | Fallen Angel | #09 | Seeds of Faith | #17 | Kindred Spirits | |||
| #02 | Chakram | #10 | Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire | #18 | Antony & Cleopatra | |||
| #03 | Succession | #11 | Punchlines | #19 | Looking Death in the Eye | |||
| #04 | Animal Attraction | #12 | God Fearing Child | #20 | Livia | |||
| #05 | Them Bones, Them Bones | #13 | Eternal Bonds | #21 | Eve | |||
| #06 | Purity | #14 | Amphipolis Under Siege | #22 | Motherhood | |||
| #07 | Back in the Bottle | #15 | Married with Fishsticks | |||||
| #08 | Little Problems | #16 | Lifeblood | |||||