Gabrielle seeks the Goddess of Memories, Mnemosyne, in hopes that she can help rid her of the memories of her recent betrayals against Xena with Hope and in Chin. She soon realises that she has a choice between both good and bad memories together, or none at all — but which will she choose?
Summary[]
Gabrielle awakens with nightmares of Hope
Gabrielle is still haunted by dreams of her betrayal of Xena even though the two have reconciled. While on route to meet Xena near the Temple of Mnemosyne, Gabrielle wakes screaming from one of these nightmares. When Joxer, stumbling to the rescue, finds her crying, she explains that she is unable to shake the haunting images running through her mind. She feels she must search for an answer to end her pain and insists on going off alone to find it. Eager to protect her, Joxer secretly follows only moments after she leaves.
The Priestess of Mnemosyne explains about memories to Gabrielle
Gabrielle finds her way to the Temple of Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. As she arrives, a young woman is coming out. The woman is in a daze and doesn't seem to know who or where she is. A temple guard asks Gabrielle if she is prepared to give up everything she has ever known in return for being rid of her pain. Deciding she must take the risk, she enters the temple and in doing so, immediately gives the Priestess of Mnemosyne access to all her memories.
The room is full of pottery bowls containing memories and answers and the Priestess has Gabrielle fill a bowl with water from a jug. The Priestess explains that Gabrielle must take a journey through the three rivers of memory, at the end of which she will have the answer she seeks and the opportunity to forget her past if she chooses. If the bowl is emptied, Gabrielle's memory will be gone forever.
Joxer holding a Gabrielle without memories
After being turned away by the guards, Joxer climbs a tree in order to peer through the temple window to see what's going on inside. Two attendants are sponging Gabrielle down with water. But just as things are about to get interesting, the branch breaks, sending Joxer falling to the ground. Joxer eludes the guards and rushes into the temple where he finds Gabrielle an empty shell of her former self with no memories at all. Alarmed, Joxer rushes Gabrielle's body out of the building against the Priestess' advice.
Ares appears to Gabrielle in her mind
Meanwhile, Gabrielle's spirit has begun her journey. Wearing a flowing white robe, she reaches the first river and is surprised to find Ares waiting for her. She learns that this Ares is not really the god of war, but rather the personification of her own denial of a memory she has suppressed. He tells her that she stands in front of the River of Wailing and warns her not to go in. Defiant, Gabrielle steps into the water and is immediately hit with a barrage of images of betrayals, killings and her child's birth and death. Pulling herself up onto the opposite bank, she finds herself covered in blood.
Gabrielle enters "The River of Woe"
After this ordeal, Ares again tries to convince Gabrielle to go back. The next river is the frigid River of Woe. Gabrielle steps onto a thin ice bridge, but it quickly collapses and she falls in. Now she is beset with images of her betrayal of Xena.
Joxer reminds Gabrielle of her life through her scrolls
Meanwhile, Joxer has been trying to help "Gabrielle-Lite," the shell of Gabrielle whom he grabbed from the temple, regain her memory. He shows her her staff, her scrolls — nothing helps. Finally, Joxer comes up with the idea to read her the stories she has written about her adventures with Xena, but when he gets to references about himself as clumsy and bumbling, he begins to embellish a little.
Gabrielle enters "The River of Fire"
Worn out, the spirit Gabrielle claims to have figured out what her problem is. She's believes she's faced her past mistakes and is ready to return home, but when she tries to re-cross the River of Woe, something pulls her under and the river freezes over. Suddenly, the ice cracks and she manages to drag herself on shore, but tells Ares she's stuck — she can't go back and she can't go forward.
Ares takes her in his arms, comforts her and urges her to stay with him forever, but something about Ares begins to trigger a memory. Searching for the answer, Gabrielle jumps into the final river, the River of Fire.
The Truth in flashbacks reveals Ares sent Gabrielle to Chin
Immediately, she realizes the truth and the denial of a memory she has suppressed. She remembers that she had asked Ares to help her beat Xena to Chin, ostensibly in order to keep Xena from murdering Ming T'ien. She now faces the truth about her real motives: She couldn't stand being left behind by Xena and felt that their friendship meant more to her than it did to Xena. She had almost gotten Xena killed because of her own jealousy. With this realization, it is time for Gabrielle to decide whether or not to drink the water in her bowl and forget her pain forever. In the shadows, Xena, unseen in the Temple of Mnemosyne, watches the outcome closely.
Gabrielle returns and reunites with Xena and Joxer.
Meanwhile, Joxer has managed to convince Gabrielle-Lite that he is a great warrior and that she loves him. As she throws herself at him, Joxer feels guilty and confesses his lie, just as the real Gabrielle reclaims her body. Xena arrives and tells Gabrielle that she had sensed that Gabrielle still had things to work through. Both are overjoyed that Gabrielle is finally home.
Disclaimer[]
Xena and Joxer were not forgotten during the production of this motion picture.
Background Information[]
Behind the Scenes[]
- Shooting Dates: January 19 to January 23 1998, 5 day shoot. This is the shortest episode of the season to be filmed.
- Other than in flashback clips from previous episodes, Lucy Lawless only appears in the final scene of this episode. Making it the only Xena-less episode which Lucy features in barely 4 minutes of screen time at the end.
- In the original script Xena was hiding in the Temple of Mnemosyne. We were supposed to see a bit of leather and chakram from behind a pillar, but they cut that out since the producers decided that Xena would know that this was something Gabrielle had to do without her.
- Sometimes things aren't as they seem. According to Renee, the River of Fire was freezing because of the dry ice and the River of Ice was actually a sauna.
Key Events[]
Clips used in this episode are:
- Xena learning that Hope is still alive and the poisoning scene from "Maternal Instincts".
- Gabrielle being duped into killing in "The Deliverer".
- Scenes from "When in Rome...".
- Scenes from "The Debt" and "The Debt II".
- The dungeon scene ("scratch my nose will ya") from "The Debt II".
- The temple song and sequence from "The Bitter Suite".
- Xena leaving for Chin in "The Debt".
Goofs[]
- One of Gabrielle's memories involved Xena and Lao Ma, which Gabrielle isn't present at that point of time. It could however, be the visualization of Gabrielle's knowledge of Xena's past.
Other[]
- This is a 'Xena-Lite' episode.
Memorable Quotations[]
- "Yeah, well I can make her forget … I'm a very forgettable person!"
- —Joxer, to the priestess
Links and References[]
Main Cast[]
Guest Stars[]
- Ted Raimi as Joxer
- Kevin Smith as Ares
- Jan Hellriegel as Priestess of Mnemosyne
- Lana Garland as Young Woman
- Mark Webley as Guard
References[]
People[]
- Xena
- Gabrielle
- Joxer
- Priestess of Mnemosyne
- Lao Ma (Mentioned)
Gods[]
Places[]
Other[]
[]
| << Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 >> | ||||||
| #01 | The Furies | #09 | Warrior... Priestess... Tramp | #17 | Forget Me Not | |||
| #02 | Been There, Done That | #10 | The Quill is Mightier... | #18 | Fins, Femmes and Gems | |||
| #03 | The Dirty Half Dozen | #11 | Maternal Instincts | #19 | Tsunami | |||
| #04 | The Deliverer | #12 | The Bitter Suite | #20 | Vanishing Act | |||
| #05 | Gabrielle's Hope | #13 | One Against an Army | #21 | Sacrifice I | |||
| #06 | The Debt I | #14 | Forgiven | #22 | Sacrifice II | |||
| #07 | The Debt II | #15 | King Con | |||||
| #08 | The King of Assassins | #16 | When in Rome... | |||||