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Ryan

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

Wonderful episode! Everything adds up.

Wow Nero was one evil guy, and I liked how it made you think that Xena was right to side with Agrippina when in the end she was betrayed too.

The whole episode was amazing and I can't wait for the next part. Darion finally finding his sister...Nero killing Darion's family...Xena throwing her chakram in the ocean. It was such a powerful episode and I am looking forward to seeing the conclusion! If only we could get to really "see" the Shipper Season episode.

Great job LK and Sais!


Shipper Queen

Loved it as always, I can't believe everything changed that quickly. Darion found his sister, Gabrielle was wrong, Xena throwing away her sword (again). Can't wait till next ep.


Tali

You can't just leave it there! So Xena's having a warrior hissy fit. Why does she insist on throwing away perfectly good antiques? Excellent episode, can't wait for more. Nice montage at the end, strangely my first though was you should have had Nemo swimming around in it


Diana01

Very, very well written. Agrippina is exactly like what was depicted in that PBS series "I, Claudius" with Derek Jacobi. And betrayal upon betrayal - riveting!


DD1007

Great plot! Great characters! Great episode!

That's why I think it's always worthy the wait for each new episode. Doesn't matter how long it takes for them to be aired we are never disappointed when we read them. Xena completely surprised me twice in this episode, and I loved it. The first time when she couldn’t foresee what could happen to her "charge" after accepting that peace gift, and then in the end. Though now I'm all curious and anxiously waiting for the next episode to find out what will come from that end... And I loved that there was no good guy and bad guy in this story and that some times X and G can fail to see what's in other peoples' soul. Thank you LK, S2C and Aurora!!! Beautiful montages, btw! Especially the one in the end.


Aurora

This was a really good episode. It was dark, but I think having a good, dark episode once and a while is a good thing, especially on Xena.

I really liked the beginning of the ep, when Xena and Gabrielle were playing truth or dare, and Xena agreed to tell the truth. I liked that Gabrielle asked when Xena first fell in love with Ares. Too bad she didn't have a chance to really answer. Isn't how that always goes? Well, maybe another time she'll be able to tell Gabrielle.

I loved the way Nero and Agrippina were portrayed, and that Darion finally found his sister. Even though I was aware of this plot, reading the episode makes all the difference and it was very well written.

Great ep, LadyKate and Sais.


Sally

Wow, a true masterpiece. I was really impressed by how small tid bits from the preveios episodes come together to form one picture. It reminded me of S3 (which IMO is the best season in terms of quality )

Yes, this episode was definitely dark and more serious but it didn't bother me. An episode with this heavy of a plot needs a certain amount of angst and such to make it work.

We also get to see that no one is perfect even in the xenaverse. And I thought Xena was suppose to be able forsee everything just like an oracle

Even though I was aware of this plot, reading the episode makes all the difference and it was very well
written.

I second Aurora's comment here. It's not "what" happens but "how" it happens. Great portrayal and description by LK and Sais

Well, everyone keep up the excellent work!


Tango

I loooooove this episode. It's dark, it's angsty, it's very human and very "classic Xena" in every good way. And the characters, even the minor ones like Lykia, are completely realistic, and very three-dimensional.

I'm really looking forward to the next ep!


CausalFan

Excellent episode - a return to some "darker," complex themes. The buildup in the earlier Agrippina/Nero eps came to full fruition here, with Xena's realization that she has been as blind to her erstwhile friend's true nature as Gab has been to Nero's. In each case, the Romans were able to play on the duo's weaknesses - in Xena's case, through Agrippina's apparent concern for the citizenry of Ponpeii, in Gab's, by Nero's ostentatious love of prose, poetry and the arts - and the denouement is devastating to both.

Our heroines learn all over again that foulness can wear a fair face. For Xena, it's even more traumatic, because in order to reconcile herself with her past and justify her present actions, she has to believe that she works for the Greater Good; discovering that she's been manipulated by a cunning Roman politico must be crushing, as well as bringing back bitter memories of her betrayal by Caesar.

Well done, LK and Sais! Encore, encore!