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They say every strong hero needs an equally strong adversary. Well Xena meets hers in Callisto, a thoroughly evil and maladjusted woman bent on vengeance. It seems a few years back when Xena was bad, her army torched Callisto's village of Cirra, killing her mother and sister. Now Callisto wants payback. She goes around attacking towns and killing villagers, children and women alike, and blames Xena for the deeds. Xena goes after her, to try and bring her to justice. Along the way she runs into Joxer (the first apperance of this character played by Ted Raimi), a bumbling wannabe warrior who wants to help Xena. But Xena has no time for games and ends up alienating Joxer who strikes a deal with Callisto to bring in Gabrielle. The first confrontation between Xena and Callisto is a memorable one as Xena is fighting Callisto's army and throws her chakram with her weapon bouncing of buildings and being caught by Callisto."You want it. Come and get it." she says taunting Xena. They have a quick little skirmish that serves to whet one's appetite for the rematch
toward the end of the episode. Xena does manage to capture Callisto at one point and drags her back to be tried. Along the way Xena and Gabrielle debate over whether Callisto can be forgiven. It's a good scene because Xena argues she was once like Callisto but she did change for the better. Gabrielle says it's too late for her, her heart has been
eaten away. Later Callisto manages to escape prison and abducts Gabrielle, setting up a fight to the death with Xena. And the writers come up with a unique setting for the fight. Using ladders to sway back and forth and all around with Gabrielle hanging by a rope above a burning pyre. The ensuing fight between Xena and Callisto is one of the best in the series with Callisto proving Xena's every equal. But it is Xena who wins the battle and saves her nemesis from a fall of certain death. This is supreme storytelling here with wonderful dialogue,strong acting, super charged fight scenes and a an amazing debut by Hudson Leick as Callisto. It doesn't get any better than this.
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