The Rift
Of all the controversies involved with the series, XWP, one of the greatest ones is the arc of episodes that have come to be
known simply as The Rift. The events of the Rift occurred during the midpart of the third season, although some might
debate with which episode it actually began. Most would agree, however, that the Rift ended with the fantastic The
Bitter Suite.
The Rift began for me in Gabrielle's Hope, and continued through The Debt 1 and 2, Maternal Instincts, and ended
with the Bitter Suite. I'm sure many fans feel that Xena and Gabrielle are equally to blame and equally wronged
during the Rift saga. Although I feel both characters are partially to blame, I feel much more anger and bitterness toward
Gabrielle during the sequence of events.
Being the emotional sap that I am, I boil the Rift down into the following easy steps:
1. Gabrielle deceives Xena.
2. Gabrielle betrays Xena.
3. Xena lies to Gabrielle.
4. Gabrielle hides the truth from Xena.
That's three to one; if you're keeping score…now let's get into some details…
Before all the Gab fans take offense, let me state this…Gabrielle did NOT deserve what happened to her. Not by any
means! I felt horrible for her when she was in Dahak's temple…the pain she felt was very real to me. Even though she
continually told Xena she had murdered Meridia,
I didn't feel that Gabrielle was truly responsible for the death. It was a horrible tragedy that never should have befallen
Gabrielle. But note how supportive Xena was, how comforting and caring she reacted. We'd expect nothing less, seeing
the relationship the two of them have developed. No, nothing seems to be amiss in The Deliverer.
The trouble starts to brew in Gabrielle's Hope. During the first half of the episode, Xena is once again supportive and
very caring. She at first, mistakes Gabrielle's physical symptoms as psychosomatic reactions to Gabrielle's first killing,
and tries to help her through it. Later, as the evidence becomes known, she realizes that Gabrielle is indeed pregnant,
and does everything she can to make Gabrielle safe and comfortable. She delivers the baby, and is even responsible for
the baby's name, Hope.
Within minutes of Hope's birth, the stable she is born in is broken into by several Knights of the Pierced Heart. Gabrielle
pleads with Xena, "Please don't let them kill my baby," and in an instant, Xena is on the defense. When the time is suitable,
Xena scoops Gabrielle up into her arms and spirits her off to safety.
This is when the real trouble starts. It didn't take me long to realize that not once did Xena refer to the baby by its name.
And she almost immediately begins questioning Gabrielle as to the parentage of the infant…yes, Gabrielle is the mother,
but a powerful, evil entity is the father.
Now, at this point, I still felt for Gabrielle. Here she was, a brand new mother, her hormones running rampant, and in her arms
rested the sweetest little girl imaginable. Having Xena rail at her about the child being evil was horrible. She did everything
within her power to convince Xena that the child was not evil, but Xena would not be detoured. The trouble begins when one
of the knights is murdered, and Xena is convinced Hope is responsible. Gabrielle awakens to see Xena standing above her
child, ready to cleave her in two with the sword. Never mind the fact that the child was already over a year old…. I guess to
Gabrielle, her baby was just a fast grower.
I was shocked…the idea of killing a baby is very hard to accept. But this is about the time when the viewer has to choose
sides, as the Rift is officially underway. I immediately put my faith in Xena, but then again, I always put my faith in Xena.
I didn't really want to see her murder the child, and could understand both her and Gabrielle's reactions to the situation.
The bard, with the help of the Banshees, fled the castle.
After a long and tedious search, Xena caught up with Gabrielle at a cliff. Xena tries again with words, to convince Gabrielle
that her child is evil, but Gabrielle disappears from sight. She cries out Xena's name, and Xena finds Gabrielle peering over
a cliff's edge, saying that Hope has gone ballistic and she had to toss the child, now a toddler, to her death. After a false
alarm from a noise in a cave, Xena is convinced the child is dead, and all is right in her world.
But the viewer learns that situation is temporary. Hope is not dead, and in fact, has been sent down a river in a basket ala
Moses. Gabrielle has blatantly lied to Xena, something she has always managed to avoid doing in the past. I wasn't really
angry with Gabrielle for this though, as I understood her motives. She was bent on protecting her child, unable to see Hope
as the evil "thing" Xena warned her about. I didn't like it, but I could understand it.
The next episode in the Rift changed my opinion drastically. It is the Debt 1, in which Xena spends most of the episode
telling Gabrielle about her time spent in Chin many years ago. Xena was going to return to Chin, because she was bent
on killing the Green Dragon. Gabrielle could not understand why Xena had to do it, and tried very hard to talk Xena out
of it. She decided not to accompany Xena, which was fine with the Warrior Princess. However, as Xena was readying to
kill Ming T'ien, the Green Dragon, in his own bed, the covers pulled back to reveal Gabrielle had gotten to Chin ahead of
her, and had betrayed Xena by telling Ming T'ien her plans.
Okay, that was bad enough for me, but Part 2 of the episode consisted of Xena stoically accepting her fate while Gabrielle
whined and pleaded about tying to get Xena's life spared. She tried to demand Xena promise to leave Chin, even smacking
Xena hard across the face, but it wasn't until much later in the episode that Xena truly forgave her. I always tear up at the
"Scratch my nose" scene, and it is SO poignantly done, but at the same time, I found Xena to be far more forgiving than
I would have been. I think Xena felt the bard's motives were saving Ming T'ien's life, and I admit I felt that way too, but
I would have thought there would have been better ways for Gabrielle to have tipped Ming T'ien off. Besides, in an episode
later that season, Forget Me Not, we find out that wasn't Gabrielle's reason at all. She was jealous, pure and simple, that
Xena was willing to give up their life together by going through with her mission.
I'm going to start really angering some fans here, but I've got to write what I feel. At the end of The Debt 2, Xena is alone
with Ming T'ien who gloats about personally killing Lao Ma, his own mother. Lao Ma was Xena's mentor, and Xena's love
for her was what led her to Chin to begin with. I believe Xena was going to spare Ming T'ien, up until the point he revealed
the truth…he knew Lao Ma was his mother, and had chosen to kill her personally. Out of anger, Xena kills Ming T'ien by
jamming a hairpin through his temple. I don't know if his death was justified or not, but I didn't blame for her actions…it was
an emotional response. However, when Gabrielle approached Xena to retrieve her, Xena didn't tell Gabrielle she had killed
Ming T'ien. She led Gabrielle to believe he was still alive.
Why? Gabfans would have a myriad of explanations for Xena's deception, but I choose to think Xena did it, just so she could
avoid another scene with Gabrielle, in which Gabrielle would preach to her about the evils of murder. Perhaps Xena didn't
want to look worse in Gabrielle's eyes, at any rate, I don't see how it would hurt for Gabrielle to not know the truth.
But I could still deal with all that, although Gabrielle's halo was definitely tarnished in my eyes. It was Maternal Instincts, where
my real hatred began. Once again, Gabrielle was dealing with sensitive issues, but so was Xena. She and Gabrielle
returned to the centaur's village where Xena's son Solan was being raised. At the same time, Callisto and Hope, who
was now around the age of 10-12 were forming a deadly alliance. Gabrielle realizes halfway through the episode that
the young girl, Fayla, is actually Hope. Once again, she keeps the truth from Xena. Hope is a good little actress, no
doubt about it, and once again, Gabrielle is convinced her daughter is not the evil being Xena thinks she is.
Meanwhile, Xena is becoming more acquainted with Solan. She has already mentioned, earlier in the series, not a day
goes by that she doesn't think about the son she gave to Kaleiapas to raise. A good bit of her motive in doing that was to
protect Solan from her own enemies. When Callisto learns about Solan, Xena knows he is imperative danger. Kaleiapas
is killed, and this leads to one of the most poignant scenes in the whole series. Solan wants to travel with Xena, and despite
her efforts to talk him out of it; it's obvious that her heart is singing with joy. She tells Solan they'll have a lot to discuss on
the road, and it's apparent she is overjoyed that she will be able to reveal the truth to Solan, and try to make at least partial
amends for ever giving him up.
Her joy is short-lived, however, when Gabrielle, worried that Hope is in danger, sends Hope to the VERY place where Solan
is being hidden. Of all the stupid things she could have done, this was absolutely unforgivable. I don't doubt Gabrielle was
worried about Hope's life, but rather than hiding Hope somewhere safe from Callisto and Xena, instead, she sends her to worst
possible place.
Xena and Gabrielle have a serious discussion, in which Xena learns who Fayla really is. Gabrielle apologizes for lying, then
tells Xena where she has sent Hope. Xena is immediately hurrying to get to Solan, but she is too late. Hope has killed
Solan.
The pain of Xena at the death of her son is heart-shattering. She cradles the boy's body to her, tearfully telling him his
mom is now there. When Gabrielle tries to apologize, Xena harshly orders her to get out of the hut. Xena continues to
mourn her son, then raises her head toward the heavens and screams out her agony.
Gabrielle finally has realized Xena had been right all along. She poisons Hope, her own daughter, and nearly drinks the
poison herself. She stops herself at the last moment. Xena watches all this from a distance, but her face is emotionless.
The funeral pyre scene is one of the most painful to watch. Xena and Gabrielle are both grieving, but Xena's grief is by
far the hardest for me personally. Solan was a complete innocent, and now he was dead because of Gabrielle's lying.
Gabrielle makes matters worse by trying to whine her way back into Xena's good graces, when she really should have just
kept her mouth shut. Xena's pain was too raw, and she was too angry to put up with much more from Gabrielle. Gabrielle
even tries an "I love you, Xena", but Xena isn't listening, and neither was I. I no longer felt any sympathy for Gabrielle.
The Bitter Suite is the conclusion of the Rift. In the beginning, Gabrielle is with the Amazons, distraught over what has
happened. She is suffering greatly, and Ephiny is worried that she will survive. Xena is suffering too, and apparently,
now being unable to trust anyone, she seeks solace on a mountaintop, where she can scream out her anguish to the world.
Callisto appears to Gabrielle in a vision, goading her into believing that the whole situation was Xena's fault. If Xena hadn't
taken Gabrielle to Britannia, none of this would have happened.
Ares, meanwhile, has appeared to Xena, and he is doing some convincing of his own. He talks Xena into believing that
Gabrielle is totally to blame, and should be punished. Xena, in her unstable condition, agrees.
Xena rides into the Amazon village, and despite the best efforts of Joxer, Ephiny, and the Amazons, catches Gabrielle and
binds her feet. She steals a horse, and begins the actions that made many fans go ballistic. She proceeds to drag Gabrielle
a great distance across the countryside, through fire pits, water, over rocks. When she finally skids to a stop at a cliff's edge,
Gabrielle is battered, unconscious, and near death. Xena sneers and smiles as she checks out her own handiwork. There
is no remorse in her. She lifts Gabrielle and with a cry of "Vengeance!", prepares to toss Gabrielle to her death. Gabrielle
wakes up, and kicks Xena's head, sending both of them tumbling over the cliff's edge, and into the land of Illusia.
What follows is a musical journey into Xena and Gabrielle's feelings in which they both learn to forgive the other. And funny
thing is, by the end of the episode, I was able to forgive Gabrielle too. We've all done things we've regretted, and Gabrielle
was truly heartbroken by her own actions. I believed her, and so did Xena. And her repentance was very real, thank the gods.
During the last song, Xena reveals her lie to Gabrielle, revealing she killed Ming T'ien. She says she did it to protect Gabrielle
from the truth. Not surprising, but I believe her.
How did I feel about the Gabdrag? Honest truth is, I was gleeful throughout it. I know, I know, a lot of people are going to
be hating me for that, but I am so caught up with Xena, that I thought Gabrielle was getting what she deserved. To me,
Gabrielle's retreat to the Amazons was more of her feeling sorry for herself than anything else. Hope deserved to die, while
Solan didn't. Harsh, I know, but I'm talking from my gut here.
The songs of The Bitter Suite reveal a lot, including all the reasons the two are angry at each other. Gabrielle tries to
blame Xena for taking her to Britannia. That's stupid…Xena did not force Gabrielle to go…the bard WANTED to go
to Britannia. Then she WANTED to go off with Krafstarr, not sensing there could be danger ahead. How was that Xena's
fault? It wasn't.
So that's pretty well it in a nutshell, as opinionated as it might be. It was a horrible set of circumstances, made far worse
by Gabrielle's actions. But Xena was willing to forgive her, and so was I, and their friendship survived and grew to be an
amazing bond. During the actual events of the Rift though, hating Gabrielle and sympathizing with Xena's pain came
easy for me. As I stated before, I am totally speaking from my heart over these issues, and I know a lot of people will
disagree with me. That's fine…and to be expected. I don't expect I will change anyone's thoughts on the Rift, but I
do feel better, now that I've written it out.
Not surprisingly, Gary viewed the Rift differently...
This tragedy on Xena:Warrior Princess covers a few episodes,which once
seen,show that one occurrence will produce a world of woe for our favorite
heroines.I believe that Gabby is less to blame for the Rift than Xena.
It begins with episode four in the third season,THE DELIVERER.Xena and Gabby
are travelling when they see some prisoners being taken back to Brittania by
some guards for trial. Ares said early in the show that he had a man in
place to help with allowing Dahak into the world. When the
prisoner,Khraftstar,says he will never give in to Rome,Xena fights and
releases the prisoners. Anybody who hates Rome and Caesar is okay with her.
She knows now that Caesar is in Brittania,so takes the men there. Gabby goes
with her...there is no way Xena can stop her,seeing how Gabby told her in
Sins of the Past thatt she would never go back home to stay.
They meet Boadaceia,a British Queen,who is preparing for a battle for the
Romans. Xena and she had a past,in which Xena tried to kill her.
Xena had betrayed her when she was tbe "bad" Xena.
Gabby gets captured by Romans after a skirmish,and is tied to a cross. Xena
and her group rescue Gabby,who goes with Khraftstar to the temple for
safekeeping.
Xena does not know much about this guy other that the fact he will not bow
to Rome,and talks of peace. Xena lets Gabby go with him with this sketchy
idea that he is okay.
During the battle with the Romans,Xena sees storm clouds at the
temple,realizes Gabby may be in danger,and hastens to her aid.
Meanwhile,Gabby is tricked into killing Meridian,who took two swipes at
Gabby with a sword. Gabby stabs her with a ceremonial knife. Now,Khraftstar
reveals himself to be a minion of the evil Dahak,and Gabby loses her "blood
innocence",a lot like what the priest wanted in Dreamworker.
Xena arrives,fights Khraftstar,who calls himself The Deliverer,and Gabby
then is lifted into the air over a pit,held by a flame that does not burn
her. She is actually being raped by Dahak,who impregnates her with Hope.
In the next episode,Gabby dreams about killing Meridian again,and she is
also becoming very noticable with her pregnancy.
She delivers Hope soon at the castle of the Knights of the Pierced Heart.
Some knights think the baby is evil,some side with Xena and want to save
it.The villagers said that evil was within Gabby and had tried
to burn her alive at a tavern.
Xena now wants to kill the baby because she believes it is evil. A knight is
murdered,but nobody sees how it was done...only Hope was there----a baby.
Gabby tells Xena that she couldn't kill the baby....what did it do?
The chase happens when the Banshees aid Gabby's escape. Xena chases her,and
Gabby climbs a cliff with the baby(we think). It turns out that
she put it into a basket and sent it downstream in a nearby river,like the
baby in Cradle of Hope(ironic,huh?).
Xena accuses Gabby of hiding the baby,but sees that it is nowhere to be
found . Gabby lies and says she tossed it off the cliff.
Xena should have looked at the bottom to make sure.
At the end of that episode,Gabrielle's Hope,Gabby prays that Hope will be
good.
The Debt comes next,and Xena must stop a warlord in Chin,the son of Lao ma,a
mentor of Xena after Xena's time with Caesar.Gabby does not go with her,but
enlists Ares' help(we learn in Forget-Me-Not) and gets there before Xena,who
is captured and sentenced to death.Gabby betrayed Xena
because she said she wanted to save a life.
The Rift really takes off in Maternal Instincts. Gabby learns that
Hope,after a few months,is about 12 years old physically. Gabby is relieved
and scared at the same time,and cannot see why Hope poses a threat to
anyone. Callisto was released by Dahak from her lava prison to guard
Hope,who wants to make Xena suffer.
Much is made about the "Monster Lady" as Hope calls Callisto,to divert
Xena's attention.
Gabby,in order to protect Hope,sends her to where Solon,Xena's son is,in
Kaliapus' hut,where it is said to be the safest place. Even at this
point,Gabby cannot believe Hope is evil,and that the threat is really
Callisto.
Gabby tells Xena at last that the girl is Hope,and Xena says poison will
kill her if done in time. Gabby says that Xena is a mother,and knows that a
child's life is sacred to a mother. Xena learns that Hope was sent to where
Solon was,and finds her son dead. Gabby tries to say she is sorry and Xena
yells at her to get out.The funeral pyres for both children(Gabby poisons
Hope) show Xena and Gabby splitting up.
The next episode shows the hatred Xena has for Gabby. Ares urges her to kill
Gabby for revenge. Meanwhile,Gabby is in a purification hut for three days
at the Amazon village. She is beside herself with grief,for her part in
Solon's death,and that she killed her own child.
Xena drags Gabby by the feet behind a horse,almost to her death.It is a
sickening scene,and lasts a long time on film. Xena unties the unconscious
Gabby and lifts her over her head to throw her off a cliff,when Gabby
awakens,kicks Xena in the head,and they both fall to the ground. Gabby
stands up,bloody,with her clothes torn.Xena has an evil grin and there is a
feral growl we hear.Gabby screams "I hate you!" and rushes Xena,knocking
both of them off the cliff.
They awaken in Illusia,where Callisto rescues Xena fronm the water,and Joxer
rescues Gabby. Xena goes to Ares' lair,and Gabby to Potadiea,or so it seems
in this land of illusion.
Each side wants Xena and Gabby to fight,so they do,and Xena "kills"
Gabby,but she really killed an illusion.
They are then transported to a temple of echoes where they argue who was
really responsible for Solon's death.
Afeter songs which explain pain and reconciliation,the girls are at the
seashore,friends again.
My conclusion:
Xena is wrapped up in hatred for Caesar.In Destiny/Quest,he hints that he
and Xena will be together and conquer the world. He betrays her,and has her
crucified,breaking her legs. She hates him so much that she took Gabby with
her to Brittania for revenge.
Her unbridled rage left no protection for Gabby,who is dependent on Xena,and
should have been guarded better,since a war was going on.
Xena,in so many back-stories,is more worldly,and has killed many. She was a
piratess,a Destroyer of Nations,killed the Amazon queens in the Sin Trade
backstory,left a girl to be eaten by sea-crabs,burned Cirra to the
ground,producing a killer like Callisto,killed the Valkyries,killed 40,000
Japanese by accident) in a fire,alienated her own village and her
mother,kidnapped a child,Ming T'ien,tried to commit genocide on the Centaur
race,plus burned and looted,ruining lives, for years.
For Xena to think Gabby is capable of killing her own child,after seeing
that Gabby could not even kill Callisto,the murderess of Gabby's husband
Perdicus,I believe that Xena was wrong on all counts. She knew Gabby would
follow her to Brittania,and Gabby was left unprotected. Xena was a
mother,too,and knew what it was to give up a child,even for
safekeeping.Never mind what it would have been like to kill her own child if
someone told her to.
Gabby could not even kill the product of a vicious rape by an evil god.Her
reverence for life was a real thing,and Xena knew it.
Yes,Gabby lied to Xena about killing baby Hope,but she didn't see it as a
monster...none of us did see any actual evil actions.
The Rift is because Xena expected Gabby to change her whole character and
either kill,or allow Xena to kill a child.
Xena's horrible dragging of Gabby showed how evil Xena could be. She never
dragged Cortese when she had the chance. Xena's brother Toris could have
killed Cortese,but Xena stops him. For Xena to put Gabby thru a horrific
dragging,and then plan to throw her off a cliff was beyond the pale.
How many times did we see Xena and Gabby saying "I love you" in the past?
Xena referred to Gabby as her family,and "you're like a sister to me."
This overkill for Gabby,who Xena blamed for Solon's death was misplaced.
Hope,thru Dahak,did it...not even Callisto killed Solon.All wrath was
reserved for Gabby,who didn't kill him.She had acted as a mother
would,trying to protect her child. She did poison Hope at the end,when it
was proven that Hope was the killer.This devastated Gabby to the point that
she wanted to kill herself.
Xena was world-wise,whereas Gabby was a farm-girl,who had never been
anywhere,but was starry-eyed with hero worship for Xena. She wanted to be a
bard,and then a warrior,and would follow Xena anywhere.
Xena voluntarily took Gabby under her wing as her sidekick/friend.In Hooves
and Harlots,after Terea gets hit with an arrow and is dying,Gabby covers her
with her own body to prevent further wounds...her reverence for ANY life
showed that she was willing to die,even for a stranger. Xena saw this,so I
believe it was unrealistic that Xena would think that
Gabby would then be able to kill her own flesh-and-blood.
In Doctor in the House,Gabby risks her life to leave the temple to save a
young boy,and is dying by the end of the episode for her risk-taking.
Xena found it easier to kill or tell another to kill,since she had years of
history of doing such things.
Gabby did not deserve the Gabdrag...it was way too cruel,since others Xena
had to deal with in the past deserved it more,and she didn't do it to them.
Lying to protect her child,even conceived thru rape,showed Gabby had more
love for others than Xena did.Gabby was wrong in The Debt to betray Xena as
she did,but didn't merit the Death penalty in Bitter Suite for not killing
her own child because Xena wanted it.
If Xena's lust for revenge for Caesar wasn't out of control,there would
never have been the whole Rift.Her meddling got their friendship wrecked.
We saw in Ides of March,that Xena went to Rome to kill Caesar. She went to
where he was the strongest,and only Callisto's interference stopped Xena,so
if Xena really wanted revenge,she could have done it any time. Gabby did not
go with her in Ides....she stayed with Amarice.This was when Gabby was
searching for her WAY.
Though Gabby was wrong not to kill,it was not in her makeup to do it,even if
it meant saving her own life in Dreamworker and Hooves and Harlots.
Though I did not like The Rift as a theme,I believe that it gave us insight
of what grief and revenge
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