Xena saves a village from a warlord, Draco, as well as attracts the attention of a villager, Gabrielle. Xena decides to go home and visit her mother, Cyrene, only to discover that she is not welcome and that she was followed by a persistent Gabrielle. A friendship develops, as Xena must defend her village from an attacking Draco.
Summary
Xena recalls her dark past
Xena is riding on her horse while she remembers her dark past. She remembers that she killed lots of people there. Suddely, a boy appears and unaware who she really is, tells her that a person called "Xena" has killed his parents. Xena gives him some food. She is burying her breastplate, but suddenly she sees some men annoying some girls.
Though she has lost her hunger for power and destruction, Xena cannot stand by when a group of warriors under the command of Hector, a vicious lieutenant of the cruel warlord Draco, threatens to slaughter the peasants of a small village. Xena single-handedly drives off the brutal attackers.
Xena and Gabrielle meet
Though the villagers are grateful, they are also fearful of her reputation and ask her to leave right away. All, that is, except a spirited young woman namedGabrielle who -- bored with life in the village and the prospect of a loveless marriage -- pleads with the warrior princess to take her along on her journey. Xena refuses and leaves alone on horseback, bound for her home in Amphipolis.
Xena confronts Draco
That night, Xena steals into Draco's mountain encampment to confront the savage warlord. Having spared his life in their last encounter, Xena asks him to spare the peasant village. He agrees, but when she rejects his offer to join up with him, claiming she has lost her taste for the slaughter of innocents, he makes secret plans to lay waste to Amphipolis.
Meanwhile, Gabrielle sneaks away from home in the dead of night, determined to join Xena and become a warrior herself, but her sister sees her and Gabrielle has to explain her sister Lila that she wants to go with Xena because she is bored with her life in the village and she doesn't want to marry Perdicus. Her sister seems to understand Gabrielle and they say goodbye.
On the road to Amphipolis, Xena meets up with a blind man-eating Cyclops, who has an old score to settle with the woman warrior. Evading him, she continues on her journey through fierce rainstorms and across rushing rivers. When she realizes she's being followed by Draco's men, she sets up an ambush and forces Hector to reveal Draco's plans to destroy her home village. Meanwhile, Gabrielle follows Xena's trail, showing considerable resourcefulness along the way. When she is trapped by the Cyclops, she outwits him, then charms an old traveler into giving her a ride.
"It's hard to be alone"
Xena's joy at reaching home turns to sorrow when she is met by a wave of hostility from the villagers. Even her motherCyrene is resentful of her daughter for her sinful past and is unwilling to listen to her warnings about Draco's advance. When Draco's warriors begin torching the valley, an angry mob comes after Xena, convinced that she is in league with the evil warlord.
Xena fights Draco
At the last moment, Gabrielle steps forward and convinces the villagers to let Xena go. The two gallop off on horseback, but when Draco arrives, Xena reappears and challenges him to a fight on the scaffolding surrounding the village meeting hall. They agree that the first to hit the floor will die. The ensuing battle is spectacular and evenly matched, spilling over the scaffolding and onto the heads and shoulders of those who have gathered to watch.
Xena is forgiven by her mother
Finally, with a flying somersault through the air, Xena lands squarely on Draco's chest and sends him crashing to the ground. Instead of slaying him, however, she makes Draco promise to leave without harming anyone. Though Xena has saved the village and reconciled with her mother, there is too much anger over her past for her to stay.
Xena allows Gabrielle to travel with her on adventures
That night, at the campsite, Xena is alone by the campfire, she heard someone from the bushes and is surprised to find Gabrielle, who reveals she has been following her. Gabrielle tries to get Xena to allow her to travel with her and Xena finally relents. Followed by Gabrielle, Xena leaves to find redemption for her past misdeeds by continuing her battle against the forces of evil.
Disclaimer
No disclaimer.
Gallery
Background Information
Behind the Scenes
| "We didn't really know what the show was and so we were all thinking on our feet. I had been a little overexcited and not quite centered enough heading into the episode. But the night before the first day of shooting I had terrible diarrhea, and it took everything out of me, which was exactly what was needed for going into the series. So I might have been a lot more hyped, a lot less natural had i not had that inauspicious beginning!" |
| ― Lucy Lawless on her experience a day before filming began on Sins of the Past.
Source: The Official Guide to the Xenaverse |
- Shooting Dates: June 25, 1995 through July 5, 1995 (5 day shoot).
- This episode was one of seventeen that fans selected to be featured on the Xena: Warrior Princess: 10th Anniversary Collection and is subsequently considered one of the greatest episodes in Xena: Warrior Princess history.
- This episode was watched by 4.5 million viewers on its original airing.
- Lucy Lawless, the actress who plays Xena, had previously appeared on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys as Lyla in "As Darkness Falls" and as Lysia in Hercules and the Amazon Women.
- Renée O'Connor, the actress who plays Gabrielle, had previously appeared on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys as Deianeira of Troy in Hercules and the Lost Kingdom.
- The original ending ended with the camp fire scene, no walking beside the horse the next day.
- Although it is never stated on screen, the original script for this episode lists Gabrielle's father's name as Herodatus and her mother's name as Hecuba. However, their names will later be revealed in the season four episode "A Family Affair".
- The roles of Xena and Gabrielle were originally casted with actresses Vanessa Angel as Xena and Sunny Doench as Gabrielle. These two actresses both were hired for the parts but pulled out for personal reasons.
- The campfire scene was originally longer in length, but cut out. It has Xena at her campfire lamenting the loss of her cook, the only reference to her missing her old life with her army. They had Gabrielle convince Xena to bring her along because she can cook, but they rewrote the ending. They wanted to end with the two characters building a personal connection, rather than make it a joke.
- In the original draft for the pilot episode, Xena's mother, Cyrene, was a lot colder to Xena and there was also a different backstory for Xena's father, who was supposedly alive. Xena's quest for the first season or beyond was trying to find her father. Xena's mother tells her that when she was a young woman, a handsome warrior came to Amphipolis. His name was "Nelo". He said he was related to the King of Mycenae. She fell madly in love with him and later he left. She says he most likely went back to Argos and then Xena was born. A cut scene had Xena heading north to Argos to find her father (which would've been a geography error since Argos is south of Amphipolis).
Key Events
- This episode marks the first appearance of Gabrielle's "farmgirl" outfit. She will wear this until "Hooves and Harlots", 10 episodes later.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Xena's default outfit, of which she will wear almost exclusively until "The Ides of March". It will later return (with a more waxed finish) in "Amphipolis Under Siege" and become her permanent costume once again from "Looking Death in the Eye" onwards. This outfit similar to her costume in the Xena trilogy of HTLJ, omitting only the claw-shaped shoulder pads and the cape.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Xena on Xena: Warrior Princess. She previously appeared in three episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys: "The Warrior Princess", "The Gauntlet" and "Unchained Heart".
- This episode marks the first appearance of Gabrielle.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Argo.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Cyrene.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Draco.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Lila.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Xena's pinch.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Amphipolis.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Potedia.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Herodatus.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Hecuba.
- Xena has both the first and the last lines of the entire series, speaking the first line in this episode and speaking the final line in "A Friend in Need II."
Goofs
- Xena refers to Argo as a stallion in this episode. In every reference to her gender after this episode, she is referred to as mare. Later in the series, we meet her offspring, Argo II, confirming that she is in fact a mare.
- The introduction of "The Pinch". Xena stated Hector will die in 20 secs, however, for the rest of the series, she stated 30 secs instead.
Trivia
- Chakram Count: 2
- Xena throws it to disarm the men at the begining of the episode.
- Xena throws it to make the Cyclops' pants fall down.
Memorable Quotes
"You've got to take me with you, teach me everything you know." "Hey, I just saved your life."
"You know, where I'm headed, there'll be trouble."
"I know."
"Then why would you want to go into that with me?"
"That's what friends do. They stand by each other when there's trouble."
- –Xena and Gabrielle
"Lila, I'm going to join up with Xena."
"Oh, you're serious."
"Absolutely. I'm going to be a warrior, like her."
"A warrior? Gabrielle, I can beat you up."
- –Gabrielle and Lila
"What do you want?"
"I want you one way or the other. We could be great together. You must know by now you can never escape your past. Xena, celebrate you dark side. Don't run away from it. Ride with me."
- –Xena and Draco
Cast
Main Cast
Guest Stars
- Jay Laga'aia as Draco
- Darien Takle as Cyrene
- Stephen Hall as Hector
- Linda Jones as Hecuba
- Willa O'Neill as Lila
- Geoff Snell as Herodotus
- Anton Bentley as Perdicas
- David Perrett as Gar
- Patrick Wilson as Cyclops
- Roydon Muir as Kastor
Appearances and Mentions
Mortals
Gods
Places
Other
- Argo
| Season 1 | Season 2 >> | |||||||
| #01 | Sins of the Past | #09 | Death in Chains | #17 | The Royal Couple of Thieves | |||
| #02 | Chariots of War | #10 | Hooves and Harlots | #18 | The Prodigal | |||
| #03 | Dreamworker | #11 | The Black Wolf | #19 | Altared States | |||
| #04 | Cradle of Hope | #12 | Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts | #20 | Ties That Bind | |||
| #05 | The Path Not Taken | #13 | Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards | #21 | The Greater Good | |||
| #06 | The Reckoning | #14 | A Fistful of Dinars | #22 | Callisto | |||
| #07 | The Titans | #15 | Warrior... Princess | #23 | Death Mask | |||
| #08 | Prometheus | #16 | Mortal Beloved | #24 | Is There a Doctor in the House? | |||