6-03 Heart of Darkness

First airing was on Oct. 16, 2000.

The episode starts out with scenes of Xena defeating Mephistopheles in the previous
episode.

Archangels Michael and Raphael are looking down from heaven at the open portal to hell
with its green light and steam. Michael says Xena will never go to hell voluntarily. Raphael says
they have to do something, they can't leave the portal to hell open with evil coming out.

Another archangel tells them he will throw Xena into the portal, assuring his accent to
seraphim. Michael tells him Xena can kill angels, but to proceed. And he tells Raphael he may be
the right one for the job.

Eve and Gabrielle are next to the portal and Eve says a great evil is coming. The
archangel appears and says he's there to send Xena to hell, and Eve deserves a quick goodbye. They
run to find Xena.

Some woman named Aliyah is with Argo, irritating Xena. She says she wants to restore the
tavern. Gabrielle and Eve run up and tell Xena there is a problem. Then the archangel appears and
says he's going to send Xena to hell. They fight. Xena finally defeats him but just before she
kills him, she asks his name so Gabrielle can record his name for posterity. He say his name is
Lucifer.

Before Xena kills him, Eve yells for her to stop. She says she can't murder a servant of
god. She argues back that he was trying to kill her. Eve and Xena discuss the interpretation of
god's will. Xena and Lucifer come to a truce, with the understanding they will try to kill each
other again. Xena asks if she can call him Luci. They go into the tavern for a drink.

Eve looks into Xena's heart and sees it's turning black.

Gabrielle and Eve try to tell Xena that evil is seeping into her heart and it is coming
to claim hell's new ruler. Xena tells them she's going to make Lucifer take her place. Eve tells
her that Eli says to corrupt another is to corrupt yourself. Xena says he is already evil inside
and she's going to peel away the layers to expose it. Xena gathers up fruit and wine in a basket
and takes Lucifer into the woods for a picnic. She tries to talk him into experiencing the earthly
delights denied him because he is an angel.

Eve is trying to preach to a crowd who are more interested in money. Two of them start
arguing about one stealing from another. Aliyah tells Eve and Gabrielle a man is looking for them.

Xena is still smooth-talking Lucifer about pleasure and power she can give him.

Eva and Gabrielle run up to a crowd where a fight is going on. Gabrielle thinks a beaten up man on
the ground is Virgil. But he walk up and kicks the man Gabrielle was trying to help. Eve says his
heart is turning black also. Virgil tries to come on to Gabrielle.

Xena and Lucifer as now inside somewhere and Xena has put on a red robe. Lucifer is on a bed or
couch. Xena gets on top and tells him they can rule hell and earth together. Xena gets a mallet
looking thing and starts giving him an Egyptian massage.

Inside the tavern, Gabrielle tells Virgil she thought he was writing poetry. He says shoeing horses
and shearing sheep is a shallow well. And no man, or woman is innocent. He says he is there to
serve Xena when she takes over the power (of hell).

Back to Xena and Lucifer -- she grabs a dagger from him. She says she won't kill him because wasted
potential is the greatest sin of all. He says she want nothing from her, but she says she's
offering everything. He leaves.

Eve is in a temple praying to Eli. Lucifer comes in and she tells him he needs Eli's help unless
he's too far gone. Suddenly people come in, chanting Xena's name. She is being carried in on a
litter wearing a mask and a long black coat. Virgil yells out 'Let's party!'

Eve complains about them desecrating the temple. Gabrielle knocks her out with some kind of fish
shaped statue, saying no one likes a party pooper.

Gabrielle and Virgil are together on a sofa, getting very chummy, while everyone around them is
making whoopee to some erotic music. Xena and Lucifer are watching them. She tells him he can stay
there and rule with her, or go back to heaven, become a seraphim, and spend eternity taking orders.

Xena goes out on the floor and beckons Gabrielle to join her. They have an erotic dance. Then
Virgil joins them and leads Gabrielle away. Xena sheds her coat and is wearing something that looks
like a one piece bathing suit. She and Lucifer start making out.

Suddenly Michael and Raphael appear. Xena is surprised they came since she can kill them. They
begin sword fighting. The three of them disappear and reappear next to the portal to hell. Then
Lucifer appears and he and Xena fight. Xena talks Lucifer into turning against Michael and Raphael
again, and they disappear, leaving Xena and Lucifer behind.

Gabrielle finds Xena and tells her she was supposed to throw Lucifer into the portal. Xena says he
wasn't ready, but mentions how cozy she and Virgil were getting. They talk about how intoxicating
evil is. Xena tells Gabrielle she and Lucifer need to work out the terms of their partnership.
Lucifer and Virgil come up. Then Eve. Eve says Xena needs her help, but when Eve touches Xena,
there is a small bit of lighting between them and Eve is thrown backward. Xena tells Lucifer Eli's
messenger has to die.

Eve is running through the woods away from everyone. She runs back to the temple. Gabrielle and
Virgil find her and yell to Xena and Lucifer where she is.

Eve grabs two swords from the wall and begins to fight Lucifer. He eventually disarms her. But
before he can kill her, Xena stops him and sys Gabrielle deserves the opportunity because of all
the things they've share over the years. He is confused about their partnership and accuses her of
tricking him. She says he tried to kill her. He swears to spend eternity making sure he feels her
wrath.

Another portal to hell opens up near them.

Xena tells Lucifer he just completed the last of the deadly sins and he won a one-way ticket to
hell. He changes into a demon. He grabs her by the throat and says she belongs to her. She kicks
him back twice and he falls down into the portal, which closes. And everyone's black hearts change
back to normal.

Eve tells Xena she should never have doubted her.

Gabrielle says she thought she lost Xena because she and Lucifer were looking. . . . Xena says
every time she felt herself starting to lose control, she thought of Gabrielle. Gabrielle tells her
not to get all emotional on her.

.......

Three good episodes in a row! This season is starting out really great.

A lot going on - between Xena and Lucifer. Between Gabrielle and Virgil. And between Xena and
Gabrielle. (Thanks a lot! Virgil, for spoiling a good thing.) I wonder how things would have ended
between X&G if Virgil hadn't interfered (I guess we'll never know.) We never saw Gabrielle and
Virgil actually kiss (more on this later).

Liked the clothes Gabrielle was wearing during the orgy.

And I like it when Xena is being crafty, sly and seductive - no one does it better!

When Xena was about to kiss Lucifer (after the fight between X&L against M&R), Gabrielle throws her
leather coat at her - jealous much? And Xena seemed a bit jealous watching Gabrielle and Virgil.
(Lucifer DID say Gabrielle was Xena's girlfriend. And he DID tell Xena that's what angels do - they
watch. I wonder what he's seen.)

Although I never mentioned them, Xena was trying to get Lucifer to commit the Seven Deadly Sins so
he would have to go to hell instead of her to become the King of Hell. (More on this later.)

I presume Xena had the plan all along, and I also presume Gabrielle knew about it, and maybe
Virgil, but certainly not Eve. Why not? Someone mentioned that this was the first time Eve really
experienced Xena's dark side, and, of course, didn't know what to expect. So a word to the wise
from either Xena or Gabrielle might has set her mind at rest (somewhat).

And when Gabrielle hit Eve with the fishy thing, I wonder if it was part of the plan, or did she
still harbor some anger because she, as Livia, killed Joxer?

Pretty good fight scenes, although I was surprised that Eve was so easily disarmed by Lucifer after
all her years as Livia.

Liked the graphics of the energy balls distorting the air as they flew past.

I guess it was quicker for the angels to teleport than to fly.

I wonder what was the difference between the portal with green light and the one with red.

Not exactly sure what Gabrielle meant at the end when she told Xena not to go all emotional on her.
They get emotional about each other all the time. Maybe "they" just needed a "clever" final line.

Not quite sure if Michael thought Lucifer could send Xena to hell, or expected Xena to uncover the
REAL Lucifer and dispose of him. He seemed worried because when Xena was in hell, "she almost
captured heaven."

Xena didn't use her Chakram at all this episode. When the green energy balls were flying her way,
it would have made a handy deflector shield, as in eps gone by.

Clever disclaimer- "All hell broke loose during the production of this motion picture."

And of course - Xena asking Lucifer if she can call him Luci. No comment needed.

.......

Thanks to Whoosh! - the Seven Deadly Sins Xena got Lucifer to commit-

1) Pride -- Lucifer brags about his rapid promotions to Michael and Rafael, and boldly predicts
victory over Xena.

2) Gluttony -- The picnic is Lucifer's chance to stuff himself, and he doesn't waste the
opportunity.

3) Covetousness - Xena tells Lucifer that she'll give him the world. He wants it.

4) Lust - Lusting after Xena during the massage and later at the orgy.

5) Sloth - I guess because we hardly see Lucifer doing throughout the episode, except for the fight
scenes.

6) Envy - When Xena stops Lucifer from killing Eve, saying that Gabrielle should have the privilege
because of their long partnership, Lucifer is intensely jealous of her, and you can clearly see it
in his expression.

7) Wrath - When Lucifer finds out how far he's been tricked, he is furious with Xena, and he
becomes the King of Hell.

............

The cast interviews were with William Gregory Lee (Virgil) and Adrienne Wilkinson.

WGL said he and Renee talked about whether Gabrielle and Virgil should kiss, and both
decided they shouldn't (so maybe Renee's opinions carry some weight with the directors after all.)
They didn't think the fans would want a romance between them. And the orgy scene wasn't as sensual
as it looked with all the blocking, lighting, and trying not to get in each other's light. He did
say everyone wanted to be on the set during Xena and Gabrielle's dance!

Adrienne said in this episode, she was NEVER more irritated with Eve - SO preachy. And
she laughed when she got knocked out by Gabrielle. She did like the short fight scene. Playing the
pacifist Eve isn't as much fun as the ass-kicking Livia.

.......

The best so far. A 9 out of 10.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

6-03 Heart of Darkness .... 9

6-02 Haunting/Amphipolis . 8

6-01 Coming Home ..... 8

Total ...,........ 8.3