6-09 The Return of the Valkyrie

First air date was Nov 27, 2000.

The episode starts out with scenes from "The Rheingold" and "The Ring."

It is one year later and Vikings are moving through the bog toward the Living Flame that
protects the sleeping Gabrielle. Beowulf and his young friend, Wiglaf, are chasing after them. They
catch up just as Lord Erick is about to go through the flame to rescue Gabrielle. Beowulf shows him
a burn-scarred hand where he tried and failed. He says only Gabrielle's soul mate can go through
the fire. Grindl appears and the Vikings fight and die. One has both his arms torn off. Beowulf
convinces Erick to call him men off. Then Erick jumps (or is thrown by Grindl, I didn't get a clear
shot of what happened) into the flame and is burned up. Beowulf says they are going to Denmark to
get help from an old friend, Hrothgar.

There is a celebration. Someone tells Beowulf Hrothgar is marrying Wealthea. She comes
riding out on a gussied up cow, and it is Xena. Beowulf calls her name but she ignores him. The
ceremony begins and the priest says they will exchange blades. They exchange rings instead, and
each time, Xena sees flashbacks of the Rheingold ring and Grindl, which startle her. She recovers
and says she's the luckiest woman in Denmark. Hrothgar kills the cow as a sacrifice to the goddess
Freya.

The Valkyries are rounding up the men killed by Grindl. One of them, Waltraute, talks
about the waste of lives over the ordinary Gabrielle. Sieglinda tells her that since Brunhilda
turned herself into flame to protect her, maybe she's not so ordinary. And that Xena cared for her.
Waltraute lays into her for mentioning Xena's name. And thanks the gods she's dead.

Everyone is toasting and celebrating the wedding. But Wealthea is troubled. She balks at
having sex with Hrothgar until she has to. Beowulf finds them and mentions to that Wealthea they
might have met, but she doesn't recognize him and leaves, with Hrothgar going after her.

Later, Wealthea is in her room brushing her hair. A knock on the door and she thinks it's
Hrothgar. He comes in wearing a mask. It is Beowulf and he tells her that her life is in danger and
she must rescue Gabrielle. A raven sees them and Beowulf says Odin will know she's still alive.

Hrothgar and his sister come in and think they are together. They are arrested and taken
to the dungeon. On the way, they escape with Wealthea using fighting skills she didn't know she
had. When Beowulf reaches down with his hand to pull her to her feet, Wealthea sees Gabrielle
saying, "I'm lost without you, Xena."

The are on a boat back to (Norway?). The men rowing see her and stop rowing. Beowulf tells her
they are looking at a legend and can't wait to see her in action. She still can't believe she's
Xena, but when Beowulf slashes at her with his sword, she easily grabs it and turns it aside.

Odin tells Waltraute Xena is alive and heading toward the ring.

Wealthea is walking in the ocean on the beach. Wiglaf and another Viking fight over who's going to
give her a ladle of water. Just then they see five Valkyries riding on horses coming down from the
sky. The Vikings pull their weapons but Wealthea tells Beowulf to have them put them down or she
won't go with him to save Gabrielle. The Valkyries land and Waltraute pulls her sword and tries to
kill Wealthea. But by Xena using defensive moves, Waltraute is unsuccessful.

Odin rides down. All the Vikings go to one knee except Beowulf. When Odin he realizes Xena has lost
her memory he sends the Valkyries back to Valhalla because she is more valuable to him alive. He
rides off into the sky.

Back in Valhalla, Waltraute accuses Odin of wanting the ring for himself instead of giving it to
her as he promised. He tells her to make sure nothing stops Xena from getting to Gabrielle. Out of
earshot, she vows to kill Xena before that happens.

Wealthea takes off her wedding ring and another vision of Gabrielle come to her, but when Gabrielle
touches her cheek, she feels it and freaks out. Beowulf comes in and gives Xena her Chakram back,
telling her when the time comes, she'll know what to do with it. They arrive at the Flame, but
before Wealthea can go through it, Waltraute runs up and starts swing her sword at her, but she
keeps ducking away. Then more Valkyries arrive and everyone fights. Wiglaf throws Wealthea his
sword and Waltraute throws a knife into him. Wealthea/Xena kicks Waltraute into the flame and she
burns up.

Grindl shows up and stabs Beowulf through the back and lifts him into the air. Beowulf yells for
Wealthea to go, that Gabrielle needs her. She runs and dives through the flames. She uses her
Chakram to cut away a year's growth of vines covering Gabrielle.

She leans down to kiss her on the lips and sees visions of her and Gabrielle together. After the
kiss ends, Gabrielle wakes up and Xena is back in her warrior clothes and Gabrielle is back in her
Amazon clothes, but her hair is still long. They hug and Xena tells her she didn't remember her,
but felt her presence. Gabrielle gives her ring but tells her not to put it on. The flames die down
and Grindl is there. Xena says she forged the ring and now has to undo the evil it caused.

She tries talking to Grindl but is "back-handed" into Grindl's cave. She tries again to talk to it,
but has to keep on the move. Finally Grindl grabs her. The ring begins to glow as Xena begs Grindl
to look into her heart and forgive her.

There is a huge explosion from the cave that knocks everyone back. Xena comes out unharmed and the
ring is a lump of gold again. Then Grinhilda come out. Beowulf and Wiglaf are okay. Xena sees two
horses and says it's time to take Grinhilda home to Valhalla. Gabrielle hugs Beowulf, climbs up
behind Xena, and they gallop up into the air.

Xena enters first and Odin asks if she brought the ring. She says she brought something else that
belongs there, and Grinhilda and Gabrielle enter. Grinhilda asks Odin to make her chief Valkyrie
again. When Odin says he'll think about, it Xena tells him not to think too long. He looks at
Grinhilda and agrees. As Xena and Gabrielle leave, Odin welcomes her back and they hug.

Xena dives into the Rhine River going to the Rhine Maidens. She gives the ring back to them. When
one asks what magic turned Xena into a noble creature who would give up the power of the Rheingold,
she says it wasn't magic and looks at Gabrielle, who somehow got there without swimming.

.........

Part Three of the trilogy. It starts out a year later, giving Gabrielle's hair time to grow out
(and to braid itself).

Again, some pretty good lines. When Odin confronted Xena and want to know if she knew who he was,
she says she heard his name was Odin, but "I don't know you from your horse."

And when Beowulf came in wearing Hrothgar's helmet, Wealthea asked kind of sarcastically, "You wish
to play a game - Master?"

And I just have to mention the way Xena looked in the white leather coat and hat trimmed with white
fur. Her dark hair, blue eyes, and tanned face contrasting with all the white made her look
absolutely, totally and outstandingly BEAUTIFUL! Can't remember any time before or since when she
looked so amazing!!!!

Not much Gabrielle in this one. I understand she was doing the prep work to direct the second
episode to follow - "Dangerous Prey."

No doubt next episode Gabrielle's hair will be short again. Actually, after seeing it so short for
so long, with the outfit she was wearing, it looked kind of odd. I guess long hair is better suited
to the fancy shmancy dress she was wearing.

And if Gabrielle found a way to the Rhine Maidens without swimming, why didn't Xena?

The priest said Wealthea and Hrothgar were to exchange blades, but they didn't.

Can anyone say "Sleeping Beauty?" They picked the right gal, that's for sure!

I liked the flashbacks of Gabrielle.

The phantom Brunhilda (after the fire died out) told Gabrielle "Godspeed." But since she believed
in the Norse gods, maybe she said, "Gods speed."

No cast / crew interviews.

Even though I liked this one, I thought it was the weakest of the three eps, but I still rated it
an 8 out of 10 because I think a 7 or 7.5 is too low.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

6-09 Return of the Valkyrie .. 8

6-08 The Ring ....... 8

6-07 The Rheingold .... 8.5

6-06 The Abyss ..... 8

6-05 Legacy ....... 9

6-04 Who's Gurkhan? .... 9.5

6-03 Heart of Darkness .... 9

6-02 Haunting/Amphipolis . 8

6-01 Coming Home ..... 8

Average .......... 8.4