Written by RJ Stewart
Directed by Keen Girotti
When Caesar places a bounty on Xena's head, the warrior princess decides to end their feud once and for all. All this while trying to prevent the vision from happening.
Tropes
- All for Nothing: Though Callisto gets the satisfaction of Xena dying, she actually failed in her mission to corrupt her soul and to ensure Caesar becomes emperor.
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Xena and Gabrielle's souls join hands right before vanishing in a burst of white light. Reportedly, this was a last-minute inclusion to keep the ending from being too bleak.
- Assassination Attempt: Xena tries to assassinate Caesar using her chakram... only for Callisto to snatch it short of Caesar's neck.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Gabrielle showed the Romans just how much combat she still remembers after breaking from her Way of Peace.
- Big "NO!": First by Callisto when it seems like Xena and her friends will get away. Later by Xena when Gabrielle breaks from her Way of Peace by defending a disabled Xena.
- Buried in a Pile of Corpses: Xena hides herself in a cart full of bodies in order to infiltrate the fort holding Gabrielle. Incidentally, Callisto is lying next to her within the corpses.
- The Corrupter: Besides helping Caesar, Callisto is tasked with getting Xena off the Way of the Warrior. Callisto offers Xena all number of things, including purging her of her guilt and giving her inner peace. It doesn't work because Xena is well-aware of what she's really trying to do.
- Crucified Hero Shot: Both Xena and Gabrielle are crucified by the end of the episode.
- Deal with the Devil:
- Callisto makes a deal with the devil to mess ensure that Xena goes to Hell.
- Callisto herself keeps trying to get Xena to agree to abandon the Way of the Warrior. Doing so would prevent all the future good Xena would later accomplish and ruin her chance at redemption, but Callisto insists taking the deal means she'll simply be guaranteed complete serenity and the safety of Gabrielle. Xena hears her out, but she can tell there would be a catch to what she's offering.
- Didn't See That Coming: Xena's assassination attempt is foiled by literally the last person she ever expected to see again.
- Downer Ending: Both Xena and Gabrielle are dead by the end of the episode. It doesn't get any downer than this in any episode.
- Dramatic Irony: Callisto thinks she succeeded in her main objective, completely unaware that Xena warned Brutus of Caesar's intentions and ensured he'll be in a position to prevent him from becoming emperor.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Discussed. Amarice is distressed by the thought of being crucified, saying she always thought she'd go down fighting instead.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Caesar himself utters this to Brutus, albeit in English.
- "Eureka!" Moment: After learning that Gabrielle is being held at Mt. Amaro, Xena starts to walk away. Then she stops and thinks to ask if it was snowing there, which it is.
- Everyone Has Standards: Brutus is unfailingly loyal to Caesar in all respects, but it's acknowledged how even he wouldn't tolerate Caesar declaring himself emperor. It's part of the reason that Caesar is planning to have Brutus assassinated.
- Face Death with Dignity: Callisto notices Xena looks quite confident for someone about to be crucified. It's because Xena knows that Callisto failed her mission to corrupt her and that Brutus will be taking care of Caesar very shortly.
- The Final Temptation:
- Before Xena is in position to attack, Callisto appears to offer her an easy way out of all this. She promises she can get all the prisoners out safely and that Xena can be cleansed of her guilt if she abandons the Way of the Warrior in favor of the Way of Love. Xena admittedly finds it appealing, but she knows her real chance at redemption is continuing on her current path and that Callisto is trying to wreck that for her.
- Right before the attack begins, Callisto offers to prevent the vision from coming to pass. Xena won't even acknowledge her this time, forcing Callisto to start playing rough.
- Hell: Where Callisto is seen at the beginning of the episode.
- Hope Spot: Despite the odds stacked heavily against her, it looked like Xena was going to free the followers of Eli and escape herself. Callisto shut that down using Xena's own chakram.
- I Can't Feel My Legs!: Xena loses control of her legs after being hit by her chakram.
- Intangible Man: Callisto. Xena can't harm her no matter how hard she tries.
- Ironic Hell:
- Callisto is constantly tormented by mocking hallucinations of Xena and Gabrielle, the two people she hates more than anyone else. Any attempt to attack them also fails miserably.
- The condemned man that Callisto talks to laments being doomed to spend eternity obsessed with a woman who loathes him.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After escaping Tartarus, Callisto wanted a Cessation of Existence rather than be sent back there. She was instead sent to a place that "makes Tartarus look like a day at the beach."
- Life Isn't Fair: Callisto is outraged that she's literally stuck in Hell, while the woman who killed her family and ruined her life will likely be reincarnated.Hallucination!Xena: Gotta love the irony.
- Lotus Position: Eli and Gabrielle are in this pose while in prison.
- The Man Behind the Man: The Devil directs Callisto to corrupt Xena spiritually and ensure that Caesar becomes emperor of Rome.
- Meaningful Background Event: As Caesar leads into his announcement about declaring himself emperor, several Senators start stepping behind him. They'll begin stabbing him very shortly afterwards.
- Mouth of Sauron: The Devil never appears onscreen in this episode, nor is he even referred to by name. It's the condemned man infatuated with Callisto that acts as the go-between and explains what her objectives are.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Once Gabrielle catches sight of blood on the dagger she repeatedly stabbed a Roman guard with, she quickly relents in her fighting.
- Nature Tinkling: Brutus takes his time taking a leak in the bushes. Unfortunately for him, Xena was waiting for him there.
- Near-Villain Victory: Caesar has the demon Callisto in his back pocket, Xena and Gabrielle down for the count and is about to declare himself emperor of Rome. It seems like nothing could stop him... at least until the audience is reminded that this episode is called 'The Ides Of March' for a reason.
- Oh, Crap!: Xena doesn't think much of the fact that the Romans have Gabrielle hostage... until Brutus gives her one particular detail.Xena: Brutus... was it snowing on Mt. Amaro?
Brutus: Yes, it was snowing when I left. - Parallel Conflict Sequence: While Xena and Gabrielle are nailed to a cross, Caesar is stabbed by multiple senators.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: Gabrielle was supposed to continue her War of Peace to the end of the season, but when Lucy Lawless found out she was pregnant, it was decided that Gabrielle will fight again starting in this episode.
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Both Eli and Amarice play off each other in this way. While imprisoned, Eli is confidence that help will arrive while Amarice prefers to break out on their own.
- The Hero Dies
- Unstoppable Rage: Gabrielle is overwhelmed with rage as she slaughters several Roman guards.
- Visionary Villain: Corrupting Xena is actually a secondary concern in all this. The real goal is ensuring Caesar becomes emperor of Rome, as it's believed it will be quite easy to make him an agent of Hell down the line.
- Wham Episode
- Wrecked Weapon: Xena's chakram is split in two for the first time seen after Callisto threw it at her.
- Symbolically Broken Object: Xena's back is broken at the same time.
- You Can't Fight Fate: The vision is fulfilled as seen.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: With Pompey gone and his leadership assured, Caesar makes plans to send his loyal Number Two Brutus to a posting in Gaul, where hired assassins will eliminate him. This is attributed to both Brutus having a great deal of personal support in Rome and how he's principled enough to oppose this emperor business.
- You Owe Me: Gabrielle brings up the time she spared Brutus his life when asking he do the same to Amarice.Brutus: She attacked one of my men.
Gabrielle: And I remember a time when mercy was shown to you!
