This episode is no exception. I knew that Borias was featured in another flashback sequence, but I was thrilled to see Danielle Cormack return as Ephiny. I was also pleased to learn the fate of Xenan, who hadn't been seen since Maternal Instincts - I know that many fans were wondering what became of him after his mother died.
I enjoyed this episode a great deal. I've always been partial to the darker, more dramatic episodes and this one is no exception. There seems to be a trend in the series to eliminate the more "mythological" aspects of the Xenaverse. The Amazons are in dire straits after To Helicon and Back, the Olympians were pretty much wiped out during the fifth season "Twilight", and now the centaurs get their own bloody massacre.
The personal stakes are what make this episode so involving. The threat to Xenan and the centaurs is made more complicated by the identity of the aggressor - Borias's first child. Gabrielle wants to protect Xenan (and his family) at all costs, but Xena feels an older obligation to Belach - one of the first people she wronged after Caesar's betrayal. As a result, the loyalties of our warrior duo are somewhat strained, but never flare into outright conflict.
Excellent performances are turned in from the cast - especially Hamish Hector-Taylor, who plays Xenan. He strikes the right balance of outrage and grief. In fact, when he led the soldiers away from the old farmhouse, I feared that he would sacrifice his life to save his wife and unborn son.
Marton Csokas turns in a solid double performance as Borias and Belach. It is remarkable how different the two characters are. I was also impressed by how similar the flashbacks of Borias are to earlier scenes months (or even years) later. It almost feels like the flashback sequences in this episode were filmed at the same time as The Debt - major kudos to Marton, Lucy, and the production staff for reproducing those earlier scenes so accurately.
My only complaint about Marton's performance comes towards the end of the episode. He does a wonderful job until he is leading his men in the attack; his command presence left a lot to be desired. It was far too over-the-top, given the attitude Belach had conveyed through the rest of the episode. He acted like a fool and a lunatic, and that just didn't fit.
