Gabrielle's Hope
This transcript is dedicated to the memory of Charles Siebert.
I had that--that dream again.
XENA
Yeah, I know.
It's part of the same thing, Gabrielle. Your body
and your dreams are just reacting to your first kill.
GABRIELLE
I'll never forgive myself.
XENA
It was instinct.
GABRIELLE
No, you're wrong. Uh, I made the decision to kill
her. I went against everything that I stand for.
XENA
I know it's hard. I remember my first kill...but,
you are going to get through this thing. You're
gonna wake up one day and have hope again.
You'll see, there's so much good to be done.
GABRIELLE
Maybe. I just feel like I should be punished for
what I've done.
XENA
You are being punished by your conscience.
For someone like you, there couldn't be a worse torture.
You finish those herbs I gave you?
GABRIELLE
Yeah, but it's not doing any good.
XENA
And the pressure points didn't work either. You
got it bad. On the bright side, seasickness'll be
a romp after this.
GABRIELLE
That's right, we're getting on a ship.
XENA
Unfortunately, it is the only way to get back to Greece.
GABRIELLE
Well, I guess I'll be glad to get off this island.
XENA
Hmmm.
GABRIELLE
Britannia didn't turn out to be my favourite place.
What was that?
XENA
I don't know. It was too high-pitched to be a wolf.
Let's get out of these woods.
GABRIELLE
Good idea.
Gabrielle, we honour you.
Xena! I don't know why, but they won't attack me.
XENA
Good, all the more for me.
GABRIELLE
Will you just stay behind me?
XENA
I'm gonna kick these ladies' butts.
GABRIELLE
Xena, will you please?! I don't feel good at all.
XENA
All right. Well, this is your lucky day. My friend's
not feeling well. Come on.
Gabrielle, we mean you no harm.
BANSHEE #1
We're your friends. We love you. We worship you.
BANSHEE #2
Let us Banshees care for you. You are the chosen
one, Gabrielle.
XENA
They're ranting. Come on.
ACT ONE
A wall.
Banshees, what are they? Are they--are they human?
XENA (voice-over)
I've only-
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-heard stories, but it seems-
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-they take on mortal features just before they
strike. Then they go back into shade-
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-form once they hit you. I was just getting their timing.
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Xena, what do you think they wanted with me?
XENA
Who knows? It's just another reason to get out
of Britannia and back to Greece. They were
very strange.
GABRIELLE
Yeah, you're telling me. And I thought the Greek
immortals were freaks.
XENA
Yeah, but they're our freaks. You all right?
GABRIELLE
Yeah, my stomach's better. It's just...my soul.
Xena, I thought that Khrafstar was leading me to
the salvation of the world through peace and light.
And instead I discovered the heart of darkness. I
became a part of that. I think that that's what the
Banshees were talking about, that maybe that there's
an evil in me, and that they want to worship that?
XENA
Now, you stop that. Gabrielle, what you're talking
now is nonsense. What happened in that temple
cannot destroy the core of your goodness. It only
gave it a greater challenge. You're gonna rise
above it. I know you will. Come on, let's go eat.
We're looking for passage back to Greece.
TAVERNKEEPER
The only boat I know going that far south is old
Hasdrudal. He's a Phoenecian trader.
XENA
Where can I find him?
TAVERNKEEPER
In his warehouse, over by the wharf, checking
out his cargo.
XENA
Thanks. Look, why don't you wait here, and I'll
go talk to this Hasdrudal.
GABRIELLE
It sounds like a plan. Maybe I'll get something
to eat.
XENA
Yeah, that'd be great if you can manage it.
(to Tavernkeeper) Ha--have you got any chicken broth?
TAVERNKEEPER
Yeah.
XENA
(to Gabrielle) There you go. That should go down
pretty easy. I'll be back, soon.
She's in there. Get the torches.
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Okay.
GABRIELLE
Hey, can I have some cherries too, please?
TAVERNKEEPER
Yeah, yeah.
GABRIELLE
And some beef jerky.
TAVERNKEEPER
Uh-huh.
GABRIELLE
Mmmm, pork liver.
TAVERNKEEPER
Right.
GABRIELLE
I mean, if you've got it. Oh, and don't overcook it,
'cause I like it really bloody.
TAVERNKEEPER
Yeah.
GABRIELLE
You know, if you melt some cheese over the top
that would be perfect.
TAVERNKEEPER
Sure.
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How much for two passages to Greece?
EXTRA
Aah, Greece is a long way.
XENA
Cut the trout talk. How much?
EXTRA
Maybe, eighty Mycenean dinars.
XENA
Are you crazy? Where am I gonna come up with
that kind of money?
EXTRA
I'm afraid that's your concern, not mine.
XENA
All right then, let's just make it forty.
EXTRA
Eighty, nothing less.
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Hmmm. You know, can I have some more goat's
cream, please?
TAVERNKEEPER
Mm-hmm.
Gabrielle dips the piece of meat into a bowl of white cream.
GABRIELLE
Hmm. Hey, if you have any chicken gizzards, you
just fry 'em in some sheep lard. Send 'em my way.
Hmm. This is so good.
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Burn the witch! Burn!
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Burn!
TAVERNKEEPER
Why don't you just get out of here?! I don't deserve this.
GABRIELLE
Hmm.
TAVERNKEEPER
I didn't do anything!
GABRIELLE
What are you talking about?
That!
EXTRA
Yeah! Burn the witch!
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All right, Hasdrudal. Fifty Mycenean dinars, paid
when we've arrived in Athens.
EXTRA
Agreed. Your hand on it.
Payment due before we set sail tomorrow.
XENA
You drive a hard bargain. Uh, I'll see you tomorrow.
You guys, you're really asking for it, aren't you?
Burn!
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You witch!
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Xena!
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You can't stop me.
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Get her!
Gabrielle!
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She's heading toward the forest!
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Get her!
EXTRA
She must die!
Why are you chasing my friend?
CADBURY
The warriors.
XENA
The ones with the pierced hearts?
CADBURY
Yes. They said that she will bring in the beginning
of the end.
XENA
The end of what?!
CADBURY
Goodness.
XENA
And where do these warriors live?
CADBURY
In the forest of the Banshees.
XENA
Gabr-
All right Banshees, time for a rematch.
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Don't be afraid, Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
Why are you doing this?
What do you want with me?
BANSHEE #2
We wanna serve you.
BANSHEE #1
Worship you.
BANSHEE #2
Nourish you.
GABRIELLE
"Nourish me"? "Worship me"?
BANSHEE #2
You are the gate, the way, the spring.
GABRIELLE
I don't know what you're talking about. Oh! What
is happening to my stomach?
BANSHEE #2
Don't you know?
GABRIELLE
Know what?
BANSHEE #2
You carry within you the child that-
-will bring a new order to the world; the child
of darkness.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
I'm carrying a child? I don't think so.
Xena, they're crazy! Now look, we're--we're going
walk out of here like we did last time, okay?
BANSHEE #2
No! We can't let you leave the forest again until
the baby is born.
GABRIELLE
Xena, let's just run for it. I--I'm feeling much better.
XENA
Oh, we don't have to run for it. I'm gonna slap
these bitches silly. We're leaving this forest.
You got a problem with that?
Gabrielle, now we run.
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Go! Come on!
There it is. Inside, quick. Legend says they can't
follow without being asked.
they're in trouble.
GABRIELLE
Uh. Where are we? Why did we come to this place?
XENA
We should be safe, here.
GABRIELLE
How do you know?
XENA
This is the castle of the Warriors of the Pierced
Heart. They're working against the Banshees, I
think. Why don't you take this off?
GABRIELLE
No. Xena, what's going on? Ahh.
XENA
I think you're pregnant. I'd say you're in your fourth
month, I mean-
GABRIELLE
That's ridiculous. Xena, I'm--I'm having a hysterical
reaction to killing Meridian. Tell me who these
warriors are.
XENA
They're the ones that sent the lynch-mob on you.
GABRIELLE
And they're supposed to be an improvement over
the Banshees? Xena-
XENA
Shh.
GABRIELLE
-at least they seem interested in protecting me.
XENA
Not you, it.
GABRIELLE
Stop talking like that! I am not pregnant. There
has to be a logical explanation-
XENA
Gabrielle, what's wrong?
GABRIELLE
(whispering) It moved. What is it?
XENA
I don't know, but it's growing very fast. Come on,
we gotta find a place for you to lie down. This way.
I'm being punished.
XENA
What?!
GABRIELLE
I'm being punished for killing Meridian.
XENA
Gabrielle, you are not the first person ever to
shed blood.
Xena, you don't understand. I--I was gonna break
the cycle. I mean, all--all that pain and that violence
was gonna stop with me.
XENA
Yeah, yeah. Now, I want you to get some rest,
all right?
GABRIELLE
I was gonna revere life.
XENA
Shh.
GABRIELLE
Bring peace. Heal. It's the one thing that I never
doubted, never. My role as peacemaker.
And then I did, I killed and now someone, something,
is making me pay. Ah, it's growing.
XENA
Rest now. Go to sleep, Gabrielle. Rest now.
Yeah. Lie down.
Mmm.
XENA
Everything's all right.
-die, if that's what it takes!
GOEWIN
I say it's wrong! This whole thing is wrong.
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You have violated the most sacred trust of the
round table.
CASWALLAN
We didn't attack the girl.
EOCHAID
You're hiding behind a technicality. You incited the
entire village to try and kill her. That's just as bad.
GOEWIN
Our oath forbids us ever to bring harm to the
innocent, and that young girl beamed with goodness.
CASWALLAN
Difficult times call for unique measures. She is
innocent, that's true. But what's inside her must die!
Kill me, and watch him die! It won't take long.
What is growing inside my friend?
CASWALLAN
Darkness!
EOCHAID
You don't know that. It could be child-
XENA
One version at a time!
CASWALLAN
Evil incarnate! Undo whatever you did to me! I'll
tell you everything!
Have you ever heard of Dahak?
XENA
I've been told he's a power that can't be let into the world.
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Dahak is the blind force behind every evil will.
If he were to become the dominant power in our
world, goodness itself would be the casualty.
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When your friend was on the altar in the temple
of Dahak, he planted his seed within her.
EOCHAID
You can't be sure that's what it is.
CASWALLAN
Oh, why else would the Banshees protect her
like that?!
XENA
What are you saying?
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The being that Gabrielle carries within her-
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-is the window through which ultimate evil wishes
to enter the world.
GABRIELLE
No!
CASWALLAN
She's here in the castle!
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Gabrielle!
GABRIELLE
What's happening?
XENA
Okay, you're gonna have to listen to me. Now,
breathe deeply, all right?
Come on! Kick the door in!
XENA
Come on, Gabrielle. It's gonna be all right.
It hurts so much!
XENA
This should help.
I'm afraid! I'm afraid!
XENA
Gabrielle, don't think about that right now. We
just have to get through this. Now, push!
CASWALLAN
The baby's coming! Quickly! Break it down!
XENA
Keep breathing. Come on.
What if it's a-
XENA
Push!
It's coming!
It's a girl.
I've got it!
GABRIELLE
Don't let them kill my baby.
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
Get that baby!
Get out of the way.
XENA
No one's touching that baby.
GOEWIN
Caswallawn, that child is innocent. A clean slate.
We can't punish it for the sins of its father.
You're wrong. Its very existence is a sin.
EOCHAID
We don't know if this is a child of the darkness
or the light. Our beliefs say that both will come
in a similar way.
You're both sentimental fools. It dies now!
Come on, Gabrielle. Let's get you to someplace safe.
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Okay, here. Okay.
That baby will not leave this castle alive!
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Isn't she beautiful? You were right.
XENA
About what?
GABRIELLE
You said that one day I would have hope again.
Here it is. That's what I'm gonna call her. Hope.
XENA
Are you all right?
GABRIELLE
I feel great.
XENA
Well, you weren't great a few minutes ago.
GABRIELLE
I guess being a mother must agree with me. I
feel like some power has just poured new life
into me.
XENA
(to warriors) Thank you for your help. As soon
as Gabrielle's strong enough to travel, we'll fight
our way out of here.
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It's amazing how fast she's growing.
She's perfect.
EOCHAID
I'm sure she's the child of the light.
GOEWIN
Well, regardless of who her father is, she's born
an innocent, just like anyone else.
GABRIELLE
Why is that sword stuck in the stone?
GOEWIN
Our last king, before the Romans came, he struck
that sword into the stone. Hmm. No one's been
able to move it since.
EOCHAID
Our tradition states, that one day, a great warrior
will be born to our people. He will become our
king and lead us in our fight against the barbarians.
GOEWIN
And we'll know who he his because, only he will
be able to pull out the sword.
Nice blade.
She...did--did you-
Xena, isn't she just the most beautiful little gem?
EOCHAID
No she-
GABRIELLE
How could anybody ever think she's evil?
XENA
Who do you think she is?
GABRIELLE
Well, she's my daughter.
XENA
Doesn't it bother you that she's obviously not mortal?
GABRIELLE
She's half-mortal. She's like Hercules.
Actually, that's not a bad model for her.
XENA
Gabrielle, she is the daughter of Dahak.
GABRIELLE
I have thought about that. Xena, maybe she is.
Look, if that's true, then I will help her fight against
her dark side, just like I helped you fight against yours.
XENA
But, what if it's not possible?
GABRIELLE
Xena, if you were truly my friend, you will stop
thinking of her as some symbol of an evil god.
See her for what she truly is. She's a beautiful,
innocent baby.
XENA
Well, all right. But, I'll be watching her development
very carefully.
GABRIELLE
What does that mean?
XENA
Just that I'm not so convinced of her innocence.
GABRIELLE
Well, you get this clear, Xena. No matter what
she is, she is my daughter. Don't come between us.
XENA
Get some rest. We'll try and leave here around midnight.
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Eochaid? Eochaid?
Goewin.
GOEWIN
What?
XENA
Shh. Eochaid's gone.
GOEWIN
Well, how is that possible?
XENA
There must be another way out of here.
GOEWIN
Well, the castle's full of secret passageways
and Eochaid has lived longer here than anyone
else, he'd know them all. I wouldn't worry, though.
Eochaid would do nothing to hurt that child.
XENA
If you don't mind, I'll worry all right. He moved back
here. And then I heard some kind of scraping sound.
I'm gonna go see where our little friend went. You
stay here, and look after Gabrielle and the baby.
Come here, sweetheart. Oh! What's the matter?
Can't sleep? Oh, come here. Look, look. Look up,
look up, look. Come here. Come on.
She's here.
BANSHEE #2
I know, and the sinner will protect her. That child
will one day bring to the Earth Dahak's dark power.
When she does, all who helped her will be rewarded,
and all who opposed her, in the name of what
fools call goodness, will meet a horrible death.
EOCHAID
When the new order comes, I get Britannia, right?
BANSHEE #2
As promised.
I, as a Warrior of the Pierced Heart, give you
permission to enter.
Goewin. Goewin, we've got trouble. Eochaid's
a traitor, and-
ACT FOUR
What are you doing?
XENA
Get away, Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
What are you saying?
XENA
That thing killed Goewin. It strangled him with
his own medallion chain.
GABRIELLE
Have you lost your mind? Look at her. She's
a--she's a baby.
XENA
It is not a baby. It is a thing in the form of a baby,
a dark, wicked thing that must be destroyed.
GABRIELLE
Listen to you. You are talking about my daughter.
XENA
No, I am talking about evil itself. I can't let it fall
into the hands of the Banshees.
I will not let you do this. Xena, anybody could
have come in here and killed Goewin. Anybody.
XENA
No, you're wrong, Gabrielle. That thing killed him.
Stop her!
BANSHEE #2
Take her. I will handle the warrior woman.
Ha-ha! You're a glutton for punishment, aren't you?!
XENA
I've got your number, Sweetie.
You're not used to that kind of treatment, are you?
Help me up.
Get up! Come on! Yah! Yah!
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Yah! Yah!
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Hey! What are you doing with that horse?!
OLD MAN
I traded for it fair and square! I gave up a perfectly
good rowboat for it!
XENA
A rowboat?
OLD MAN
Yep! The young lady that took it headed down the
river a while ago! Cutest little toddler she had
with her!
XENA
(to herself) You're getting pretty good at this, aren't
you, Gabrielle? (to Old Man) How much do you
want for that horse!
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Shhh. You all right? Please, don't cry. I'm not
gonna let her hurt you. I promise I won't. I'll die,
first. Are you tired? Me, too. We can't rest. Xena
won't. I know her.
Who are you? Who are you?
Yah! Yah!
GABRIELLE
You see what I mean? She's relentless.
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Gabrielle! Gabrielle! That thing you're holding is
a monster! It has to be destroyed! Gabrielle!
Gabrielle, I understand how you feel! You're looking
at it as if this were a real baby! Gabrielle! You
have to consider what we know! You were in the
temple of Dahak, the evil one! You were on his
altar! He planted that thing inside you! It grew
so fast and it killed within hours of being born!
Gabrielle! You talked about wanting to end the
cycle of pain and violence! By protecting that thing,
you're only ensuring the victory of that cycle!
Xena!
XENA
Gabrielle!
I'm coming. Gabrielle. Gabrielle, where is it?
GABRIELLE
She turned on me.
XENA
Wha-
GABRIELLE
She tried to choke me. Its beautiful expression
of sweetness just turned into this, this hateful
snarl and--and it was like looking into evil itself.
I threw her...down there.
XENA
Gabrielle, I know this is terrible but, you did the
right thing.
What?
What is it?!
You don't believe me?! Do you think I'm lying?
I threw her off the cliff! Xena, when I knew what she
was, I wanted her dead! Just as much as you!
Xena, this is madness.
XENA
Get away from that rock, Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
I can't believe you're doing this.
XENA
Move.
GABRIELLE
No.
XENA
Now!
Are you satisfied?
XENA
Gabrielle, I'm sorry. I just had to be sure.
GABRIELLE
I know. I know.
I know you're out there, somewhere. My--my love,
my hope. Please...be good.
END OF ACT FOUR
STARRING
Lucy Lawless as Xena
Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
GUEST CAST
Peter Feeney as Caswallawn
Mark Clare as Eochaid
Robert Harte as Goewin
Michelle Huirama as Banshee #1
Nicola Brown as Banshee #2
Catherine Boniface as Meridian
David Mitchell as Tavernkeeper
Bert Keiller as Cadbury
Ronald Fryer as Old Man
Summer Proben as Hope (Toddler)
Hannah and Alyssa Carr as Hope (10 Months)
Written by: R.J. Stewart
Directed by: Charles Siebert and Andrew Merrifield
Disclaimer: Despite witnessing the bizarre and somewhat disturbing birth of Gabrielle's Hope, no farm animals were harmed or traumatized during the production of this motion picture.
