The Gabrielle's Hope episode of "Xena: Warrior Princess" featured the precursor to the Knights of the Round Table and the sword Excalibur. The legendary sword would pop up again in a future episode of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.”

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Summary - Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) awakens in a feverish state, tormented by the fact that she's taken a human life. She begins experiencing severe stomach pains as she and Xena (Lucy Lawless) make their way through the forest of the Banshees. Suddenly, a Banshee explodes from the ground in front of Xena and smashes her in the head. Xena immediately strikes back but the Banshee, who shuttles between corporeal and spiritual forms, has already departed her earthly body and slips away unharmed. When two more Banshees pop up and attack her, Xena is again unable to land any punches before they vanish into thin air. Finally, when Gabrielle leaps into the fray, the Banshees cease their onslaught and bow their heads to her. They assure Gabrielle that they mean her no harm. To the contrary, they love and worship her. Turning to Xena, they explain that Gabrielle is the "source" that will change the world and if Xena gets in the way, she will face a power more terrible than any she has ever imagined.

Later, in a coastal village, Xena leaves Gabrielle at a tavern to pull herself together while she takes off for the harbor to find a boat heading south towards Greece. She is secretly followed by a warrior named Caswallawn (Peter Feeney), who wears a medallion around his neck displaying a heart pierced by a sword. Meanwhile, the villagers, armed with clubs and pitchforks, begin surrounding the tavern where Gabrielle has been eating strange combinations of food. A chubby man named Cadbury (Bert Keiller) incites the mob to torch the place as they shout for "the witch" to come out. When Xena hears the roar of the crowd, she rushes to investigate but is stopped by Caswallawn and two of his warriors. A furious fight follows, three against one. Meanwhile, inside the tavern, Gabrielle uses her staff to vault over a wall of flames and flies out of the fiery tavern, over the heads of the villagers and into a trough filled with water. She quickly makes a run for it, with the villagers close behind.

Xena is finally able to break free of the warriors and takes off after Gabrielle and the mob. All of a sudden, Gabrielle is struck by a pain in her side and collapses. The villagers surround her and just as Cadbury is about to stab Gabrielle with his pitchfork, Xena leaps in to save her. Cadbury explains to Xena that Caswallawn and his warriors have told them that Gabrielle will bring "the beginning of the end of goodness." Xena takes off to find the warriors in the forest and comes upon Gabrielle who is already there, surrounded by three Banshees who are groveling at her feet. Gabrielle is questioning them about the horrible pain in her stomach and just as Xena arrives, they tell her she's carrying the child that will bring a new order to the world. Gabrielle is stunned and, refusing to believe them, makes as narrow escape with Xena to the nearby Castle of the Warriors of the Pierced Heart. Alarmed at how quickly Gabrielle's belly is growing, Xena leaves her in a room in the castle and follows the sound of voices to a chamber where five warriors are arguing at a round table. Two of them, Eochaid (Mark Clare) and Goewin (Robert Harte), are reproaching Caswallawn for inciting the village against Gabrielle, claiming she's an innocent despite what's growing inside her. At that, Xena bursts in and learns that when Gabrielle was on the altar in the temple of Dahak, the Evil One, he planted his seed within her. Soon a blood-curdling scream sends Xena running to Gabrielle's side, with the warriors in hot pursuit. But before the men can get to Gabrielle, Xena bars the door and helps deliver Gabrielle's baby. As the warriors break the door down, an exhausted Gabrielle begs her friend to protect the child. Xena, joined by Eochaid and Goewin who believe the baby may not be evil after all, manage to get Gabrielle and the child to the round table room, locking the other warriors out. Utterly captivated by her infant girl, Gabrielle names the baby Hope and is furious when Xena tells her she believes the baby is the evil daughter of Dahak. That night, Eochaid proves to be a traitor as he sneaks outside and allows the Banshees to enter the castle to take the child. Xena follows and is able to fend them off for a while.

When she returns, Xena finds Goewin dead, strangled by his own medallion. When she finds the medallion in Hope's little hands, she is certain the baby is evil and draws her sword just as Gabrielle awakens. Gabrielle scoops up the baby and dashes out. She invokes the help of the Banshees against Xena and a desperate chase follows until Gabrielle finally surrenders. She claims that the baby tried to choke her and convinces Xena that she threw her into an abyss. Soon, however, Hope's head pops up from inside a basket, which her mother has secretly sent floating down the river.

Starring: Lucy Lawless as Xena, Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle

Guest Starring: Peter Feeney (Caswallawn), Mark Clare (Eochaid), Robert Harte (Goewin), Michelle Huirama (Banshee #1), Nicola Brown (Banshee #2), Catherine Boniface (Meridian), David Mitchell (Tavernkeeper), Bert Keiller (Cadbury), Ronald Fryer (Old Man), Summer Proben (Toddler Hope), Hannah and Alyssa Carr (Hope at 10 months)

Written by R.J. Stewart
Directed by Charles Siebert and Andrew Merrifield