I’ll start with Xena’s defense: I believe Gabrielle was being manipulated by Dahak through Hope. Xena’s Spider Sense was tingling, the sky turned red and started storming, the animals were freaking out, and Latin Chanting Intensified. Not to mention the way Gabrielle miraculously recovered after the birth and said she felt, “like some power has just poured new life into me.” Which, yes, could just be the power of motherhood but I think that was Dahak.

But still, Your Honor, Xena gave Gabrielle and Hope the benefit of the doubt. Until a man lost his life with no one else in the room but a sleeping Gabrielle and Hope.

Now, let’s look at this from Gabrielle’s Point of View: You revere life and goodness, of course you’re going to latch onto seeing that in your own child. After all the pain and confusion of being tricked into a cult, losing your blood innocence, being impregnated by Dahak, and having a rapid hours-long pregnancy, you have this tiny little spark of hope that, now, your best friend has decided must die. The same best friend that you know has threatened to kill other men for trying to kill babies, that has even saved a baby’s life with you. And yet she’s sentenced yours to death without any evidence of what she claims. You’re halfway across the world (that you know) from home and you’ve got no one to turn to. That’s terrifying.

And those are just some things Xena probably should’ve considered before huffing and puffing up that mountain behind Gabrielle screaming “That thing you’re holding is a monster! It has to be destroyed!” As much as I agree with Xena, she did not present her case well, she looked insane and cruel, and I sympathize for Gabrielle.