The Fates give Xena a chance to relive her life, and create an Alternate Reality, where Lyceus is still alive, but Cyrene is dead and Gabrielle is a violent slave.
Summary[]
Xena in the temple of the Fates.
A group of hooded marauders mount an attack on the Temple of the Fates, unaware that Xena and Gabrielle are praying inside. Startled by the scream of a fleeing acolyte, Xena races outside and stops the charging invaders with a series of dazzling, acrobatic fighting maneuvers. After killing their ruthless leader Caputius, the warrior princess whirls around to drive off one last axe-wielding attacker, who inadvertently impales himself on her upraised sword. As his hood falls away, she is shocked to see the face of a 15-year-old boy.
The Fates offer Xena a world where she is not a warrior.
When the grateful Fates appear and offer to grant Xena a wish in appreciation for saving their temple, she asks that the boy be brought back to life. The Fates agree to her request, proclaiming that all will be restored on the condition that she never again draw blood in anger.
Xena is so happy to reunite with her deceased brother in the alternate world.
To her amazement, Xena suddenly finds herself dressed not as a warrior, but as a typical village woman. She gets an even greater shock when she is greeted by her handsome younger brother, Lyceus, who was killed years before fighting at her side the tyrant Cortese. As Xena tries to cover her confusion, she realizes that the life unfolding before her eyes is the one she would have been leading had she not become a warrior in the first place.
Xena's mother is dead in the alternate world.
In this world, Mezentius, Krykus and Caputius, ruthless warlords she has defeated in the past, are back trying to fulfill their dreams of conquest. Her former suitor, Maphias, is also on the scene, trying to get her to commit to a wedding date. Though still unsettled by this strange turn of events, Xena vows to seize this chance to build a new life.
Gabrielle a slave in the alternate world.
Her capacity to give up her warrior ways is severely tested, however, when she catches sight of Gabrielle, now an embittered slave in the service of the brutal Mezentius, being shoved around by the warlord's slave boss. Determined to free her friend, Xena hides in a wagonload of supplies bound for the warlord's castle. Once inside, she confronts Gabrielle, who does not recognize her and is understandably wary. But Xena quickly gets through to her friend by appealing to Gabrielle's courage, and the two engineer a daring escape up a castle chimney.
Gabrielle changes out of slaves clothes after being rescued.
That night, as Xena listens to Lyceus' plan for a surprise counter-attack against a raid being organized by Mezentius, Krykus and Caputius, Mezentius' guards arrive to take them prisoner. When Lyceus throws a sword to his sister, who has always been ready to fight against tyranny in the past, he is confused and dismayed when she lets it fall to the ground.
Xena escapes her cage.
Xena, Lyceus and Gabrielle are imprisoned in suspended cages in the warlord's dungeon but Maphias, disguised as one of Caputius' hooded soldiers, is able to steal in to free them. Though they are given the chance to flee, Lyceus goes off to attack the three warlords, who are meeting in the castle. His companions soon follow. Both Maphias and Gabrielle arm themselves, but Xena refuses to take a weapon and battles only with her hands and feet.
Xena saves a boy's life changing her decision from last time.
Xena then sees Gabrielle run a sword through Mezentius, and enjoying the blood revenge. Seeing the look on Gabrielle's face, she suddenly realizes that her new reality is not worth the changes it has incurred in her best friend. Saying a soft goodbye to Lyceus she takes up a sword and draws the blood of Caputius. At that moment she is transformed back to the battle outside the Temple of the Fates. This time, though, she is able to lower her sword, sparing the life of the 15-year-old attacker and eliciting a promise from him that he'll never kill again.
Disclaimer[]
- Xena's memory was not damaged or… …what was I saying?
Background Information[]
Behind the Scenes[]
- Remember Nothing was the first episode of season 2 to be written, but aired as the second.
- Shooting Dates: May 8 to May 16, 1996 (7 Day Shoot).
- The closing exchange in this episode where Gabrielle and Xena discuss whether the Fates have their lives planned out is not in the script.
- The first outline of Remember Nothing was written by Steven Sears, and was almost completely different. There was no Lyceus in the episode, Gabrielle was not a slave and the boy soldier wasn't present at all. When Chris Manheim took over and wrote the second outline, the boy was present in the teaser and the tag. Steven Sears' version of the episode focused more on Xena's love for Maphias, with Gabrielle being an independent warrior herself, fighting for the greater good.
Key Events[]
- The first appearance of The Fates.
- The first appearance of Lyceus.
- This is the only episode in which Xena is shown as being anything resembling religious. In "The Way", she chafes at the very idea of praying to a god – although to be fair, this would be after seeing beings like Aphrodite, Ares and Dahak for what they were.
Goofs[]
- In the beginning of this episode there is a rather small, but noticable continuity error, the sweeping shot of Gabrielle walking alongside Xena (who is riding Argo), Gabrielle is wearing her 'Farm Girl' outfit, revealing it to be stock footage from a much earlier episode.
Trivia[]
- In the altered reality, Krykus mentions Cortese from "Death Mask", who was responsible for attacking Amphipolis, the death of Lyceus and Xena becoming a warrior.
Memorable Quotations[]
"Don't fight destiny!"
- –Lyceus to Xena
Links and References[]
Guest Stars[]
- Aaron Devitt as Lyceus
- Robert Harte as Maphias
Other Cast[]
- Stephen Tozer as Mezentius
- Mark Ferguson as Krykus
- Slade Leef as Caputius
- Chris Graham as Slave Boss
- Rebecca Kopacka as Clotho
- Micaela Daniel as Lachesis
- Elizabeth Pendergrast as Atropos
- Mariao Hohaia as Minion
- Geoff Barlow as Storekeeper
- Andrew McMillan as Gate Guard
- David Geary as Guard #2
- Allan Wilkins as Head Guard
- Daniel Chilton as Boy
References[]
SEMICOLON-SEPARATED LIST OF ITEMS/LOCATIONS REFERENCED IN EPISODE (BUT NOT LINKED TO IF ALREADY LINKED IN SUMMARY OR GUEST STARS SECTIONS)
[]
| << Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 >> | ||||||
| #01 | Orphan of War | #09 | A Solstice Carol | #17 | The Execution | |||
| #02 | Remember Nothing | #10 | The Xena Scrolls | #18 | Blind Faith | |||
| #03 | The Giant Killer | #11 | Here She Comes... Miss Amphipolis | #19 | Ulysses | |||
| #04 | Girls Just Wanna Have Fun | #12 | Destiny | #20 | The Price | |||
| #05 | Return of Callisto | #13 | The Quest | #21 | The Lost Mariner | |||
| #06 | Warrior... Princess... Tramp | #14 | A Necessary Evil | #22 | A Comedy of Eros | |||
| #07 | Intimate Stranger | #15 | A Day in the Life | |||||
| #08 | Ten Little Warlords | #16 | For Him the Bell Tolls | |||||