THE RETURN OF CALLISTO
Directed by TJ Scott, 1996
1. The contraption that Callisto (Hudson Leick) escaped from in the episode's opening sequence included six restraints. Only two of those were severed. How did she free herself of the others?
2. Remember the mask that was placed over Hannibal Lecter's (Anthony Hopkins) face in The Silence of the Lambs? Of course, you do. Callisto may not have escaped if she had been fitted with a similar device. Tell us why.
3. How many guards were supposedly killed prior to her escape?
4. Theodorus (David Te Rare) freed the other prisoners at Callisto's request after he was set free. He also gathered the men that became her army. Two other orders were carried out. What were they?
5. Most anyone could split an ordinary barrel in two with a heavy sword or an axe of some kind, provided there was enough muscle behind it. What did a couple of kids try to warn Joxer (Ted Raimi) about before he attempted that feat?
6. If Joxer were dropped into a Friday the 13th flick, where dim-witted characters are sliced and diced to everyone's delight, he wouldn't stand a chance of making it to the final act. Had the script for this episode passed through our hands, the "mighty" would have fallen in the chapter entitled The Answer's Yes. Why did Callisto spare his life?
7. Sensitive, kind… those were some of the qualities that Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) fell in love with. Perdicus (Scott Garrison) also had this going for him, which was she married him. What are we referring to?
8. There was some doubt as to whether or not Gabrielle would accept Perdicus' marriage proposal. Did that change when Xena (Lucy Lawless) remarked, "Let me set your mind at rest. Seeing you happy will make me happy"?
9. Callisto thought she had an advantage over her nemesis because Xena fought with her heart. We don't know about the former, but the latter was certainly true. What action underscored that point?
10. Walk this way, talk this way. Just give me a kiss, like this! Let's say that Aerosmith tune was heard prior to each kiss. We counted four. How many do you remember?
11. Who was talking to whom when the following words were spoken: "You're going to miss her, aren't you?"
A. Joxer said that to Xena
B. Perdicus said that to Gabrielle
C. Theodorus said that to a guard in reference to Callisto.
12. If you heard that your new bride had never been with another man before, it wouldn't make one bit of difference, would it? It shouldn't. But what if you were the bride, and your spouse had been with other women? Would it bother you? It bothered Gabrielle. The question is, to what extent?
13. Remember the words, "She's much too good a hostess not to be here to greet me"? That was why Xena thought Theodorus lied to her about what claim?
14. True or False: Gabrielle would have been Callisto's last victim if Xena didn't show up when she did, not Perdicus.
15. The reason why Xena hesitated to teach Gabrielle how to use a sword was because didn't want to destroy the ideals she lived by. But the key word there is "lived," is it not? What good are ideals if you're six feet under ground? Gabrielle was taught how to perry for an opening when Xena finally gave in. She also learned how to anticipate her opponent's next move by doing this.
16. You wouldn't want your son or daughter looking up to Callisto as a role model, but there was some good in her. What was her reason for not letting any alcoholic beverage touch her lips?
17. What enabled Gabrielle to infiltrate Callisto's lair without so much as a drawn sword, save for her own?
18. Gabrielle remembered something that Perdicus said when she reached Callisto. But those words alone wasn't what changed her mind, were they?
19. Never turn your back on the enemy. If Callisto hadn't, Xena may not have escaped. Tell us how or why that happened.
20. Callisto certainly knew how to make an entrance, and she often left with equal aplomb. One example would be the way she left her lair. What made that particular exit so memorable?
21. If this were a game of blackjack, we'd stop here. But we're not playing by those rules. The name of this game is 22, which means there's two questions left. Here's #21: Callisto clearly had the advantage while she fleeing in her chariot. Tell us why.
22. True or False: The episode could have ended with the following exchange of dialogue:
Gabrielle: "She's gone?"
Xena: "To Tartarus. I thought about saving her,
but she never said please."
