Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
The Furies curse Xena with madness for failing to avenge her father's murder. Cyrene tells Gabrielle that she killed Xena's father to stop him sacrificing their daughter. Xena avoids killing her mother by advancing a theory that Ares may have fathered her, then challenges him to a fight; the Furies lift the curse, but Ares denies being her father. The season's deeper crisis begins in Britannia, where Xena opposes Caesar and Gabrielle is tricked by Dahak's cult into killing a priestess and becoming pregnant with the god's child.
Gabrielle gives birth to Hope, whose rapid growth and connection to Dahak convince Xena that the child is dangerous. When Xena raises her sword, Gabrielle flees and secretly sends Hope downriver. Months later Hope returns as a grown girl, works with Callisto and hides her identity from Gabrielle. Hope kills Kaleipus, then murders Solan after Gabrielle unknowingly sends her to his hiding place. Xena finds her son dead. Gabrielle discovers Hope's lie and poisons her, then nearly drinks the remaining poison herself. Xena traps Callisto in a collapsing cave, and the funeral pyres leave Xena and Gabrielle divided by grief and blame.
The rift continues until The Bitter Suite draws them into Illusia, where their anger and guilt take shape in a dreamworld. Gabrielle reaches across the divide and pulls Xena free; they reconcile and return to the beach together. In the two-part Sacrifice finale, Callisto helps Hope emerge from a cocoon, and Hope joins Ares in a plan to bring Dahak into the world. Xena and Gabrielle fight together again, but Gabrielle throws herself against Hope and both fall into a lava pit to save Xena. Xena kills Callisto with the Hind's Blood Dagger; Gabrielle's fate is left unresolved at the season's end.