The Rheingold
Xena returns to the Norselands to confront her past.
The seventh episode of Xena: Warrior Princess's sixth season, "The Rheingold" aired on November 13, 2000. Written by R. J. Stewart and directed by John Fawcett, it follows Xena traveling to the Norselands alone to atone for a past wrong, while Gabrielle pursues her. The episode, part of the acclaimed "Ring Trilogy," earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Xena: Warrior Princess
- Director
- John Fawcett
- Writer
- R. J. Stewart
- Airdate
- 13 November 2000
- Season article
- Xena: Warrior Princess (season 6)
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In a flashback set 35 years earlier, Xena forges a ring and fights a monster. Wearing the ring, she claims invincibility, but the monster pulls the ring from her finger as she pushes it into a cage. Xena locks the cage with a lock bearing two ravens and leaves, confident the monster will remain trapped. In the present, Xena and Gabrielle dine at a tavern when a Norseman named Beowulf shows Xena a broken lock decorated with two ravens. Troubled, Xena sneaks away at dawn, leaving Gabrielle a note implying a suicide mission and a farewell. Gabrielle follows her into the land of the Asgardian gods, where she meets Brunnhilda, who knows Xena and recounts the legends of Xena in the Norselands. Years earlier, returning from Chin, Xena met Odin and, seeking power, became a Valkyrie. She tricked Odin into revealing the location of the Rheingold, angering Grinhilda, the Valkyrie leader. The flashback reveals that the Rheingold is a mystical gold Xena crafted into an invincibility ring. A battle ensues, and Xena knocks Grinhilda unconscious. In the present, Brunnhilda tells Gabrielle that Xena is on a suicide mission. Xena hikes along the Rhein River with Beowulf, recalling flashbacks of swimming with three Rhein Maidens. She convinces the First Rhein Maiden to take her to the Rheingold in an underwater cavern. When the Maiden warns her not to touch it, Xena pushes her aside, claiming the Rheingold cannot harm her because she has already forsaken love. Xena melts the gold and molds a powerful ring.
Broadcast and release
The episode first aired in syndication on November 13, 2000, earning a Nielsen rating of 3.4. It was the third-most-watched syndicated action drama that week, behind The X-Files and Andromeda. Home media releases include a VHS collection in the United Kingdom and a DVD release as part of the sixth season on March 8, 2005. It is also available on streaming services such as Amazon Video, iTunes, and Hulu.
Reception
Critics generally praised the episode, along with the two that follow it, as among the best of season six. Sergio Non of IGN called "The Rheingold" and the rest of "The Ring Trilogy" the high point of the season, commending the integration of Beowulf and Das Rheingold into the story and the flashbacks showing Xena's evil past. Don Houston of DVD Talk described the episode and story arc as one of the most notable from season six for its thematic value. Andrew Younger of Den of Geek! called the trilogy "epic" and said it proved the show could still "dazzle and inspire." Michelle Erica Green of TrekNation found the episode "lots of fun," praising the villainous flashbacks and Lucy Lawless's performance, noting that Lawless's facial expressions alone distinguish her portrayal of evil Xena. Xenaville gave the episode a score of 9/10. Joseph LoDuca received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for this episode, losing to the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Endgame." The episode and its two successors also won a Bemmie Award for best episode or story arc of 2000.
More in Norse Mythology in Popular Culture
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced