Act One continues.... eventually. 
This episode is so complex, and bookends so many different things, that rather than point them out as I go, I'm going to step back and acknowledge them in several "asides".
Like
this one.
This ep began with a very famous
season 2 scene... the crucifixion/leg breaking of Xena on the beach by Caesar from
"Destiny".
But its another crucifixion episode, with that other force of nature... CALLISTO in
season 4's "Ides of March" that will eventually play a
huge role in this show.
In the audio commentary, Rob Tapert made several interesting points. The episode is set at the times of "The Debts", when Lao Ma was at her height. (He didn't say it, but I will... since Evil Xena never met Lao Ma or her former owner, or her son... then the evil Green Dragon probably wasn't in existence and therefore wouldn't have killed her.)
Rob said they (TPTB) thought it would be "fun" for the fans to think Lao Ma was still around, and it WAS for this one.
Rob also noted that TPTB had different ideas for the "villains" in this ep, and even had ideas for people "on the other side" being involved... but the author K Fugate came back with ALTI... and, as they say, the rest is history.
As Fugate says herself in the dvd interviews (sorry guys, not on line, please consider buying the "older" dvds to pick them up.) when you consider the Xena universe,
ALTI was the only one as concerned with POWER as Caesar, so it was an easy choice.
Lucy Lawless agreed with this idea during the commentary, calling the character
"potent".
Fugate made a few other interesting points in her interview, some of which I agree with and yet a couple I don't... but we'll get to that later.
After watching
6 seasons of Xena on dvd and listening to the
commentaries (both video & audio, since they sometimes DON'T agree!) I have to acknowledge a few funny observations... ones which both actresses have admitted in the past.
Lucy is
NOT interested in the "blah, blah, blah" on the screen
MOST of the time, and just wants to
get ON with the story/to the point, while
Renee really
is the romantic of the two, and often simply revels in the
process. That tendency is very apparent in their commentaries on this ep...as is the tendency for both Lucy and Renee to tease each other on their different viewpoints.
Anyway... getting back to bookends, we are about to be subtly introduced to
yet another one.
Remember how
Season 4's "Ides of March" ended? Our two "best friends" died on their crosses?
Remember how
season 5 began?
"Fallen Angel" showed us both women being raised on high by their
guardian angels in white, until the demons from the underworld attacked and Gabrielle was lost to hell. The
green winged Archangels flew to Xena's rescue... and appeared to be willing to leave Gabrielle behind. That was when Xena walked to the edge of the mountain and
simply threw herself off the cliff, to join Gabrielle in hell.
Lots of things happened, as you may recall, including Xena assuming Callisto's sins and becoming a demon herself. remember this exchange between the she-demon and the Archangel Gabrielle?
DemonXena: "Why not? Gabrielle, the love that we have, it's-it's stronger than Heaven or Hell. It transcends good or evil. It's an end in itself! Our souls are destined to be together. Gabrielle, you can't let me walk through Hell alone."
Until finally at the end of the episode the spirits of our two "best friends" were returned to their lifeless bodies lying on the
altar in the abandoned temple.
Do you remember their first words to each other,
after their resurrection? They were also the last words of the episode.
Gabrielle: "We're going to be together...
for eternity."
Xena: "Yeah."
http://mikex.me.uk/eps/fallen/pages/fallen_mq_446ati.htm
Ok... now its time to go and listen to that
new play from Athens.
(Fav scene is their good bye kiss before Laura boards the ship and flies to the cylon base ship. Apollo and Starbuck are "trying" not to look... and you "know" the kids in them are going... euwwwweeee.. get a room for godz sake!"
)
