Xena: Warrior Princess "Callisto" #1.22 (1996)

"As a villain, you were awesome. As a hero, you're a sentimental fool.", 25 February 2008

When a blond warrior claiming to be Xena begins killing innocent people, the real Xena and sidekick Gabrielle decide they must do something to put a stop to it. The mysterious killer turns out to be Callisto, a woman who has known nothing but hatred for Xena all of her life. Callisto blames Xena for the death of her family and has vowed to destroy Xena and everything she holds dear.

The introduction of Xena's nemesis Callisto is easily one of the highlights of the series' entire run. Xena is the Ying to Callisto's Yang – they're oil and water – they're sweet and sour – they're any tired old cliché you can think of. But when they're together, it's fantastic! Their fight scenes are wonderfully entertaining. The ladder battle in the episode titled "Callisto" is one of the best the show ever presented (and that's a lot of fight scenes). Fortunately for fans of the show, the producers saw fit to bring Callisto back season after season – even after she had been killed several times over. But it's this meeting, their first, that I find extra-special.

I think much of credit for the success of the Xena/Callisto relationship has to go to Hudson Leick. The hatred she expresses with her eyes, the contempt conveyed through her body, and the snarl of her voice – it's all so real. You can all but feel the venom she spews forth. It's almost palatable. Answering Xena's question about what she would do if she were set free, Callisto answers, "You let me go, and I'll dedicate my life to killing everything you love. Your friends, your family, your reputation - even your horse." Now that's hatred!

8/10