Writer:	Chris Manheim
Director:	Michael Levine
Star:	Lucy Lawless (Xena),  Renee O'Connor (Gabrielle)
Guest Star:	Graham Smith (Senior Zealot),  Peter Ford (Zealot Guard),  Jack Dacey (Brawny Zealot),  Sean Ashton-Peach (Zealot),  David Ackroyd (Anteus),  Karl Urban (Mael),  David de Lautour (Icus),  Teresa Woodham (Zora)

This episode marks Karl Urban's first appearance. He would soon make his return as first Cupid and then Caesar in Season 2. (edit) This episode marks the first (but not last) time that Xena uses fish as weapons. (edit) This episode's script number is 122. (edit) DISCLAIMER: No Unrelenting or Severely Punishing Deities were harmed during the production of this motion picture. (edit)

Xena: I'm asking you to spare your son.
Anteus: And teach him what? That faith is just for those times when it's convenient to believe? What's the good in sparing his life, if I rob him of the very thing that makes it worth living? (edit) Xena: (to Gabrielle under the influence of hensbane) Can you stand?
Gabrielle: You mean I'm not? (edit) Xena: What are you doing here? I thought I told you to wait for me back at the cave.
Gabrielle: I did, and then this rock told me to come find you.
Xena: The rock spoke to you?
Gabrielle: Well yeah. I mean his voice was a little gravelly but I understood. (edit) Xena: Very funny. Although, it wouldn't have been if you had taken much longer getting that loud-talking thing.
Gabrielle: Well, that's just it. I never did get the loud-talking thing. I mean, I tried. I even had it in my hand, but I lost it.
Xena: That can't be. I mean, come on. If you didn't do it, then who? (edit)

In this episode, they talk about the Gods as theories. Yet, we have seen that the Gods really do exist in the Hercules/Xena universe, so how can someone simply "choose" to believe that there is only one God, calling the others pagans, as if proof didn't exist about the reality of the various Gods? Perhaps it's a question of how you define "God". For monotheistic cultures, God means omniscient and omnipotent, whereas in polytheistic cultures, the Gods have limits on them. (edit)

Episode Title: "Altered States"

The plot is very similar to the story of Abraham and Isaac from the Holy Bible, the Book of Genesis Chapter 22. Abraham was ordered by God to sacrifice his son Isaac to show his faith. When Abraham had his son on the altar for sacrifice, God stopped him before Abraham could kill Isaac. You can even find Mael in Ishmael, Isaac's older half brother who is sent away with his mother Hagar when Isaac is born. (edit)