The last year of this historical wears-the-soap opera gave Xena a grown-up daughter, pushed our heroes forward through time, and killed off many of the Greek gods. Season six would have problems being bigger than that, so they`ve decided - to a degree - to hark back to the smaller arcs, epic travels and flirtations with legends of the series` opening years. This season also isn`t having to incorporate the pregnancy of its star, which, as with Gillian Anderson in The X-Files. spun the series off into a very

XPOSÉ #13: Xena in S6`s Legacy © Xpose/Universal

different direction. Early announcements would indicate that the sixth year will continue with the Eli/ Christianity arc, so expect careful treading from the scriptwriters; having already offended one of the world`s largest religions, its doubtful they`ll want to add another to the list.

Fan writer Melissa Good contributes two scripts this year (Legacy and season-opening Coming Home), something giving massive encouragement to fan-fiction sites everywhere. Now there`s an underrated field which needs a boost. Heart of Darkness brings Lucifer onto the scene with designs on the Warrior Princess, supposedly closing the Eli arc, though it depends now this is received. The Haunting of Amphipolis pitches Xena into conflict with Mephistopheles and its rumored we`ll see Ted Raimi reprise his Joxer role as a ghost. Gabrielle`s sister Lila arrives in Who`s Gurkhan? and the news she brings sees the first of the season`s encounters with other cultures during a trip of vengeance to North Africa. The second of these comes later in the year with a three-part flirtation with Norse mythology in The Rhinegold, The Ring and The Return of the Valkyrie. Despite the operatic heritage of this material, it`s thought to be only a cruel rumor that one of these episodes will be a musical in the style of Wagner (hopefully more Richard than Robert). On the plus side, there`ll be a surplus of bulging gold breastplates, so each to their own, frankly.

It there`s any arc at all emerging from the news of season six, it`s going to be Gabrielle`s attempt to reconcile her violence-is-actually-okay-after-all nature with the pacifist of the past, with Legacy and The Abyss following Who`s Gurkhan? in the show`s exploration of her character. Renee O`Connor also steps behind the camera for Vengeance and Mercy (provisional title). Finally, there`s news of a clips episode Send in the Clones, which it`s hoped will see a return for Xena`s eccentric lookalikes. Huwwah!

Season six of Xena:Warrior Princess begins in syndication on October 2