Plot summary
After Gabrielle's daughter Hope kills Xena's son Solan in the previous episode, a rift grows between them, with Xena blaming Gabrielle for Solan's death.
At the start of the episode, Xena attacks and attempts to kill Gabrielle, only to be thwarted at the last moment when both fall into the sea and are brought to the land of Illusia. Both of them awaken completely nude, and are guided and given new clothing by Callisto and Joxer. Then Ares, Lila, and their associates try to set Xena and Gabrielle against each other.
The land of Illusia is never actually explained, though it is implied that it was created by a primordial divine force called ' Aleph ', and by 'the fates'. Throughout the episode the two are forced to realize what drove them apart, and what is truly important to them. They ultimately realize that hatred has kept them apart, and that they still love each other and would sacrifice their lives for each other.
Credits
Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, The Bitter Suite. Paragraphs and formatting adjusted; illustrations, reference markers, block quotations and non-story material omitted.