When Xena and Gabrielle are awakened by a group of ruffians in the forest, they learn Xena’s old warlord pal, Zagreas, intends to raid a nearby village. When the pair cannot find their way to the village, they soon meet Hower whose village is also under threat from a giant. Once there, Xena and Gabrielle meet Minya; she’s strong as an ox and she can read. Can the three defend the village from the giant while also stopping Zagreas from pillaging the other village?

Erik and Justin get lost by talking about the Deathstalker and Ator movies of the 1980s. Justin also mentions a few of his favorite Greek myths and compares Hower’s first meeting with Xena to a cishet young man’s first viewing of the John Hughes-written Career Opportunities. Minya immediately becomes the Most Valuable Character of the episode. Erik envisions a “Hut Hunters” series to decry the poor housing conditions of the village and praises the varying levels of comedy throughout. A single piece of set decoration takes on a special meaning. Also, Erik falls in love with the episode’s incredibly accurate depiction of kite-flying, and Justin defends a rebooted version of Xena.