If the reader can't sketch in at least the general outlines of a missing scene, then a gaping plot hole has been borne. Are we supposed to take it on faith that the clever bard talked Dahok's precocious spawn into gulping down a lethal dose of yucky poison or did Hope die willingly in order to spiritually devastate her mother. We'll never know. Don't cheat by withholding essential information that belongs in a story. Play fair with your readers or you'll lose their trust.
Illogical events Establishing cause and effect is essential to creating a logical plot.
If one event does not lead persuasively to the events which follow, the entire story suffers a loss of credibility. At least Gabrielle had a clue to work from. Without any evidence at all, Xena assumed Hope's guilt, a judgment reached despite the fact that Callisto was popping in and out of thin air in search of victims. Since on numerous occasions Callisto had vowed to kill everyone Xena loved, this enemy was a much likelier suspect than young Hope. Of course, the audience is fully aware of Hope's guilt, but that certainty is based on knowledge revealed to them in other scenes.