Hercules' family is killed by Hera, and he is blinded with revenge.
Summary[]
Hercules and Iolaus fight some men in a tavern after they threaten the owner and his wife. After the fight they both head home while joking about fighting again--Iolaus thinks he enjoyed it while the Hercules denies that. Hercules arrives at home, and as he enters his bedroom, he sees Deianeira sleeping in their bed, but all of a sudden as he enters further, a huge fireball comes and strikes Deianeira while she sleeps, leaving only charred covers. Hercules is shocked, and immediately runs to the children's room, but he is too late as the moment he comes within sight, they too are struck by a fireball. He hears an evil laughter outside, and rushes outside to see the fireball rising into the sky. Knowing the source he swears a lifetime vengeance on Hera.
The following day Iolaus arrives to do some work with Hercules as they had planned earlier, but he tells Iolaus that Deianeira and the children are dead, and that Hera has killed them. Iolaus swears that he and Hercules will get their revenge, but Hercules refuses claiming this is "his fight". Later, as Hercules smashes up the house, Lykus, a man from Ister comes for help, still deep in grief, Hercules remarks that he can't help everybody. Later the man begins badmouthing Hercules to the other people in the tavern, but Iolaus stands up to him and defends Hercules telling the people that Hercules deserves their sympathy because he just lost his wife and children at the hands of Hera. The man apologizes and Iolaus offers to help. The man tells him that a She-Demon has been turning the men in his village to stone and sacrifices their souls to Hecate. Iolaus says he'll rid the village of the She-Demon. Meanwhile Hercules uses a torch to burn down his house.
The next morning Lykus and Iolaus set off for Ister. Hercules goes to his mother's house and she tells Hercules that Zeus had already told her what had happened to his wife and children. She tells him that he needs time to grieve. Hercules tells her he'll destroy all of Hera's temples, and then leaves despite his mother's protest. After arriving in Ister, Iolaus and Lykus watch the She-Demon as she turns a young man into stone, and then disappears. Ister keeps asking if Iolaus is afraid. In one of Hera's temple Hercules find a woman being sacrificed to Hera. He beats up the guards and priests and then frees the woman, who tells him her name is Aegina and she is from Ister. He manages to let her know that he's going to destroy all of Hera's temples, and she tells him there is a temple near to Ister, so he travels back there with her (he was quite opposing to her accompanyment prior).
As they travel the two talk, and he happens to bring up what had recently happened to his family, Aegina tells him that his loved ones would not want him to become something he is not, which reminds him of a time when Deianeira said that he shouldn't change for her or their children. During the night Iolaus enters the cave of the She-Demon, in the hopes of catching it off-guard. Lykus waits outside. The She-Demon turns Iolaus to stone and Lykus runs away. Hercules and Aegina arrive in Ister they see a cloaked figure who warns them to go no further. Hercules learns that Iolaus is dead, having been turned to stone by the She-Demon. Regretting this--that his friend went to help when instead it should have been him, and got killed, he sets out immediately to kill her.
Hercules then ventures into the cave and finds the She-Demon, as she first attempts to seduce him, he makes some snide remarks which make her give up her efforts and attack openly. He eventually tricks her into turning herself into stone. With the She-Demon defeated, all the stone statues return to life, including Iolaus. Iolaus tells Hercules that he saw Deianeira and the children when he was on the other side. He says that they miss him, but know that he still has so much good left to do in the world. Hercules thanks Iolaus for showing him what a friend really is, they say goodbye and then set off on their separate ways.
Disclaimer[]
- No disclaimer for this episode.
Gallery[]
Screencaps[]
Other[]
Background Information[]
- Iolaus dies by being turned to stone by the She-Demon – he confirms this when he mentions that he was on the other side. This is the second time that the character has died. He is, of course, resurrected after Hercules slays the She-Demon.
- The death of Deianeira and the kids being the impetus for Hercules's legendary journeys is based upon the death of Heracles's first wife Megara. After killing Megara and their children in a fit of madness, Heracles proceeded to redeem himself by undertaking the Twelve Labors. In the myth, Hera is still the root cause, having been the one to curse him with madness in the first place.
- Hercules says that he is undefeated, his undefeated streak is ended when he suffers his first loss in season five's Resurrection.
- Hercules, Iolaus and Hera are the only characters to appear in both this episode and the series finale
- The She-Demon is based loosely on the Lamia from mythology and its later interpretations. Her appearance is similar to Classical depictions of Echidna, but her powers are most similar to those of Medusa.
Behind the Scenes[]
- John Schulian's first episode as showrunner.
Memorable Quotations[]
"We heard you were in the neighborhood"
"... we just had to say 'Hello'"
"Hello"
- ―Hercules and Iolaus to the thugs
"Well, you sound like you're not comin' home."
"I'm not. If I'm going to accomplish anything in this life, it's in another direction. Goodbye, my friend."
"You don’t know what's down that road."
"That's what I'm gonna find out."
- ―Iolaus and Hercules
"Iolaus didn't die so you can turn tail and run."
"The She-Demon's killed enough people."
"Then let me end it for her here, right now."
"How do you know you can?"
"I'm undefeated."
- ―Hercules and Lycus
"Don't you wanna touch me, too?"
"I had something else in mind."
"You're scaring me, Hercules. I don't like being scared. I like being loved. Don't you like being loved, too?"
"Not by somebody with scales on her rear end."
- ―She-Demon and Hercules
Links and References[]
Guest Stars[]
- Michael Hurst as Iolaus
- Clare Carey as Aegina
- Mick Rose as Lycus
Other Cast[]
- Nicky Mealings as the She-Demon
- Elizabeth Hawthorne as Alcmene
- Martyn Sanderson as Thoas
- Eric Gruendemann as High Priest
- Tawny Kitaen as Deianeira
- Patrick Wilson as Pilgrim #1
- John Watson as Pilgrim #2
- Gordon Hatfield as Temple Guard
- John Dybvig as a Tavern Thug
- Uncredited as Orestes
- Uncredited as Tavern Owner
- Uncredited as Tavern Owner's Wife
References[]
- Aeson
- Fortio
- Ilea
- Klonus
- Tellus
- Hecate
- Hera
- Zeus
- Ister
- Seven Temples of Hera
- Underworld
- She-Demon: with Stone Strike Tail
[]
| << Telemovies | Season 1 | Season 2 >> | ||||||
| #01 | The Wrong Path | #06 | As Darkness Falls | #10 | Gladiator | |||
| #02 | Eye of the Beholder | #07 | Pride Comes Before a Brawl | #11 | The Vanishing Dead | |||
| #03 | The Road to Calydon | #08 | The March to Freedom | #12 | The Gauntlet | |||
| #04 | The Festival of Dionysus | #09 | The Warrior Princess | #13 | Unchained Heart | |||
| #05 | Ares | |||||||