Legendary Journeys
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"Medea Culpa" | Episodes of Hercules: TLJ | "Armageddon Now"



A king is murdered, and Autolycus and Salmoneus get the blame. With the city sealed up and no where else to turn, they disguise themselves as women and join the Widow Twanky's dance troupe. Passing for women is hardly easy, especially when Autolycus falls for one of the dancers, Cupcake. Meanwhile, Salmoneus finds himself desired by Gekkus – the man leading the effort to capture him and Autolycus.

Summary[]

Salmoneus has a new job now. He is counting dinars for King Tolos, who has a brother named Gekkus. Gekkus remembers how Tolos gave Gekkus's toys to the slaves kids when he was small and Prince Gekkus seems mad that Tolos is giving dinars to the poor and needy. He tells Salmoneus that he has all the time in the world to count the dinars. Gekkus leaves and Autoylcus appears. Salmoneus hears someone come in and says Hercules will not be happy if something happens to one of his friends. Autolycus greets Salmoneus, who kneels down and begs Autolycus to take the dinars and let him live. Autolycus agrees and they are dazed when Tolos screams. Salmoneus runs into the room of Tolos and finds the king falling down with a knife in his heart. Salmoneus pulls out the knife, and Gekkus runs in and orders Autolycus and Salmoneus captured for killing the king. Autolycus leaps out the window and Salmoneus follows. Gekkus tells the soldiers to search the town. Salmoneus and Autolycus are hiding under a pile of watermelons with both men having half a melon as a hat. Salmoneus is eating a melon but the vendor spots them and orders two soldiers to get them. Salmoneus and Autolycus flee and hide in a house. They spot Widow Twanky teaching some girls to dance. Autolycus has an idea and asks Salmoneus "what size he wears". Autolycus and Salmoneus shave and walk up to Twanky. They say they're showgirls and want to work for Twanky. They claim to know how to dance and call themselves Salmanela and Autolyaca. Both have on pink dresses with bras full of something and wigs. Autolycus has a black wig and Salmoneus has a short blonde wig.

The guards are still looking but Salmoneus and Autolycus get to watch the girls dance, including Cupcake. They talk and soon go with the others to a hotel for performances. Twanky finds a cupcake, which belongs to Cupcake, but Autolycus claims it was Salmoneus' and Cupcake gets off and thanks Autolycus. Salmoneus must stay in his room and Autolycus gets to go to the bath to bathe. Autolycus and Cupcake talk and Cupcake says she wants a man who likes animals, is wild, as well as has a sweet tooth, like her. Autolycus gets excited but must keep his female role going. Gekkus knocks on Salmoneus' door and Salmoneus, as a woman, answers. They show him a poster of himself and Autolycus. Gekkus falls in love with Salmoneus, who gets kissed on the hand. Salmoneus is scared and Gekkus finally leaves and likes that Salmoneus is a dancer. Autolycus returns and changes into a blue suit and goes down to greet Cupcake, who thinks Autolycus is the man of her dreams. She has no idea he was talking to her a few minutes earlier as a woman. He brings her a puppy named cream puff, as well as claims to own some donut shops all over Greece. Twanky separates the lovers since she does not want her girls pregnant and stuff. She likes Autolycus for some reason and states it.

The girls perform there first show of the day and Gekkus and his troops watch. Salmoneus and Autolycus must perform a strip dance since the two stripper girls got food poison and are sick. They are nervous. Gekkus has a small daydream about marrying Salmoneus and having children. Salmoneus and Autolycus wear rabbit outfits and dance around and throw there scarves, tops, as well as rabbit tales into the crowd. They use big leaves to cover up and are successful in not blowing there cover. Gekkus sends Salmoneus flowers and a dinner invitation for that night. Autolycus goes out with Cupcake again and wears his blue suit. His excuse for not showing up at the dance was that he helped a pregnant yak give birth to twins. They kiss and eat a donut with sprinkles, which are Cupcakes favorite. She cries and likes Autolycus cause he is honest, does not steal, as well as does not live a double life. Autolycus respects her but walks away, knowing he is being rude and maybe has done the wrong thing. Cupcake visits Autolycus, who dresses in drag. Salmoneus meanwhile gets a necklace with diamonds from Gekkus but when Gekkus chases Salmoneus around the room, the wig falls off and Gekkus discovers the truth and captures Cupcake, Autolycus and Salmoneus. Cupcake is mad at Autolycus. The three find out that Gekkus had his brother Tolos killed so he could become king. Autolycus cuts them free and takes down the soldiers. Twanky and the girls meanwhile start to dance and throw there legs up for some familiar dance. Salmoneus and Autolycus, without wigs, fall through the curtains and fight the troops. Twanky states she knew the truth all along and also fights. Twanky leaps in midair and kicks down about 5 soldiers in a row. Autolycus leaps on some soldiers shoulders and uses him as a stand to kick others. Gekkus holds a knife to Cupcake but she elbows him in the chest, Twanky throws a sword to Autolycus, who frees a hung Salmoneus, who falls and takes down Gekkus. Gekkus is taken to jail and Cupcake is friendly to Autolycus but leaves and says Autolycus will find the perfect woman one day and it might be her. Twanky wanted Salmoneus and Autolycus to walk in a woman's shoes so she did not stop them before. Salmoneus still has a winning spirt because he has the diamond necklace. Autolycus takes one of those glitz and glamour scarfs and the two are told to come back anytime they pleased and Autolycus says he may.


Disclaimer[]

Cupcake's sweet tooth was not harmed during the production of this motion picture. However, her love life experienced a slight setback.

Gallery[]

Background Information[]

  • The plot was inspired by the Billy Wilder film "Some Like it Hot," starring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.
  • In "The Wedding of Alcmene", Alcmene mistook Salmoneus' name for "Salmonella" which is the name he adopts while in disguise in this episode.
  • Before kissing Cupcake, Autolycus (as Farciferous) says, "Gimme some sugar, baby." This is a reference to Army of Darkness, which starred Bruce Campbell.
  • Kevin Sorbo does not appear in this episode.
  • Though Michael Hurst (credited as Edith Sidebottom) does appear in this episode, Iolaus does not.
  • Just before dying, the king tells Salmoneus "Rosebush" – a nod to "Rosebud" from Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.
  • This episode makes use of the sets designed for Lao Ma's palace in XWP "The Debt: Part 1" and "The Debt: Part 2". The distinctive round doorways with designs matching Xena's chakram can be clearly seen.
  • A woman asks the fruit vendor if he has any kiwis. "Kiwi" is a slang term for a person from New Zealand where the series was shot.
  • The title of this episode is a play on words of the title of the 1997 film, Men in Black.
  • Autolycus might have taken Widow Twanky's lessons about dance to heart, if his assistance in A Tale of Two Muses is any indication.

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