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in: HTLJ Season 3 episodes
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Not Fade Away

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Summary[]

Hercules and Iolaus go back to their old home town, Thebes. As they admire the town from afar, Hera's eyes appear in the sky and lightning strikes a building, causing it to become alight. Hercules and Iolaus run to help put out the fire. Hercules uses the water tower to dampen the flames.

Later, some local hayseeds are forcibly taken to the Hera Temple for refusal of worshiping its patron goddess, one of whom tells off Her men by saying "and if you don't like that, you can take it up wit Hercules." A female figure with fiery red hair & blood red eyes forms from the flames at the temple's altar. She says they will worship Hera "or die." The villager calls her out on bull and has Perdeus strikes at her with his sword cutting the woman in two. Flames emit from inside and her body reforms before she kills him in response by breathing fire. She tells the other villagers to bow to Hera "prepare for a world in which Hercules lies rotting in his grave."

Back in Thebes, one villager asks Hercules to stay a while. Hercules watches the villagers sifting through the damage caused by Hera, telling Iolaus that they stand for everything that is right and Hera can just take it all away in vengeance. Iolaus asks how long it has been since his family was killed, Hercules says in the two years they have been dead he has only visited their graves once. Iolaus suggests Hercules takes some time alone and Hercules takes the opportunity to visit his family's graves, which are looking rather neglected.

Hercules has an emotional conversation with Deianeira. At the graves, Alcmene and Jason meet him and take him home. Meanwhile, back at the villa, Iolaus asks a town goer named Vytos why it was that Hera lashed out at Thebes to begin with. The latter replies that Thebes, amongst many other humble rural domiciles; were not keeping pace at the selfish goddesses temple of worship. That the backlash in tithes and tribute they have recently suffered was out-&-out religious persecution due to people losing faith and care in the petty gods. As he was speaking however, one of the villagers came running in from out of the blue, frantically telling everyone present about a strange woman made of fire at Hera's temple. Iolaus tries his best to calm him down but the frightened country dweller has none of it, frantically explaining her motives and intentions before Iolus runs off to tell Hercules. In the woods, he meets the new Enforcer. After a brief battle, she beats him horribly, leaving the broken mortal for dead.

Iolaus, using all his will, struggles back to tell Hercules about the new Enforcer, before dying in his' arms. Alcmene and Jason give their sympathies to Hercules, but he tells them he will not let Iolaus die and begins calling for Hades. While screaming for the god of the underworld, Hercules and Iolaus are transported to the other side. Once there, Iolaus is revived. Hercules is so hesitant to tell Iolaus where they are and why they are there that Iolaus finally has to guess who died. The latter not taking this revelation very well just as Hades arrives, Hercules tells him that Iolaus is not staying in the Underworld. Hades says he has no choice, but will be going to the Elysian Fields.

Persephone persuades Hades to allow Hercules to bring Iolaus back to life. He reluctantly agrees but tells Hercules the son of Zeus must fight Hera's new Enforcer and it must be done by sunset, else the resurrection cannot take place. Also stating that the hero must work alongside Hera's old Enforcer. It is revealed that the former ended up in the Underworld. Hercules argues that she was put on Earth with the sole reason to destroy him. Hades says she never had a soul then and if she does a good deed he will know where to send her in the Underworld.

Hercules arrives back on the surface and the Enforcer emerges from the river. Alcmene is frightened by her but Hercules says she is with him. Meanwhile, Iolaus and Persephone talk in the Underworld. While walking, Iolaus points out a group of people who do not appear to be happy in the afterlife.

Persephone says they are fallen generals, doomed to remain in the Asphodel Caverns for all eternity, talking about battles and weapons. Iolaus walks over to one of the men and it is revealed that he is Iolaus' father, Skouros. On the surface, Hercules takes Alcmene and Jason to the Sofia caves, where they will be safe from the new Enforcer. Hercules tells them that the woman from the river is also one of Hera's Enforcers. When the red haired Enforcer enters the cave, she fires a ring of flames around the group. She then places a large rock blocking the entrance to the cave and vanishes.

She reappears outside the cave, using her fiery breath she melts the rock in place. Hercules remembers that the Enforcer is made of water and calls for Jason's knife. Cutting her open she sprays water and douses the flames. In Thebes, the Red Enforcer, leading an army of Hera's men, rampages through the village destroying things and beating people up.

All whilst musing that there will be no more "backsliding in worship" as she and her forces will go from environ to environ coercing and/or bullying any and all within Greece into fearfully bowing and scraping once more. All for the sake of Hera. In Hades, Iolaus and his father argue about the past, Skouros argues that there were wars to be fought and Iolaus calls him a coward for deserting his wife and family. Hercules and the others arrive back in Thebes and are attacked by Hera's men. The Red Enforcer seizes Alcmene and pulls her into a building. The Enforcer sees them and quickly follows. She sets about fighting the other Enforcer. Impaling her on a metal spike, she tells Alcmene to run.

The Red Enforcer frees itself from the spike and resumes the fight, while Hercules and Jason continue fighting Hera's men. During the fight the Enforcer cuts off the Red Enforcer's hand, which becomes flame, she points it at the other and she begins boiling. As Hercules enters he finds her dying on the ground with the Red Enforcer no where to be seen.

Hercules thanks her for saving his mother's life and for that he will always be her friend. She tells him she is happy and disappears in a cloud of vapor. Later, Alcmene asks Hercules what will happen to the Enforcer now she is dead. Hercules says Hades has to decide. Alcmene tells Hercules not to go after the Red Enforcer alone, but he says he has to save Iolaus.

When Hades sees a miserable Iolaus, Persephone explains that he is thinking about his father. Iolaus starts thinking that he and his father are not so different. Skouros approaches Iolaus and tells him that he lied earlier: he thought about him and his mother everyday after he left them. Iolaus apologizes for the way he treated his father earlier. After their conversation Hades promotes Skouros to the Elysian Fields.

Meanwhile, Hercules goes to Hera's temple and begins a vicious fight with the Red Enforcer. He finally defeats her, when he uses a shield to block the flames, which begins spewing from her stomach. With Iolaus safe, Hades shows him and Hercules a window into the Elysian Fields, where they see Skouros and the Enforcer walking together. Iolaus suggests Hercules should go and see his family while he is in Hades. Hercules says he can go to a place where he can do more than look. Back at their graveside, Hercules talks to his family again telling Deianeira that their love will last forever. There is now a fence around the gravestones and some flowers, indicating that Hercules took some time to make some improvements after he didn't have to add Iolaus to the graveyard.

Disclaimer[]

"No Bootie-kicking, Chop-sakiing She-Monsters from Tartarus were harmed during the production of this motion picture. If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the temple!"

Gallery[]

Background Information[]

Memorable Quotations[]

"I wish I had been here to take better care of you. From the day we met, that's all I ever wanted. It's hard to be reminded that I can't do it anymore. I guess that's why it's taken me so long to come back. Ah, I'm afraid to admit this, but sometimes I feel like without you, I don't know why I keep on fighting. Oh, I know what you'd say. You'd say I did a-a great thing today helping to save all those people. But tomorrow, Hera's just gonna destroy something else and the day after that. Things just seemed to make more sense when I had you and the children to hold. I miss you, Deianeira. Yeah."

–Hercules at the graves of his family


"This is just the start now that Hercules is dead. There'll be no more backsliding in worship and no one to stand in our way. Soon, the entire province will be ours and then all of Greece. For Hera!"

–Enforcer II


"Iolaus isn't staying here, Hades. Do I make myself clear?"
"Well, considering the condition he was in when he left Earth, which if I must remind you, was dead, I don't see he has any other choice."

–Hercules and Hades


"If you want Iolaus back, you're gonna have to defeat Hera's latest homicidal freak. But there are conditions."
"What conditions?"
"Firstly, you have to do it by sunset."
"Why sunset?"
"Well, those are just the rules. And second… walk with me. I'll explain. Just Hercules."
"Who makes these rules?"

–Hades and Hercules


Hercules: "I better get going. If I don't end this by sundown, I'll lose Iolaus."
Alcmene: "Not by yourself."
Jason: "Just give me a couple of minutes. I'll be good as new."
Hercules: "Stay here. You'll be safe."
Jason: "Yeah, but you're going up against somebody that nobody can defeat alone."
Alcmene: "Listen to him, please, Hercules. There's been enough tragedy for one day."
Hercules: "I've never backed away from Hera before. I'm not about to start now."

Links and References[]

Guest Stars[]

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References[]

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