Hercules' friend Iolaus fights for his life when Hera decides to punish him for an act of pride.
Summary[]
A young woman is being chased through the woods by hairy somethings.
Meanwhile, as Hercules and Iolaus travel to Thrace, they attempt to cross a bridge, but a gang of thugs stops them. Hercules says they can just cross the river further down and walks off, but Iolaus will not let it go, and a fight ensues. Hercules returns, fights the gang and they cross the bridge, with Hercules teasing Iolaus because he always has to rescue his friend.
The woman continues running through the woods, is captured, and later wakes up in a cave.
When Hercules and Iolaus come to a fork in the road, they debate over which path will take them to Thrace. Hercules states that he is right because there is a sign pointing the way with Thrace written on it, Iolaus tells him it is clearly a trap. After a brief argument, the two take separate paths to see who will get to Thrace first.
Iolaus sets off on his path, determined to beat Hercules to Thrace. Along his path, Hercules meets a ferryman, but the boat has yet to be launched. Hercules convinces the man to let him launch the boat, and he sets off to Thrace.
Iolaus finds himself traveling through dark woods. Becoming lost, he is caught in a trap, and thrown into the same cave where the woman had been left. The woman introduces herself as Lydia. While their captors fight over treasure, Iolaus and Lydia manage to escape, but the men give chase.
As Hercules rows his boat toward Thrace, Nemesis, the goddess of retribution, appears to Hercules. Nemesis reveals it has been ten years since they last saw each other, and that she is not here for Hercules, but Iolaus instead. She informs Hercules that Iolaus is to be killed because he let his pride get the better of him at the bridge. Hercules asks her to bend the rules for him, but she cannot. Hercules sets off to save Iolaus from being killed by Nemesis.
Iolaus and Lydia continue to escape while being chased by dogs tracking their scent. The men finally catch up with the pair. Working together, they manage to fend off some of the men and run to hide in a nearby cave. While hiding out in the cave, a Hydra appears. Hercules runs to help his friend, but Nemesis stops him saying, "Only Iolaus can redeem himself". In the cave, Iolaus fights the Hydra with a torch while Lydia escapes. When one of the men enters the cave, Iolaus briefly fights him and then, throwing the torch into the Hydra's pit, runs from the cave.
Hercules sees his friend safe and continues onto Thrace. As Lydia and Iolaus arrive in Thrace, Hercules pretends to be asleep as though he had been there a while. When Lydia tells Hercules about what had happened to them, Hercules says he knows Iolaus can handle himself and that he would trust Iolaus with his life. Iolaus put Hercules to the test when he asks to shoot a pomegranate from his head, while blindfolded. Hercules is a little reluctant but agrees to show he does have faith in his friend.
As Iolaus prepares to shoot the arrow, Nemesis appears. She causes his shot to miss its target but uses one of her own arrows to shoot the pomegranate. Iolaus thinks he did it, but Hercules thanks Nemesis for doing what she did. She tells Hercules that, "Iolaus earned his reprieve, and swallowed his pride". She asks Hercules if he was prepared to let Iolaus shoot the arrow, Hercules says he had to let Iolaus know that he trusted him. She tells Hercules that Iolaus would not have shot the arrow and risked his friend's life; it was enough for Iolaus that Hercules was willing to let him. Ioalus hears Hercules talking, and asks him who it is, to which Hercules replies, "Iolaus my crazy, irreplaceable friend, you don't wanna know."
Disclaimer[]
- No Hydras were harmed during the production of this motion picture.
Gallery[]
Screencaps[]
Other[]
Background Information[]
- Nemesis is the only god this season to appear in her own human form. Ares does take human form later this season in "The Vanishing Dead", but it's explicitly not his own.
- Iolaus references fighting the Hydra in Hercules and the Amazon Women.
- This episode begins a series of running jokes about "Old Hunters' Tricks." Iolaus tells Lydia that covering one's self in mud is an old hunter's trick to escape being smelled out by dogs.
- The design of the Lake Serpent that Iolaus and Lydia encounter is a recycled version of the Blue Serpent in Hercules and the Lost Kingdom.
- Two shots of Rankor and his men firing arrows are re-used in the episode "Siege at Naxos."
Memorable Quotations[]
"Run, rabbits! You're going where your tricks won't do any good!"
- -Rankor to Iolaus and Lydia
Links and References[]
Guest Stars[]
- Michael Hurst as Iolaus
- Lisa Chappell as Lydia
- Karen Witter as Nemesis
Other Cast[]
- John Dybvig as Rankor
- Jeff Gane as Rak
- David Stott as Boatman
- B.J. Johns as Ugly on Bridge
- Eric Gruendemann as Fisherman
References[]
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| << 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 | |||||||