Hercules: The Legendary Journeys: Once A Hero

Air Date

Monday January 29, 1996

Production Code

876818

Top Episodes

• Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules
• Full Circle
• Reunions
• King For A Day
• Stranger in a Strange World
• Darkness Visible
• Revelations
• Descent
• Hercules and the Lost Kingdom
• When a Man Loves a Woman

•  

  10 Perfect

  Hercules and Iolaus attend a reunion with Jason and the rest of the Argonauts, but are soon back in action together again when the Golden Fleece is stolen, in this classic episode, one of the best of the entire series... hide show

  In my opinion, this is, without a doubt, one of the very best episodes of the entire series.
  
  It is an action-packed adventure, the sort of thing that the series does best. Although the slower, wordier episodes are all well and good I'm sure, it's for the likes of this episode that I really watch the series.
  
  It is the first time we see Jason in the series (here quite older than Hercules, unlike myth), who has hit hard times and is a washed up drunk. Jason would go on to make several more appearances in the series.
  
  And then there is the mystery of who is bumping off the Argonauts one-by-one. It could be anyone – and there are a couple of red herrings to boot.
  
  But the undoubted highlight is the battle with the skeletons at the climax of the story. It is accomplished using the odd model, but mostly by using truly excellent CGI work, which surely ranks as some of the very best seen in the entire series. Especially considering the television budget (and the CGI limitations of the era) it is truly breathtaking.
  
  There is a slight continuity problem with Iolaus, after Michael Hurst broke his arm filming the 'Xena: Warrior Princess' episode 'Prometheus'. In the previous episode his arm was out of a cast, but here it is back again (due to the episodes being shown in a different sequence to the production order).
  
  I would go as far as to say this is the best episode of the season, and is one of my Top 5 episodes of the whole series. ...Did I mention that I really like this episode?

  Do you agree?

    0 0

  Report Abuse

  Jay-Spacedust Added Oct 28, 2007 All my reviews

• Guest Cast

  • Timothy Raby Archivus
  • Willa O'Neill Phoebe
  • John Sumner Domesticles
  • Anthony Ray Parker Valerus
  • Mark Nua Otus
  • Latham Gaines Marcus
  • Belinda Todd Priestess
  • Edward Campbell Artemus
  • Peter Feeney Castor

• Stars

  • Kevin Sorbo Hercules
  • Michael Hurst O.N.Z.M. Iolaus

• Recurring Roles

  • Campbell Rousselle Robber
  • Jeffrey Thomas Jason
  • Paul Norell Falafel

• Writers

  • John Schulian Teleplay
More Episode Cast and Crew »

• After having the full use of both arms for the last few episodes, Iolaus is back to having his broken arm immobilized, strapped to his chest. [edit]

• The peacock-dressed woman that Marcus gets the secret weapon from would seem to be Hera in the flesh (she even refers to their champion as "only a mortal"). However, she is credited merely as a priestess. [edit]
• This episode is also known as 'Argonauts Again'. [edit]
• The story of the Golden Fleece was done as a Young Hercules movie starring Ian Bohen. Young Hercules was a spin-off of the show aimed at a younger audience. Ryan Gosling played the youthful Hercules on the tv show. [edit]

• Iolaus: (to giant Otus who is fighting a little man) Hey! Pick on someone your own size!
  Otus: Me? (goes nose to nose with Iolaus) There is no one my own size.
  Iolaus: Ah. You have a point. [edit]
• Hercules: (to Otus, who has Artemus in a bear hug) Put him down, Otus.
  Otus: Do I have to?
  Hercules: If you want to get along with me, you do. [edit]
• Castor: (to the Argonauts) You may have lived as warriors, but you're going to die like fools! [edit]

• In Euripides' Medea, Jason was blamed by his wife Medea for being willing to leave her to make a political marriage with the daughter of the King of Corinth. In revenge Medea slew her rival and her two sons before the eyes of Jason, and then escaped his wrath in a chariot pulled by a dragon with King Aegeas of Athens. [edit]
• Jason succeeded in bringing the Golden Fleece back to Greece, but only through the help of the Colchian Princess Medea. She used her magic to lull the Fleece's guardian asleep, and when they were chased by her father's fleet she cut her brother into pieces, forcing the King to stop and collect them all so that he could give the boy a proper burial. Once back at Corinth, Medea also took care of Jason's evil Uncle Pelias by tricking his daughters into killing him themselves. [edit]
• The real Hercules was an Argonaut but didn't make it to Colchis and the fleece. While on an island on the way his young boy companion was taken by some water nymphs and drowned. Hercules tore the island apart searching for the lad, and the rest of the Argonauts were forced to leave him behind and continue their quest without him. [edit]