I'm not sure where to begin with this episode. Did I dream it? Surely they can't have actually made something this terrible?!
The episode starts promisingly enough, with Hercules collaring Autolycus into helping him steal a pouch that they need to help them rescue a captured girl, in a 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' type scene. But from there on, when the pouch turns out to contain a magical bean that grows a giant beanstalk, it's all downhill.
The cloud set looks deliberately cheap, with great chunks of industrial cotton wool as clouds.
In the castle, Herc and Autolycus find the captured maiden, who the supposedly terrible giant has made to look over three golden eggs, which actually contain harpies, named... Fe, Fi, and Fo-Fum! Can things get any sillier?!
The giant, Typhoon, is played by Glen Shadix, who previously played the Typhoon's kind-hearted brother, Typhon. I'm not knocking him as an actor, but I find most episodes featuring Shadix very silly to start with.
When they hatch, the harpies are brought to life via puppets that look suspiciously like Gremlins. You would have thought they had learnt their lesson last year with the pathetic 'Monster Child in the Promised Land', but no, terrible puppets are back and taking over the episode.
We get scenes of Autolycus trying to teach giant Typhoon how to charm a lady, and later even worse scenes of the Greml-sorry, the harpies running amok in the clouds and down the beanstalk. Painful viewing.
This episode seems squarely aimed at children, and it does the show's reputation no favours at all. The fact that it falls at the start of the season makes it seem even worse - if that's possible.
Even the usually reliable Bruce Campbell as Autolycus can't save this terrible episode.
One of the very worst of the show's run in my opinion.moreless
EDIT
Episode Summary
With help from Autolycus, the king of thieves, Hercules set out to find Leanna, who had been kidnapped by the giant Typhoon and taken to a castle in the clouds. Climbing a huge beanstalk, the two men found Leanna in Typhoon's castle, caring for three golden eggs that belonged to the Harpies. Captured by the giant, Autolycus instructed Typhoon in the ways of romance. When the eggs hatched unexpectedly, Hercules saved them from a hungry snake-eel. He and Autolycus departed without Leanna, who decided her home was in the clouds with Typhoon and the Harpies.moreless
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Kevin Sorbo
Hercules
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Bruce Campbell
Autolycus
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Paul Brennan (II)
Nidhogg
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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Trivia
ADD TRIVIA- Typhoon is the brother of Typhon, Echidna's husband, who was featured in "Cast a Giant Shadow" and "Monster Child in the Promised Land". Edit
- Goof: When Hercules attempts to climb down the beanstalk, you can tell he is just lying down on the 'cloudy' floor. Edit
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Notes
ADD NOTES-
Both Hercules and Xena ("The Furies") feature Three Stooges tributes in their 1997-1998 season openers.
Edit - Disclaimer: No permanent cases of Harpies were reported during the production of this motion picture picture. Edit
- This episode was filmed in May of 1997. Edit
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Quotes
ADD QUOTES- Autolycus: (Witnessing a fight between Leanna and Typhoon) Women, sheesh! Typhoon: What would you know, thief! Autolycus: Oh, actually, where I come from I'm considered something of a ladies man. You see, wooing women is an art. It must be approached with masterful skill and sensitivity. She must be engaged and stimulated, she must be cultivated like the little flower she is. She must be taken for all she's worth... uh, romanced. Edit
- Hercules: The Harpies! They're gone! Autolycus: Don't worry, they'll come back. They always do. Edit
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Autolycus: Well, it's been fun... (adding in an undertone) ...as far as near death experiences go.
Edit
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Allusions
ADD ALLUSIONS- Typhoon: (As he and Hercules fight a giant serpent) To the moon, Herc! This is a paraphrase of the famous line from The Honeymooners starring Jackie Gleason. Edit
- Hercules: What we have here is a failure to communicate. This is a quote from the movie Cool Hand Luke. Edit
- Character Movements: Fi, Fie, and Fofum do a Three Stooges routine. And when one of them chases Leanna while a horn is honking it's a tribute to Harpo Marx. Edit
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