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Episode Summary

When Salmoneus and Autolycus were mistaken for the murderers of King Pholus, they disguised themselves as performers in the widow Twanky's all girl dance troupe. Autolycus promptly fell for the voluptuous Cupcake, while Salmoneus earned the unwanted affections of their pursuer, the late king's greedy brother Gekkus. Things got worse when the two men were forced to perform the Hoochie-Coochie-Jiggle-Wiggle in the buff, although Twanky was thrilled. The final showdown with Gekkus on stage was perceived by the audience as part of the show, Cupcake helped Autolycus and Salmoneus overcome Gekkus, who was hauled away as the king's killer.moreless
7.4
out of 10
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  • In this entirely Hercules and Iolaus-free story, Salmoneus and Autolycus are framed for murdering a rich king, and hide out as female dancers in Widow Twanky's all-girl dance troupe. One of the weaker episodes of the series, saved only by a few laughs...moreless

    6.8
    "Fair"
    This episode is one of several hurriedly written for the second half of the fourth season to cover for the absence of Kevin Sorbo, who had suffered injury.

    The episode is a notable first for featuring neither Hercules OR Iolaus (Michael Hurst does appear, but as Widow Twanky).

    The episode features two of my favourite recurring characters from the series, Salmoneus and Autolycus. So on that basis alone, I should like it. Unfortunately, it feels like a rushed mess, and is one of the thrown together episodes that hamper the second half of the fourth season.

    Strangely, Hurst (as Edith Sidebottom) and Robert Trebor receive special guest star credits for this episode, whereas Bruce Campbell gets standard guest star billing.

    As mentioned above, Michael Hurst returns as the Widow Twanky, first seen previously in the season in '...And Fancy Free'. I kind of liked his / her appearance in that episode as a one-shot joke, but I wasn't so sure about bringing her back, especially so very soon after - at least wait until next season!

    I also found it hard to warm to Cupcake, and couldn't care in the least what happened to her.

    On the flip side, the episode does feature some good efforts from Campbell and Trebor. I wouldn't say it is their absolute best in the series, but they make the best out of a bad situation.

    Other than a few laughs here and there, I don't really like this one much.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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  • Notes

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    • This isn't the first time Robert Trebor and Peter McCauley teamed up comedically. They also appeared together in the Xena episode "The Greater Good". Edit
    • This episode is the first in the series that does not feature Hercules OR Iolaus. Michael Hurst does appear, but as the Widow Twanky, not Iolaus. Edit
    • As with the earlier episode "...And Fancy Free", Michael Hurst is credited under the name of Edith Sidebottom for his portrayal of the Widow Twanky. Edit
  • Quotes

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    • Salmoneus: (after Cupcake performs) Bravo! Bravo! (quietly to Autolycus) What a snake charmer! Autolycus: (adjusting his disguise) Tell me about it. If I don't get a looser skirt I'm going to blow my cover! Edit
    • Autolycus: (seeing himself in the mirror) Gadzooks! If I were a woman, I'd kiss myself! Edit
    • Autolycus: (seeing Salmoneus with a bouquet of roses) Where'd you score the buds? Salmoneus: Gekkus sent them to me. He wants me to meet him for dinner in his castle. What do you think, should I play hard to get? Autolycus: Is your wig on too tight?! Salmoneus: Aside from the fact that he's trying to kill us, he doesn't seem like a bad guy! Autolycus: Listen, Sally, you're not that kind of girl, remember! Edit
  • Allusions

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    • Widow Twanky: (finding Autolyca and Salmonella in bath) And who do we think we are, Xena and Gabrielle? This is a reference to spin-off series Xena: Warrior Princess, where typically one episode per season will feature a scene with Xena and Gabrielle taking a bath together. Edit
    • The title of this episode is a play on the 1997 movie Men In Black, which is itself based upon a comic book series. Edit
    • Autolycus: (listing the dance steps they know) The mambo, the tango, the Chachi...
      Salmoneus: And the Joanie!

      They refer to a favorite couple from the hit show Happy Days. They also had their own spin-off briefly, Joanie Loves Chachi.

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