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Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

Pride Comes Before a Brawl

Season 1, Episode 12, Aired Feb 27, 1995

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8.8

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Pride and arrogance are ugly traits ill befitting an honorable warrior. Yet Iolaus succumbed to pride as the two men made their way to Thrace. First Iolaus fought a taunting bunch of thugs and had to be rescued by Hercules. Then he took his own path toward Thrace, determined to beat his friend to the city. On the way he met Lydia and escaped several dangers, but Hera sent Nemesis to kill Iolaus for the sin of pride. Only when Iolaus committed a selfless act of friendship toward Hercules did he earn his own reprieve.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Eric Gruendemann

Fisherman
GUEST STAR
Lisa Chappell

Lydia
GUEST STAR
Karen Witter

Nemesis

Kevin Sorbo

Hercules
Michael Hurst O.N.Z.M.

Iolaus

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Fan Episode Reviews (3)

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hercules and iolaus having a debate about the right way to thrace,they follow diferent ways.Iolaus meet a new adventure on his road and finally without knowing it he was lucky not to be killed by the god of justice nemesis cause of his pride and ignornce.moreless

7.5

"Good"

By doukakis, Jul 14, 2010

great episode.This was the first mix comedy-adventure episode and the first episode that the main action character was iolaus.Iolaus hadnt shown up since the first hercules episode and after that episode his apearances becamed more regular.Also the first episode for another character,nemesis,a character that did several apearances to the 2 first seasons but played by 2 diferret actors,i am not a big fan of nemesis so i dont have a preference,maybe the first actor was more persuading as nemesis.The episode was a light comedy adventure that you can have a good time.This episode is a new kind of episode that shows the variety of genres that the series can follow,so according to your mood you can watch the proper episodes.Is not bad staring Iolaus on a few episodes,the variety makes the series more special.Entairning episode but now we are expecting to see hercules in action and in a new challenge like before.moreless
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Iolaus gets a tad too competetive with Hercules and brings down the wrath of Nemesis (sort of).

8.5

"Great"

By rhondaweasley, Dec 07, 2008

"Pride comes before a Brawl" is a mostly light hearted one, Iolaus is suddenly back as Herc's traveling companion and the pair are headed to Thrace for "games". I absolutely adore Iolaus to pieces, his chemistry with Herc, the nimble way he fights, and his downright lovable charm. In this episode Iolaus gets a little pissy and overly competitive with Herc and the two split ways during their journey. Along the way Iolaus meets and a girl named Lydia and together they survive a band of marauders and attack by a hydra (among other things) while traveling to Thrace. The two of them have an adorable relationship for the run of the episode. I adore how they never made Iolaus the typical side-man to the handsome "hero" and allowed him to "get the girl" quite often. It would have been so ... typical to play him as Hercules' dorky underling. But anyway ... what Iolaus doesn't know is that his "pride" has brought down the wrath of the God Nemesis (who really doesn't care how thing goes for Iolaus, but is doing Hera's bidding). Herc is at odds with how to save him, but eventually his sort-of-childhood sweetheart (or so it's implied) helps-without-quite- helping Iolaus get over his pride (for Hercules' sake, as she does care about him). This episode is Iolaus heavy and Hercules light. It is probably the first time we really get to see Herc's best bud really show how much of a hero he is in his own right, not to mention intelligent and charming (ignoring the few bits where arrogance takes over him). He hasn't had much of a chance to do that as he's killed early in "Amazon Women", captured by Herc's brother in "Minotaur", and semi-killed (turned to stone) in "The Wrong Path". This time he survives the adventure without Hercules' interference and (for the first of many times) wins a pretty ladies heart in the process. Speaking of the Lady, Lydia was well played. I love funny, clever, quirky girls and that's what she was. She and Iolaus play off each other well and there's never a dull moment between the two of them. It's really nice to see under the bickering how they learn to trust and depend on each other throughout the episode.

Herc's story is mostly based on his reunion with his childhood love Nemesis (the first of many incarnations of the God) and how he changes her perspective on her "job". I have to say this was my least favorite Nemesis though as I just found something about the woman irritating. Even though (as is always funny with this particular Goddess) it's hilarious to see other people staring at Hercules and wondering about his sanity as he interacts with her as she's invisible to mortals. Nemesis (interestingly enough) had a storyline in Young Hercules where she met Herc. But while in this story it is implied he kissed her at the age of 10, in Young Hercules he was at least 17 or 18 when he met her the first time. Oh well, at least we can chalk this up to immortal gods having no real sense of time as it's unimportant when you're immortal. We can just say this is one time Hercules and Young Hercules don't clash too badly.moreless
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Falling out with Hercules over which route to take, Iolaus follows his own path but is captured by bandits, and with a young woman must make his escape - little realising that Nemesis has been sent by the Gods to kill him, in this interesting tale...moreless

8.7

"Great"

By Jay-Spacedust, Oct 18, 2007

Not seen since the first regular episode, 'The Wrong Path', Iolaus finally returns in this story (which was actually the third one filmed). In fact, it plays out as if it could be any episode, as he and Hercules just pan into view, as they are faced with a bunch of goons blocking access to a bridge. In fact, the next episode, 'The March to Freedom', serves more as a re-introduction to Iolaus, and in many ways feels that it should have been shown first.

In fact, Iolaus very much takes centre stage in this story as, on the way to "the games" in Thrace, he has a disagreement with Hercules, and sets off to find his own shortcut. Soon, he is trapped in a pit used by some bandits (for some unexplained reason posing as monsters very 'Scooby-Doo'!), where he meets Lydia, who has also been trapped.

Although they are best friends, Iolaus not liking to be overshadowed by Hercules is something that also would be touched upon in several future episodes.

Rowing to the games, Hercules is visited by Nemesis, here played by Karen Witter (she would be portrayed by several actresses over the course of the series). She is an interesting character, although I'm not sure that she was cast quite perfectly here. Hercules learns that Nemesis has been sent by the Gods to kill Iolaus for being too arrogant - unable to change her mind, Herc must hope that either he or his friend can find a way out of it.

The bandits themselves are rather generic and not as interesting as they could / should have been, though that's something that strikes many episodes of both Hercules and 'Xena: Warrior Princess' on occasion.

I really like Iolaus' running gag of using "old hunters trick"s to outwit his opponents (using "an old hunters trick" for the first of many times in the series), and it showcases him as a very able warrior in his own right (better than his rather botched effort in 'The Wrong Path'). On the run from the bandits and hiding in a river, Iolaus must rescue Lydia from a giant eel, in some reasonable model work.

Hiding out in a cave, Iolaus must now battle a Hydra. First seen in the first movie, 'Hercules and the Amazon Women', it would seem that there is more than one hydra in the Hercules world. This one is more exclusively CGI-based, and looks very good although does rather just write about and hiss while Iolaus and Lydia think of ways to defeat it!

All-in-all, this isn't really a classic, and loses its pacing and being slightly 'average' in some places, but makes for an interesting tale, and it is nice to see Michael Hurst as Iolaus take centre stage for the first time.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- Goof: After Iolaus falls down the rise, when he gets up he has a leaf caught in his hair. The leaf disappears as the shot changes to another angle.
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- Nitpick: The rope that Iolaus has taken from the pit disappears and then reappears several times in this episode: It goes into the lake, suddenly reappears, only to disappear again and then it finally reappears so that Iolaus can use it to set traps for his pursuers.
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QUOTES (5)
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- Iolaus: (Referring to Hercules in annoyance) It so happens I'm his best friend. Lydia: No you're not! Iolaus: I am too! Lydia: You can't be. Iolaus: Why not? Lydia: Nobody talks about their best friend that way.
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- Iolaus: (after telling Lydia to roll in the mud to cover their scent) Trust me! Lydia: (mournfully) That's what all the boys say.
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- Hercules: Iolaus needs my help! Nemesis: No Hercules, don't you see? Your help is the last thing he needs!
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- Hercules: (hearing a woman scream) Iolaus!
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- Iolaus: Take off your dress. Lydia: Couldn't that wait until after you rescue us?!
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NOTES (3)
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- Iolaus explains that he used "an old hunters trick" for the first time in this episode. He would give the same explanation for various things in many future episodes.
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- Eric Gruendemann, one of the producers, has a short cameo in this episode. He is the fisherman who spies Hercules seemingly hugging the air. Hercules is hugging Nemesis who is invisible to everyone but Hercules.
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- Disclaimer: No hydras were harmed during the production of this motion picture.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Nemesis:
  Nemesis is the Greek spirit of divine retribution against those who committed acts of hubris, or excessive pride. Hubris was viewed as a major sin by the Greeks.
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