This great episode is easily one of the very best of the entire season.
Hudson Leick works excellently with Kevin Sorbo, and all of their scenes together are great. Although she was great as Callisto from the off (in 'Xena: Warrior'' first season episode named after her), by this point she has got the part off to perfection, as she repeatedly taunts Hercules about the death of his wife and children. She is particularly cruel as she promises Herc that, if she goes back to the Underworld, how she will make his family suffer.
The only thing that marks this episode down a couple of notches in my opinion is the scenes of Hercules' drugged family and friends (which include Iolaus, Alcmene, Jason, Iphicles and Falafel. I wonder why Salmoneus wasn't there). The plot device of Callisto drugging them is great, but I found there various drug-induced hallucinations and nightmares dragged out, almost used to pad out the story. The only good moment to come from these scenes is as Iolaus encounters himself as a wrinkled, lumbering old man; but beyond that, it's all pretty much padding.
But that's my only niggle with this otherwise great episode. One of my gripes with this season is that as much as I love the show it offers up a lot of rather silly, average-at-best stories. This one is one of the few that is really outstanding, and a great example of the series.moreless
EDIT
Episode Summary
Alcmene, Iphicles, Jason, Falafel and Iolaus only wanted to throw Hercules a birthday party. Instead they got poisoned by the treacherous Callisto, who was on a mission from Hera to kill Hercules. To save them, Hercules agreed to travel with Callisto to the Labyrinth of the Gods, where the Tree of Life offered a cure. When they arrived, Callisto momentarily trapped Hercules and ate from the Tree, rendering her immortal. But Hercules engaged her in a fierce battle, incapacitated her, and returned home to cure his family and friends with fruit from the Tree.moreless
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Kevin Sorbo
Hercules
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Michael Hurst O.N.Z.M.
Iolaus
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Liddy Holloway
Alcmene
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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Trivia
ADD TRIVIA- Nitpick: Although Hercules was going to visit his brother Iphicles a few episodes ago because he and his wife were having a baby ("Love Takes a Holiday"), there is no mention of a baby in this episode (or of Rena for that matter). Edit
- Nitpick The Tree of Life catches fire extremely quickly for a living tree. Most real trees would take much longer to ignite, and would burn very slowly, with a great deal of smoke. Edit
- Nitpick In the hallucination scene where Hercules is saying goodbye to Alcmene because he's crossed to The Other Side, watch the Demigod's gauntlets. In the initial scene he is wearing his gauntlets, when the camera cuts to him again, his arms are bare, then in the next cut, he is wearing the gauntlets again. Edit
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Notes
ADD NOTES- Disclaimer: Hercules' party pants were not harmed during the production of this motion picture. Edit
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Quotes
ADD QUOTES- Hercules: Hello? Anybody here? (reminding himself in an undertone) Act surprised. (he sees his friends and family all lying unconscious) Callisto: (revealing herself) Surprise. Edit
- Callisto: (mocking Hercules) Just because I poisoned your friends doesn't mean we can't be nice to one another. Hercules: Huh, amazing. Callisto: You have no reason to be angry at me, Hercules. After all, I'm not the one who hung the giant bullseye on your family. Hercules: You leave my family out of this! Callisto: Oh, but think about it. I mean, well, if your children weren't your children, well then they'd still be alive, now wouldn't they? Your love- it's a curse! Edit
- Callisto: We're not as different as you like to think. Hercules: Oh, really? Callisto: We both believe the wicked should be punished. Only I see something you don't. Hercules: Yeah, I'm sure you'll let me know what it is, won't you? Callisto: All people are wicked, and they deserve everything they're gonna get. Hercules: I've known too much good in the world to believe that. Callisto: Good? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?! If mortals were good, we wouldn't need you around, would we? Edit
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