SYNOPSIS:
Synopsis by Kent Simmons.
This episode does contain some VERY EXTREME AND GRAPHIC SCENES OF VIOLENCE AND BLOOD, AND ALSO HAS MANY TEARFUL MOMMENTS.
Beware and be forwarned of it.
Hercules and Iolaus are running through the woods and arrive outside of Corinth, at the home of Alcmene and Jason. Jason tells them that Alcmene has been suffering and had bad pains during the night. He is worried for her and says that she is in the garden tending to the flowers and stuff. Herc leaves and go outside to find his mother picking flowers. He thinks she should be inside resting but she begs to differ and the two sit down and talk. Alcmene wishes Hercules has not grown up so fast, and they recalls when Hercules first went to war as a teenager. Alcmene says that she started her garden after Amphitrion [her husband] died in war. The screen changes from a colorful garden to the same house, with the garden still mostly mud and tools all over. Young Alcmene is working and Young Herc comes out to help. Young Jason and Iolaus arrive and state that they must go help fight the Evil Parthans, enemys of Corinth [Hinted last week in the "War Wounds" episode]. Alcmene is worried but Young Herc decides he must stand up for what he believe in. He hugs his mother goodbye and the three guys head off to battle, as Hercules will have his first war experiance. Alcmenes face has that worried like he&& look on it as her son and his friends leave for battle nearby.
In the present day, Hercules and his mother are still talking and she wishes he would not worry so much about her but you know Hercules. Now as flashbacks begain again, Hercules and Jason and Iolaus are in the camp of the King of the Kaylans, who appoints Jason, King of Corinth, as his right hand man. Should something happen to the King, Jason will lead the army. He thanks the boys for the help and they all set off the the nearby Kaylan Camp. They meet an old friend from Chirons Academy, named Calmaches. He is a healer and medical solider, as he dislikes to get physical and fight. Young Herc has a talk with Nikos, a solider, on the way to battle and he hopes he can see his wife before he dies. Soon they find a underground trap, with spikes dipped in poison. Parthan Warriors than attack and a violent fight starts. Sevral get killed and one of the Parthans slice off Nikos' arm ! Yes they show a arm falling of a hand. One other guy is about to kill Jason, when Herc grabs a knife and throws it at him and forces him to fall down and loose his knife. Young Herc than leaps in midair and nails another soldier with a very impressive dropkick.
However a couple of the soliders gang up on the King and kill him. Jasons mad and wants to kill every Parthan he see's now. They boys head off to find shelter. In the present day, Hercules must take his mom to the market, and Jason and Iolaus think she should sleep but no one argues with mom ! Jason thinks he should prepare himself in case the worse could happen to Alcmene. In flashbacks, the boys have sought shelter and Herc heals Nikos wound with a hot sword and bandages. Calmaches also helps out and Jason is still very angry. Calmaches shows Hercules an amulet and Nikos dies.
During the night, sevral Parthans invade the shelter and kill everyone, and stab Herc and Iolaus to there deaths. A very graphic and violent scene. However as the guys slit Jasons throat, he awakes from what was a nightmare and screams. The others calm him down and let him know it was just a bad dream. The next day is worse though, the boys are on the battleground and the Parthans launch blazes of fire, and traps that send fire out. Herc and Calmaches save a Parthan Solider, much to Jasons dislike, and almost die in the saving. Calmaches even is shot with an arrow, but Herc cracks it in half and Calmaches is not as hurt as he thought he was, although he's hurt.
The solider wants no help at all. Jason and Iolaus carry him to the woods, and with Nikos already dead, Herc and Calmaches flee as well. Calmaches serves as a distraction, letting Herc escape. Young Herc does not run though, as he goes to save his friend. But the fire gets Calmaches, and a arrows shots him and he dies. Herc takes his amulet as a memory and escapes just in the nick of time. In the present day, Alcmene and Herc are walking through the market, and Alcmene says that she wants Herc to make up with his father Zeus, and that he should not blame Zeus for her death. He is weary about making up with his father though. As they head home, Alcmene falls into Hercs arms, and Hercules knows she is dying, and she tells him that she wants to enjoy her time remaining with her son. Back the flashbacks, the boys are arguing over the saving of the Parthan soldier. Herc breaks up the arguement and says that he wants to go see the King of Parthans to make a peace deal. Jason and Iolaus agree and the three set off to do so. In present time, Iolaus and Herc talk and Iolaus tells Hercules that some battles cannot be won. Jason and Alcmene talk and she says they have said everything to each other already and they have a tearful momment. In flashbacks, The boys are taken as prisoners into Parthans Castle, and they meet the King. After some convicing, Herc convinces Parthans Leader to stop the war and become Corinths ally. He tells Jason to "Hope the Gods will Help Him" if he lies and shakes Jasons hand. Herc goes home and hugs his mother. He shows her the amulet and she is glad he came back in one piece. She says that people all around are talking about what Hercules did and how he saved Corinth and Parthans from all out war.
In the present day, Alcmene thanks Iolaus for being there and Iolaus thanks Alcmene for making him part of the family all those years. She tells Hercules to get her small box, and inside is amulet, the same one that Calmaches gave him years back when he died. He looks at it and tells his mother that he loves her, and she slowly falls on her pillow, and says she has no regrets, and no regrets, and no regrets, and her eyes close and she dies. Jason and Iolaus start to look sad and Hercules face begains to get sad and he starts to develop some small tears. They show Alcmene laying lifeless on her bed and than we see the forest, the same one where the episode started in.
Hercules goes outside and begains to walk through the forest, and is a fit of rage and sadness, he punches a rock in half with his fist. Zeus makes a grand entrance with those cool godly lights and says that Alcmene was a attractive woman, and Hercules simply says "Zeus" in a shocked way. Than the credits roll and we have to wait till next week to see what happens.
COMMENTARY:
This commentary is by Kent Simmons.
I liked this episode and thought the flashbacks helped it out very well. From the fear of death to watching someone you love face it, made this episode very well done and acted. Sure they have done a lot of "Young Hercules" flashbacks this season, but this one would not fit what there going to do in the afternoon this fall, and fit this episode perfectly. Although it was very extreme and even more graphic than XWP's "The Price", it was darker and worth watching. It did have a sad ending but it created a few new possible plotlines and provides to build up what looks to be a very good season finale episode. No doubt this episode was not a thriller of action and suspense but it did provide a good lesson and showed how things just happen. No matter if its Ancient Greece or the 1990's, things can happen and do.
Kevin Sorbo did a good job on this episode and his acting and worrys about his mother dying were well done. Its obvious that Hercules fears losing his mother because shes one of the few family members left who is not dead. You gotta feel bad for Hercules and Xena this season. Xena has lost her son, and she almost lost her best friend to an evil god. Hercules lost his chance to be married to Serena late last season and just lost his mother. It seems that everyone is dying lately. Maybe Dahak really has more of an impact than we thought ? Thats to discuss another time though. The two incidents with Hercules losing his friend and than his mother where very similar but very diffrent. They where both people that taught Hercules something and that he cared for. But they where diffrent being Alcmene was family and Calmaches wasn't. The amulet thing reminded Hercules of the lessons he learned in war and Iolaus telling Hercules that he cannot win every battle, made Hercules look into the situation, and he remembered winning the past incident with words, and not battle. Yet he could not save Alcmene either way. I agree with sevral others when I think Herc should of cried a little more, but the look on his face was perfect and mad me shed a few tears as well. I thought the looks on Jasons and Iolaus' faces where perfect as well. It will be hard for Jason now and Iolaus will have no home, outside his travels with Hercules. Iolaus was basiclly family, since his own family was much like Xena's, in the fact that it was torn apart and the father was dead, and the mother was caring and loved her son/daughter. Now Iolaus has lost someone who was almost like his stepmother, or even his mother. Will Jason once again find the bottle and die a drunks death ? Will Iolaus travel with Hercules all the time. What will Salmoneus or Autolycus think or say ? Will Hera use this incident to torchure her stepson more or did Dahak perhaps have something to do with Alcmenes death ? Or was it just a weak heart as Jason hinted in the episode ? One things for sure-HERCULES LIFE HAS CHANGED. The last scene where Zeus comes to a sad Hercules and says that Alcmene was a lovely woman was
usual from Zeus, and the fact that hardly anything was said and the look on Hercs face was shock, next weeks episode gets more intresting before I see it.
Going to war is difficult for many and for Hercules, it was glory and honor, but for Alcmene it was the end of her innocent son, who had likley not lost his blood innocence yet. Hercules and Jason and Iolaus went to war as teens in hope to become heros, however they discovered that being a hero does not mean having to fight and kill your foes. I liked the scene with The King of Parthans and Young Jason, as it was a touching and hero worthy scene. Jason proved he was a good king and made his father proud by making peace with Parthans and gaining a ally for the Kingdom of Corinth. Hercules made a name for himself, and established himself as a fighter for justice and one who did not need to slaughter everyone to make a name for himself. Thats heroics. The scenes where the boys escape the balls of fire where exciting and action packed and where also important in showing that war was no joke, and that you can run, but cannot escape the warzone. They may have run but the fire follows and may only take one, but it takes. It forced Calmaches to stay behind and act as a distraction so his friends could escape, and he himself was shot with an arrow and killed and surged by fire, so his friends could leave and win the battle. The character of Nikos was nothing special, and just provided a character to have Herc help and build up to Hercules having to save the next man from dying, and the character of Nikos showed that war can break up familys, as he lost a chance to be with his wife because of the war. War is bad and this episode showed it, and was well done.
I give this one 5 out of 5 stars for sure. It had some action, emotion, and was dark. I thought the "Young Hercules" scenes fit this episode well and so did the music and the plotline and the end was well done with Herc and Zeus meeting again. Next week looks good as well, altough some may dislike the Young Herc footage, which gets intresting next week. This episode is not ment for younger fans, because of the extreme scenes and high level of violence at parts. Its a good episode to show someone about the wounds and effects from war, and it also shows agreat relationship between mother and son and friends and husband. Welldone and worth its star rating. Battle on Hercules and Xena fans. Feel free to email me about this episode commentary.
Highlights
The emotional scenes between Hercules and Alcmene were done well by Sorbo and Holloway.
The courage shown by Young Hercules during the war.
Hercules trying to keep from showing his anger after Alcmene died.
The apperance by Zeus at the ending.
Sorbo did a great job during the scene in which Alcmene dies. Good emotion and stress.
Young Iolaus and Young Jason getting excited when Young Alcmene offers them a free lunch.
Young Alcmene calling Jason and Iolaus "freeloaders".
Things to Look Out For
The "Fist of Tolos" from HTLJ's "War Bride" was spotted in Parthans.
Those Solider Uniforms where also used during XWP's "The Price".
Last ep. Iphicles told the war veterans that they would supply protection in case the Parthans tried to invade again, thus we can suggest that all was still not healed by the time of "War Wounds".
That wagon full of hay from HTLJ's "If I Had a Hammer" was spotted in the battlefield.
In "Young Hercules", Young Alcmene is played by Rachel Blakely and in "Twilight" she is played by Kim Michalis. Both look very diffrent from each other. Blakely looks more like Catherine Boniface [Merdian from XWP's "Gabrielle's Hope" and "The Deliverer"] than Liddy
Holloway. Michalis passes for a convincing Young Alcmene.
Alcmene sure has moved a lot. She moved from her house near Thebes, after Corninth, to a castle in a middle of a desert in HTLJ's "Surprise" and back to a simple house this season. Wow!
And where is that wall started in HTLJ's "Armageddon Now" or even earlier in season one.
The music used in many of the Young Herc scenes was used in the "Young Hercules" movie. The song during the talk between Nikos and Young Herc in the woods was used throughout HTLJ's "Love Takes a Holiday" last season.
Some of the clips of music from the Xena episodes showed up, mostly as the soliders head out of the Kaylans camp. The one clip was used a lot in season 1 Hercules episodes and later on some Xena episodes.
The secret word for this episode was "Twilight" as far as the New Zeland contest goes.
