PROMO TRANSCRIPTION
A RUTHLESS ROMAN CONQUERER--
A POWERFUL CELTIC GOD.
(Julius Caesar throws a spear; from Xena: "The Deliverer")
BOTH BATTLING FOR THE SOUL OF IRELAND.
(Archers raise their bows.)
Hercules: Not if I can help it.
(Hercules jumps onto a man.)
(Hercules fights several soldiers.)
AN ALL NEW HERCULES!
ON AN ALL NEW HERCULES--
A RUTHLESS ROMAN CONQUERER.
Hercules: If you don't join forces, you'll never defeat Caesar!
(Julius Caesar throws a spear; from Xena: "The Deliverer")
(Roman soldiers run through a forest.)
A POWERFUL CELTIC GOD.
Bronagh: They've called up an army to destroy us.
(Morrigan fights a soldier.)
Hercules: Not if I can help it.
(Hercules jumps onto a man.)
(A band of Celts run through a forest.)
(Hercules grabs Morrigan.)
(Someone falls from the crow's nest of a ship overboard.)
(Archers raise their bows.)
(Morrigan throws an ax.)
TWO EPIC BATTLES--
(Hercules fights a soldier.)
(Two armies fight each other.)
ONE LEGENDARY HERO.
(Hercules punches a soldier.)
AN ALL NEW HERCULES!
TV GUIDE PROMO
As Julius Caesar prepares to attack the emerald isle of Eire, Hercules helps the demigod Morrigan find the good within her.
Caesar prepares to attack Eire; Hercules helps a demigod embrace her new identity: Justice.
As Morrigan teeters between her bad (divine) and good (mortal) sides, Caesar
mounts an invasion of Eire.
Hercules teaches Morrigan to face her new role as guardian of Justice.
AIRING AND RATING
INFORMATION
1st RELEASE: 10-26-98
An AA average of 3.8
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
(1) X-FILES 12th with 5.8
(2) ER 15th with 4.5
(3) STAR TREK DS9 19th with 4.3
(4) XENA 20th with 4.2
(5) HERCULES 3.8
(6) EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT 3.3
(7) MORTAL KOMBAT 2.8
(8) STARGATE 2.4
(9) CROW 2.4
(10) NIGHTMAN 2.4
(11) SHRANK THE KIDS 2.3
SUMMARY:
Summary by Bluesong
This episode picks up with Hercules still in Ireland, playing Chosen One to the Celts. He cares for Morrigan, who has blood-of-Kernonnus withdrawal.
Caesar brings his legions to Ireland, much to Hercules' dismay. Kernonnus
tells Morrigan to watch her emotions and her human side. Caesar attacks and
destroys a village. The Celts are ready to fight. Hercules sets up an
underwater trap that cripples a few boats. Morrigan goes to Caesar to betray
Hercules. Hercules has set a trap knowing she would do just that, though.
Caesar looses an entire battalion to the Celts. Hercules goes to see
Kernonnus to fight for Morrigan, and learns the two of them have a daughter.
Kernonnus is holding the girl hostage to make Morrigan do his bidding.
Morrigan goes and confronts Kernonnus, to no avail. Caesar releases 150 Celts
after he cuts their arms off. Hercules sets another trap for the Romans.
Morrigan asks Hercules for his help in securing her daughter's safety. The
Roman attack and Hercules, the Celts, and Morrigan defeat them. Kernonnus
shows up and throws Morrigan and her daughter from a cliff. Hercules catches
the daughter and Morrigan saves herself by clinging to a vine. Hercules
fights with Kernonnus. Morrigan kills Kernonnus. Morrigan takes her place as
"justice" for the druids.
Next week: Thor!
SYNOPSIS:
Synopsis by Liz Sheppard
Hercules is trying to restore Morrigan's strength while the Celts demand
to execute her. Herc tells them that she's a Druid now and they can't
kill her. A Celt describes some ships coming their way and Herc
identifies them as Caesar, Julius Caesar's ships.
Mabon tells Herc that it's Herc's job to reform Morrigan and help her
save her heart. Herc learns that she gets her power by drinking the
blood of the god Kernunnos. Morrigan wakes up and is not very happy
that Herc is helping her. She says that being half mortal makes her
weak and that everybody has evil in them.
Herc breaks up a typical fight scene. One of the Celts leaders, Conner,
goes to Caesar's ship and gives him gold to make him turn his fleet
around. Caesar says that he won't turn around and offers Conner 10
chests of gold if he would betray his people. Caesar wants all of Eire
to join Rome and also wants Conner to deliver them a message.
Morrigan tries to get some of Kernunnos' blood, but he shows up and
tells her to "offer her services" to Caesar. She finds HErc "drawing a
line in the sand" and he finds that she shaking and sweating from lack
of Kernunnos' blood. They find Conner washing up onto shore, dead, and
a nearby village destroyed. Herc tells Morrigan to stay back while he
helps the Celts make a plan to defeat Caesar. Caesar's first ship gets
stuck in spikes under the water right after Caesar's scribe predicted a
fast victory. While watching from shore, Herc and Celts celebrate a
short victory when Morrigan shows up. They try to kill her but Herc
talks them out of it.
Herc tells Morrigan that he noticed her face showed sadness while she
was watching people with their dead children at the destroyed village,
but she didn't say anything. Her shaking has stopped, and he tells her
that she's becoming more mortal.
Morrigan visits Caesar's camp and tells him that their leader is
Hercules. Roman soldiers fight with Celts and the Celts win because
they're the good guys. Morrigan tries to get more blood, but Herc stops
her. She's in denial that she's changing to the good side. Herc finds
out that she has to obey Kernunnos because he and Morrigan have a child
named Brigid that he's keeping from her.
Herc tells Morrigan that she has to learn how to use the gift that the
Druids have given her if she wants to be reunited with her daughter.
Morrigan finds Brigid and she recognizes her mommy after she sings to
her. Kernunnos shows up and offers her blood, but she refuses. When he
gives the goblet to Brigid, Morrigan freaks and throws the goblet away.
He vanishes with the child after he tells Morrigan that she still has
time to decide if she wants to join him or not.
Herc and Morrigan watch Roman fighters kill Celts that are already dead.
The living Celts, along with Herc and Morrigan, fight the Roman's and
the Celts win. Morrigan says that good and evil are in everyone, it's
just depending on which side you decide to nurture. Kernunnos and
Brigid watch from a cliff and Morrigan climbs up after them. She wants
her daughter and Kernunnos throws Brigit off the cliff. Morrigan jumps
off after her and catches a vine. Herc sees the child falling, and
speed runs to catch her. He then climbs the cliff and fights the god.
Herc is about to kill him in cold blood, but Morrigan stops him. She
then kills him when he tries to attack again. Mabon appears, telling
her that she has fulfilled her Justice duty.
Caesar retreats and kills his scribe because the scribe wanted to tell
Rome the truth because Caesar wanted Rome to never know about his
defeat. Herc receives traditional clothes of a Celtic leader. Morrigan
stays in Eire to raise Brigit in a safe place.
COMMENTARY:
This commentary is by Kent Simmons.
Another great episode of HTLJ to continue was has been an ejoyable season
thus far, and things will get better as time goes on. I tought the title fit the episode
perfectly and it was good too see the Caesar portion of the storyline finished instead
of forgetting it. Maybe Tobin and O'Neill should have written XWP's "The Deliverer."
Despite many fans disliking the Caesar portion, I enjoyed it and thought it fit into the
storyline well. I just hope Herc meets up with Caesar again soon, although the rumors
about Caesar death on a upcoming Xena episode could ruin the future episode. Untill
the rumors become truth, I wouldn't be surprised to see Caesar pop up sometime soon.
Karl Urban did another excellent performance as Caesar. His lines where wonderful,
and he was just as evil, especially by cutting the Celt's hands and destroying the kids in
the village. It was also intresting to see the seductive womanizing side of Caesar in
this episode as far as his talk with Morrigan goes. I wonder if the leader he refered to
was Connor, Boadicea, Xena, or Vircinix ? Who really knows but I predict they where
refering to Xena or Boadicea, being Boadicea was in Britannia and Caesar went to the
Celtic Land of Eire in Ireland, where Morrigan was. I didn't mind the idea of Caesars
Aramada coming and Caesar being challenged by Hercules. I thought it made a decent
co storyline to go along with the Morrigan/Brigid/Kernunnos storyline. I really hope
they bring Caesar back for one more episode. The last scene with Caesar and the scribe
was good and enforced that the storyline was part of the episode and not just something
to fill time, since they appear to be making Rome look weak and perhaps ready for
Caesars assassination later this season on XWP in "Xena and Caesar".
I enjoyed the interaction between Kernunnos and Morrigan. Morrigan is cool and one
of my favorite characters. I think Tamara plays a good bitchy character, and her accent
works well for the character. I look forward to whatever roles she has in the future, and
its obvious Morrigan will return in an upcoming episode titled "Darkness Rising," and
perhaps some more episodes too. As the season 5 teaser showed, Morrigan and Herc
will kiss in a upcoming episode. The battle between Herc and Kernnunos was also
a nice touch. The ax's were a good addition. Hercs slowly becoming himself, although
he does claim the world will not miss one more god. Morrigan starts to build herself
as guardian of justice. The scenes with Morrigan and Brigid were very touching and
well done. It was sad to see Herc nearly cry in the last scene. He must have been
thinking about his own family as Morrigan and Bridig hugged.
This episode gets a 5 out of 5 star rating from me. I must be very generous to them
this season. I just hope Kurtzman and Orci lied in there chat and we see Caesar soon. Perhaps
Herc can fight in the Coliseum next season. I could just see Pompey and Hercules meet. Herc
could ask him if he is related to his half-brother Pollux. [Callaghans character on "Young
Hercules"]
Things to Look Out For:
The clip from the promo with Caesar throwing the javelin, was not from this episode, it
was a clip from a Xena episode called "The Deliverer."
The temple of Kernunnos was also used, the outside that is, during HTLJ's "Not Fade Away."
The music during the scene where Herc looks over the burned town was used in XWP's "When
In Rome" during the execution of Crassus, and in HTLJ's "War Wounds" during the scene where
Iphicles releases the old veterans from the jail on Golgoth.
Stuart Devenie also played Pireas during the Herc episode "And Fancy Free."
Highlights
Kernunnos telling Brigid that drinking his blood is adult stuff.
Morrigan going threw withdrawl.
Caesars legendary lines.
The conversation between Caesar and Morrigan, especially the bellow the belt line.
Hercules fight with Kernunnos.
The interaction between Morrigan and Brigid was a nice touch.
Kernunnos' entrance was something different for a godly entrance.
Morrigan challengeing the villagers.
TALES OF THE
HERCAVERSE
09-17-98. The Herkster seems to have a complex about picking up bad girls and trying to make them into paragons of virtue. Remember Xena? Now he gets to reform Morrigan. I wonder if Deianeira and Alcmene (now that they are hanging together in the Elysium Fields) aren't behind all this????
08-21-98. Caesar and Pompey finally part ways and bring the ensuing civil war to Greece in A GOOD DAY. Written by Steven L. Sears, it will be the first of two episodes in the 4th season featuring, Caesar, Julius Caesar. Caesar also reappears later on in the season in XENA AND CAESAR, and skips over to HERKland for (SUR)RENDER TO CAESAR on HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS.
08-21-98. Herk and Caesar, Julius Caesar finally meet in their own episode, called (SUR)RENDER TO CAESAR. I wonder if they will compare notes on Xena?
DISCLAIMER:
No scribes intending on writing the truth and nothing but the truth were harmed during the production of this motion picture.
WHOOSH!
ARTICLES:
The following WHOOSH! articles discuss this episode:
Rudnick, Bret Ryan. "An Interview With Karl Urban". W24 (9809)
LINKS:
Render to Caesar Screen Captures Gallery
Karl Urban
"An Interview with Karl Urban" by Bret Ryan Rudnick WHOOSH #24 (September 1998)
Fansite.com's Karl Urban page
The Aussie/Kiwis Actors' Lounge
Internet Movie Database
