marycrawford | Which Hercules DVD season should I start with?

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Which Hercules DVD season should I start with?

Okay, so I reported on the Deep Discount DVD 2-for-1 offer on Hercules DVD sets (seriously, nine bucks for a whole season, including extras. That I paid fifty for, back in the day! Plus shipping! In the snow!), and

gryphonrhi asked:

"If I were buying one or two seasons of Hercules for an introduction to the fandom, which ones would you recommend?"

Oh, good question. Because I am likely to wax enthusiastic on this topic, I give you the short answer first: you can't go wrong with Season 1, 2 or 3, and you don't have to start at 1. If you want a shortcut to the fabulousness of the Widow Twanky and the cracktasticness of Porkules, start at season 4 instead.

Intro and disclaimer:
Hercules: the Legendary Journeys isn't really heavy on season-long story arcs and backstory - there is certainly backstory, but it tends to contradict itself. In my opinion, you don't necessarily have to start at the beginning, though you'd better not start at say, season 5. More about that later. Also: here be spoilers, because I don't know how to talk about Hercules episodes and not mention any spoilers at all. And keep in mind that I fell in love with Iolaus from the moment he first appeared on screen; I'm inevitably biased as to which season is the best.

Season 1: "Mommy, what is Daddy doing to uncle Iolaus?"

Five TV movies and thirteen episodes. The TV movies are fun, but I will admit that I only rewatch the two with Iolaus in. These are Hercules and the Amazon Women and Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur (they lightened up on the titles later on). Both are exceptionally slashy, and Minotaur has the 'Hercules and Iolaus flirt, then wrestle half-naked in the hay' scene, which did not spawn a thousand fanfics but totally should have.

Hercules meets his wife, marries and has kids in the TV movies, but the first episode (The Wrong Path) undoes all that. Iolaus also marries and has kids, but we never hear about them again, except for an allusion in Minotaur, and the consensus is that he lost both.

The series takes a while to find its feet, but the last seven episodes of season 1 are all really entertaining: Pride Comes Before A Brawl (where Iolaus establishes himself as a hero in his own right), The March To Freedom (with Lucy Liu in a major buttkicking role), Gladiator (Gladiators! Sadistic queens who like to strip Hercules naked! Flogging!), The Vanishing Dead and the Xena trilogy, where Xena was introduced as an evil warlord who seduces Iolaus and then tries to use him against Hercules.

There are some nice extras on the first season DVD set; I particularly like the commentaries by Michael Hurst and Kevin Sorbo - they're interesting and funny, especially Michael pointing out all the homoerotic bits in the first Xena episode. (He's not wrong.)

Season 2: “You’re forgetting the part where we fight to the death with a horde of bloodthirsty barbarians.”

Twenty-four episodes. This was a very strong season, IMO: the writers had found the tone of the series, and both Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst were available for most episodes. (Unlike Gabrielle in Xena, Iolaus wasn't in every episode.) The emphasis is on adventure stories with plenty of banter, mythical references, h/c and humor.

This season also introduces some great recurring characters like Autolycus, the wisecracking King of Thieves, Hercules' half brother Iphicles (played by Kevin Smith, who also played Ares), Aphrodite, the surfer girl Goddess of Love, Jason of the Argonauts, and Atalanta, a strongwoman with biceps to rival Hercules'.

Particular favorites of mine are The King of Thieves, Siege at Naxos, The Mother of All Monsters, Highway to Hades, The Sword of Veracity, King For A Day, and The Apple. These are all episodes I'd show to someone new to the fandom.

Again, nice extras on the season 2 DVD set, including commentaries and a special effects reel. The best part, though, is the 20 minute blooper reel that covers all six seasons - full of ad-libs, wisecracks, Hercules' naked buns (yes, that's where the shot in my Holding Out For A Hero vid came from, 'cause I'm shameless) and stunts that go wrong. I love it.

Season 3: "Or don't you and Hercules do that, either?"

Twenty-two episodes. A couple of weak eps (Monster Child in the Promised Land, Lady and the Dragon), but otherwise, a strong season, with a slightly darker tone.

This season has the Golden Hind three episode arc, where Ares first makes his appearance (as played by Kevin Smith; in earlier episodes, he was present only as a voice in a pool of blood), as well as his nephew Strife, and Hercules gives up his demigod powers for the woman he loves. (Yeah, if you're thinking that was a bad idea, you'd be right.)

Lots of good episodes. I love the intense h/c of Not Fade Away, where Iolaus dies fighting against a Hera-sent Enforcer and Hercules does everything he can to get him back, and the intense hotness of Iolaus in Lost City, where he's pretending to be a peace-loving, silk pants wearing lotus eater in between having kickass swordfights. *pause for dreamy contemplation of same* Oh! and also Atlantis, where Hercules flies an ancient Atlantean airplane with Claudia Black and gets zapped by staff weapons a lot. In short, a crossover waiting to happen.

From here on, no comments on the DVD extras: the DVD sets do have interviews and commentaries, but a bit less than the earlier seasons, and nothing that really jumps out.

Season 4: "I don't twirl."

Twenty-two episodes. This season is a bit more uneven; Kevin Sorbo was injured and not available for many episodes, and the writers dealt with that in various ways. Some of them are very entertaining, some are cracktastic, some are both. *g*

This season introduces Her Fabulousness, the Widow Twanky (And Fancy Free...) as the flirty dame who must teach Hercules how to become the best dancer in Rhumba, and also Nebula, the pirate queen who would like to show Iolaus the ropes. Mmmm, Nebula. (Played by Gina Torres, who should just guest star in every series ever made.) Also The Sovereign, Hercules' evil twin in a parallel world, and Porkules, Hercules as a pig. (Seriously.)

Among the serious episodes, the best for my money is Hero's Heart, which I absolutely love to pieces. Iolaus breaks up with Hercules in a fit of guilt, loses his memory and becomes a badass gangster, and Hercules is in denial. It's one of the best relationship eps, and badass!Iolaus makes me go guh. Then there's Armageddon, a two-parter which pulls out all the stops: time travel, alternate timelines, Callisto, the Sovereign again, evil empress Xena, Hercules was never born! Good times.

And, okay, look, Hercules turns into a pig, Autolycus and Salmoneus apply some rouge and join a female dance troupe, the actors play the Hercules writers and producers in a modern day episode, Iolaus and Autolycus are chained together naked, the goddess Discord turns into a chicken... this is the season of crack.

Season 5: "Great. We'll go down in history as the guys who ticked off all the gods."

Twenty-two episodes. The season where Hercules and Iolaus travel to Sumeria and everything goes to Tartarus. Apart from a few fluffy episodes in the middle, this whole season is the Dahak arc, wherein Iolaus dies for the fourth time and Hercules understandably goes off the deep end. He wanders around Eire, Norseland and Sumeria trying to get a grip, Iolaus comes back in demon form, Hercules pals around with the parallel universe Iolaus, and the Four Horsemen show up to round things off. Not a good season to be an Iolaus fan.

Thing is, the first episode, which sets off the whole dark & disturbing Dahak arc, is gorgeous; beautifully shot, genuinely moving, and there are good bits in the next couple episodes too. I love Gilgamesh, I adore Nebula, the goodbye between Hercules and Iolaus breaks my heart, and I love that Hercules doesn't just bounce back in the next episode. But I don't buy Hercules' relationship with Morrigan or the Celtic mysticism , I hate the way that jester!Iolaus was brought back as a replacement for 'our' Iolaus, and the whole Dahak thing was handled so clumsily that it looked like a bad Exorcist parody. Sigh.

For my take on the Dahak arc, watch my vid Do You Dream Of Me? Or, even better, read

ltlj's version: Home Is Where The Heart Is and its sequels. (This is a complete AU that takes the early Dahak arc as a starting-off point, and some of the best fan fiction I've ever read.)

The fluffy episodes are fun: Stranger and Stranger, where the parallel universe pops up again (Ares, God of Love in his white Elvis suit remains a favorite), Just Passing Through with all the lovely daily-life bits (Hercules likes to crochet blankets for Iolaus) and Greece Is Burning (more Widow Twanky!).

Season 6: "I thought you were tired?"

Eight episodes. This was a mostly forgettable season, alas. I'm glad I finally got to watch it, but it's just...the good writers were working on Xena, the quality of the costumes/sets/shots went downhill, and there isn't much here that they didn't do much better in earlier seasons. Darkness Visible, the Vlad Dracul episode, is best combined with a read of

ltlj's lovely revisited version.

On the upside: the last episode gives the series a lovely sendoff, with Hercules and Iolaus walking off into the sunset together to have more adventures, yay!

*deep breath* Okay, what did I forget? Which episode is your favorite? What would you recommend to a new fan? Or, if you are a new (potential) fan, what do you want to know?

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I'm attempting to put together a "10 best episodes of Hercules" list for a friend who wants to know what the hub-bub is but not watch the whole series, so this is very helpful!

My favorite episode is Just Passing Through. I got into the show long after it ended, so I knew going in Iolaus was dead in season 5, so it didn't upset me so much. This episode has a treasure-trove of Hercules-Iolaus moments (snark, teasing, competition, nagging, watching each other bathe naked), but all through a filter of Hercules's grief. It's impossible for me to watch this episode and not see that Hercules is trying so hard to make Jester!Iolaus into his friend. I mean, it starts out with Jester!Iolaus stating quite clearly that he wants to make his own way (even pointing out that it's unsettling to be around a guy that looks like the Sovereign) and Hercules pretty much flat out refusing to let him. Sure, you can leave, just let me tell you a pointless story first... Right. Because it's going to make Jester!Iolaus less uncomfortable if you go on and on about how perfect Iolaus was and how much you miss him.

So yes. I love that episode.

I also have an unreasoning love of the first movie. There are so so many things wrong with it that it just has to be right.

Hee. Yay, Amazon Women! It's just, you kinda have to warn newcomers that Hercules isn't this much of a jerk in the rest of the series. But Iolaus is so hot in this (ref. icon), and there is h/c, there are whacked Amazons, there is Herc nakedness and chaining and being driven through town to display his new bondage outfit...yeah.

And yes, word on Just Passing Through. You know I personally have issues with the jester (and not so much with him as with everything that surrounded those episodes, the way he was brought in, all that) but I adore all the flashback bits, and I think you're absolutely right - Hercules is grieving and clinging to the jester Iolaus in a really wrong way. "Oh, see, this other Iolaus was this really great guy, even if he didn't do much cooking, and he was a hero, and now let me give you fighting lessons! " Yeah, way to make him feel better, there, Herc.

There's a whole Stepford Wives thing going on with Jester!Iolaus in his episodes. In Just Passing Through he's his own person with his own quirks, and then in the next episode he's learning to fight, and then he loses the sleeves, and pretty soon Hercules is treating him like Iolaus... The only difference seems to be that Herc can get as protective as he wants about Jester!Iolaus, whereas every time Herc tried that with the real Iolaus, Iolaus bit his head off (Pride Comes Before a Brawl anyone?). It's like Herc is molding Jester!Iolaus into the Iolaus he always wished he had, and since Jester!Iolaus is such a battered woman (I mean, really) he just goes along with it.

There needs to be more Jester!Iolaus fic! *sigh*

I think I've squeed about Amazon Women in your journal before. I'm getting a strange sense of deja vu.

First comment deleted because I forgot how to use italics: genius!

Only when I look at all the episode titles in a row do I realize how truly madcap S4 was. I did most of my viewing once the eps made it to cable and aired at a decent hour (My stations treated both series like B movies and stuck them in late late night slots) so all the seasons bled together for me.

For a newbie I'd suggest going with 3 and 4. I'm biased as 3 is a sentimental fave and I'm also into Strife but even disregarding that, you've got:

Love Takes a Holiday where Aphrodite becomes the funny, flighty character we see for the rest of the series' run and some info on Iolaus' family.
Surprise with a guest spot from Callisto, a quest for Hercules, and much zaniness on the part of his family.
A Xena crossover as the best part of the Hind Trilogy, and my favorite Autolycus episode End of the Beginning, where we get two King of Thieves for the price of one and learn that Bruce Campbell has fantastic chemistry with himself. Oh! And Les Contemtibles for a jolly dose of uber.

I think with all that setup there's enough character background and plot exposure to appreciate how truly batshit wacky proceedings had become as well as recognize all the Xenaverse stuff in Stranger and Armageddon (Some of Callisto's best moments). Then there's all the great stuff you've already highlighted about the season, plus Young Hercules fun.

And I'm apparently still having issues with my slashing, sorry

Hey, no worries about the italics, and thanks so much for your $0.02!
I love season 3, and I think Strife and Ares had some of their finest moments there (that scene with the Fates, and the knife! The battlefield!)

I'm glad you cast your vote for s4 - I couldn't decide what a new viewer would like best, the truly batshit wacky proceedings (hee, what a great phrase) of 4 or the slightly more conventional, mythic sword & sorcery of 1-3. It all depends on the viewer, heh.

Hi! *waves madly* Back from vacation and now at work, but taking a break from the insaneness of my desk( Paperwork? I got your paperwork, right here!)

I have much love for this wrap-up-b/c there is jsut enough to let you know what is going each season, without giving everything away. I also have much love for you and your love and pimping of the show and its fandom. You are the queen of everything Hercules .

Off the top of the my head(I just can't remember episode titles right now, so bear with me), I'd have to say that I adore the Attica!Iolaus episodes, the episode-arc dealing with Alcemene's death and Herc becoming a god, Once a Hero - I loved the interaction of Herc, Iolaus and Jason in this one, and Maze of the Minotaur - the barn scene gets me every damn time and the fight in the bar cracks me up.

Would you believe that I still haven't seen all of the 5th season? Bad fangirl, I know, but it kills me to even think about it. *sob*

Oh- funny story- while @ Disney, we saw the Indiana Jones Stunt Show @ MGM. They pull a few people from the audience to act as extras and to show off their acting skills, they have they do certain things, like scream and laugh. The best was the English guy, who was asked to do a long, drawn-out death scene. He was actually pretty good, but when it was over, Iolaus popped into my head going " I soooo do that much better." Needless to say, I cracked up, earning a strange look from my Dad, who was sitting next to me.

Im conclusion- I missed the boys and my cracktastic show.

Hey hey! *waves back*

Glad to take you away from the paperwork insanity for a moment, and thank you for your comments and your kind words! I love this about fandom, that I can go on at unconscionable length about my wee fandom and people will not think me mental, but will comment with "Yes, and also this and this, and remember that, and also squee!" It makes my day all better, seriously.

Which ones are the Attica Iolaus episodes? Is that the ones with Orestes? I am terrible at the place names, I always have to look them up. *g*

And see, you are so right, because those are all great episodes, and I didn't even mention the Top God arc with Alcmene and white disco outfit and everything.

Would you believe that I still haven't seen all of the 5th season? Bad fangirl, I know, but it kills me to even think about it. *sob*

AW. I feel your pain! The good news is that last episode, though, which is on crack, but which does have lovely Herc & Iolaus moments to make you feel better.

Iolaus popped into my head going " I soooo do that much better."

HEE. He would say that. Man, if Hercules ever takes him to the theatre...

Paperwork= bad! But Fandom is just the best evah!

Yes, Attica are the ones with Orestes. Michael's wealth of talent really shines through in those episodes- he manages to pull off two totally different characters, one that is already established- and while there is a sly wink to the audience that it is the same actor, Iolaus and Orestes are not alike at all, especially in the King for a Day . They become more alike in Long Live the King , but they are still different people. The good-bye scene between Niobe and Iolaus at the end of LLTK is a heartbreaker. You know they love each other, but they can't be together- Niobe has to run the kingdom and Iolaus can't leave Herc behind, nor would he be happy at court. It really cries out for a comfort scene after he returns to Herc- a whole I love her, but I love you more story that ends with Herc getting fucked b/c he lets Iolaus take total control that night, knowing he needs to be in control of something.

The whole 'Are you really really back" scene in the last epiosde of Season 5 both makes me laugh and makes me cry, at the same time. The writers nailed the reunion perfectly, well minus the hawt sex *g*- the incredulousness of Herc, the witty banter between them and finally, Herc's acceptance and utter joy at having Iolaus back. Props to Kevin and Michael for nailing it too.

Hercules did take him to the theater. It was a Season 6 epiosde, I believe. The teaser at the beginning had them leaving a show, with Iolaus all 'that was the worst thing ever' and Herc all 'it was great. it was about A, B, C and D' and Iolaus giving him a patented 'you are one crazy demigod' look, while eating something. God, I just can't remember which one is was.

::cheerful:: Thank you very, very much for this. Sounds like I'm starting out with the first three seasons and kinda dubious on the last two. My checking account doesn't thank you but I do!

Yay! I think you'll have a ball with those three seasons, and do read the other comments - season 4 has an appeal all its own, heh.

Have fun! And I'd love to know your reactions when you've watched some. ;-)

Oh! and also Atlantis, where Hercules flies an ancient Atlantean airplane with Claudia Black and gets zapped by staff weapons a lot.

That ep didn't really happen, right? You're yanking our chains?

*looks wounded*

Would I do that?

Okay, I would (http://marycrawford.livejournal.com/2005/04/01/). But not in this case! Here, take a look at my screencap post about the Atlantis episode (http://marycrawford.livejournal.com/98441.html).

I seriously want someone to write the SGA/Hercules crossover. *yearns*

::stares::

It does exist.

I can't wait for my DVDs to get here.

And I love Herc's dorky expression in your icon. Hee!

Oh god. *giggle* I totally forgot that it was Claudia Black in that episode. Now that she's on SG-1- can it be an SGA/SG-1/Hercules crossover?? That I would pay good money to read.

I think I want an SGA/HtLJ crossover most of all, because I just haven't seen any (whereas

ltlj already wrote one for SG-1/HtLJ, and hilarious it is too), but a combination of all three would be great! Though tough to write, I imagine.

I have a hang up about recommending things to people I know very little about (because people tend to respond to things differently, and I have a weird palate, if there ever was one), so I'll just answer your other questions instead. ;-)

My favorite season hands down is Season 4. I love it like some great thing that I love. I'm all about the crack and the humor and the "Awwwwww!" quotient. Most of my favorite episodes of the series come from that season, so it's really just a numbers game.

I own Seasons 3 and 4 on DVD, and I just bought Season 5. I'm with you on the Iolaus-love, so I tend to be drawn to the episodes that spotlight his character or where he just does something that I find so darn adorable. Unfortunately, I've never seen The Maze and the Minotaur. So all the Hoyay references only serve to frustrate me. And when I was rediscovering my lust for the show via Netflix, their archive of the series only includes the first 2 movies. :-(

Some of my favorites eps from the show (aka the eps I watch over and over again):

And Fancy Free
Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules
Pride Comes Before a Brawl -- love MH's commentary on this one
The Mother of all Monsters -- Hoyay for days!
Men in Pink
Love Takes a Holiday
Long Live the King -- Iolaus slips Niobe some tongue when they kiss >:-)
Mercenary
Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger and Stranger
Faith
Highway to Hades

Interestingly enough, I've never had a desire to own Season 2. I think it's a good season, but I find that a lot of the things I enjoy about those episodes really come to fruition during Season 3. It's like S2 is the first act, but all the goodies are reaped in the second act, S3.

Oh, and just to illustrate how weird I am, I actually enjoy Monster Child in the Promised Land. Why? For one joke. It's established in 2 separate instances that Iolaus doesn't have any pockets. Yet, later in the episode, when he is in the cave comforting Echidna, he reaches behind him and pulls out a handkerchief. If he has no pockets, where did the handkerchief come from? And would you really want to wipe your face with it?

Thanks, this was great! I know what you mean, it's tough recommending stuff - but that's what so great about comments like these, this way people get more of a variety of favorite eps and opinions.

Unfortunately, I've never seen The Maze and the Minotaur.

OMG, that is a crime against fannish nature. Email me! We will work something out! (marycrawford at squidge dot org.)

Hee, you reminded me of that Pride commentary, I love it too. Also the bit in the Gladiator commentary where MH goes on and on about the way he just dropped unconscious to the floor: "Like a young David, vulnerable, yet incredibly masculine..." *snickers*

And you know what, I don't think I ever noticed that handkerchief bit in Monster Child before. Heee. I have to rewatch it now and see if I spot it. That's great.

OMG, that is a crime against fannish nature. Email me! We will work something out! (marycrawford at squidge dot org.)

Will do! I've seen the screen caps, but that's it. :-)

Also the bit in the Gladiator commentary where MH goes on and on about the way he just dropped unconscious to the floor: "Like a young David, vulnerable, yet incredibly masculine..." *snickers*

Oh, I remember that! At first I thought, "He is so goofy," but then I thought, "Well, he's actually right. That was a pretty good fall."

And just out of curiosity, do you know why the camera work in Revelations looks so wonky? Did they change the type of film they used for that episode or did I just watch a bad copy? It looks very different from any other episode in the series.

The thing I find hilarious about MH's commentary (well, one of the things *g*) is that when he's not talking about acting/directing/locations, he's approaching the series pretty much the way a fan would - commenting on things like cleavage, innuendo in the dialogue and how well Iolaus looks lying there on the floor. (Which he does, hee.)

And just out of curiosity, do you know why the camera work in Revelations looks so wonky? Did they change the type of film they used for that episode or did I just watch a bad copy? It looks very different from any other episode in the series.

No, I don't know, but it looks like crap on my DVD too - grainy, out of focus, bad color, you name it. I think

ltlj mentioned that they switched over to lower-cost everything at the end of season 5, and it certainly shows in season 6.

It's a damn shame - the source of 'Revelations' is hard to use for vidding, and impossible to make nice screencaps of, while it has such satisfying scenes in it!

I can't say that I have a terrible lot to add, as everyone has made some really good suggestions. But as someone who only saw all of these episodes within the last year and one-half, I will add a few brief comments:

My favorite season: THREE. Hippy pajamas, Iolaus in a crown (because being the "commoner" was only part of his charm, aha), outrageous French accents and eye patches, the guys gone sailing, etc.

Season Two is a close, close second, but if I HAD to choose... Oh, and I wanted to mention War Brides, which is a silly, oft forgotten episode about Iolaus and Herc trying to get a spoiled princess (who doesn't even realize that she was kidnapped) back home before her sister starts a war. The real treat is, of course, Iolaus dealing with her dismissive treatment of him (she can't even remember his name). And it's funny. Could have been a fanfiction, honestly, but not in a bad way. This is one of the first episodes I show people who've never watched before.

I'd also like to give a shout about Prince Hercules, which no one has mentioned yet. Hercules looses his memory after being struck on the head by a chunk of rock Hera throws at him. Various minions then convince him that he is a prince and try to get him to pledge his soul to Hera and start a war. (oh, and be a father to two little boys. <--cruel). Meanwhile, Iolaus realizes something is wrong and comes after him. Problem? Herc hasn't any idea who he is, and ends up knocking him into next week, and holding a sword to his throat... Good one for Iolaus again, I think. I love the fact that he's running around trying to save the world and the only question the world can think to ask is, "Why are you purple?" Heh. Oh, and I love his sad face whenever Hercules decks him. Traumatizing, ack. (grin).

End rant. Swiss.

Hey, thanks for naming your favorite season and episode!

I do love that running gag of "Why are you purple?" It's the sort of thing that could only happen to Iolaus. (Or should I say, Iofus? *G*)

I was puzzling over how to tell you something about the long story I'm writing, and decided that the a/n would be good enough for a teaser:

A/N: The song with the header is more inspiration than introduction, but it awakened in me to the idea of divine love, and of righteous jealousy. And so there it is. Iolaus attracts the attention of another demigod, and Hercules faces what is godly in his feelings for his friend.

Tada. Thanks for chatting with me. It really gave me a bit of juice to run on, inspirationally speaking. Perhaps the story will be finished sooner than I thought.

Swiss.

Ooo, that sounds very interesting. Another demigod. Divine love. Jeasousy. I hope the writing goes well!

Nice talking to you. I really need to get back to my various works-in-progress, and it does help to hear that other people are working on something.

I didn't think season six was so bad. Actually, I rather liked it. The acting was very on, an of course, we had the original Iolaus back!

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Which Hercules DVD season should I start with?

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My Two Pennies' Worth

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Hmm