No words.

[marycrawford]

I can't think of anything to say here, other than that this press release made my Weird News Of The Day:

A Canadian Forces senior officer deployed on October 2, to serve with the United Nations (UN) as an advisor for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) in Iraq. (...) The deployment of Lt.-Col. Smith with the UN is termed Operation IOLAUS.

(OK, one comment. What is the guy going to do, look for many-headed creatures of mass destruction?)

Comments

[ltlj.livejournal.com]

LOL Or he's going out there to be somebody's really good...cousin. :0

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

:nods earnestly:

That's it. After all, they did say he's going on a humanitarian operation.

[ltlj.livejournal.com]

Speaking of cousins, do you remember the second episode of the Warrior Princess trilogy, where Dean O'Gorman shows up playing Hercules' cousin? That's taken on a new hilarious meaning for me since the Troy movie. (The way it's written, I think it was originally supposed to be Iolaus, but that it was one of the episodes Hurst couldn't do because of the play he'd already committed to before getting the part on the show. But still.)

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

OMG - That was supposed to be Iolaus?! That would've been way too weird, because then Iolaus would've been there for the whole Xena Reforms thang, and we would've missed the wonderful "You're Hercules?!" moment in the next ep after he runs into Sal for the first time.

But now I'm curious and will have to watch it again. Oh, the hardship!!

[ltlj.livejournal.com]

I really think it was originally meant to be him, mainly because that character seems to pop out of nowhere with a convenient backstory as to why he's Hercules friend that has nothing to do with the main plot and then disappears never to appear again.

Though really, the only one I know for sure where something like that happened was "The Lost City," which was originally written for Hercules instead of Iolaus. Hurst says in the episode guide that he thinks you can tell it was supposed to be a Herc episode, but I sure couldn't.

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

Well, y'know, that there fake-cousin is probably about the right age for Herc's nephew Iolaus. :->

And I sure couldn't tell Lost City was supposed to be Herc. Where did he learn eastern meditation techniques?! Or maybe with him it's a half-god thang.

[ltlj.livejournal.com]

That's why I think he's being paranoid when he says you can tell -- they must have changed it to the eastern meditation tricks to fit Iolaus, as opposed to it just not working on Hercules because he's a demigod or whatever I think it's the best Iolaus-only episode. Though it would have been kind of funny seeing Hercules do the dippy lotus-eater bit. Though it wouldn't make me want to cuddle him and bite his kneecaps the way it does when Iolaus does it.

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

I absolutely can't tell that that wasn't written for him. He doesn't even have the typical "What's wrong with you people?!" Heroic Herc moment - Mariah is the one who tells the lotus eaters that Lorel isn't a goddess, etc, and then Salmoneus backs her up - and the rest, with the meditation and the swordfight and everything, is just pure Iolaus.

Though it wouldn't make me want to cuddle him and bite his kneecaps the way it does when Iolaus does it.

I just wanted to see this sentence again.

Mary, sporfling

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda wondering about the kneecaps thing myself... :->

So I guess the challenge is to rewrite this episode with Herc (but you can leave Iolaus in there, because I'd hate to have him missing) or rewrite The Gauntlet with Iolaus instead of the fake cousin. :->

Snort - Spew

[barkeep.livejournal.com]

You owe me a monitor.
All of you - pony up.
:-)

Re: Snort - Spew

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Pfft. Your icon has owed me a new keyboard since the dawn of time. :-P

[roo2.livejournal.com]

Assuming the Canadian Forces folks are mythology fans as opposed to H:TLJ fans...maybe he's driving a chariot? Or a chariot-like...thing?

::scratches head:: Nope, even in that context it just makes no sense. Cool name though.

And I bet there's never been an Operation Iphicles. ::watches as Iphicles goes off to sulk again, as he's forgotten in history and mythology as well as on TV::

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Nope, even in that context it just makes no sense

No, that's as far as I got too. AFAIK Iolaus is known for three things:
- lighting Herc's fire (for, you know, the hydra. Yeah, that's it.)
- driving Herc's chariot (no comment.)
- being Herc's...cousin. (see above.)

None of those things seem to make any sense whatsoever here.

And aw, poor Iphicles! I'm afraid you're right. Then again, he does do a great sulk.

[ahary.livejournal.com]

What is the guy going to do, look for many-headed creatures of mass destruction?

Be gifted by Gods with youth and strength at critical moment and slay the head bad guy?

Yep, that`s me. Killjoy. *g*

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Hee! That's a good idea. But wouldn't he need to go to the White House instead of Iraq?

Mary, ducking and running

[ahary.livejournal.com]

There`s no need to run! There is, however, need to club together and buy the guy a ticket to White House. *g*

[dbw.livejournal.com]

What is the guy going to do, look for many-headed creatures of mass destruction?

LOL! I definitely needed that today! :-)