H:TLJ "The Apple" screencaps and comments

[marycrawford]

I've updated my site with new screencaps for the second season Hercules: the Legendary Journeys episodes The Apple and Protean Challenge, and a new short story: Prey, written for the Unlikely Allianceshxyh_challenge.

The Apple is one of my favorite Hercules episodes. It's hilariously over the top, it's a great Iolaus episode and it just makes me smile whenever I see it. I used quite a few images from it in my Live Till I Die vid - Iolaus surfing, Aphrodite offering him the golden apple, Athena shaking out her hair as she vamps Iolaus, the princess throwing Iolaus to the ground in order to ravish him, Iolaus fishing and doing calisthenics on the beach. Can you see why I like this episode yet? *g*



The storyline has some elements of original Greek myth: the Judgement of Paris becomes the Judgement of Iolaus, while the golden apple becomes one of Aphrodite's tools to create mayhem - if you hold the apple close to your heart, anyone you want will fall in love with you, and if two people touch it at the same time, they become soulmates forever. (Take note of that last part, we will be revisiting it.)

Thanks to the apple's spell, a princess about to marry a prince from a rival kingdom falls hopelessly in love with Iolaus, and Hercules has a hell of a time trying to separate them, avoid a war and deal with his little sister Aphrodite's machinations at the same time. This is the first Aphrodite episode, and she owns it - surfing on the halfshell, twisting Iolaus around her little finger, and switching from revealing pink outfit to even more revealing pink outfit as she matches wits with Hercules.



"Look, could you stop staring? We're trying to have a conversation here!"




Please note that I am totally not flirting with you in any way whatsoever.




Aphrodite's first appearance. I do so love this show. *g*


Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite each tempt Iolaus, just like in the original Judgement of Paris - Athena promises he'll be a great sage, Artemis promises he'll be the greatest warrior. These visions are so over the top it kills me - see also earlier discussion of Iolaus' Golden Hunter alter ego - with Iolaus as the perfect hero and Hercules as his lowly sidekick. I love knowing that Kevin Sorbo directed this episode and wasn't the least bit afraid to send his character up like this:





...Words fail me.




:melts: Iolaus has a tough time trying to choose, and Aphrodite still hasn't shown up with her offer. Anyone who knows the Troy myth knows how this will end.




Yup, he chooses Aphrodite, and gets the apple, and this is the result. (Note: unlike Paris, Iolaus didn't knowingly pick someone else's bride. But the results are the same, except for the ten-year siege part. *g*)
That's Hercules he's looking at. I love how Hercules, who doesn't know anything about the apple, the goddess beauty contest or the spell yet, is hardly even surprised to find the missing princess Thera in Iolaus' arms. I also adore the actress playing Thera - she's incredibly playful and cute as she pursues Iolaus, like someone happily drunk on champagne, and it's easy to see why Iolaus has a hard time saying no to her.



Thera: "Don't you want me?"
Iolaus: "......No!"
Hee.



I love how they just slipped this in. Take a look at their hands, then read what I said above about the apple's effects when two people touch it at the same time (which will be used, later in the episode, to reconcile two kings who hate each other). The effect on Hercules and Iolaus? Nil. Or, if you interpret it the way I do: nothing changes, because they were soulmates to begin with. Aw.

Two more caps for the happy ending: