The Final Episode #102: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995 - 1999)

 

Here it is! The next six Final Episodes will be about Syndicated shows. Either shows that were first ran in Syndication or left a big network for syndication. Syndication is just selling your show to every tv station you can not just one big one. Syndication started all the way back in the 1960s! I didn't know that. I thought it started in the 1980s. I guess it didn't get big until the 1980s. Anyway we have some fun stuff ready for you guys and gals. And by that I mean Portnoyd and maybe some Facebook people. Anyway I hope whoever reads these upcoming articles enjoys them. Anyway let's get to the good stuff!

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was a syndicated show created by Sam Raimi! That's right The Evil Dead guy! Or Spider-Man guy! or the Darkman guy. I am a big fan of his stuff. He would always make sure the stuff he put out was incredibly fun. I haven't seen anything by him that wasn't amazing. Plus whenever Sam Raimi went his pal BRUCE CAMPBELL! Bruce is literally the greatest person who ever lived. He is better than me AND you. Yes you reading this. I'm sorry but we both know it's true. Bruce played a thief  character with a weird old timey name that I cannot pronounce or even type. That's the only part of this show I don't like is that.

So Hercules: The Legendary Journey was about Hercules and his pal Iolocas go around fighting monsters and saving people. That's pretty much it. Some times other Gods and demi-Gods get into the thing and fight Hercules. Just your usual fun fantasy stuff. Nothing up its own ass like those stupid Lord of the Rings shit. Hercules gave you want you really wanted. A big buff guy punching a snake woman while another woman is in a costume where you can see a whole lot of titty. Seriously look at the Discords lady costume. Oh boy that's a good costume. Uh... oh yeah Hercules. He was played by Kevin Sorbo and he's fine. I think this is a show where you get a big strong guy whos at best okay and put him around alot better actors. 

As a kid, I had no idea who Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi were or what the Evil Dead were so I never watched this show. I mean I would probably leave it on for five minutes but I never watched it. I did enjoy my time with it as an adult. I'm not completely sure if I would have liked it as a kid. I do wish I had given it a chance so I could have found out, but I didn't. So you know what that means, yep I watch two episodes. One from earlier on in the series to get a feel for the characters before I discuss the Final Episode. The episode I picked was Porkules. Clearly because of that title. It involved Bruce Campbell stealing Artemis and I'm talking about the Greek God, not Sailor Venus' cat. Hercules is turned into a pig in this episode and it's very funny. Lots of fun action, silly special effects and Bruce Campbell. It's a must watch.

So what is The Final Episode of Hercules the Legendary Journey about. Well I gotta talk about some things first. It seemed they were cancelled halfway through season 6 and they only made 8 episodes. They also had to deal with Kevin Sorbo not redoing his contract. I really bet he wishes he had at this point, but maybe he does love being in those boring and annoying Jesus/Conservative movies. I bet he does. "Full Circle" the title of the episode, starts out with Hercules and Iolocas or however the hell you spell his name arguing about if the sun revolves around the earth or the other way around. It's a fun bit, Iolocas mentions a kid named Evander and we hear his mother Nemesis screaming. She's being attacked by two guards. Hercules and Iolocas beat the piss outta them.

Nemesis tells Hercules that Zeus took away Evander because he was too powerful. He apparently can make anything he thinks of come to life. Which means Ares his father is after him for nefarious deeds. Hercules is all like Zeus can't do this because YOUR his mother and this is where he should grow up. I dunno, I think someone with that kids kinda power should be closely looked after but that's just me.  On the way to Zeus' temple, Hercules and IceCream (I'm calling him this now I don't care) run afoul of one of the things Evander has created with his mind. A cheesy CGI dragon with polka dots. It also farts fire. Hercules thinks its the Gods doing but then spots Evander. Hercules gets in front of him and the dragon because well he thinks its gonna shoot fire but it just shoots bubbles. 

Zeus shows up and stops Evander. He and Hercules start arguing. Hercules says he doesn't have the right to take him away from his mother but Zeus is like "He almost killed her! She didn't tell you that did she!?" I am 100% on Zeus side on this one. Zeus may be a weirdo who does crazy shit but this time he is 100% in the right. Zeus then says he was only taking him until he could teach him to control his powers. Hercules then says "You won't mind if I step in?" and Zeus is open to the idea. We then get a nice montage of Hercules and IceCream and Evander. First it shows them rebuilding the village the monster wrecked. Then they are playing football, then it's them having story time before bed in the middle of the forest. 

This is where Ares shows up and yells at Hercules that Zeus took Evander back because Hercules helped focus his power. Zeus is going to open the gate that brings out Hera. Hera is like the big bad bitch of this series. Don't fuck with Hera. Hercules also mentions that the Titans are stuck down there with Hera and if he releases her he releases everyone! Oh shit. I wonder how this is going to go down! Is Ares telling the truth?!? It certainly seems so as Hercules and IceCream run to the cave she's in. They get there too late and Hercules utters the classic 1990s line "There Goes the Neighborhood!" Hercules and Zeus have a great little argument/fight. I like the guy who plays Zeus. Serious enough when need be but still able to be over the top when also needed. Anyway the cave is being destroyed because Evander also brought the Titans back. The Titans are Giants so this is gonna be something.

The Titans and Hera cannot remember who they are. That's okay because Hera is with Zeus and them, but The Titans end up meeting Ares who is uh, not the nicest fella. He gets them to agree to not kill him if he helps them destroy Olympus. It's not very hard because these Titan dudes are not very smart. They are a hilarious effect though. I love it. Painted bodies and CGI to make them look tall. I am a fan. They ask how can we destroy Mount Olympus. He says they have a brother Atlas. So I guess they are going off to find him. So two of the giants can turn into water and fire. This gives Hercules an idea to have them both crash into each other and turn into steam. So he and IceCream do this and those two are gone. Sadly Atlas had been released and is on his way to mash Mount Olympus into goop. Not Gwen Paltrow's goop but original goop. 

Oh shit if Atlas destroys the pillar that holds up Mount Olympus it will cause Mount Olympus to CRASH INTO THE EARTH which will throw it off its axis. Too make matters even worse Ares has stolen something from the fates that gave Hera her memories back and she's turned Zeus into a fucking boulder. Oh shit Hercules has got some hard work ahead of him! Anyway Atlas is about to destroy the pillar and Hercules starts taunting him. He chucks a small as rock under his feet and he trips on it. You're a big fucking giant Atlas you gotta watch where you are going! Dope. However Hera shows up trying to kill him. This gives Atlas enough time to get up and start messing with the pillar. Hercules tells Hera to hit him with her best shot and she does but he deflects it by hitting it with a piece of stone that now looks like a baseball bat. It hits Atlas and turns him into stone. This is a good thing because he had knocked down the pillar.

While Mount Olympus is safe again, it's not looking very good for Evander. He's dead! It was shown earlier in the episode that Zeus and Hera together have the power to bring back the dead so she has to go back to Zeus. They bring back Evander and Hercules tells them their war ends today! So yeah. This show definitely knew it was being cancelled and wanted to go out on a high note. Hercules and IceCream walk off into the sunset only to be bothered by Ares whos pissed that Hera and Zeus might actually get back together. Personally I say that relationship lasts a week before Zeus is fucking something he shouldn't be fucking. Anyway they hurt Ares feelings and he leaves. IceCream mentions that Hercules said he would retire after this and he says oh ok. They sit on some rocks until Hercules is like let's get out of retirement! They have a nice little discussion on if they would ever really give it up. IceCream then asks Hercules if Hera and Zeus can bring back their relationship and Hercules says after all they have been through all he can say is "Anything's possible!"

FINAL VERDICT: Definitely one of the best Final Episodes. It's funny, action packed, full of great character actors. It's a bit cheesy but you know by now that does not bother me in the least. I like cheesy stuff. It ends what must have been one of the shows biggest plotlines but if something were to come up and they could do more episodes, they could still go on. That seems to be what happens to the best of the best Final Episodes from TV from before we had to make TV into mini movies or whatever. Anyway I had a lot of fun with this but I don't think It's going to stay that way. We are talking about a show I did not like as a child next time! Wait and see what that is!