[ Iolaus ] dd Golden sandals pulsing around dd
dd Came the ethereal Muses Filling the hills of the Centaurs dd
Whoo! dd The echoing woods dddd
[ Laughs ] [ Chuckles ]
You're not excited about this festival, are you?
What's not to get excited about? Beautiful women -- Yeah.
games, wine-tasting, beautiful women, great food,
beautiful women. [ Laughs ] Yeah.
Will Electra be there? Maybe.
Maybe that's why you're singing. Off-key, I might add.
Wait a second. I was not sing--
[ Man ] Hand over your money!
We have no money! We're poor travelers!
They're everywhere we go! It's amazing, isn't it?
Can't fight back, huh? [ Laughs ]
Is there a problem here? No, we're just having a little discussion.
Oh. See, we love discussions.
What do ya wanna try next?
Thermopylae. Oh, no.
One! Two!
Three!
Let's get outta here! Come on! Run!
- They're like a two-man army! - It still works.
Yeah, if you're 18. [ Laughs ]
Don't worry. They won't bother you anymore.
Lahti and I can't thank you enough. We're on our way to Kastus.
If we'd known the road was full of bandits,
we would have paid for escorts.
W-Well, how about if I escort you there? Yeah, we'll do it for free.
We? I thought you were in a hurry to get to the festival.
Well, yeah, but -- No, Iolaus, I can walk 'em both there--
Okay! Hey!
Uh -- I'll catch up with you later. You-- Sure.
Yeah. Okay.
He loves festivals.
Shall we go?
Great Hera, as your special day approaches, I appeal to you.
The people of Kastus and I have served you well.
But since my son's death, we have lost our former honor and glory.
Help restore us to our previous power...
that we may serve you better.
Please, show us a sign,
that we may know what you have in store for us.
[ Laughs ]
Queen Parnassa?
Lonius, our prayers are answered.
Hera's sending someone to restore our kingdom to its former glories.
Who, my lady? A warrior without equal--
one who will make our kingdom invincible.
Please, my lady, his name.
Hercules.
It's awfully nice of you to accompany Styros and me to Kastus.
My pleasure. We've worked too long and hard...
to give up our life savings to bandits.
You know, we've thanked you, but we haven't even learned your name.
Whoa!
Look out!
[ Grunts, Groans ]
Oh!
It's stone!
That's quite a knock you took there. You all right?
I'm-- I'm fine, once my head stops pounding.
Thanks for your help. That's twice you've saved our lives.
And we still don't know your name.
Neither do I.
[ Man Narrating ] This is the story of a time long ago,
a time of myth and legend,
when the ancient gods were petty and cruel,
and they plagued mankind with suffering.
Only one man dared to challenge their power--
Hercules.
Hercules possessed a strength the world had never seen,
a strength surpassed only by the power of his heart.
He journeyed the earth, battling the minions of his wicked stepmother, Hera,
the all-powerful queen of the gods.
But wherever there was evil,
wherever an innocent would suffer,
there would be... Hercules.
- [ Screeching ] - [ Roaring ]
Hail!
[ Grunts ] This may not help you remember your name,
but it should keep the swelling down.
We better get going, Lahti. We must make Kastus by sundown.
Kastus? Ring a bell?
No.
[ Chattering ]
My lady, I can't see how this can possibly work.
Doesn't Hera want Hercules dead?
This is better than dead.
To lose his memory-- his identity--
and spend the rest of his days serving his stepmother?
But even if she does rob Hercules of his memory,
the people of Kastus still have theirs.
They won't believe he's their long lost prince. Why not?
Prince Milius has been gone from us for five years.
We've kept his death from them for half that time.
They want to believe he's alive.
Don't you see? These people don't care who leads them,
they just want to be led.
Perhaps. But there's always a few.
Well, it'll be your job to keep the streets free of doubters.
All we need is three days.
If we can convince Hercules that he is Prince Milius,
get him to pledge his loyalty to Hera on Equinox Day,
he'll be hers, and ours, forever.
Now, that's insane. We'll never get away with it.
The soldiers know what Milius looks like.
Soldiers follow orders.
And the townspeople? Live in fear of the soldiers.
How often did they ever get to see their prince anyway?
Yeah, but this Hercules, I-I can't see how--
Well, you'd better see!
Unless you want to incur the wrath of your queen,
or Hera, it would be smart to cooperate.
Sir, travelers approaching.
Just as Parnassa said.
Garas, get ready to meet your new prince.
You don't remember any of your past?
All I can see are blank faces.
Styros, who was that cute little man he was traveling with?
I was traveling with a cute little man?
Blond, blue-eyed. Said he was going to a festival.
Don't you remember his name? No.
Milius! Prince Milius!
By the gods!
You're alive! Our prince has come back to us!
- E-Excuse me? - My lord.
[ Chuckles ] My friend!
I can't believe that you've survived all these years! Welcome back, Sire.
You know this man?
Fool! This is Prince Milius. Returned to us from the war...
by the mercy of the gods.
No, no. Please. Please.
I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about.
Oh, Garas, he doesn't remember us.
Must be shock or a war wound.
Oh, come, my prince.
You're in safe hands now.
Where are we going? Your castle. Your kingdom.
Huh? I--
So I'm a prince.
This way, Sire. Come along now.
I knew he was royalty.
I could tell by the way he handled himself.
Mm. Hmm!
Sire.
Milius! [ Laughs ]
My son!
Thank Hera!
You're... my mother?
He's lost his memory, my queen. Undoubtedly from the war.
Well, that doesn't matter.
The important thing is you're safe!
Your memory will return in time,
and your wife can help in that area.
Wife?
Milius.
Oh! I thought you'd never return.
I'm-- I'm sorry, I--
Is something wrong?
He can't remember anything, Kirin. Something to do with the war.
He'll need your help.
Yes. We have a lot of catching up to do then.
Your sons can't wait to see you.
Sons?
Boys, go give your father a hug.
They... seem a little uncomfortable.
They don't remember you.
Macareus was only two when you left, and I was carrying Protos.
Why don't you two guys show me your toys.
Okay. Okay.
That broke the ice.
[ Chuckling ]
[ Chattering, Laughing ]
[ Man ] I've got it. Thanks.
[ Woman ] I wanna see the archers.
[ Man ] How about a small wager?
[ Man #2 ] Ten dinars for the archer on the left.
Iolaus!
Juris! Good to see you!
Where's Hercules? Oh, you know, off being heroic.
Creating the stuff that legends are made of. He'll be along soon.
I hope so. The festival wouldn't be the same without him.
Looking for Electra? No.
She here? Yeah, and she's looking for you.
Really? She wants you to meet her cousin.
Whoa! Ah-- Two against one?
Okay. Oh!
I give up! I give up! Hey! Hey! Watch it!
Hey! You little--
Boys, it's time for bed.
Oh. Aw!
Now kiss your father good night and go wash up.
Good night, Father. Good night.
Good night, Father. Good night, boys.
Sweet dreams.
Good night, Mom. I'll be in in a minute.
Okay.
Along with everything else, I'd forgotten how much I miss my family.
You're very good with them.
They're good kids. Well, they should be.
They're your sons. Yeah.
[ Chuckles ]
Is anything coming back?
You know, I-- I won't lie to you.
You know, I have -- I have this sense, you know?
This feels...
good and warm and natural,
but every time I think back,
all I can see are blank faces.
There's no rush. It'll all come back.
We have plenty of time. Yeah.
Your move. Thank you, my queen.
It's working, Lonius. I can feel it.
When the sun strikes the Hera stone on Equinox Day...
and Hercules pledges his loyalty,
he'll do whatever we want.
With a leader like Hercules, Gorgos would be ours for the taking.
Forget Gorgos! We'd rule the peninsula within a year.
[ Groans ]
My lady, may I have a word?
In private.
What is it? You look troubled.
I can't go through with this.
Why? Does Hercules suspect something?
No, nothing.
It's just that he's...
nice, decent.
It's not fair.
And was it fair that Milius was taken from us...
on the eve of Kastus's greatest victory?
No, but I sense in Hercules a--
a longing for his own family.
To make him live this lie--
I'd worry about your own children.
What are you saying? You wouldn't--
It's a big castle, Kirin.
Accidents can happen.
Lonius, I appreciate your arranging this tour for me,
but do we really need all these bodyguards?
Uh, one can never be too cautious, my lord.
You have many enemies in the neighboring kingdom of Gorgos.
Why is that?
It's very complicated. Welcome home, Prince Milius.
Uh, betrayal, revenge. Goes back generations.
Sire. I'm still not comfortable with these... clothes,
or people bowing down to me.
I'm sure it'll grow on you, my lord, as your memory comes back.
- Hey, I know that man. - Come, my lord.
And he's not our prince! I saw him in Corinth once -- Shut up!
Why did he say that? Ah! Five years is a long time, my lord.
You know, you look different now. So don't we all, huh?
[ Chuckles ] You! You remember Prince Milius, don't you?
- Uh, I'm not sure. - You're not?
O-O-Oh, I mean, uh, o-of course I do.
It's just that, uh, without his beard -- My lord!
No, no. Please, please. Stand.
This way, my lord.
[ Chattering ]
I think we can get through here.
Ah! Damn. These alleys all look the same.
Just like old times, huh?
After them! Don't let 'em get away! Yes, sir!
What was that all about? Come on. I recognized one of 'em.
They were sent from Gorgos to assassinate you.
Let's get back to the palace.
Why so glum, Iolaus? You should be enjoying yourself.
Hercules should have been here by now.
[ Chuckles ] You're worried about Hercules?
If he can't take care of himself, who can?
Yeah, I guess. Yeah.
Come on. You're judging the grape-picking race.
No, I don't think so. Electra's in it.
Okay, uh--
When I start banging the drum, you all start picking the grapes!
[ Women ] All right! First one to the end, wins!
Everybody ready? [ Woman ] I'm ready.
You ready? [ Giggles ]
Go! [ Cheering ]
[ Man ] Come on, Electra! Show 'em how it's done!
Go, woman! My money's on you!
A kiss for the winner!
[ Woman ] Faster! Faster!
[ Iolaus ] You're gonna win! [ Laughs ]
And the winner is--
[ Giggles ]
So how did our little ruse work?
It almost didn't. This Hercules, he's better than they say he is.
We're lucky we didn't lose anyone.
But now he considers Gorgos his enemy.
Oh, yes. Good.
With a prince who can lead his soldiers by example,
the other provinces will fall like dominoes.
Okay!
Everybody ready for the grape-crushing competition?
[ Cheering ]
On your marks. Get set.
Crush!
[ Chattering ]
Come here, sweetie!
[ Giggles ]
Tell me something.
How did we meet?
It might help me to remember.
Well, um--
One day I was in a field picking flowers,
and, uh--
I looked up and there you were, staring down at me.
Hm.
You said that there was, um--
that you had never seen anything more beautiful than those flowers.
[ Laughs ]
I was -- I was shocked that a prince could talk to a commoner like that.
There's nothing common about you.
[ Laughs ]
You sent me flowers every day during our courtship.
Dozens of them.
You even scattered flower petals on our bed on our wedding night.
Is any of this coming back to you?
I get these glimpses, but--
I still can't see any faces.
Maybe this will help.
Kirin, you're very attractive--
and I-I-I feel you're a good person, but--
See, I'd rather wait, see, until I get my memory back.
Can you understand that?
Of course.
[ Labored Breaths ]
And, uh, the winner of the grape-crushing competition--
Iolaus! You'll never believe what this crazy old coot told me!
He said he saw Hercules dressed as a prince.
I'm telling you it was him. Plain as day.
I met him in Corinth years ago, and I know Hercules when I see him.
Wait, wait, wait. You saw Hercules? Yeah.
Where? In Kastus! In royal robes, no less.
And not enjoying it very much, if you ask my opinion.
They tried to shut me up, but, ah, they don't scare me.
[ Hercules, Children Laughing ]
[ Hercules's Voice ] Aeson, come here! Hey, Ilea!
Oh, no. Let's find your mother first.
[ Deianeira's Voice ] I love you.
Are you okay? Shh.
What a strange dream.
Dream about what?
I-- Nothing, nothing.
I think... I'll take a walk.
Maybe it'll clear my head.
[ Man ] Sire? [ Hercules ] Oh, no. Please.
Get up. Sire.
No. Don't. [ Man ] Did you see that?
[ Man #2 ] Yes. The prince himself.
[ Chattering ]
Excuse me. No, don't.
Do you-- Do you recognize me?
No, my lord. But I really didn't see much of you before you went off to the wars.
[ Man ] It's not our place to mix with the likes of royalty.
But you do remember seeing me before the war.
Do I look the same?
No, but you had a beard then.
Prince Milius! [ Sighs ]
[ Chuckles ]
We were looking all over for you, my lord.
You had the queen and your wife worried.
Well, I thought I might take a little unguided tour.
Not a wise choice without a bodyguard.
You never know when your enemies may strike again.
Let's have a drink. There's a tavern up ahead.
You really must be more careful.
Man! Excuse me.
Have you seen a guy, big guy?
Out of the way! Yes, sir.
This is the place, my lord. Ah.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
You told me you saw Hercules dressed like a prince.
I have been searching for him everywhere, and I still can't find him!
Have you tried the palace?
[ Mimicking Man ] "Have you tried the palace?"
Palace! Come on, Iolaus. Get a brain.
Off limits. Royalty inside.
That's no royalty! That's Hercules! I met him in Corinth once--
Oh!
Hey, what's going on here? Stay out of this!
Yeah, but--
Oh! About time you show--
What's... with the c-clothes?
I-- I think the little guy knows him.
I was afraid of this, my lord. I think we have another assassin.
Why is he purple?
Insanity? Birth defect? Who knows?
But I think...
you should get rid of him, once and for all.
Kill him, my lord. He's your enemy.
This doesn't feel right.
Escort this man to the border unharmed as a gesture of peace.
But, my lord--
He was sent from Gorgos to assassinate you!
You heard my wishes.
Do as your prince commands! Yes, sir!
Have them take him down an alley, and when he's out of sight,
have them kill him. Mm.
The streets are empty here. This is as good a place as any.
What is it now, Lonius?
I'm not so sure your prince will lead us into battle after all.
If you're still worried about the people of Kastus accepting him as their prince, then don't.
After the ceremony, it won't make any difference.
Oh, we have bigger problems than that.
What? He regained his memory?
Ha! Worse.
Instead of invading Gorgos, your Prince Hercules wants to make peace.
We just need one more day.
Once Hercules vows his allegiance to Hera, it won't matter what he thinks.
He'll be under her spell and do whatever she commands.
Thin firing slots in the armor...
make it almost impossible for spears and arrows to penetrate.
Who thinks up these things?
Ingenious, isn't it?
A combination of levers and pulleys can fire a spear through a house.
[ Man ] Fire!
[ Laughs ] Impressive, huh?
Uh, I -- I still don't understand why you'd wanna do this.
[ Horses Galloping ]
[ Man ] Something's wrong with the horses!
[ Man #2 ] Rein them in before we lose them!
What are you idiots doing?
Get back here!
Psst!
What are you doing here? I'm trying to figure out what's going on.
- Why did you hit me before? - Well, you were trying to hurt my friend.
- I'm your friend! - Why are you purple?
What does it matter?
You really can't remember who you are?
[ Sighs ] No, it's nothing.
That's crazy! Y-You're Hercules!
Son of Zeus. The slayer of the Minotaur, the Hydra, the--
I'm sorry, but that... doesn't ring a bell.
Okay. Okay. Okay. Uh, don't panic.
Uh, we gotta jog your memory. Um--
You remember the Cyclops?
No. The Stymphalian bird?
Stymph -- Mm-mmm, sorry. [ Sighs ]
Uh, Typhon, Echidna. Uh, Salmoneus.
Yeah? No.
[ Man ] Easy. Easy. Easy.
Come on. Come on. Get out of there.
Help get this fixed.
Hurry up and be careful.
We were all Argonauts. Remember?
[ Sighing ] I thought he was dead.
Get him! Come on! Let's go!
Yeah, so you were swallowed by a sea monster, then you were spat out!
And then you rescued a girl from a kitten that sounded like a monster!
And what about the time I got struck by lightning?
And you, you fell in love. And I could see the future.
And then you fought yourself when Proteus was disguised as you!
Only it wasn't you. It was it was this ugly, ugly... thing!
Because your mother taught you to be polite no matter what.
And so what happened--
Thanis had to come in and--
Oh, not again!
He's quite a storyteller.
Storytellers don't look like grapes.
This guy's crazier than a Harpy.
Oh, we should probably lock him up for his own good. [ Man Screaming ]
[ Grunting ]
[ Man ] Get him out of there!
[ Clamoring ]
Go on. Get back.
Get him out of there.
[ Man ] It's amazing. You--
You always were uncommonly strong, my lord.
I was?
Just one more night, my dear.
That's all. What about the purple man who says he knows him?
He won't live to see the morning.
My dear Kirin,
after the sun strikes the Hera stone tomorrow,
you'll be joined to one of the world's living legends.
And one day, after I'm gone,
you'll rule as king and queen,
a throne that eventually will go to one of your sons.
If you can't do this for me or yourself,
do it for them.
The same sons you threatened to kill?
These have been stressful times and sometimes I say things I come to regret, but--
you must know I would never ever harm my grandchildren.
Now, go.
Do what you must.
You've done wonders for the children.
They've really missed having a father.
I feel like there's been a lot missing out of my life too.
These are for you.
Oh, that's very sweet.
You say it as if I've never done anything like this before.
No, it's just that he-- I-I mean, you--
Y-You were never s-so -- so kind and gentle before the war.
The war must have changed you.
How could I have ever treated you differently?
I think I'm falling in love with you...
all over again.
I still can't recall our past.
But the way I feel about you--
I don't think I can wait until I do.
Then don't. Don't wait.
I could get in a lot of trouble for this, my lady.
Don't be insolent.
[ Gasps ] Who are you?
I'm Princess Kirin. Milius's wife. Why are you purple?
I like it. What do you want?
I wanna know about your friend.
Hercules? Why?
Because I'm in love with him, and I think he's in love with me.
Oh, great.
[ Kirin Screams ] Guard! Please come!
Put down your sword and open the door. Huh?
Okay, back. Back, back, back, back.
Now, don't make a sound, or I'll kill her.
What is going on here?
You behave or your princess dies.
- Who cares? - You pig!
You swine!
Come on!
He's gone. They must already be preparing him for the vows of allegiance.
Will Hera's priests be attending the ceremony?
Of course. Okay. Here's what we're gonna do.
I'm proud of you, my son.
You've memorized your pledge?
Yes, Mother.
My queen, the purple man has escaped.
Let's not take any chances.
Close off the ceremony to all outsiders. Mm-hmm.
Let the ceremony begin.
We gather once more...
to pledge our loyalty to Hera, our patron goddess,
and to thank her for delivering our Prince Milius back to us.
Today, my son will show his gratitude...
by vowing his allegiance to Hera,
asking for her guidance as he leads us in battle,
that we may vanquish our enemies.
My prince?
On this,
the first day of the autumnal equinox,
I vow my allegiance... to--
I vow my allegiance to-- Hercules, don't.
Remember Deianeira. Deianeira?
Your real wife. And Aeson, Klonus, and Ilea, your children.
My children.
[ Parnassa ] You see? It's too late.
Hera!
Kill them! Kill them all!
[ Man ] Get him!
Over here!
Get him!
Thermopylae! What?
One! Two!
Three!
That still works!
This is for the tavern.
And this is for the field.
And this is just on principle, friend.
You betrayed me!
[ Screaming ]
[ Lonius ] Queen!
Come on! With me! All right!
No!
The queen is dead!
Put down your weapons!
As your prince, I command you.
Come on. Very well.
Hercules, are you really back?
Yes, I am, Iolaus.
And you know what? You look good in purple.
[ Chattering ]
Hercules, wait! Wait for us!
Now, you two, you listen to your mother. She's the new queen,
and good princes obey their queen, don't they?
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Come on. Give me a hug.
Bye, Hercules. I don't want you to go.
I'll miss you.
Good-bye. Bye.
And we'll miss you.
I'm sorry this can't end differently.
It could if you wanted it to.
No.
You know what I do, what my life is about.
No, I know.
And I could never keep you from your destiny.
The world needs you too much.
Will you come back this way again?
I'll come back this way again.
I'll think of you always.
And I you.
Good-bye.
Are you okay? Yeah.
Captioned by Grantman Brown