In my humble opinion Kevin Sorbo was the best version on Hercules ever put on celluloid film. With the story being a tv series, there was more time to get into depth regarding all of the main characters and story achs whereas 2 hour movies usually can only focus on one or two main characters and nobody else.
Gina Torres, Michael Hurst, Kevin Sorbo... this is an excellent cast! This is why this show was so successful! The tone would change from episode to episode but the cast (actors and directors) was so versatile and well put together that made these stories shine!
When I first saw this episode, I literally became a ball of tears. A heroic action, from a true friend, like Iolaus, to save the life of another, by sacrificing his own. I still bawl like a baby every time I see this. No greater love....
I remember this epsiode when I was a kid! I know I screamed with Herc. Iolaus was my favorite charcter! Even when brought his twin from the other dimension it wasn't the same! I sooo miss this show on Sunday afternoons! This, Xena, and Beastmaster. Lost World on Saturdays!
@jakedizzle Actually if you watched Revelations, it is the same Iolaus. But I remember Iolaus 2, he was from another dimension and was more of a court jester. He tried too live up too the original Iolaus, but he wasn't a fighter. He fell in love with a mermaid.
Just got the entire boxset of hercules now I am going though it now but I was a big iolaus fan and wen this aired I was heartbroken wen he died so I ve got this to come
I have a vague memory of seeing this on TV here in Finland back then. They are airing Xena again, but thanks to my bad memory and busy life, I've missed several seasons... I love both of these shows.
When I was a kid, I was so sad about Iolaus' death, I remember asking to my father ''why did he have to die, daddy' and he told me cus his agent got him a good part in the next summer's blockbuster movie.
@Underworldisis1 Earlier in this episode, we see that Sumeria is suffering from terrible calamity. While Gilgamesh may have originally meant well for his people, he (to mix our metaphors) turned to the dark side and made a deal with the devil (Dahak). Throughout the series, we see that many of those whom Hercules respected/admired/trusted eventually fell prey to moral weakness.
I never realized how cheesy Hercules and Xena was when I was a kid. I mean it's weird how differently you see things as a kid. Still love both shows though, for nostalgic reasons of course
I was a kid when both of these shows originally aired (I was born in Nov. 1990), but I didn't watch them at the time (I didn't really get into watching television until about 2002-2003ish with Charmed). Just this past June, I spent 3 weeks of the month watching all of Xena, its 134 episodes plus the 6 crossover episodes in Hercules on Netflix. I actually really love the show! So even being without a nostalgia factor while watching it now at the age of 23, I still think its a pretty great, especially when considering it's from the mid-late '90s. I actually find it better than a lot of shows that came out several years/decades after it & even a lot of shows on aire today. Hercules on the other hand, I just can't get into at all; I could barely watch the 6 episodes just to see Xena in them. :/ I don't know, that show just had a different feel to it that I can't really explain. I think it's that Xena was more practical with its physicality (barring a few excepts, like a handful of her large flips) than the over-the-top-ness of Hercules always playing up his strength as a demi-god. Personally, from what I saw between the two shows, was that Lucy Lawless put a lot more of a heavy effort/strain behind her movements, facial expressions, & emotions when hitting someone or when getting hit by something than Kevin Sorbo did, making punches etc. look more realistic during fight scenes (by physics standards). That, and I thought Xena had way better writing than Hercules. Interesting parallel, I had watched an interview where I think it was one of the creators that talked about the viewing demographics of both shows and they noted that Hercules had appealed to more of a younger/child viewership & that Xena had appealed to more of an older/young adult viewership.
And he dies again when the servant of hera fought him and Hércules called Hades to help him, Iolaus met again with his father in the hades, Hércules had to team up with the water servant of hera to resurrect Iolaus
@Janiqua This is the first episode of Herc's fifth season, which is contemporary with Xena's fourth season. In theory, at this moment Xena is in Siberia searching for Gabrielle's spirit in the land of the Northern Amazons (Adventures in the Sin Trade eps)
@jakedizzle I was just about to post the same sentiment. Iolaus and Hercules' friendship was fun and humor filled... but it was also the 'heart' of the show.
Dang that was like a brother to him :( :(, he was brave man and a good one. Btw I LOVED Herc in this, he wasn't an overcocky jerk who bragged bout his overpowered champion greatness(well least thats how he was in God of War 3 and the Roman/Greek stories) he was really kind hearted here and did stuff NOT to show off but because he loved people and wanted to protect all of them ;). THAT'S how a true hero should be, NOT some uncaring o if it wasn't for having to put on a moral show I wouldn't prot-
What you say is uncorrect... For the ancient greeks, heroes were brave men willing to give their life to protect the polis (city). It was the condition for being a citizen. The antique Hercules is selfless, yet in search of his godhood. Don't let a contemporary interpretation of "what a hero should be" cloud your perspective on the subject.
The preceding series Hercules doesn't know what he's doing and doesn't know where to go. A journey he goes alone. Till Iolaus was brought back to life.
If you watch the season, it took a whole lot of work and emotional journey to bring back Iolaus. If you watch Season 5, it won't seem that way. You have my word ;).
@FlyingMonkies325 The first half of season 5 was actually the continuation of the Dahak story arc from Xena and it was far better than Xena's part of the story. We saw Hercules travelling across Europe and getting involved with Sumerian, Celtic and Norse mythologies with Dahak himself being from Zoroastrism, the Persian religion. It was the highlight of the season and one of the highest points of the entire show. Dude, there's even an episode where Hercules fights Thor and stops Loki from bringing the Ragnarok!
I'm pretty sure this is where the series jumped the shark, since they decided to keep Iolaus dead. I must admit, I just saw this episode myself, and I'm calling the series shit after seeing it. Iolaus was my favorite part... his interactions always kept the series goofy and funny. Even worse was the fact that they typecast Tony Todd. They tapped into that wonderfully cynical side of his that's so funny... then they turned him into a demon. Yeah, okay... doesn't help Nebula is a faux action girl.
Jumped the shark? This was the highlight of the series! This was the beginning of a storyline in which Hercules travels around Europe and interacts with other pantheons, like Norse, Celtic, Sumerian, and Persian.
yeah iolaus will not come back the real one,something evil.even the real life if you try to bring someone from the dead it's a risk that a bad version of the person will come.
This came as such a serprise... Iolaus dying to save Nebula... I have always loved Iolaus with Niobe better. Miss this show. Here in Belgium there are always reruns of Xena, but never Hercules reruns. It´s been such a long time since it was last on tv
Yea it seems quite corny and wooden now as compared to when I was a kid when I basically idolised Hercules. But the show doesn't really take itself more seriously than it should so its still thoroughly enjoyable and can be motivating I find and as you say much better than the stuff these days when they seem to put the shows on for the sake of putting them on.
Iaolus came back from the dead later, like numerous times before, before the series ended with the episode where Hurcules stops Zues by having to kill him.
@TheNewRiflemanBob I think Hercules went to another dimension and met a different Iolaus. I think it was after he became a god. It's been awhile. Everything was the same, but it wasn't the Iolaus that went through trials and tribulations with Hercules. Since we went on that journey it felt different. It's Iolaus but it's not the same.
@kobi005 you're absolutely right kobi! Hercules is better than Xena, don't forget that Xena was born as a spin-off from Hercules, and in my opinion xena reveals the faces of war, instead Hercules battles monsters, and is much more exciting... especially in the five season :)
this was hercules at the shows best I think. The only time the sucked was when his tryed to comtey. The only bad part of this storyline. Was that Hercules didn't cross over with Xena. The storyline this start on Xena. And they jumped the shark when they broght back Iolaus.
Im trying to find the series intro...not the movie intro...just the basic series one with the lyrics and all...yet it seems to not exist on youtube anymore. Anyone got a link to it?
