Written by John Kirk
Directed by Rodney Charters
This episode provides examples of:
- Accidental Pervert: Salmoneus while commenting to Melanippe on how luxurious a bowl is. She was holding it in front of her chest, so you can guess what she thought he meant.
- All-Loving Hero: Melanippe is only interested in using her medical skills to help people, not make money. Salmoneus considers this sweet and proof of that she's led a sheltered life.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Aphrodite insists that doing anything about Palamedes dying is way outside her skill set.Melanippe: How can you just let him die like this? After all we've done to honor you? Please. Please, can't you bring him back?
- Bait-and-Switch: In his first scene, Augeas promises to free the suffering masses and allow them to live their lives. The camera pulls back, and we see he's addressing livestock.
- Berserk Button: Aphrodite is livid over her temple being rededicated to Hera.
- Break the Cutie: Melanippe over her father dying.
- Brother–Sister Team: Hercules and Aphrodite team up to restore Palamedes to life.
- The Caligula: Machus notes Augeas was always eccentric but in a harmless way, so the people indulged him. Recently, though, he got worse, came to think he's Zeus, and began actively brutalizing his subjects for the slightest wrong.
- Call-Back: Hercules justifies his plan by saying he's seen lightning do some very unusual things. On one occasion, Iolaus temporarily gained the ability to see the future after being struck by lightning.
- Continuity Nod: Salmoneus recalls how Aphrodite promised to rock his world.
- Daddy's Girl: While Hercules works out a plan, Aphrodite plays this up in order to keep Augeas from causing any further trouble. It works until Hera intervenes.
- Death Is Cheap: Palamedes is killed during the empowered Augeas's attack on Hercules. He's revived by the end of the episode, though it took some effort to pull off.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Salmoneus is positively certain that Aphordite is into him, likening the supposed relationship to how Charon wants coins. This gives Salmoneus the idea for a commemorative coin bonus to his current scheme.
- Everyone Has Standards: Aphrodite says Hera went too far in giving Augeas the powers of a god.
- Evil Laugh: Hera when arriving in the temple and when giving Augeas the power to kill Hercules.
- Facepalm: Palamedes over realizing he not-so-delicately vented his frustrations in front of an invisible Aphrodite.
- Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: Salmoneus hopes to score a deal on selling Augean Stable-brand manure and use Hercules's previous labor for promotional purposes. He later thinks to throw in commemorative coins as a bonus.
- The Gods Must Be Lazy: Palamedes and other locals feels this way about Aphrodite, feeling she's done nothing for faithful worshippers that have been suffering lately. Palamedes concedes she has more to concern herself with than just this one area, but he stands by his criticism.
- Godzilla Threshold: After all they've had to put up with, the locals get to the point where they ask Hercules to kill Augeas and say they'll do it if he won't.
- Hell-Bent for Leather: Aphrodite, as part of getting out of the electric cage.
- Here We Go Again!: After getting hit with the lightning blast, Augeas is in a far kinder and relaxed state of mind, but he also thinks he's Ulysses and fancies a lengthy cruise around the Mediterranean Sea.
- Hidden Depths: Aphrodite being so moved over Palamedes's death to the point of weeping. When it's all fixed, Hercules remarks he got to see her human side for once and liked what he saw.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Aphrodite is polite but reserved over Palamedes's death when talking to the others. In private, she openly weeps.
- Hope Spot: Hercules manages to get Augeas to calm down, but then Machus accidentally refers to him by his real name, thus setting him off again.
- It Will Never Catch On: During the climax, Hercules deflects a lightning blast and the arms on a statue of Aphrodite get shot off. Afterwards, Salmoneus scoffs at how two guys from Milo tried to sell him this armless statue of Aphrodite and insists it's worthless. Aphrodite thinks they should fix the statue, though Hercules kind of likes it this way.
- Just Following Orders: Augeas's men do as they're told out of fear he'll turn his wrath on them. As one of them says to Hercules, just because the king's not Zeus doesn't mean he still can't do them harm.
- Lampshade Hanging:
- "What is it with gods and sundown?"
- Salmoneus questioning Hercules's lightning plan.
- Lightning Can Do Anything: Hercules's plan to restore Palamedes is to have his body hit with a lightning blast. He reasons he's seen lightning do a lot of strange things. It works.
- Loophole Abuse: Hera can't kill Hercules herself without angering the real Zeus, but nothing can stop her from giving Augeas the power of a god and telling him what to do.
- Megaton Punch: The empowered Augeas punches Hercules through a wall.
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: Hercules gives Salmoneus a not-so-delicate nudge for staring at Aphrodite's breasts.
- Nerves of Steel: Aphrodite respects how Palamedes has the courage to tell an annoyed goddess to her face that she's wrong.
- Noodle Incident:
- Salmoneus notes that cleaning the stables is one of Hercules's famous labors.
- Aphrodite keeps Palamedes's soul from moving on by saying that Hades owes her a favor.
- Old Shame: Downplained In-Universe. Hercules doesn't regret cleaning out the stables, but he acknowledges how that's not the deed he wants to be remembered for (particularly when Salmoneus suggests immortalizing him on every sack of manure).
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Hercules has never seen Aphrodite weep over a mortal.
- Pet the Dog: Salmoneus consoles Melanippe in her grief and assures her that Hercules will fix this.
- Race Against the Clock:
- Aphrodite provides an aura that will keep Palamedes from moving on to the Other Side, but it will only last until nightfall.
- Hera tells Augeas to kill Hercules by sunset or permanently lose the power she gave him.
- Raised Hand of Survival: Palamedes after being revived.
- Sanity Slippage: Augeas is noted to have always been a bit off, but now he thinks he's Zeus. Others remark he was never as bad as he is now.
- Shout-Out: "Smokin'!"
- Stealth Insult: As Salmoneus bemoans his bee sting.Salmoneus: I need professional help.
Hercules: No argument here. - Talk to the Fist: How Hercules learns that Augeas has been granted the powers of a god.
- True Beauty Is on the Inside: Palamedes remarks that Aphrodite is a lovely woman because of what's on the inside. Hercules notes not many people ever bother to look past her physical appearance.
- True Companions: Palamedes and Augeas have been friends since childhood. He's always looked out for Augeas the way an older brother would. Melanippe adds the guy is practically family.
- Understatement: "I haven't been feeling like myself lately."
- Unwitting Pawn: Hera gives Augeas the power of a god and tells him to kill Hercules.
- Villainous Breakdown: After Augeas had been so confident and deluded about being all-powerful, the first confrontation with Hercules results in him accidentally being sent flying, leaving him battered and Covered in Mud (and, as it's a farm, possibly even worse than that). Hours later, he's still throwing a tantrum about it.
- We Need a Distraction: Aphrodite keeps Augeas distracted with "father/daughter bonding" time, while Hercules thinks up a plan. Hera lampshades it when berating Augeas for falling for it.
- Who Are You?: Augeas when Hera enters the temple.Hera: Why, Zeus, don't you recognize your wife?
- William Telling: Augeas subjects Machus to this. Luckily for Machus, Aphrodite arrives to distract him.
- Worth It: To short out the electric cage, Aphrodite pulls Machus in for a kiss. The shock is more than expected, and she asks if he's all right, but he remarks he's never felt better.
