Written by Jerry Patrick Brown & Robert Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Directed by Charles Siebert
This episode provides examples of:
- Achilles in His Tent: After learning Zeus was manipulating him, Hercules storms out of Olympus and leaves him to fend for himself. Hercules ends up mulling all this over at Alcmene's grave and, having calmed down, notes he can't just throw his father out of his life. Apollo interferes to prevent Hercules from getting back to Olympus to help Zeus, but Herc later arrives to save the old man from Ares.
- And I Must Scream: Hera places Alcmene's spirit in burning agony, promising to leave her like that for all eternity unless Zeus surrenders his godhood.
- Armor-Piercing Question: "Do you really believe he brought you to Olympus just to help mankind?"
- Badass Boast:Apollo: I took you once before.
Hercules: [deflects his punch] I've improved since then. [WHAM!] - Batman Gambit: Hera alludes to Zeus lying about why he brought Hercules to Olympus, causing a falling out between father and son at a crucial time. When Hercules later contemplates trying to work things out with the old man, Apollo picks a fight and attacks innocent villagers. With Hercules distracted, Hera makes her play and overthrows Zeus.Apollo: He's one of your puny flesh and blood mortals now, a dried up old husk whose time is nearly gone. And you could've stopped it, too, if you'd been there instead of here.
Hercules: And how many of these people would be dead, if I had?
Apollo: [laughs] Well, that was kind of the point of it all! Who cares other than you? - Big Damn Heroes: Hercules uses his new powers to levitate a drowning man out of a lake and back to his grateful wife and daughter.
- Big "NO!": Hera after seeing Hercules hasn't fallen into the Abyss of Tartarus and again when being knocked into it herself.
- Bring It: Hercules and Ares just before fighting the old fashioned way.
- Brought Down to Badass: Even without his godhood, Zeus easily seduces a woman and beats up several people in a Bar Brawl.
- Brought Down to Normal: Zeus surrenders his godhood to Hera in order to save Alcmene's soul.Hera: You've always been so captivated by your pathetic mortals. Let's see how you like living as one of them.
- The Bus Came Back: Hera had been quite minimized this season, only appearing in the flashbacks to "Medea Culpa" and otherwise ignored in favor of Ares and other villains. Here, she's back with a vengeance.
- Call-Back: Iolaus mentioned in "Not Fade Away" that his mother had married a poet. He decides to look them up, leading to assorted family drama.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: A lot of suffering could've been avoided, if Zeus had been upfront about how he needed an ally against Hera instead of claiming he just wanted to mend fences with his son. Hercules's reaction makes it clear he would've agreed to help Zeus, despite their bitter history, but now he's just going to storm out of Olympus to spite him.
- Cruel Mercy: Hera insists she left Zeus alive for this purpose. Seeing him immediately end up with an attractive young woman causes her to regret this decision.
- Demoted to Dragon: Ares sides with Hera against Zeus and takes her orders without question. He doesn't mind since it gives him the chance to kill a father he dislikes and a half-brother he absolutely despises.
- Didn't See That Coming: Ares over Hercules being a full god and easily deflecting his lightning.Ares: Well, that is new.
- Didn't Think This Through: Zeus was so preoccupied with ensuring he would have an ally against Hera that it never occurred to him how easily Hera could stir doubts in said ally with the cold, hard truth.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Hera admits she was having difficulty figuring out why Zeus waited so long to bring Hercules to Olympus, until she realized that he didn't want to separate him from Alcmene.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Zeus scoffs at the idea that he's about to die, saying he's a god, only to remember mid-sentence that that's no longer the case.
- Fights Like a Normal: Since they'd just deflect blasts back and forth, Hercules and Ares opt for doing this during their fight at the tavern. Hercules narrowly wins.
- Generation Xerox: Ares justifies trying to kill Zeus by referencing the old man taking on Cronus, who in turn had stuck it to his own father.Ares: What can I say? It's a family trait.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Hera is infuriated that Zeus ended up in the arms of "a bimbo" almost immediately after becoming mortal.
- "Hell, Yes!" Moment: After Zeus surrenders his godhood, Apollo has this reaction because it means he gets to cut loose against Hercules and the village.
- I Gave My Word: After Zeus surrenders his godhood to Hera, Alcmene's spirit is returned to the Elysian Fields.
- Implacable Man: Hera when deflecting most of Hercules's punches.
- In the Blood: When Zeus calls him very stubborn, Hercules remarks he takes after Alcmene.
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Zeus says he can't think of anyone more deserving of the Elysian Fields than Alcmene.
- Irony: Zeus says that knowledge is power. Hera learns he genuinely loves Alcmene and exploits that in order to overthrow him.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Pandion keeps laying into Iolaus for neglecting Erythia all these years. Iolaus can't really fault his reasoning.
- Jerkass Realization: Upon learning of how Iolaus helped during Apollo's attack, Pandion apologizes for not giving him a fair shake. Iolaus admits he wasn't entirely wrong and says they can start fresh.
- Ladykiller in Love: Hera exploits how Zeus really fell for Alcmene.
- Last Request: At Alcmene's grave, Hercules notes it's been hard to honor her request that he reconcile with Zeus.
- Major Injury Underreaction: After the tavern collapses on him, Zeus is mortally wounded and feels awful, though not quite to the extent that a dying man would. He's apparently just that drunk.
- Mirror Character: Hera observes that she and Hercules have always shared a contempt for Zeus. Hercules won't give her the satisfaction of acknowledging that and later points out she took her rage against Zeus out on the entire world (something Herc certainly never did).
- Near-Villain Victory: Even with the powers of a full god, Hercules only just barely manages to defeat Hera and restore Zeus to the throne.
- Noodle Incident: Iolaus missed his mother's wedding day a couple years back because he and Hercules were off in Mycenae facing a fire-breathing monster of some kind.
- Opt Out: Barring Apollo and Ares, none of the other gods appear. While clearly not willing to help her directly, Hera notes that none of them are willing to help Zeus, either, so they're essentially doing this.
- Orcus on His Throne: Er, her throne. Like in past seasons, Hera has no problem directing others into doing her dirty work against Hercules. After Ares and Apollo are defeated, though, she gladly jumps off the throne and almost beats Hercules.
- Parental Favoritism: While Hercules and Ares are fighting it out, Zeus openly encourages the former to sock it to the latter.
- Plot Parallel: Both heroes are faced with heaps of family drama. Adjusting to be a god, Hercules grapples with a neglectful father and a very vindictive stepmother, with a couple brothers only too eager to get into it with him. Meanwhile, not sure what to do without Hercules, Iolaus struggles with his guilt over being distant from his mother and tries to reach an understanding with his stepfather.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Hera wants Hercules out of the way, but the first thing she tries is a simple offer of peace.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Hera when Hercules brushes off her offer of peace and insists they have nothing in common. It takes a moment for her to regain her composure.
- Related in the Adaptation: Apollo refers to Hera as his mother, whereas it's Leto in the myths. This was presumably both because Leto never appeared on the series and to justify Apollo and Hera teaming up against Zeus. Incidentally, by extension, this would make Artemis a daughter of Hera, as well.
- The Reveal: Zeus brought Hercules to Olympus in order to have an ally against Hera's attempt to take over.
- Revenge Before Reason: Averted. Hera is uninterested in picking fights with Hercules when she's poised to take over Olympus. She only resumes her hostility after Zeus is out of the way.
- Sadistic Choice: Hera forces Zeus to choose between surrendering his godhood or leaving Alcmene to burn in torment for all eternity. He chooses to give up his godhood.
- Say My Name: Hercules shouts Zeus's name after realizing he's been manipulated.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Hercules knocks Hera into the Abyss of Tartarus, trapping her there until the show's Grand Finale.
- Shock and Awe: Ares when trying to kill Zeus.
- So Proud of You: What Erythia tells Iolaus when he concludes his visit.Iolaus: I'm sorry it was so overdue. I just never thought—
Erytheia: Never thought I'd miss you? Never thought it would matter to me? You should have known better. You should know, I'm very proud of you. And when you were in trouble and couldn't find your way, I had faith in you. And you proved me right. - Status Quo Is God: Hercules returns to being a half-god and, though he says he wants Zeus to not give him special treatment anymore, the protection rule remains enforced in later episodes. On the other hand, Hera is written out of the series, though the impact of this is admittedly lessened by her having been Out of Focus this season.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Hercules and Ares fight "the old fashioned way" at the tavern. They trash so much of the walls that the building ultimately collapses.
- Talking to the Dead: After his fight with Zeus, Hercules ends up back on the farm and talking at Alcmene's grave.
- Tempting Fate:Man: Yo, Zeus, any more of your family stops by, we'll treat 'em right.
Woman: Yeah, like Hades or... or Ares.
[Ares blasts open the door to the tavern] - Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Hera insists that she sincerely loved Zeus and was only driven over the edge by his "fascination" for humanity. Hercules is dubious, but "Full Circle" would prove she was telling the truth.
- Villain Team-Up: Hera is being aided by Apollo and Ares.
- We Will Meet Again: After the fight at the village and explaining what's happened to Zeus, Apollo reminds Hercules that he's next on Hera's list.
- Wham Episode: Hera is defeated and imprisoned in the Abyss of Tartarus, removing the show's original Big Bad.
- Wham Line:Hercules: Did you lie to me so that I'd come up here and protect you against the other gods? Answer me!
Zeus: Yes, Hercules, I did. - Woman Scorned:Hera: Believe it or not, I once loved your father, and your father loved me, until something else caught his eye. As strong as our bond was, it couldn't compete with his "fascination" for mankind.
Hercules: Oh, please, Hera. You have never loved anyone but yourself. You couldn't stand to lose your power over Zeus, so you made sure the world felt your pain.
Hera: I wanted Zeus to understand what he had done to me. The world was incidental.
Hercules: Not to me! - Would Hit a Girl: Hercules has no problem punching Hera in the face.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Ares admits he really should've known Hercules would be there to interfere with his attempt to kill Zeus.
- You Owe Me: Zeus tries this, and Hercules immediately shoots that right down.Zeus: You've had my protection since you were a boy. You owe me the same.
Hercules: I owe you? You have permitted the greatest sorrows of my life. Where was your protection then? I owe you nothing!
