Written by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci
Directed by Michael Lange
This episode provides examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: Like a lot of adaptations, Arachne is given a Spider People transformation instead of just a tiny, normal spider.
- Adaptational Villainy: In most versions of the myth, Arachne was at worst just very arrogant and prideful. In this version, she's a vicious queen who murdered her own daughter for being more attractive, sadistically torments her prey, and schemes to regain her kingdom with an army of spider monsters.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Between Iolaus and Nebula, and she is only too happy to tweak him.
- Big Damn Heroes:
- Hercules arrives at the web just as Arachne is about to give Iolaus the Kiss of Death.
- With Hercules knocked into the lower chamber, Nebula swings in to knock Arachne away from Iolaus.
- With Arachne about to rip Nebula apart, Hercules gets her to back off by threatening to light the web on fire.
- Big "NO!": Arachne when Hercules holds up the shield and forces her to see her reflection.
- Big "WHY?!": Hercules after Nebula stabs Cercetes. He calms down after learning it was a Mercy Kill.
- Bond One-Liner: After Arachne gets roasted.Hercules: Well-done.
- Cruel Mercy: Arachne was so vain to the point of murdering her daughter, so her punishment was being transformed into an ugly monster instead of death.
- Dead Guy on Display: The bodies of Arachne's previous victims are all webbed up in the lower chamber.
- Due to the Dead: Subverted. Though Hercules often balks at desecrating the dead, he's fully prepared to light the web on fire. When Arachne points out what that'd do to the webbed up men, he points out they're already dead. Considering their current condition, burning might actually be an improvement, anyway.
- Dwindling Party: Arachne slowly picks off the crew that Hercules and Iolaus were traveling with. Nebula says the same thing happened to her own crew.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Hercules realizes how to win the fight when he spots a discarded shield.
- Everyone Has Standards:
- Zeus was so disgusted by Arachne murdering her daughter that he personally transformed her into a monster and imprisoned her on the island.
- Nebula deciding to go back to help rather than try to save herself.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: While Iolaus and Nebula are openly surprised to see Arachne in full, Hercules has more a look of disturbed realization. In the next scene, he reveals he had already heard about Arachne and how Zeus punished her.
- Flaw Exploitation: Hercules uses a shield to show Arachne what she looks like. She freaks in disgust and unknowingly backs away into the fire.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: Hercules alludes to Arachne having been very cruel to her subjects before she was transformed into a monster.
- Innocent Innuendo: Arachne admits she's so enjoying the fight that she could do this for days.Hercules: Sorry. You'll have to play with yourself.
- Karmic Jackpot: Since Nebula helped fight Arachne, Hercules says she gets to walk free while he returns the treasure that she stole.
- Karmic Transformation: The vain and cruel Arachne being turned into an ugly monster.
- Kill It with Fire: Arachne gets caught in the fire and is left to die.
- Kiss of Death: How Arachne impregnates her victims.
- Lame Pun Reaction: Nebula asks the webbed-up Iolaus if this is where he usually hangs out.Iolaus: Ha-ha.
- Lampshade Hanging:Iolaus: When the gods curse people, why can't they turn 'em into a gerbil or a hamster?
Nebula: Something we could drop kick. - Late-Arrival Spoiler: Arachne being the Villain of the Week is played as a twist. The episode avoids naming and depicting her in full until halfway in.
- Mercy Kill: As Bromius is abducted, Cercetes manages to hurt Arachne, and she responds by spraying him with her venom, mortally wounding him. As the guy begs for relief, Nebula gives him one of these. When called out for this, she responds she learned the hard way that the wound is fatal, as her first mate died in prolonged agony while she tried normal methods to treat him.
- Noodle Incident:
- Hercules and Iolaus had some unspecified adventure that left them needing to hitch a ride back to Greece.
- Nebula has tattoos indicating she's both been to the East and spent some time in a Spartan prison.
- Nothing Is Scarier: Arachne is initially portrayed this way, as we only glimpse her during attacks.
- Offing The Off Spring: Arachne murdered her own daughter for being more beautiful than she was.
- Orifice Evacuation: Arachne uses her captives to breed an army of spider monsters. The little babies come out through the mouth, which Iolaus witnesses firsthand.
- Sadist: Arachne loves the look on the face of a man that knows he's about to die.
- Sins of Our Fathers: Hercules and Arachne have heard of each other, but only one is happy to cross paths.Hercules: I can't say I'm pleased to meet you.
Arache: Oh, but I am pleased to meet you, Hercules. Son of Zeus, who cursed me with this form. You'll pay for your father's crime.
Hercules: What else is new? - Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: The crew giving Hercules and Iolaus a ride aren't exactly tight-knit, even when things are relatively fine, though the Captain has no trouble listening to Herc. Nebula is also quick to provoke Hercules and Iolaus, though mainly just for her own amusement.
- This Is Gonna Suck: "That is one big spider."
- Wham Shot: Arachne revealing herself to the heroes.
- What You Are in the Dark: After Iolaus is abducted, Nebula is content to take her chances braving the storm to reach the ship. Things had actually started clearing up when she decides to return to help Hercules.
- Who Are You?: Arachne when Hercules once again interferes with her, though it's Iolaus that answers the question.
- You Keep Telling Yourself That: Arachne claims she's spreading new life and true beauty. Hercules says she's fooling herself.
