Written by Paul Robert Coyle
Directed by Mike Devine
Iolaus and an alternate version of him switch places, with both people confused as to how they were switched.
Tropes
- Actually Pretty Funny:
- Ares over learning his counterpart is the god of love.
- Though Iolaus II's routine fall flat with Hercules and Ares, the Sovereign later remarks that the guy always makes him laugh.
- Iolaus attempts to make the Sovereign laugh by doing a jester routine. This fails, but Iolaus telling the guy to look into his heart prompts a belly laugh.
- Avenging the Villain: Iolaus is blamed by Ares for Gravus suddenly dropping dead. As the war god had big plans for Gravus, he intends to kill Iolaus as payback, leading to Hercules stepping in. Zeus breaking up their fight ultimately leads to the gateway being opened.
- Batman Gambit: The only way Hercules can get the gateway to reopen is if Zeus throws another lightning bolt, but in his current state, the old man could only be roused by Herc and Ares fighting again. With Ares unwilling to play along, Hercules forces his compliance by trashing his temple.
- Beard of Evil: The Sovereign, as to be expected in a Mirror Universe episode.
- Big Damn Heroes:
- Joxer II leads the rebels into the chamber, distracting the Sovereign from finishing Iolaus.
- Just as the Sovereign gets a hold of Iolaus in the gateway's tunnel, Hercules arrives to deck him.
- Big "NO!": The Sovereign, as the gateway closes with him inside.
- Blackmail: The Sovereign is having Zeus II poisoned in order to force Aphrodite II to marry him and make him ruler of Olympus.
- Bizarro Universe For both Iolaus and Iolaus II; both of the worlds they ended up in have familiar people acting the opposite of what they expected.
- Chekhov's Gun: Xena II's pendant is her favorite bauble, and it's also where she's storing the supply of Hind's blood.
- Daddy's Girl: Implied. Aphrodite is the one tending to Zeus in his weakened state.
- Dead Guy on Display: The Sovereign had rebel leaders gutted and stuffed as a reminder of what happens to those who oppose him.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": The Sovereign absolutely hates being called his real name.The Sovereign: My mother called me that.
Iolaus: Y'see, this is good. Go with this. Think of Alcmene.
The Sovereign: Alcmene? SHE ABANDONED ME! - Dramatic Unmask: How we learn the Executioner is Gabrielle's counterpart.
- Dynamic Entry: Both Aphrodites are keen on this, just in different ways. The mainstream goes for Incoming Ham by shouting loudly and diving into a puddle. The Other World version has a mook announce her presence before she struts in.
- Everyone Has Standards: For all his frustrations with Zeus, Hercules is disturbed by the prospect of him dying and says he had hoped there would've been time to work things out. He tells Aphrodite to assure the old man that he's going to fix this mess.
- Everyone Hates Mimes: Ares threatens to kill Iolaus II should he do any mime routines. Hercules has to restrain him when the jester does just that.
- Evil Counterpart: The alternate world's Hercules is evil and calls himself The Sovereign. Xena and Gabrielle also counts in this regard.
- Evil Laugh: Ares over the prospect of Hercules losing his little buddy and already having an identical replacement.
- Fights Like a Normal: Aphrodite II is only too happy to do this when facing Xena II.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Iolaus is very surprised to see the jester's face. We soon learn it's because he just saw his own face.
- Freudian Excuse: The Sovereign was abandoned by his mother at a young age.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: After agreeing to help Ares II, Iolaus tries to find the Sovereign's inner goodness that our Hercules has. The Sovereign casually executing a man that he had agreed to spare convinces Iolaus that the guy is evil and has no excuse.
- Friendship Moment: Iolaus is apologetic to Hercules for trying to kill the Sovereign, given how that would've meant his death, as well. Hercules is certainly glad it didn't come to that, but he doesn't begrudge him, due to the overall circumstances.
- Happily Ever After: Ares notes how much he hates when this happens.
- "Hell, Yes!" Moment: After getting past the Sovereign in the gateway's tunnel, Iolaus II starts laughing because he realizes what's going to happen when it closes.
- "Hey, You!" Haymaker: Joxer II when arriving into the wedding hall.Joxer II: Hey! [kicks a guard in the face]
- Hope Spot: After Iolaus is taken through the gateway, Hercules races after him, but it closes before he can get there.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Joxer II won't argue that the rebels can be brutal, but he says they do what they have to save the world from the Sovereign.
- I Lied: The Sovereign agrees to spare a prisoner if Iolaus can make him laugh. Iolaus does so, but then Xena II pouts about there not being an execution. The prisoner is immediately killed.Iolaus: You said you'd spare him.
The Sovereign: Oops. - Indy Ploy: With the assassination attempt a bust, Joxer II thinks up a new scheme by claiming to a guard it's just a distraction and offering to finger the real assassin. When the guard gets close enough, Joxer II knocks him out and takes the key to open up the cell.
- Innocuously Important Episode: The supply of Hind's blood would become crucial to the Dahak arc. It's used in the "Armageddon Now" two-parter by Iolaus to create the Hind's blood dagger, which in turn is used during the climax of the "Sacrifice" two-parter over on Xena: Warrior Princess.
- Lightning Can Do Anything: Including opening a door to a parallel universe.
- Little "No": The Sovereign when he realizes the gateway is about to close with him inside.
- Lovable Coward: Iolaus II.
- Love God: In the alternative world's case, this is Ares.
- Mirror Universe: But of course. The Other World is a place where Hercules is a brutal tyrant, Iolaus is his hapless jester, Xena is a conniving minx, and Gabrielle is a vicious executioner. Joxer is still a hero, but he's far smarter than the mainstream version and also hardened by the Sovereign's brutality. As for the gods, Zeus is still king, but Aphrodite is the prim and proper queen, Ares is the pacifist god of love, Hera is the goddess of music, and Cupid is the hotheaded god of war. Additionally, everyone is connected to their counterpart, so the death of one automatically means the death of the other.
- My God, What Have I Done?:Iolaus II: Oh, I'm such a spineless coward. I ran away from the only brave thing anybody's ever asked me to do. He's killing Zeus! And after that, it'll be the rest of world, save his followers, who will go on to create his master race.
- The Needs of the Many: What convinces Iolaus to go ahead with trying to assassinate the Sovereign, as countless people on both worlds will die if that monster becomes a full god.
- Obfuscating Stupidity:
- The Sovereign isn't as smart as Hercules, but he knew all along that the rebels had gotten his jester to attempt an assassination and simply waited to see if he'd actually try to go through with it.
- Xena II has a lot of bimbo-like qualities, but the Sovereign openly notes how she's always scheming. Iolaus acknowledges this during the climax.Iolaus: I noticed before. You're awfully fond of that pendant.
Xena II: Well, a girl's nothing without her baubles.
Iolaus: The Xena I know is a lot smarter than that. My guess? You are, too!
- Off with His Head!: Gravus II is executed this way, which kills the mainstream counterpart just before Iolaus can face him. A prisoner that Iolaus tried to save suffers similarly.
- Oh, Crap!: The Sovereign when someone who looks like him walks up and decks him.
- Omnicidal Maniac: The Sovereign's ultimate goal is to become king of the Olympians and slaughter every human on Earth barring his most devoted followers.
- Papa Wolf: When Ares is about to kill Hercules with a sword, Zeus hits him with Shock and Awe.
- Parental Favoritism: When Aphrodite scolds him for being content to let Zeus die, Ares remarks the old man always liked Hercules and her more.
- Preemptive Apology: Before attempting to knife the Sovereign, Iolaus whispers, "Forgive me, Hercules."
- Real Life Writes the Plot: Barely averted for this episode, but it led to another outing instead. Kevin Sorbo's health problems this season flared up just before this episode aired, so Paul Robert Coyle suggested editing the ending so that Hercules becomes trapped in-between worlds, as well, in order to help buy time for Sorbo to recover. Rob Tapert liked the idea, but the episode had already been sent out, so they couldn't make any changes. They did the "Armageddon Now" two-parter later in the season instead.
- Sadistic Choice: Iolaus is the only one with the opportunity to kill the Sovereign. If he performs the assassination, his best friend dies and his world loses its greatest hero. If he doesn't, the Sovereign will become a god and slaughter countless lives. The Needs of the Many wins out, though the Sovereign knew it was coming and was ready, anyway.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: The Sovereign is left trapped between worlds with a pendant full of Hind's blood.
- Shout-Out: "I am not a numeral! I am a free man!"
- Spanner in the Works: Iolaus II panicking and running away inadvertently saves countless lives. The Sovereign knew all along that he'd become the rebels' assassin and would've effortlessly stopped him. By running away and accidentally trading places with our Iolaus, Iolaus II caused the chain of events that brought about the Sovereign's downfall.
- Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace: Ares II does this when officiating the Sovereign and Aphrodite II's wedding, outright pleading for someone to say something. One guy does try to speak up, but he's immediately cowed by armed guards.
- Special Guest: Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer make appearances in this episode (albeit in their alternative selves).
- Take Over the World: The Sovereign's plan is to blackmail Aphrodite II into marrying him so that he can become king of Olympus and have the power to slaughter every last mortal that dares oppose him.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Subverted. The rebels urge Iolaus to assassinate the Sovereign during the wedding, but he's hesitant and not just because it'd mean Hercules's death. He's killed in self-defense before, but the idea of killing anyone in cold blood disturbs him. Joxer II manages to convince him of the stakes, and Iolaus reluctantly makes the attempt, only for the Sovereign to have known all along it was coming.
- War God: In the alternative world's vase, this is Cupid.
- Wham Line: "Zeus is dying."
- Wham Shot:
- The jester having Iolaus's face.
- Iolaus seeing the mooks work for Hercules's counterpart.
- Witch with a Capital "B": Joxer II shouts this, while fending off Xena II.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Hercules reminds Iolaus II of this before they run through the gateway.Iolaus II: I don't know if I can be a hero when I get back, but I'll give it a try.
Hercules: That's all any of us can do. Good luck, my friend. - "You!" Exclamation: Iolaus upon seeing the Sovereign is Hercules's counterpart.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!:
- Hercules over learning his counterpart is a heartless tyrant that kills at the drop of a hat.
- Ares openly laughs when told his counterpart is the god of love.
