Written by Paul Robert Coyle
Directed by Charlie Haskell
This episode provides examples of:
- Academy of Adventure: Hercules and Jason return to their old stomping grounds, but they find a bad element has corrupted Cheiron's teachings and turned the place into a hotbed of mercenary wannabes that brutalize anyone in their path. The two heroes, along with Iolaus II and Lilith, get it back in line with Cheiron's vision.
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: In the myths, Jason suffered arguably the biggest Downer Ending of any Greek hero, having been reduced to a traumatized beggar and ultimately killed by a piece of rotting timber that fell off the Argo. Here, as befitting his Adaptational Heroism, this version of Jason departs the series by taking over as the Academy of Adventure's headmaster, bonding with his daughter, and possibly rekindling his relationship with his First Love.
- Berserk Button: Zylus and his goons using Academy teachings to hurt people greatly angers Hercules. He calls it an affront to everything Cheiron stood for.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Zylus fancies himself as a ruthless mastermind capable of taking the world by storm. While not without smarts and fighting skills, he's still just an Academy cadet barely out of his teens and going up against far more experienced heroes (one of whom has Super-Strength).
- Blade Below the Shoulder: Zylus and his crew wear gauntlets with attached blades. They also fire arrowheads, allowing for long-range use, as well.
- Broken Pedestal: Tabor admits he actually used to think highly of Zylus before seeing his true character.
- Bus Crash: The episode confirms that Cheiron has passed on. When exactly is not said, but it was presumably recently, as Tabor was old enough to be on his own when it happened.
- Call-Back:
- Jason tells Lilith the circumstances of our Iolaus's death earlier in the season and how the Mirror Universe version crossed over.
- Zylus causes some dissention by drugging Jason. He gets under an unaware Seska's skin by citing Jason's drinking history.
- But Now I Must Go: Once Zylus and his crew are taken down, Hercules congratulates the cadets and announces he's stepping down as headmaster in favor of Jason.
- Casting Gag: Courtesy of the Young Hercules guest stars. Ryan Gosling is Herc's younger antagonist, and Jodie Rimmer is Lilith's daughter.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The hotheaded female cadet that the heroes meet upon arriving is Jason's daughter.
- Commonality Connection: Despite Tabor's standoffishness, Hercules can absolutely relate to a young cadet that struggles with father issues and looks up to Cheiron. Tabor ends up responding to the concern and trust that Hercules shows him.
- Continuity Nod: Iolaus II entertains the children by telling them of how Hercules fought the Sovereign.
- Cool Teacher:
- With Iolaus II struggling to get the younger kids under control, Hercules suggests he be this and make the lessons fun instead of a boring routine. Iolaus II's jester routine ends up winning the kids over.
- The good cadets hold this view of both Hercules and Jason. They're disappointed when the former steps down as headmaster but cheer when the latter takes over.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: After being retired for so long and being by himself after Alcmene died, Jason says returning to the Academy and meeting Seska have given new meaning to his life.
- Didn't See That Coming: Jason thinks nothing of Lilith greeting her daughter at the Academy. Then she tells him he's the father.
- Easily Forgiven: Despite his irritation over never being told about Seska, Jason doesn't lord it over Lilith, even being pretty mild in the scene after The Reveal.Lilith: So, we're still speaking?
Jason: We never stopped. - Everyone Can See It: Well, at least Hercules did. He says he always suspected that Jason and Lilith were more than friends.
- First Love: Jason refers to Lilith as such. Even though it didn't work out, she says that makes them linked for life.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Lilith talks about a specific bond that she and Jason have right before having to abruptly deliver the Wham Line.
- Foil: Zylus makes a decent show of pretending to be pleasant in order to mask his true intentions and ultimately reveals himself to be a petty, entitled brat with delusions of grandeur. Tabor, by contrast, is immediately antagonistic to the older heroes upon their arrival, but for all his issues, he's dedicated to keeping his father's dream alive.
- Foreshadowing: Seska expresses surprise over meeting the leader of the Argonauts and former king of Corinth. It turns out her mother told her all about him.
- Freudian Excuse: Lilith admits she wanted to spare Seska bouncing between two separate worlds because she struggled with an identity crisis for much of her youth. As Jason himself notes early on, Lilith was very angry when she first arrived at the Academy.
- Generation Xerox: Like her mother, Seska is a hotheaded Amazon learning the ropes at the Academy.
- Good Is Not Nice: Tabor starts out rather hotheaded and antagonistic, but that's just him dealing his own personal issues. He's firmly on the side of the heroes.
- Good Parents: Unlike other Amazons, Lilith was very forthcoming to Seska about her father and wouldn't have hesitated to arrange a meeting if asked. She goes through with the reveal now because she feels Seska, for all her apprehension, is finally ready to meet Jason.Lilith: She just doesn't have the words to ask for your affection.
Jason: She doesn't have to ask for it. - Got Volunteered: Iolaus II in regards to overseeing the Academy's youngest cadets.
- Grammar Nazi:
- After Hercules gives a speech introducing himself to the cadets as the new headmaster, Iolaus II points out several grammar mistakes he made. Hercules quips he just earned himself a teaching position.
- Hercules isn't above this, either, when Zylus confronts him during the climax.
Zylus: Looks like it's just you and I, huh?
Hercules: That's "you and me." You should've stayed in school. - Grass is Greener: After the drugging incident, Seska prefers to keep her distance from Jason rather than risk being humiliated again. While reminding her of the actual circumstances of what happened, Tabor convinces her to give Jason a chance by saying he'd give anything to spend another day with his own father.
- Guile Hero: As headmaster and a teacher, Hercules stresses the importance of using the mind to win fights rather than rely on brute force.
- Heroic Lineage: Seska is the daughter of Jason and Lilith, while Tabor is the son of Cheiron. Hercules points out that being Cheiron's son means that Tabor more than anyone else has an obligation to set a good example for the other cadets.
- Hypocrite: Zylus accuses Tabor of having a sense of entitlement towards the Academy, due to his father having founded the place, and yet Zylus is the one constantly insisting that he knows what's best for the place.
- Innocently Insensitive: Cheiron is said to have spoken fondly of Hercules in the years since the half-god graudated. For Cheiron, this was simply expressing how proud he was of a student that he was very close to and saw go on to bigger things. For Cheiron's son, it came off as an insulting comparison that made him question his self-worth.
- It's Personal: Hercules and Jason are determined to get the Academy back on track out of respect for their beloved teacher, with Lilith soon joining in. Zylus and his crew corrupting Cheiron's teachings deeply offends them.
- Lame Pun Reaction: As an ice breaker, Jason tries the old "Why is 6 afraid of 7?" joke. Seska immediately rattles off the answer in a frustrated tone. She remarks he needs to come up with some better jokes, which he agrees with her on.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler: Jason and Lilith having a daughter together was portrayed as a big twist at the time, but it's casually mentioned in supplementary materials on some of the DVD releases.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Unlike his adult self on this show, Young Hercules always kept his hair trimmed on his own show. Before getting punched out, Gosling's Zylus tells Sorbo's Hercules to get a haircut already, which the half-god ultimately concedes might be necessary. note
- Maybe Ever After: Lilith makes it clear she'll be dropping in on Jason from time to time purely for academic reasons.
- Mirror Universe: According to Iolaus II, his world's version of Cheiron was a Sadist Teacher that taught the Sovereign about the black arts and pushed him to be the conqueror that he ultimately became.
- Never Got to Say Goodbye: Tabor was in another region when he received word of Cheiron's passing.
- New Child Left Behind: Jason learns that the last night he spent with Lilith resulted in a daughter. He's not particularly thrilled that Lilith never bothered to tell him in all the intervening years, despite knowing exactly where to find him.Seska: [to Jason] Heads up, Daddio!
Hercules: Ah, they grow up so fast, don't they? Just seems like yesterday we didn't even know she existed.
Jason: That's very funny. - Noodle Incident: Jason attempted to reconnect with Lilith at some point after graduation, but the Telaquir Amazons were too hard to track.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Jason tells Lilith that, for all their differences, Iolaus II has the same heart as the Iolaus they knew.
- Older Hero vs. Younger Villain: Hercules vs. Zylus, much to the former's irritation when it's pointed out. As to be expected, experience ends up counting for more than youthful ambition.Zylus: You are well-past your prime, old-timer.
Hercules: Old-timer? - Our Founder: Hercules and Jason's graduating class arranged for a statue of Cheiron to be made as a goodbye present to him. It was placed in the courtyard.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: Tabor is itching to prove his worth, especially as he is the fully human son of a Centaur at said Centaur's school. Being in the presence of the half-god that his father often spoke fondly of intensifies this attitude.
- Papa Wolf: Jason punches out a thug that ambushed Seska from behind.
- Parental Substitute: Hercules fondly remembers Cheiron as someone he could always look to for support when he was still finding his way and longing to meet his actual father.
- Power of Trust: In trying to weed out the bad element, Hercules asks for Tabor's help. He has no proof that Tabor wasn't involved in the attack, but his gut tells him that Cheiron's son wouldn't take part in corrupting the man's teachings. He's absolutely right.
- Put on a Bus: In his final appearance, Jason becomes the new headmaster of the Academy of Adventure.
- Required Spin Off Crossover: With Young Hercules, due to the appearance of the full-grown Lilith and same sets.
- Sarcastic Clapping: Zylus in response to Hercules expelling him and his followers.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
- The previous headmaster. Upon learning Hercules was intending to pay a visit, he made plans to leave and let him take over. The nasty bruise on his arm gives Hercules a good idea why he's in such a rush to leave.
- With the final attack turning in the heroes' favor, two of Zylus's men opt to make a run for it. They end up stumbling into where Iolaus II took the children to hide and quickly get pelted with food.
- Secret Relationship: Jason and Lilith engaged in one at some point during their Academy days. Unbeknownst to Jason, it ultimately produced a child.
- Shout-Out: Given who the executive producer is, this was no doubt intentional.Iolaus II: [describing his class] They're the Army of Darkness.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Zylus balks at how Hercules and Jason (two of the Academy's most famous graduates) would dare presume to tell him how the Academy should operate. He gets to the point of denouncing Cheiron himself for having a different outlook on life.
- So Proud of You:
- Hercules when congratulating the cadets for defending the Academy.
- Hercules expresses certainty that Cheiron would be proud to have Jason take over as headmaster.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Jason was a young royal who had to step up as king sooner than anyone had expected, whereas Lilith wanted to keep being a member of a nomadic Amazon tribe in search of a homeland. Graduating from the Academy meant going their separate ways.Jason: I was never too busy for you.
Lilith: Our lives took separate paths, Jason, but there's a bond that we've always shared. - Stranger in a Familiar Land: Hercules and Jason find the Academy is much more rigid than it used to be, such as the padding being removed from training exercises. They intend to put it back on track, while leaving other changes (such as the younger enrollment age) in place.
- Straw Feminist: Averted. Lilith points out the Telaquir Amazons and similar tribes advocate women being self-reliant, not hating and oppressing men.
- Tactical Withdrawal: Hoping to prevent the old heroes from getting to the Academy, Zylus and some of his crew donned masks and prepared a sneak attack. With Hercules and Jason more formidable than expected, though, Zylus orders a retreat.
- This Is Gonna Suck:
- Hercules and Jason over the masked fighters using Academy moves on them.
- Played for laughs when Hercules hears Iolaus II finally lose it over struggling with the children.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: Except for the different hair, Seska is the spitting image of her mother.
- Wall of Weapons: Hercules finds the old music room has been converted to a storage area containing more weaponry than a standard army.
- Wham Line: "Seska, I want you to meet Jason... your father."
- What Happened to the Mouse?: While the episode addresses what happened to Lilith and Cheiron, it's never said what became of Theseus and Kora (two other prominent characters that were part of the main trio's inner circle).
