Written by Kevin Maynard
Directed by Rick Jacobson
This episode provides examples of:
- Achilles in His Tent: Following their argument, Aphrodite is content to bail on the whole thing and leave Iolaus II on his own. After Nautica gets abducted, Iolaus II has to do some serious sweet-talking and begging to secure Aphrodite's help.
- All Men Are Perverts: Averted with Iolaus II, who is overwhelmed and uncomfortable by Aphrodite making some random woman aggressively fall for him. He says he wants love, not lust, which Aphrodite considers romantic and adorable.
- And I'm the Queen of Sheba: Iolaus II's reaction to Aphrodite telling him the truth about Nautica.Iolaus II: Yeah, right, and I'm a Centaur!
- Arranged Marriage: Triton was trying to get Nautica to marry a local squid, which is a big factor in her agreeing to leave with Discord. We later learn Triton was doing this because he hadn't been honest with Nautica about her role in maintaining the seas and was resorting to desperate measures to keep her home.
- Backhanded Apology: After yelling at Brutus for failing, Discord "apologizes" by saying it's not his fault he's so stupid. She adds he's well-endowed, saying it's the only reason she hasn't killed him already. Despite his general stupidity, Brutus sounds sarcastic when thanking her for saying this.
- Batman Gambit: Discord preys on Nautica's refusal of the Arranged Marriage and her desire for true love to get her to agree to leave home and be given legs.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Iolaus II wanted to know what it was like to fall in love, but he learns the hard way that not all love stories have happy endings. note
- Berserk Button:
- Iolaus II becomes enraged over the thugs laughing at the transformed Nautica.
- Aphrodite says she will be telling Poseidon all about this attempt to freeze his ocean. It's acknowledged that he'll react in such a way that Discord won't want to be anywhere near the water.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Brutus is quite hammy and not very intelligent, but he's still a strong guy with a temper. He almost kills Iolaus II on two separate occasions.
- Big Damn Heroes: Aphrodite intervenes before Discord can blast Iolaus II.
- Big "SHUT UP!": Discord in response to Brutus interrupting her Backhanded Apology.
- Bittersweet Ending: Iolaus II has to say goodbye to the love of his life, but he has become a more confident and effective hero in the process.
- Bring It: Ahead of their brawl.Aphrodite: You want a piece of me, Elvira?
Discord: What are you gonna do, love girl? Shower me with hearts?! - Brought Down to Normal: Discord gives Nautica legs, but Nautica's later inability to see Aphrodite demonstrates she was made fully human and not just experiencing mild shape-shifting.
- Cat Fight: Averted. Despite the obligatory cat sound effects and revealing clothing, the fight between Aphrodite and Discord is portrayed as a rather brutal and bitter affair. Outside of brief hair-pulling out of frustration, the fight consists purely of full-on punching and kicking, with some head-butting thrown in for good measure. Discord even tried to clobber Aphrodite with a chair.
- Continuity Nod: Iolaus II is initially bashful around Aphrodite, due to her Stripperiffic outfit. He alludes to how Aphrodite II was prim, proper, and very layered when saying, "I'm not used to seeing so much of you."
- The Cutie: Nautica. Discord remarks such complete innocence made it so easy to make her an Unwitting Pawn.
- Daddy's Girl: Despite arguing with him about the Arranged Marriage, Nautica is hesitant to defy her father and later hopes he understands why she left.
- A Day in the Limelight: The only one for Iolaus II.
- Designated Girl Fight: Justified. By virtue of being goddesses, Aphrodite and Discord could easily crush anyone else on hand and are only on equal footing with each other.
- Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Discord yells at the gang for failing to capture Nautica the first time around. When Brutus says that's rather hurtful, one of the mooks stands up for him by talking back to Discord. She responds by frying that guy. She then asks if anyone else has something to say to her, and they're all too scared to make a peep.
- Dramatic Irony: Iolaus II frets about having to tell Nautica the truth about his supposed heroism in the market, completely unaware she has a big secret of her own and is worrying about how he'll react to it.Iolaus II: Nothing will ever change the way I feel about that.
Nautica: Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that. - Dumb Muscle: Brutus and his gang are this for Discord. She looks visibly annoyed over them sticking to failing tactics while fighting Iolaus II.
- Evil Is Hammy: Brutus is as hammy as he is violent. He's arguably a forerunner to when the same actor played a pirate that really hates creampuffs.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: After Triton explains the situation, Aphrodite knows where to find Nautica and realizes this is all the work of Discord. She says she knows how to fix everything before realizing that doing that means breaking Iolaus II's heart.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: With Iolaus II so hapless against the thugs, Aphrodite uses her powers to take control of his movements and make him a force to reckoned with. The townspeople cheer the bandits being driven off, but Iolaus II is left moritifed.Aphrodite: Oh, buck up, little camper. They think you're a hero.
Iolaus II: Yeah? Too bad I know I'm not. - False Friend: For the sake of the plan, Discord plays up being interested in helping Nautica achieve her quest to find true love. Nautica is crushed to learn that Discord was manipulating her the whole time.
- A Father to His Men: Brutus is livid about his men getting beaten up. He wants to pummel Iolaus II for that reason alone.
- Faux Horrific: Justified. For humans, a market selling fish is a mundane sight. For a mermaid freshly given legs, it's a truly horrifying experience, especially when she recognizes one of the fish on display as a cousin.
- Fights Like a Normal: Rather than try to zap each other, Aphrodite and Discord simply punch, kick, and head-butt each other. Discord only waves from this after the fight goes on too long and not in her favor.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: The first instance of this between Aphrodite and Discord, and it's far more intense than Aphrodite's previous rivalries with Athena and Artemis. They not only constantly trade insults, but they gladly engage in a brawl.
- Godiva Hair: Nautica post-transformation only has this for covering.
- Guile Hero: During their training session, Hercules stresses fights are often won by a person outthinking an opponent rather than by relying on brute force. Iolaus II later opts for guile tactics when facing multiple bandits at once.
- "Hey, You!" Haymaker: Discord is about to roast Iolaus II, but then Aphrodite suddenly grabs her wrist.Aphrodite: Now, now. Let's keep this fight fair. [decks her]
- Hidden Depths: Aphrodite proves to be quite the Cute Bruiser when she wants to be. Discord's no slouch, either.
- I Take Offense to That Last One: During their argument, Aphrodite blows up after Iolaus II insults her wardrobe.
- I Warned You: On the beach, Iolaus II warned Brutus that his shoes were untied. Brutus thinks it's the classic sucker-punch trick and says he ain't falling for it. Iolaus II says he tried right before Brutus trips and lands face-first into a puddle.
- Idiot Ball: The spell to give Nautica legs explains why she was unable to see or hear Aphrodite, but there was no reason for Aphrodite to not make herself visible when catching up to the lovebirds after talking to Triton. It's just to ensure that Iolaus II steps away long enough for Nautica to be abducted by the gang and annoys Aphrodite into temporarily bailing.
- Invisible to Normals:
- Aphrodite allows Iolaus II to see her, but not others, leading to some confused glances as he seemingly talks to thin air.
- While having legs, Nautica can't see or hear Aphrodite. Though this normally isn't the case for any offspring of gods, this is actually in line with Season 3's Golden Hind arc, where Hercules agreeing to give up his powers meant he could no longer see gods if they didn't want to be seen.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Having not appeared on this show since "One Fowl Day" last season, Aphrodite observes it's been a long time since she saw Hercules.
- Love at First Sight: Nautica falls for Iolaus II the second she sees him.Nautica: What a catch.
- Loves Me Not: While waiting for Iolaus II to get back, Nautica does this with a daisy. She gets grabbed by the gang before she can finish.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After she's swam away from home, Triton has this reaction over not being honest with Nautica about her role in maintaining the seas.
- Naked People Are Funny: After being given legs, Nautica loses her Organic Bra and only has Godiva Hair for covering. It takes her a moment in the market to realize that people wear clothes and that onlookers are staring at her. She quickly grabs whatever clothing she can find.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Lampshaded. When Iolaus II questions why Discord would even gain by freezing the oceans, Aphrodite points out what the woman's name is.
- The Needs of the Many: Iolaus II and Nautica go their separate ways so that the seas will be preserved.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown:
- Aphrodite delivers one partway in to her fight with Discord.
- Iolaus II gives each of the thugs one for laughing at the transformed Nautica. Even Nautica gets in on it by slapping Brutus around with her tail.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Nautica tells Iolaus II that she's from a place that's a whole world away, felt like a slave, and is trying to start a new life. The Sovereign's former court jester says he can certainly relate to all of this.
- Obligatory Joke: In this mermaid episode, Discord balks when told that it was Iolaus II, not Hercules, who beat up the thugs.Discord: The court jester? Please! He couldn't hit water if he fell off a boat. There's something fishy going on around here.
- Odd Friendship: Bubbly Aphrodite is very tight with Poseidon, who had previously been shown on Xena: Warrior Princess to be a rather cantankerous and spiteful antagonist.
- One-Man Army: Thanks to People Puppets, Iolaus is able to wipe the floor with the gang of thugs. One of them describes Iolaus II as this while retreating. Iolaus II gets the chance to do this for real during the climax.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted. This Brutus is in no way to be confused with Caesar's right-hand man.
- One True Love: Iolaus II and Nautica are both looking for this, ultimately finding each other.
- Organic Bra: Nautica while a mermaid. It matches the color of her tail and disappears when she's given legs.
- Our Mermaids Are Different: This episode goes for the Splash method, as Nautica is given human legs and told she'll revert if hit with water, which occurs during the climax. This appears to have been Discord messing with her, as it's not an issue in Nautica's next appearance when Aphrodite is responsible for the transformation.
- Our Sirens Are Different: Triton uses three of them to summon Aphrodite to his cave with their singing. Aphrodite remarks they're like an annoying dog whistle and demands they shut up.
- People Puppets: With Iolaus II out of his depth against the thugs at the dock, Aphrodite takes control of his movements and ensures he wins.
- Pet the Dog: Aphrodite encourages Nautica to go easy on Triton, saying he's just a dad that loves his kid.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: As the thugs laugh at the transformed Nautica.Iolaus II: Hey, that's my girlfriend you're laughing at!
- Properly Paranoid: After Triton explains why Nautica must return to the sea, Aphrodite remarks she knew that Discord was up to something bad.
- Race Against the Clock: Poseidon gifted Nautica with a pure heart that literally warms the seas. If she doesn't return home before sunset, the seas will freeze. Discord knew this, which is why she gave Nautica legs.
- Rage Breaking Point: Brutus and the other thugs laughing at the transformed Nautica prompts Iolaus II to fight more viciously.
- Sadly Mythtaken: Triton refers to Poseidon as his brother, but he's Poseidon's son in the myths. Triton is also portrayed in human form instead of as a merman, though this is in line with the show saying full gods like him can take whatever form they wish.
- Sheltered Aristocrat: Justified with Nautica. She's the mermaid daughter of a prominent god and has never left home before. She is in total awe of the surface world, as well as not prepared to actually live in it (although due to customs like wearing clothing and people's penchant for fishing rather than haughtiness). It's also later revealed that her presence is what keeps the oceans from freezing over, which is why Triton tried to keep her so sheltered.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: Pretty much all of Aphrodite and Discord's interactions.Discord: Skip town, Sister, before things get ugly.
Aphrodite: Oops, too late. Have you looked in the mirror lately? - Star-Crossed Lovers: Iolaus II falls for a mermaid that can't leave the ocean without causing the waters to freeze by sundown.
- Stripperiffic: Iolaus II is rather stunned by Aphrodite's attire, to which she remarks it's because she likes to travel light. During a later argument, Iolaus II tells her to put on some clothes already.
- Superman Stays Out of Gotham: Hercules departs during The Teaser to help people during a mudslide, leaving the inexperienced Iolaus II up against Brutus and his gang of thugs. Aphrodite is around, but she just keeps Discord in check, leaving Iolaus II to handle the mortal villains by himself.
- Surrounded by Idiots: Brutus and his gang are pretty dimwitted, annoying Discord to no end. She has to walk Brutus through a very simple 3-step plan, and he still struggles to grasp it.
- Tender Tears: Aphrodite when Iolaus II says goodbye to Nautica. Returning in the last scene, Hercules remarks it looks like she had done a good bit of crying.
- Took a Level in Badass: Iolaus II in time for the climax, as he takes on the gang of bandits singlehandedly.
- Understatement: When Hercules asks how his day went, Iolaus II says he did a little of this and a little of that.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Discord only departs when Aphrodite says she'll be telling Poseidon all about this little scheme to freeze his oceans.
- Visual Pun: The promiscuous Discord gets covered in a net filled with a certain type of marine life.Aphrodite: Looks like you got a nasty case of crabs.
- Unwitting Pawn: Nautica is just the means for Discord to wreak havoc on mankind by causing the oceans to freeze.
- We Will Meet Again: Discord says the best part about being immortal is having the opportunity to try again.
- Weak, but Skilled: Though lacking his mainstream counterpart's experience and training, Iolaus II is able to use his acrobatic skills and other guile tactics to beat Brutus and the other thugs.
- What Could Possibly Go Wrong?: Hercules would actually prefer Aphrodite leave Iolaus II alone altogether, saying that would keep him out of trouble. Aphrodite asks this in response, giving way to the next scene where Discord manipulates Nautica into leaving the ocean.
- What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Since he has the ear of the goddess of love, Iolaus II asks Aphrodite what it's like to be in love, as he's never experienced that before. Her attempt to help is to make a random woman fall for him, which leads him to stress he meant love, not lust.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Having already spent some time with the goddess of love, Iolaus II initially thinks Nautica is only expressing interest in him because of Aphrodite's powers rather than genuine Love at First Sight. He's thrilled when Nautica has no idea what he's talking about.
- "You!" Exclamation: Aphrodite in response to Discord head-butting her.
