Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Directed by Philip Sgriccia
This episode provides examples of:
- Ambiguous Situation: The episode is deliberately vague on whether Hercules was talking to Iolaus's ghost or if it was just a recreation from his own mind telling him what he already knows. "Redemption" would confirm it's the latter, though, as the flashbacks there show Iolaus immediately after his death.Hercules: This isn't real.
Iolaus: That depends on your point of view. - Armor-Piercing Question: As Hercules recovers from his first fight with Morrigan, he insists he still won't be helping Mabon.Hercules: Don't you get it?! I can't do this! I'm not who I used to be!
Mabon: Then who are you? - Big Damn Heroes: Morrigan doesn't intend to let being turned into a Druid stop her from slaughtering the lot of them, but Hercules arrives just in time to restrain her.
- Blood Magic: Morrigan performs a ritual that causes blood to fill her cup, which she then drinks from. Her next appearance will explain the purpose of this and how it affects her mind.
- Bittersweet Ending: Hercules still mourns Iolaus, but he's back to his old self. He's also saved the Druids and their worshippers, but now he'll have to figure out how to redeem Morrigan.
- The Chosen One: The Druids used their powers to ensure Hercules would arrive in Eire. The Celts subsequentially consider Hercules the one who will save them from Morrigan's brutality. It takes some time, but he ultimately succeeds.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: When one captured Celt refuses to talk, Morrigan kills him by ripping his heart out. Kernunnos says this is not an unusual occurrence.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Between Hercules's apathetic state and Morrigan's Super-Speed, she makes quick work of him during their first fight.
- Deadly Dodging: During the rematch, Hercules barely manages to dodge Morrigan's Super-Speed and cause her to crash into some brush. It gets a lot easier for him once he unlocks the power of illumination and can match her speed, ultimately causing her to crash into a stone and get knocked out.
- Despair Event Horizon:
- In his grief, Hercules shouts he no longer cares about stopping the gods from interfering with humanity and is not even bothered by possibly dying during the storm.
- Morrigan defeating Hercules hits the Celts hard. Kieran ultimately decides to tell Morrigan where to find Mabon in exchange for the safety of his family.
- Evil Counterpart: Morrigan to Hercules, possessing Super-Strength like he does but serving as a ruthless enforcer of her gods' will rather than as humanity's champion.
- Eye Scream: Morrigan alludes to doing this to Bronagh's sister before killing her.
- Family Eye Resemblance: A rather dark example, as Morrigan interrogates Bronagh.Morrigan: Oh, you are a brave one. I suppose it runs in the family. Your sister had the same fire in her eyes right before I cut them out!
- Foil: Bronagh to Hercules. He, too, suffered a painful loss recently when his sister was killed by Morrigan, but he remains committed to his beliefs and winning the struggle against the gods rather than succumbing to grief and inaction like Hercules has.
- Foreshadowing:
- Despite her brutality, Morrigan honors an agreement to spare Kieran's family in exchange for the information she wanted, hinting at how children are a soft spot for her. She also performs a ritual of drinking a special potion, which Mabon later suggests is affecting her mind.
- The Druid of Justice talks about how he is soon to die and warns his virtue will disappear if Hercules fails. He is actually planning on Morrigan becoming his successor by killing him, and he needs Hercules to keep her in check until she can be fully redeemed.
- Hercules is tasked with helping redeem Morrigan, setting up how he will learn more about her past and have to face Kernunnos.
- Go Out with a Smile: After the light show that happens when Morrigan stabs him, the Druid of Justice smiles before fading away.
- God Needs Prayer Badly: The reason why the Celtic gods want the Druids eliminated. The people of Eire had been denying them in favor of Druid teachings, so the gods sent Morrigan to enforce their will.
- Gut Feeling: The point of the first test. Hercules has to capture a runaway horse, which he is only able to do once he stops overthinking it and simply follows his instincts. Mabon says being able to do this can be vital in certain situations.
- Heroic BSoD: Hercules is a broken man after losing Iolaus, outright refusing to face Morrigan and telling the Celts to just roll over for their gods. Mabon's tasks help him overcome this.
- He's Back!: After his time in the cave, Hercules is back to his old self and ready to save the day once again.
- Hope Crusher: The reason why Morrigan picks the first fight with Hercules. She recognizes that he has no interest in the struggle, but she says the best way to break the onlookers' resolve is to beat their chosen one into the dirt. It works.Morrigan: I want the Druids! [kicks Hercules down] You can keep your chosen one.
- I Should Have Been Better: The crux of Hercules's guilt is how whatever good he did in the last two episodes still wasn't enough to save his best friend.Mabon: How can someone who champions mankind with all its faults be so unforgiving with himself?
Hercules: Because my mistakes kill people!
Mabon: But your triumphs save so many more. - I Warned You: Kernunnos cautions Morrigan that her anger will affect her better judgment. She ends up walking right into the Druids' gambit without realizing it.
- I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure: After cornering Mabon, Morrigan demands he lead her to the other Druids or else she'll slit his throat here and now. Mabon is unconcerned about any such threats, but Morrigan threatening to instead kill every man, woman, and child in her path gets his attention.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Morrigan kills the Druid of Justice by driving a sword into his chest.
- Innocently Insensitive: Bronagh when offering Hercules a place to rest, completely unaware of Herc's grief over recent failures.Bronagh: You'll need your strength.
Hercules: My strength is useless. - Irony: When Hercules deduces that the Druids knew Morrigan would become one of them, Mabon says the one who took justice away from the land is fittingly the one who should restore it.
- The Man Behind the Man: Kernunnos is the god giving Morrigan her marching orders. He cautions her on her sadism and alerts her to Hercules's arrival.
- Motive Rant: After walloping Hercules, Morrigan delivers one to the Celts that witnessed this fight, saying all this bloodshed would've been over and done with had they just told her where the Druids are hiding.
- Neck Lift: Hercules when interrogating a mook about where Morrigan took Mabon. The guy, however, doesn't know.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Hercules had no intention of helping the Celts and was perfectly content to leave the island quietly. Morrigan, however, picked a fight to make an example of the supposed chosen one and curb-stomped him. While this does rattle the Celts, her sparing Hercules's life just gives Mabon another chance to secure his help.
- Noodle Incident: Iolaus once tried to impress a woman with some cooking, only to somehow light her dress on fire. Hercules had to resolve the situation by throwing the poor woman into a nearby river.
- Not Afraid to Die: Bronagh says he has no fear of Morrigan's death threats, as he would simply see his sister again in that event. Morrigan passes on killing him just to deny him that satisfaction.
- Positive Friend Influence: Though blaming himself for Iolaus dying, Hercules is made to realize that he was this to someone who used to be a thief.Iolaus: I had a good life because of you.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: Some mooks ambush Hercules outside the cave and mock him as a failed chosen one. To their surprise, Hercules joins in the laughing, and they demand to know why.Hercules: Because I always have the last laugh. [headbutts the nearest mook]
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: At the Druids' hideout, Morrigan finds out lying on a slab.Druid of Justice: The cries of the dead surround you, child, but you do not listen.
Morrigan: Trust me, I'll listen to yours. - Sadist: Morrigan really enjoys hunting Celts and brutally interrogating them. Kernunnos, however, points out she enjoys it a bit too much, as she ends up killing one guy very quickly rather than making more of an effort to interrogate him. Morrigan also alludes to having performed Eye Scream on Bronagh's sister before killing her.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: The mooks after getting walloped by Hercules.
- Shout-Out:
- Hercules describes Mabon as a Munchkin.
- When Hercules asks what's in the cave, Mabon says only what he takes with him.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: As Morrigan tries to strangle Hercules.Morrigan: You shouldn't have come here, whoever ya are!
Hercules: [suddenly slips free] Haven't you heard? I'm the chosen one. - Super-Speed: Morrigan, which allows her to traverse great distances in her hunt and run circles around Hercules. Her being able to do this is attributed to the Celtic gods empowering her. Unlocking the power of illumination allows Hercules to do this, as well, and get the better of her.
- Thanatos Gambit: The Druid of Justice knew his end was coming. He wanted Morrigan to be the one to kill him, as her doing so would make her his successor. Mabon reasons the one who took justice away from the land is the one who will restore it. As for Hercules, his purpose is to rehabilitate Morrigan after the transfer rather than simply beat her like he would any other opponent.
- Torture Is Ineffective: Morrigan subjects Bronagh to water torture and threatens him with a slow death, if he doesn't reveal the location of Mabon. It fails because, as he says, he'll either live to continue his beliefs or be reunited with his beloved sister in the afterlife.
- Wham Shot: When Morrigan stabs the Druid of Justice, she is suddenly overcome with a surge of white light.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Young Mabon is the Druid of Knowledge and gives Hercules advice about loss and purpose.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: In the cave, Iolaus reminds Hercules of how much better his life was for knowing the half-god.
- You Kill It, You Bought It: Killing a Druid simply causes one to take on the position and power. Morrigan becomes the Druid of Justice, as a result, and she is pissed to find this out.
