Written by Gerry Conway
Directed by Michael Hurst
This episode provides examples of:
- Above the Gods: Odin and Thor display this attitude, believing that even gods like themselves can't overcome fate. Hercules, never one to believe destiny is set in stone, does everything possible to say otherwise. He ends up discovering that Loki cheated fate by using paint stolen from the Norn to force events into occurring the way they did, so he does the same to snap things back to normal.
- Achilles in His Tent: Even after being freed from the chains, Thor is uninterested in talking to Hercules or doing much of anything, due to his failure to protect Balder and the lost fight. Hercules accuses him of just whining at this point. He gets him back in fighting spirits by forcibly showing him that the Vikings need him.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Hercules tires of the Norn's cryptic hints and threatens to burn her book if he doesn't get some real answers.The Norn: I only paint what I see. What do you see, Hercules? What does the future bring?
[Hercules opens the book and doesn't like what he sees] - Batman Gambit:
- Loki has a special visor fashioned and, while posing as the Norn, claims to Odin that looking into it will tell him how he can prevent the third tragedy. Odin can't resist the tempatation, leading to the Eye Scream that is the third tragedy.
- When confronting Loki, Hercules says he knows how he used paint stolen from the Norn to affect fate and claims he got some of his own to do the same. Loki lunges at him and knocks the container out of his hand, spilling the paint on the floor. However, Hercules was bluffing, as he knew this would shake Loki up enough to go to where the stolen paint is hidden. Loki acknowledges every detail of this gambit, after Hercules takes the container right out of his hand at the hiding spot.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Loki fancies himself as the type who could conquer Earth. Though certainly clever, he lacks the strength and ability to back up his bravado. He consistently avoids facing a fellow Asgardian on even terms, particularly when his very angry older brother recovers Mjölnir. He ultimately loses in a straight-up fight with Hercules (who had his hands full when previously fighting Thor).
- Big "NO!": Invoked. At the palace, Hercules helps sell his deception by shouting this after Loki spills the container of paint.
- Bittersweet Ending: Hercules has successfully foiled Loki's plot, saved Balder's life, and reached an understanding with Thor. However, he's unaware that Loki had help in all of this and that that demon will be paying him a visit soon.
- Cain and Abel: Loki's Motive Rant makes it clear that he truly despised Balder for being their mother's favorite, adding more weight to them being the Cain and Abel, respectively. By contrast, Loki's animosity towards Thor is considerably less personal and arguably an afterthought, despite Thor more openly disliking him in the previous part. Loki kills Thor at the tavern, but more to prevent any further interference than anything else.
- Chained to a Rock: Thor's punishment during his exile. He fully expects some nearby creature to rip his liver out, which he considers a deserved punished for disobeying Odin. Hercules shows up to break the chains, just as a wolf was prowling around.
- Culture Clash:
- In the face of Hercules saying people don't need gods to live, Hilda tells him that might be the case in Greece, but not so in a land where it's constantly freezing and the Sun is rarely see. As she says, it's a daily struggle just to stay alive, so they need to believe in something bigger than themselves.
- Being a proponent of Screw Destiny, Hercules is also confused by Asgardians' consistent belief that fate cannot be challenged.
- Despair Event Horizon: The Vikings know that Ragnarök is in process and that their gods can't or won't help them, so most are content to abandon their faith and get drunk in what they expect to be their final moments.
- Didn't See That Coming:
- Averted. Odin isn't remotely surprised to learn that Loki got Balder killed and manipulated Thor into fighting Hercules.
- Played straight after the reset, as Thor is genuinely surprised and outraged that Loki would try to kill Balder.
- Dirty Coward: His treachery exposed and some very angry Asgardians ganging up on him, Loki uses Hilda as a human shield to secure his exit from the building.
- The End of the World as We Know It: Once the third tragedy is fulfilled and Gimler's Horn is blown, Ragnarök begins. Asgard is quickly reduced to an icy wasteland, with Odin and Frigga showing what happens to any who remain. Since mortals depend so much on the Asgardians, it's expected all the Vikings in Norseland will themselves soon die.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Hercules when he realizes he can set things right by spilling the Norn's paint on the drawing of Balder being impaled with weapons.
- Eye Scream: The final tragedy is a riddle referring to the dying of the light. It turns out to refer to Odin himself being blinded, which Loki ensures with a specially crafted visor.
- Face Death with Dignity: Before the dart's poison finishes him off, Thor is content, as all the trapped Vikings got to safety.
- Fainting: Hilda upon seeing Balder and Thor in the flesh.
- Foil: As in the previous part, Odin to Zeus. This time, we learn that Zeus and Odin share a refusal to show remorse out of fear of looking weak, but Odin still had actively stressed that his children should use their powers in defense of mortals (something Zeus decidedly never did with his own children).
- Heartbroken Badass: Hercules reasons that, deep down, Thor is angry at himself for failing to protect his little brother. Frigga appears to have suspected that, being more surprised by the idea of Thor admitting such a thing than anything else.
- Heroic Sacrifice: So that the Vikings can escape the burning tavern, Thor holds the ceiling up, which leaves himself wide open for a poison dart from Loki.
- Hidden Agenda Villain: Loki questions what his benefactor is hoping to get out of all of this. Dahak responds by grabbing Loki's face and angrily asserting that's none of his business. As demonstrated later, by playing it so close to the vest, Dahak has ensured that Hercules is completely unaware he was ever there.
- Hidden Heart of Gold:
- Despite Odin's bluster, Frigga knows he loves his children and secretly regrets any overreactions. He himself later tells Hercules that he had always told his sons about the importance of standing up for the weak.
- For all of Thor's anger and self-pity, Hercules quickly picks up on how he blames himself for Balder's death. Frigga is genuinely surprised that Thor would admit to it.
- Hope Bringer: Hilda tells Hercules that the Asgardians are this to the Vikings, due to the living conditions in Norseland.Hilda: Do you know what it's like when the Sun doesn't come up for months? It's so cold, your teeth ache from chattering. Every day's a fight to stay alive. Maybe we need something to believe in that's bigger than we are, like the gods. Otherwise, what have we got but the cold and the night?
- Hope Spot:
- Hercules thinks he can stop Ragnarök, if he simply figures out the riddle behind the third tragedy before it actually happens. Loki, though, already knows what the riddle means. He gets to Odin just as Hercules learns from the Norn's book what's going to happen.
- When Thor recovers Mjölnir, it looks like he and Hercules will double-team Loki and handily prevail. However, Loki set a fire in the crowded tavern and warns Asgardians are also dying back home, forcing the two heroes to split up.
- I'll Kill You!: When spotting Loki in the forest, Thor vows this.
- In the End, You Are on Your Own: Odin and Frigga die from the cold, whereas Thor is murdered by Loki. The only one left to aid Hercules is the Norn, and she can only provide him with hints about what to do. Hercules has to confront Loki alone.
- Ironic Echo: When confronting Hercules and Thor in the forest, Loki boasts that he's the one in the family who "got the brains" in contrast to Balder's heart and Thor's mouth. Later after Hercules takes the stolen paint from him, Loki realizes how he was tricked.Hercules: Well, what do you know? You did get the brains in your family.
- Irony:
- While observing gods and dead warriors marching, Odin reflects on how they're certainly not lacking in courage but are facing a threat that can't be overcome by that.
- After being blinded, Odin takes stock of the situation and his own behavior, quipping that he can now actually see things so clearly.
- Karma Houdini: Downplayed. After time is reset, Loki manages to avoid direct punishment for his attempt to kill Balder, but all of Asgard knows what he tried to do, with Thor explicitly promising to make him pay. Loki may not know it yet, but he doesn't have a benefactor to protect him anymore, either.
- Last Request: Odin requests Hercules tell Thor how proud he is of him.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler: As with Part 1, Dahak being The Man Behind the Man isn't confirmed until later.
- Love Is a Weakness: Frigga tells Hercules that the desire to be loved and to love others is simultaneously a weakness and a strength.
- Motive Rant: Upon hearing Frigga talk to Hercules about gods' capacity for loving others, Loki screams in frustration.Loki: ENOUGH! As if you ever loved anybody except your precious, little son Balder, you HYPOCRITICAL COW!
- My God, What Have I Done?: Implied. After Loki causes Odin to be blinded, Frigga is horrified and laments how her son could do this. She appears to think that her favoritism towards Balder (which she previously expressed guilt about) drove Loki to this, which his Motive Rant later confirms.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Hercules subjects Loki to one, as payback for all the chaos he caused.
- Noodle Incident: According to Loki, Gimler's Horn was pulled out of a Frost Giant's skull by Odin and then lost for countless years before he (Loki) found it.
- "Not So Different" Remark:
- While asking him to get Thor, Frigga talks to Hercules about the pride and anger of Asgardians.Frigga: My husband is a proud man. He thinks it's weak to show remorse. He's never understood that kind of weakness could be a strength.
Hercules: My mother once said the same thing to me about my father. - After Hercules says that Thor blames himself for Balder's death.Frigga: We gods are like humans, Hercules. We love and long to be loved. It is our weakness and our strength.
- While asking him to get Thor, Frigga talks to Hercules about the pride and anger of Asgardians.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Hercules when he sees Thor got hit by the same dart that killed Balder.
- Loki when Hercules shows him the Norn's container of paint.
- Parental Bonus: Hercules breaks chains forged by a god that were used to tie down another godly being, one who expected to have his liver ripped out by a nearby creature as punishment for going against the Top God. Prometheus would be pleased.
- Parental Favoritism: Deconstructed. Loki ranting about how Frigga favored Balder reveals his biggest motive for allying with Dahak.
- Pet the Dog: As Ragnarök looms, most of the Vikings have given up their faith. When one local gets pushed around for continuing to believe in the Asgardians, Thor comes to his defense.
- Reset Button: Hercules pouring the Norn's paint on the drawing of Balder being hit with weapons snaps things back to when Hercules was offered the poisoned dart. Remembering what happened originally, Hercules throws the dart aside and reveals Loki's plan to the assembled Asgardians.
- Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Hercules remembers everything after resetting everything. The Norn later bids him goodbye, suggesting she also remembers how things originally played out.
- Sadistic Choice: After Thor recovers his hammer, Loki appears to taunt him by saying he "accidentally" started a fire in the tavern. Loki asks who Thor will help: his loved ones in Asgard or the Vikings trapped in the tavern. Thor sends Hercules to Asgard and goes to help the Vikings himself.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: With Loki on the verge of losing, Dahak simply abandons him rather than risk revealing his presence to Hercules. He's already gone by the time Loki gets back to the hideout.
- Sink or Swim Mentor: The Norn knew exactly what Loki had done, but she was unable to directly interfere. She fed Hercules tips and cryptic warnings so that he would be able to figure it out and fix things himself.
- So Proud of You: Odin when told that Thor stayed behind to save the Vikings from certain death.
- Together in Death: Odin and Frigga freeze to death, during a final embrace.
- Understatement: After Odin is blinded.Loki: I love a good practical joke.
- The Unfavorite: Odin does not hold Loki in high-esteem, not being remotely surprised when Hercules reveals the guy's treachery. Loki doesn't seem to particularly care about that, though, as he's driven and enraged by Frigga's favoritism towards Balder instead.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Once things are reset and his treachery is exposed, Loki makes a run for it.
- We Are Not Going Through That Again: Though coy on the exact details, Hercules told Thor and Balder all about the paint that Loki had stolen from the Norn. He doesn't want a repeat of events once he's gone, so he made sure they got the paint back first.
- We Will Meet Again: After the reset, Loki manages to get away, but Thor promises to settle up with him another day.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Loki's Motive Rant has him condemn Frigga as a hypocrite. He truly believes that, for all her talk of love, she only ever showed Balder affection and actively shunned him.
- Worth It: While dying from the dart, Thor asserts that the Vikings are under his protection.
- You Are Too Late: Looking in the Norn's book, Hercules sees what's going to happen to Odin, so he races back to the palace. He gets there after Odin is blinded.
- You Can't Fight Fate: But only because Loki cheated by using the Norn's paint to force events to occur as he wished. The Norn even tells Hercules that fate can actually be what people make it.
- "You!" Exclamation: After recovering his hammer, Thor when spotting Loki in the forest.
- You Have Failed Me: Averted. Once it's clear that Loki has failed, Dahak simply leaves him to fend for himself rather than personally punish him. Evidently, he expects Hercules to undo all of these events, anyway, and he doesn't want to risk the exposure.
