Recap / Atlantis S 1 E 2 A Girl By Any O Ther Name

A young woman runs through the forest at night, pursued by a hairy, ape-like monster.

Back in Atlantis, Jason and Hercules have been hired to guard a shipment of frankincense for a merchant. As Hercules takes his post, Jason goes to the temple of Poseidon to talk to the Oracle. Jason rants to the Oracle that he has no idea why he is supposed to be in Atlantis, and has no idea what this “destiny” he is supposed to have will be. The Oracle tells Jason that for his own safety he can’t know everything yet, but with time all will become clear.Hercules wakes up to be nuzzled by a goat. He fell asleep at his post, and the frankincense has been stolen. Pythagoras and Jason berate Hercules for his blunder when suddenly there is a pounding at the door. Instead of the angry merchant they were expecting, the heroes meet Itheus, an old man desperate for help from the men who slew the Minotaur. Itheus explains that his daughter Demetria is missing and he needs them to help find her. He can’t afford to pay them very much, but Jason is touched by the story and agrees to take the job.

With the help of the palace maid Korinna, Jason investigates the palace kitchens, where Demetria used to work. The two are spotted by Ariadne, but she lets them go, only telling them to hurry before someone finds them where they don’t belong. Korinna takes Jason to Celandine, the cook who was the last person to see Demetria. Celandine agrees to show Jason where Demetria went to fetch herbs.Celandine takes Jason into the woods, but tries to stab him in the back. Jason disarms Celandine, and demands to know where Demetria is. Celandine drinks hemlock and dies.

Jason takes the bottle of hemlock to Pythagoras and Hercules, who recognize the mark on the bottle as being a thyrsus: the symbol of Dionysus. Pythagoras tells Jason that the followers of Dionysus, known as Maenads, initiate young girls into a cult. Their temple is a place no man can set foot, for the Maenads have their monstrous Satyrs attack any intruders.

Meanwhile, the young woman from the forest is seen locked in a cell before being summoned to take part in a Maenad rite. As the Maenads chant, a man is clawed at and thrown into a pit full of monstrous satyrs.

Jason informs Itheus that Demetria has probably been initiated into the cult. Itheus is heartbroken and has a seizure. Refusing to give up, Jason resolves to investigate the temple of Dionysus. Hercules is aghast at this dangerous plan, but when the merchant comes knocking to find out what happened to the frankincense, Hercules realizes that now would be a good time to get out of town.

The three heroes head to the forest of Nysa. That night, Hercules takes the first watch. He is lured away from the camp by the sight of a mysterious woman, but when he draws close, the woman turns out to be a disguised satyr, which has led Hercules into a trap. The Maenads surround Hercules, but he manages to escape by knocking down a satyr. As he runs through the forest, Hercules is pulled down by the young woman from earlier. She tells him to hide. Cutting her own hand and putting some of her blood on her lips, the woman steps out to the Maenads and tells them that the intruder was killed and she drank his blood.

The next morning, Pythagoras and Jason find Hercules, who tells them what happened. Hercules speculates that the girl who saved his life might be Demetria, and they must save her. The heroes infiltrate the temple, but before long they are captured by the Maenads.

The woman who saved Hercules is seen in her cell, working on digging a tunnel. She is brought before the high priestess, who calls her out on how she lied about killing Hercules. The young woman says she will never be one of the Maenads, and the high priestess has her thrown into the pit of satyrs. Jason leaps down into the pit. The satyrs are afraid of Jason. Jason tells the woman that they were sent by her father, but she says her father has been dead for a long time. Her name is Medusa, not Demetria.

Pythagoras and Hercules are locked in a cell.

Medusa tells Jason she has been held captive by the Maenads for over 10 days. She has kept from being enchanted by their rituals with clever use of earplugs. When a Maenad comes to remove their bodies from the pit, Jason and Medusa escape and find their friends. Medusa leads them to Demetria, who has already been initiated, and Hercules knocks her out so they can carry her away.

The heroes try to escape through the forest, but the satyrs catch up with them. Demetria escapes, and the high priestess orders the satyrs to kill Jason, but to her amazement, they are too afraid to attack.

Jason: You should fear me as they do. I am Jason, slayer of the Minotaur. Demetria is to return to Atlantis with me.

High Priestess: It is forbidden.

Jason: Then I will slay you as I did the Earth Bull. I will tear down your temple and I will scatter your followers to the four winds!

The Maenads attack, but after Jason fights off three of them, they retreat. Demetria refuses to come back to Atlantis and threatens to drink hemlock if Jason follows her. The high priestess gets the drop on Jason, but before she can finish him off, Medusa stabs her in the back. The high priestess curses Medusa before she dies.

The heroes return to Atlantis and Medusa tells Itheus that Demetria has moved to Helios to be with her true love. She offers to take care of him in her place.Jason goes to the Oracle and asks what will become of Medusa. The Oracle is vague, but says that her destiny is connected to his, and his destiny concerns all of Atlantis. Jason demands more answers, but the Oracle only vaguely tells him that he is not like other men.

Tropes

• Arbitrary Skepticism: Hercules and Pythagoras tell Jason fantastical stories about the magical feats of the Maenads, but when Pythagoras mentions they can draw milk and honey from streams Hercules scoffs at such a “ridiculous” idea.
• Bait-and-Switch: The audience is led to believe that the young woman who is trying to escape from the cultists is Demetria. It turns out she is actually Medusa, and Demetria has already been initiated.
• Beardness Protection Program: Mentioned by Hercules as a possible way to escape their debts.
  Pythagoras: I’m not even sure I can grow a beard!
  Hercules: Then you’re on your own, Pythagoras.
• Dying Curse: The high priestess puts a curse on Medusa before she dies.
• I Gave My Word: Jason is adamant on bringing back Demetria, even when she’s been initiated as a Maenad.
• Let Them Die Happy: Medusa lies to Itheus that Demetria is all right to avoid breaking his heart.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Due to being a Fish out of Temporal Water, Jason is nervous when he thinks he recognizes the name Medusa from stories he has heard.
• Never My Fault: Hercules tries to persuade Jason and Pythagoras that they’re doing this to him by blaming him for losing the frankincense. It doesn’t work, since it actually is his fault.
• Our Monsters Are Different: The satyrs are portrayed as ape-like monsters, unlike the goat-men of mythology.
• Stop, or I Shoot Myself!: Demetria threatens to poison herself if Jason follows her.