Recap / Atlantis S 2 E 9 The Gorgons Gaze

Tears stream down the face of Cassandra, the new Oracle, as she consults with the gods. Melas asks Cassandra what she saw, and Cassandra says that the gods are outraged, and that Atlantis will never be at peace until the rightful heir is recognized. Pasiphae dismisses this omen as a lie and orders Cassandra to be arrested. Returning to the palace, Pasiphae discusses this prediction with Cilix and Medea. If word gets out that the gods are against her, Pasiphae’s claim to the throne will be weakened, but Cilix slyly points out that Cassandra’s prediction didn’t specify who the true heir was, so Pasiphae could force Ariadne to renounce the crown and recognize Pasiphae as the rightful Queen. Then, Pasiphae could have the priests claim that the prophecy has been fulfilled.Pasiphae offers Ariadne her freedom in exchange for her oath of allegiance. Ariadne refuses to give the throne to Pasiphae, and Pasiphae has the guards drag Delmos away to be tortured.

As the heroes rest in Medusa’s lodge, Pythagoras tries to persuade Jason not to go rushing back to Atlantis until they can come up with a plan to help Ariadne. He says that they will do whatever it takes. Medusa overhears Pythagoras as he talks.The next morning, Pythagoras sees Medusa sitting alone. When he talks to her, Medusa tells Pythagoras that she feels she is damned by the gods and that now everyone she comes into contact with is doomed to suffer too.

Nestor, the only free soldier still loyal to Ariadne, speaks to her in the dungeon and she tells him to try to find Jason at the hunting lodge.

Hercules sees the depressed state Jason is in and urges him to eat to get his strength back for their next rescue attempt.

Hercules: When I lost Medusa, you were always telling me “Keep faith, be strong.” You were right. Still can’t believe…to sleep with her in my arms again is more than anything I could have dreamed of. You and Ariadne are destined to be together. Like me, you will find happiness. I believe that. But to win out, you must endure. The gods will test your courage and perseverance and to face that you will need all of your strength. To save her, you may need to tear down walls, mountains even, and you can’t do it feeling like that.

Hercules then throws a playful punch at Jason, and Jason instinctively blocks it. Hercules smiles to see Jason’s sense of hope come back.

Nestor finds Pythagoras and Medusa, informs them of what is happening in Atlantis, and tells them that Ariadne desperately needs Jason’s help. Medusa says she thinks she knows of a way to save Ariadne, but she makes Pythagoras promise not to tell the others the full details.With some difficulty, Medusa helps convince Jason and Hercules that Pythagoras should return to Atlantis to find out what the current situation is.

Melas visits Cassandra in the dungeon. He tells her that to be safe she will need to tell Pasiphae what she wants to hear. Melas despairs as he thinks about the damage his treachery has wrought, but Cassandra says he must have faith that the gods will understand why he did what he did.

Pythagoras prepares to return to Atlantis. Jason tells him that if he can get a message to Ariadne, he should let her know that Jason still loves her and will come for her soon. Hercules tries to lighten the somber moment by asking if Pythagoras can bring back a flagon of wine.

Pythagoras: Good idea. And perhaps a small pie? (He and Hercules embrace)

Hercules: Don’t do anything stupid.

Pythagoras: So not the flagon of wine?

Hercules: No, just the pie.

The last one to see Pythagoras off is Medusa, who tells him to be strong and not be afraid.

Bruised and bloodied, Delmos is thrown back into Ariadne’s cell. Delmos begs her never to submit, no matter how Pasiphae tortures him.

Pythagoras sneaks into Atlantis under the cover of night and sees guards patrolling the streets and many bodies hanging from gibbets. He goes to Daedalus and Icarus and tells them he needs to get into the temple of Poseidon to retrieve Pandora’s Box. To get into the temple, Daedalus, Icarus, and Pythagoras disguise themselves as lepers and hide themselves amongst a group of lepers going to the temple to pray for a cure. As the soldiers stop the group and inspect each leper one by one, Daealus creates a distraction by using one of his inventions to set off an explosion. In the confusion, Pythagoras runs into the temple and finds the box. As he turns to go, he is seen by Melas. Melas is about to call the guards, but Pythagoras calls him out for the destruction caused by Pasiphae, which was made possible by Melas’ treachery. Pythagoras tells Melas that this is their last chance to save Atlantis. Melas changes his mind and shows Pythagoras a safer way to get out of the temple.

Goran tells Pasiphae about the explosion at the temple, and she orders that all the perpetrators be strung up as an example of what happens to those who defy her rule.

Ariadne sobs as she attempts to tend to the badly beaten Delmos, who has remained loyal to the very end. Ariadne hastily dries her eyes as Pasiphae approaches. Pasiphae again asks Ariadne to renounce the throne, but Ariadne refuses, and Pasiphae kills Delmos before her eyes.

Pasiphae: Defy me again, and you will be begging for such a swift death.

With Icarus’ help, Pythagoras gets out of Atlantis and makes it back to the lodge. Medusa again tells Pythagoras not to reveal her plan to Hercules or Jason, because she has already made up her mind, even though it will cost her life.

Pasiphae has Ariadne chained up and tortured by Medea.

Medusa puts a sleeping drug in Hercules’ stew and tells him that she loves him. Hercules soon falls asleep while Medusa can’t hold back her tears. She then explains her plan to Jason: she is going to turn back into a gorgon so that Jason (who is immune to her gaze) can use her head as a weapon to defeat Pasiphae and save Ariadne. Jason rejects this plan since he doesn’t want to sacrifice Medusa, but Medusa says she can’t live with what she has done, and the only way to be free of the gods curse is for her to die. She takes the box and leaves for a cave, telling Jason to come find her. Jason is about to wake Hercules up to stop this from happening, but Pythagoras seizes Jason and tearfully tells him there is no other way.

In the dungeon, Pasiphae holds the exhausted Ariadne in her lap and asks if she has anything to say.

Ariadne: (weakly) I wish for my people to know that I have come to a final decision. One that I hope they can understand. I declare that there is only one true Queen of Atlantis—and it is not you.

Pasiphae: It’s alright. We’ll start again tomorrow. It’s only a matter of time.

Jason enters Medusa’s cave and sees that she has become a gorgon again. He still can’t bear to go through with it, but she begs him to kill her for all their sakes. Jason walks out of the cave with Medusa’s head in his hand.

Hercules wakes up and soon learns from Pythagoras that Medusa is dead. Hercules weeps inconsolably.

Jason enters Atlantis. With Medusa’s head, no soldier can stand against him without turning to stone.General Goran rushes to Pasiphae and tells her what is happening. Pasiphae tells Goran to keep the other soldiers away from Jason while she deals with him herself. Pasiphae is immune to the gorgon’s gaze, but Jason soon disarms her and has his sword at her throat. Before Jason can kill her, Pasiphae tells him that she is his mother. Jason knocks her unconscious, but still can’t bring himself to strike the fatal blow. Medea confirms that Pasiphae is Jason’s mother and explains to Jason that he, like her and Pasiphae, is touched by the gods, which is why he is so special.

Jason goes to the dungeons and frees Ariadne, giving her a blindfold to protect her from Medusa’s gaze. The two of them walk out of Atlantis together.

Tropes

• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Ariadne doesn’t seem to have any scars or bruises after being tortured, though she is covered in dirt after spending several days in a dungeon. Possibly justified, since Medea used magic to torture her.
• Cannot Tell a Lie: Cassandra is unable to lie as Oracle, though it’s not clear if this is for religious reasons or if she is literally incapable of telling a lie.
• Cassandra Truth: Played with. Pasiphae dismisses Cassandra’s predictions for political reasons, but knows that her words are true.
• Death Seeker: Medusa feels this way after killing the Oracle.
• Exact Words: Discussed by Melas, who tells Cassandra that the best way to stay alive as Oracle is for her to word her prophecies very carefully so that Pasiphae won’t be offended by them.
  • Cassandra's prophecy about the true heir allows Pasiphae some wiggle room to claim the throne, since Cassandra doesn't say the name of the true heir. But the characters only consider Ariadne and Pasiphae as candidates for the throne, while the audience knows that the true heir could also be Jason, who is the son of Aeson, the rightful King before Minos usurped the throne.
• Forced to Watch: Pasiphae keeps torturing Delmos and then throwing him back in Ariadne’s cell so she can see the aftermath of his torture sessions. After killing Delmos right in front of Ariadne, Paisphae leaves his body hanging in chains in Ariadne’s cell to torment her even further.
• Heroic BSoD: Jason is going through another one after learning that Pasiphae took back Atlantis and he has no way to rescue Ariadne.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Medusa turns herself back into a gorgon and has Jason cut off her head in order to use her gaze as a weapon to defeat Pasiphae.
• It Has Been an Honor: Medusa tells Hercules that she loves him, and she hopes he will never forget it.
• Luke, I Am Your Father: Pasiphae finally tells Jason that she is his mother.
• No-Sell: Jason, Pasiphae, and Medea are the only ones who can look at the gorgon’s face without turning to stone.
• Pietà Plagiarism: After torturing Ariadne, Pasiphae holds her this way.
• Shout-Out: Pythagoras says that they don’t even have “half a plan” to rescue Ariadne. In Robin Hood, one of Robin’s catchphrases was saying that he had “half a plan.”
• Single Tear: Jason sheds one while thinking about Ariadne. He sheds another one when he finds out Pasiphae is his mother.
• Taken for Granite: Several Atlantean soldiers who try to stop Jason.
• Villainous Crush: Medea tells Jason that they are drawn to each other because they are both favored by the gods, but Jason claims he feels nothing but hatred for her.
• Voodoo Doll: During Ariadne’s torture session, Medea seems to use one of these.