While on their way to a festival, Hercules and Iolaus get attacked by bandits but defeat them easily. One of the bandits, Gnatius, runs away.
Hera is really angry with Nemesis, the Goddess of Retribution, for refusing to kill Hercules and other people she ordered dead. She punishes Nemesis by taking away her powers and turning her into a mortal human.
At a beach, people are throwing offerings into the water and making wishes to Hera. Gnatius walks up and pretends to be a blind beggar, but a man exposes him by throwing a punch at him that he dodges. After telling Gnatius to get lost, the man throws a coin into the water. A beautiful woman with dark hair and pitch black eyes forms out of the water and emerges completely naked. Amazed, the man thinks Hera granted his wish for a wife, but the woman punches him in the throat and kills him instantly, then takes his cloak to cover herself. As the other people run away, the woman walks off. Gnatius loots the man's corpse and asks to be partners with her. The woman asks if he knows where Hercules is. He does, and she says she must kill him.
Hercules and Iolaus are helping out at the festival. Iolaus complains that they are working instead of having fun. Hercules says it's the least they can do in exchange for the food and wine. Iolaus changes his mind when he notices some lovely ladies like hard working men. On the road, the woman beats up a group of people and takes a woman's black leather Xena-like outfit and boots, while Gnatius robs the others.
Nemesis is at an inn eating when the keeper points out she has to pay. A man pays for her and expects sexual favors in return. Disgusted, she challenges him to an archery contest. If she wins, she gets to keep his bow and arrows. If he wins, she'll be his. The target is the bottom link on a chain on the wall. Nemesis takes her shot but misses by an inch, shocking her that losing her divinity could degrade her skills that much. The man takes his shot and misses by a greater distance, so she leaves with the bow.
Nemesis arrives at the festival and meets Hercules, kissing him. The woman and Gnatius go to the inn and she starts guzzling ale after hearing it has water in it. The man who hit on Nemesis hits on her, but she beats him up and then beats up his friends, throwing them through walls. She is unaffected by their physical blows and when one stabs her, the wound bleeds water instead of blood before healing. Gnatius laughs and says Hercules doesn't stand a chance. When Hercules notices the people can see Nemesis, he becomes worried because normally, only mortals she is assigned to kill can see her, until she explains she is human now. She warns him that Hera has created a creature called the Enforcer to kill him. Outside the inn, the Enforcer steals a chariot and she and Gnatius ride toward the festival.
Hercules introduces Iolaus to Nemesis. Iolaus panics, thinking Nemesis is here to kill him, until they set the record straight that she is human. Hercules tells the two to get to know each other. The Enforcer drives the chariot recklessly and the chariot eventually breaks from the strain. Gnatius is mad that he almost got killed and tries to leave, but when the Enforcer says Hera sent her to kill Hercules, he stays, saying he's in the big leagues now. They ride on one of the horses together.
A woman who fled the inn when the Enforcer attacked rides into the village. She runs into Hercules and says that a monster is killing people and after Hercules, though she comically doesn't believe him when he says he is Hercules. He sets out to investigate and runs into the Enforcer on a cliff. When he realizes who she is, he says he's not going to fight a woman, but changes his mind when she hits him. They fight. While she's not as strong as him, she has plenty of strength, and incredible martial arts skills. He takes a beating, but manages to hurl her off the cliff, where she splatters into water on impact with the rocks below and flows into the sea. Gnatius, who was watching from a distance, laments that he bet on a loser.
Hercules returns to the festival and tells Iolaus and Nemesis that the Enforcer is dead. However, the Enforcer reforms her body from the water and Gnatius welcomes her back. Hercules, Iolaus, and Nemesis have fun at the festival, as Nemesis starts to enjoy being human, experiencing things she never did as a goddess. On the road, the Enforcer beats up a man and Gnatius tries to rob him, only to be disgusted to find he is a leper. The Enforcer gets fed up with Gnatius and throws him into a tree, where he gets stuck, and walks toward the festival.
That night, Hercules and Nemesis go somewhere and have sex. The Enforcer arrives at the festival and goes to the inn. Iolaus and a friend try to hit on her, until Iolaus realizes who she is. He tells everybody to run and fights her. She gets stabbed with a chair leg, but bleeds water and heals the wound. She beats him unconscious.
The next morning, Hercules and Nemesis are snuggling when a battered Iolaus staggers in and explains the Enforcer is still alive and made of water. Meanwhile, the Enforcer is beating people up and tearing apart stands, demanding to know where is Hercules. Nemesis offers to help fight her, but Hercules points out she could get herself killed. However, she sneaks away while Hercules and Iolaus are talking.
Nemesis shoots the Enforcer with a arrow which she heals from. She lures the Enforcer into a forge and tries to shoot her again, but the Enforcer breaks the platform Nemesis was standing on and she crashes to the floor. She is about to kill Nemesis when Hercules arrives. They both pick up swords and fight until they disarm each other and switch to hand to hand combat. After a grueling fight, Hercules manages to hurl her into the furnace, where she turns into steam.
Nemesis decides to go on her own and figure out what it means to be mortal, then kisses Hercules goodbye. Iolaus teases him on his goodbye kiss, and Hercules sarcastically says Iolaus must really be an expert on love, annoying him.
Tropes
- All Men Are Perverts: Iolaus grouses about having to help set up the festival instead of just having some fun, at least until he hears a woman in need of some manual labor.
- Amazonian Beauty: The Enforcer, as portrayed by martial artist Karen Sheperd, is muscular yet easy on the eyes.
- Better as Friends: Hercules insists to Iolaus that Nemesis is an old love who's now his friend. Of course, Hercules and Nemesis spend that night together.
- Brought Down to Badass: Though a mortal, Nemesis retains her archery skills.
- Brought Down to Normal: Hera punishes Nemesis for refusing her orders by stripping her of her godhood.
- Call-Back: Iolaus learns Nemesis once targeted him.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Nemesis observes that Hercules is always doing something for someone else, no matter the size of the deed. He remarks that's simply his nature.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Iolaus is on the receiving end of one from the Enforcer.
- Emotionless Girl: The Enforcer is consistently monotone, even when talking about killing Hercules.
- Healing Factor: The Enforcer's skin can be pierced by sharp objects, but she can easily heal such wounds.
- It's All My Fault: Hercules blames himself for Nemesis losing her godhood since he was the one who pushed her to stand up to Hera.
- It's Personal: When Hercules intends to face the Enforcer alone, Nemesis says she has a score to settle with Hera, too.
- Logical Weakness: The heat in the forge ultimately causes the Enforcer to evaporate, killing her.
- Murder Water: The Enforcer is described as being of the gods and is made of water. After learning the latter, Hercules remarks this is gonna be a challenge.Hercules: Water's the most powerful force on Earth. It can move mountains, sink continents.
- Not Quite Dead: Hercules is certain that the Enforcer is dead because he threw her off a cliff, but because she's actually made of water, she simply reforms in the ocean.
- Put on a Bus: Nemesis opts to head out on her own and see what life as a mortal has to offer. She is not seen again until "Two Men And A Baby" in Season 4.
- Ship Tease: After spending the better part of the episode flirting, Hercules and Nemesis spend the night together. And even though she leaves in the end, Nemesis suggests she may yet return to him, and Hercules says he likes that idea.
- Super-Strength: The Enforcer has strength on par with Hercules.
- The End... Or Is It?: After the Enforcer evaporates, the camera lingers on the droplets the steam is leaving behind, implying she might be alive. Nothing came of this though, since a later episode confirmed she was destroyed.
- Wouldn't Hit a Girl: During the first fight, Hercules tries to restrain the Enforcer and says he's not fighting a woman. A kick in the face that sends him flying convinces him to be more open-minded.
