John Schulian Movies

In this fanciful twist on Thelma & Louise, an experimental lab develops a beautiful female android called Mona Lisa (Laura Harris). Programmed to be a spy and assassin for the government, Mona Lisa escapes the lab, desperately searching for someone -- anyone -- whom she can regard as a friend. She finds an unexpected ally in Teddy (Rachel Ticotin), a hard-boiled woman who has spent her life steering clear of emotional involvement. Will the authorities catch up with Mona before she and Teddy can forge a lasting friendship -- or before Mona reverts to her built-in homicidal nature? "Mona Lisa" first aired on April 20, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While there had been a loosely-basted continuity during the previous five seasons of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys -- held together by the never-ending efforts of half-god, half-human Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his mortal friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst) to right wrongs and champion noble causes throughout Ancient Greece and the Known World -- Season Five was dominated by a single, basic thought line: Hercules' struggle to find purpose and meaning in life after the death of Iolaus, a struggle that would take him to strange, uncharted lands and a veritable legion of new and fascinating characters. Yes, it's true: faithful Iolaus is killed in the first episode of the fifth season. This, however, did not mean that actor Michael Hurst had departed the series. Instead, Hurst showed up in a variety of different incarnations: The demonic Dahak (a character whom Hurst had introduced on Hercules' companion series Xena: Warrior Princess); the campy "drag" character, Widow Twankey; and Iolaus II, the cowardly, buffoonish "alternate" version of the original Iolaus, who dwells in the parallel world first seen in the fourth-season episode "Stranger in a Strange World." As luck would have it, Iolaus II ends up relocating in the "real" world, where, newly emboldened, he strives to live up to the reputation established by his dearly departed namesake -- at least until another remarkable plot twist at the very end of season five. Getting back to Hercules, the heartbroken superhero, accompanied by pirate queen-cum-Sumerian princess Nebula (Gina Torres) (a character introduced in one shot during season four) is brought back as Iolaus' grieving sweetheart, trying vainly to bring Iolaus back from the dead. When this fails, he turns his back on Ancient Greece and heads to goodness-knows-where. His first stop is on the island of Eire, where he confronts -- and reforms -- a surly Druidic demigod named Morrigan (Tamara Gorski). He then travels to Asgard, land of the Norse gods, where he manages to prevent the End of the World -- with a little help from the mighty Thor (Ben Reed).

It is then back to Sumeria, thence to Corinth, and finally the aforementioned parallel world, where Iolaus II becomes part of the weekly action. That character takes prominence in the season's penultimate story arc, wherein Iolaus II falls in love with Nautica (Andrea Dotchin), the mermaid daughter of ocean god Triton. Meanwhile, Hercules is unexpectedly reunited with his lost love Serena (played by Sam Sorbo, wife of series star Kevin Sorbo), who obviously wasn't quite as dead as she seemed back during season four. Though virtually each and every fifth-season episode picks up where the previous episode left off, there are a handful of amusing self-contained stories. In "Genies and Grecians and Greeks, Oh My," larcenous supporting characters Salmoneus (Robert Trebor) and Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) find themselves in possession of a magic lamp inhabited by a beautiful but klutzy genie. And "For Those of You Just Joining Us," like season four's Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules," takes place in the present, focusing on another creative crisis plaguing the production staff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. As before, the series' semi-regular actors are seen in modern costumes as the long-suffering producers, writers, and technicians, who this time are threatened with instant unemployment unless they come up with newer and better story ideas. And as before, star Kevin Sorbo shows up as himself -- in a manner of speaking. The fifth season of Hercules concludes with the spectre of Doomsday in the form of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. At the time, there were rumors that the series would be canceled, hence the ambiguity of much of the action in the climactic episode (especially regarding the "resuscitation" of poor Iolaus). Ultimately, however, Hercules was renewed for a sixth season -- albeit an astonishingly short one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and Iolaus (Michael Hurst) vow to rescue young Melina (Mandy Gilette) from the Cave of Echoes, from which no one has ever returned. Our heroes are assisted by a writer named Parentheses (Owen Black), who must first overcome his cowardice before venturing into the forbidding cave. Parentheses' redemption is helped along by Zeus -- not Hercules' immortal father, but a cute little kitten of the same name. When originally telecast, this episode brought the second season of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys to a close. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Iolaus (Michael Hurst) thought that his problems with the beautiful but deadly Enforcer (Karen Sheperd) were over when she was killed and carted off to the Other World. Now, however, he must contend with Enforcer II (Cynthia Rothrock) -- whose essence is fire, and thus is twice as dangerous as her water-essenced predecessor. So powerful is the "new" Enforcer that Iolaus is actually killed, but not before warning his friend Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) of the new threat to humanity. Hades (Erik Thomson), king of the Other World, dispatches the original Enforcer to help Hercules polish off her successor...but how can this bring Iolaus back to life? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While en route to a Winter Solstice festival, Iolaus (Michael Hurst) experiences a dream that inspires him to travel northward following a star to witness an important event. He is soon joined by other pilgrims who have shared the same dream and are following the same star. Meanwhile, King Polonius (Edward Newborn) and Queen Maliphone (Denise O'Connell), worried about predictions that their unborn child will not ascend to their throne, begin rounding up all the male children in their kingdom for homicidal purposes. Inevitably, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) becomes involved in this intrigue -- and with equal inevitability, the story concludes in a stable (yes, that stable). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to avert a war between the Spartans and the Eleans in the village of Propontus, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and Atalanta (Cory Everson) organize a series of peaceful athletic competition. Ever angling for a profitable publicity stunt, itinerant peddlar Salmoneus (Robert Trebor) comes up with an enticing name for the upcoming event: The Olympic Games. Spoiling the spirit of fair play is the very unsportsmanlike -- and very deadly -- Tarkon (Chris Bailey), who, with the aid of war god Ares, is determined to win the games no matter what the cost in human lives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Legendary half-human, half-god Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) continues his journeys throughout Greece and the known world to spread goodness and charity and defend the downtrodden as the character's weekly TV series enters its third season. Likewise, still on hand is Hercules' mortal friend and traveling companion, Iolaus (Michael Hurst), not to mention such colorful recurring characters as itinerant peddler Salmoneus (Robert Trebor), self-styled "King of Thieves" Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), impulsive goddess of love Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings), malevolent god of war Ares (Kevin Smith), harsh but fair god of the Underworld Hades (Erik Thomson), and the never-seen Queen Hera, the spiteful immortal stepmother of Hercules, who continues wreaking havoc in her efforts to punish her husband, Hercules' Olympian father, Zeus.

New to the series is another antagonist, the ferocious female warrior (and later immortal) Callisto (Hudson Leick) -- one of several "crossover" characters from Hercules: The Legendary Journey's companion series Xena: Warrior Princess. An additional antagonist appears in the form of the aptly named Strife (Joel Toback), nephew of war gods Ares (Kevin Smith). Also introduced during season three is the beauteous demigod Serena, played by actress Sam Jenkins (aka Sam Sorbo), wife of series star Kevin Sorbo. Originally a pawn in the schemes of Callisto to destroy Hercules, Serena (who also goes by the name of the Golden Hind) instead falls in love with the mighty muscleman, leading to a tragically brief marriage between the two characters. But though Serena dies at the end of her story arc, her character would continue to pop up in future episodes with appropriate "explanations" given for her remarkable durability. Spicing up the proceedings with a bit of variety, season three offers the first of a handful of episodes set in a time period other than Ancient Greece. Laid in 18th century France during the revolution, "Les Contemptibles" sets the template for all subsequent "time-displacement" episodes by casting several of the familiar Hercules stars and recurring characters in markedly different roles -- presumably as means to prevent the actors from feeling as if they were getting in a rut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title character in this episode is Echidna (Bridget Hoffman), who swears vengeance against Hercules (Kevin Sorbo), the man responsible for slaying many of her progeny. Echidna hatches an evil scheme to destroy both Hercules and his mortal mother, Alcmene (Liddy Holloway), using Alcmene's present suitor Demetrius (Martin Kove) as her agent of destruction. The climax finds Hercules deep inside the cave of Echidna, battling several malevolent forces to save both Alcmene and himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) saves the life of Typhon (Glenn Shadix), a gentle and somewhat clutzy giant. Alas, it turns out that Typhon is the husband of Echidna (Bridget Hoffman), Mother of All Monsters, with whom Hercules clashed in a memorable early episode. Will Typhon's benign nature turn malevolent when he discovers that it was Hercules who sealed Echidna deep within the bowels of her own cave? And how has Echidna herself been affected by her entombment? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) takes on a rampaging Cyclops (Richard Moll) who is seemingly in cahoots with our hero's treacherous stepmother, the goddess Hera. Along the way, Hercules picks up a traveling companion in the form of shabby traveling salesman Salmoneus (Robert Trebor). After joining forces to defeat their common enemy, Hercules and Salmoneus discover that the Cyclops is not exactly the heartless villain he seems to be -- and that there are two sides to every conflict. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season one of the weekly syndicated series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys picks up the action where the fifth of the Hercules TV movies, 1994's Hercules in the Maze of the Monsters, left off. Olympian goddess Hera is determined to wreak vengeance upon her husband, Zeus, king of the gods, for the outrageous act of impregnating the mortal Alceme (played during this season by Elizabeth Hawthorne) -- the result of this union being, of course, the mighty half-god, half-human Hercules (Kevin Sorbo). Hera's wrath is aimed specifically at Hercules, whom she punishes by murdering his wife and children. This tragedy causes a near-inseparable rift between Zeus and Hercules, with the latter renouncing his godly birthright and responsibilities and embarking upon his own campaign of destruction and devastation on Earth. Fortunately, Hercules sees the errors of his ways before it is too late, and together with his mortal friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst), he sets upon the first of many journeys to use his super-strength for good rather than evil throughout Greece and the known world. Though Hercules' main mission is to rescue the human race from the pettiness and casual cruelties of the less savory Gods, he also finds time to "reform" a number of Olympian deities, demigods, and monsters who have temporarily taken the wayward path, beginning with the misguided Cyclops.

It is during season one that Hercules meets for the first time Salmoneus (Robert Trebor), an itinerant salesman and erstwhile promoter whose many get-rich-quick schemes do far more harm than good, and whom our hero must periodically save from the consequences of his greed and foolish ambition. Additionally, the mighty muscleman experiences his first conflict with the redoubtable Ares (Kevin Smith), god of war, whose unsavory allegiances and fluctuating loyalties will continue to bedevil the series' "good guys" for the next five seasons. Hercules also has memorable encounters with his childhood sweetheart, the goddess of retribution Nemesis (Karen Witter) -- who, need it be added, more than lives up to her name -- and with gorgeous female blacksmith Atlanta (Cory Everson), a muscular blacksmith who develops a strong attraction to Hercules, the only man who could ever come up to her standards of strength and fortitude. By far, however, the more significant of Hercules' run-ins during this first season are those with the fearsome warrior princess Xena (Lucy Lawless). At first mortal enemies, Hercules and Xena gradually develop a begrudging respect for one another, and by the time the final episode of season one rolls around, Xena has seen the errors of her warlike ways and vows to emulate Hercules by performing good deeds for one and all -- and, hopefully, expunging all the wickedness she has perpetrated in the past. (This plot development proved to be an ideal segue into Lucy Lawless' own starring series, Xena: Warrior Princess.) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season two of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys finds the titular half-human, half-god Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his mortal friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst) persisting in their efforts to spread peace, kindness, and goodwill throughout Greece and the known world, despite the formidable opposition of several nasty Olympian gods, disgruntled demigods, hideous monsters, and a few mean-spirited human beings. Among the new recurring characters introduced during this season is Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), a former sideshow escape artist and part-time pickpocket who strives to live up to his self-anointed title, "The King of Thieves" -- the results usually being disastrous for Hercules and his friends. We also meet Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings), gorgeous goddess of love, whose sometimes bird-brained capriciousness makes almost as much trouble for Hercules as does Autolycus. Likewise making his first appearance as Hercules' envious mortal half-brother, Iphicles, who bears a disturbing resemblance to our hero's longtime enemy, the war god Ares (both characters are of course played by the same actor, Kevin Smith). And in another development, Hercules is forced to tangle with Echidna (Bridget Hoffman), the Mother of All Monsters, who is determined to avenge the deaths of her many offspring at the hands of the muscular superhero. Additionally, Hercules forms a curious relationship with Hades (Erik Thompson), king of the Underworld, requiring our hero to make a few side trips into the Land of the Dead -- where, for a brief and touching moment, he is reunited with his long-departed bride Deianeira (Tawny Kitean). And in another "earthly" reunion, Hercules touches base with Jason (Jeffrey Thomas), former commander of the Argonauts, with whom both Hercules and Iolaus had once set sail in search of the elusive Golden Fleece. The friendship between Hercules and Jason is solidified near the end of season two when Jason asks Hercules' mortal mother, Alcmene (played this season by Liddy Holloway, replacing Elizabeth Hawthorne) to become his bride -- an act that brings joy into the hearts of all but Hercules' spiteful immortal stepmother Hera, who, though never actually seen on-camera, remains an ominous and dangerous presence throughout season two's 24 episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide