Robert Bielak Movies

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

Kazankis (Barry Duffield), a Hercules imitator, dies while performing an act of heroism. Establishing a tradition that will be followed in the Modern Age by anti-TV and anti-movie zealots, pompous government prosecutor Spencius (John Sumner) puts Hercules on trial for Kazankis' murder. It is Spencius' argument that Hercules represents a poor role model for the populace and should be held responsible for his imitators' rash acts. But common sense prevails in the climactic scene that should elicit a chuckle from anyone who remembers the 1960 movie epic Spartacus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a three-part story, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) has given up his super-strength so he can marry Serena (Sam Jenkins), a demigod who has likewise relinquished her immortality. Meanwhile, war god Ares (Kevin Smith) and his nephew, Strife (Joel Tobeck), step up their efforts to destroy Hercules -- beginning with the murder of Serena. Accused of the crime, Hercules is targeted by a lynch mob. Will his loyal friends (including Xena the Warrior Princess Lucy Lawless) be able to rescue Hercules in time -- and will he ever regain his godlike strength? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

To reunite blind 19-year-old Ruun (Dean O'Gorman) with his sister Siri, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) must tangle with the renegade Amazon gang who long ago kidnapped Siri and killed the sibling's parents. Unfortunately, evil Amazon Mayem (Tina Cleary) has convinced Siri to join her gang, filling the girl's head with lies about her "enemies" -- including poor Ruun. To defeat Mayem and rescue Siri, Hercules engages in mortal combat at the well-named Fire Stakes Ceremony. ~ 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

Conspiring with Hera, warrior queen Parnassa (Jane Thomas) convinces the amnesiac Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) that he is really her long-dead son, Millius. It is all part of a master scheme to have Hercules lead Parnassa's army into battle -- and to pledge loyalty to Hera on Equinox Day. But though Millius' widow, Kirin (Sam Jenkins), has been forced to go along with this sinister charade lest her children suffer, she tries to save Hercules from the fate in store for him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rheanna (Audie England), the beautiful widow of rebel warrior Jordis (Bruce Hopkins), seeks Hercules' (Kevin Sorbo) help in saving her village from the wrath of King Melkos (Michael Keir-Morrisey). At the same time, Hercules' friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst), struck by lightning, has been endowed with awesome psychic powers. Despite Iolaus' dire warnings that Rheanna will betray him, Hercules cannot help but fall in love with the woman -- leading to a fascinating climactic plot twist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nemis the Centaur (Cliff Curtis) is given the opportunity to avenge the death of his twin brother at the hands of Hercules (Kevin Sorbo)--who is at this moment en route to a wedding in the town of Nespa. Since Nemis also covets the bride Penelope (Jacqueline Collin), he looks forward not only to killing Hercules but claiming Penelope for himself. Upon his arrival, Hercules agrees to take on Nemis and his friends in a "friendly" game of combat--only to be rendered blind by the duplicitous Lyla, the girlfriend of one of Nemis's Centaur cronies. Lucy Lawless, later cast as warrior princess Xena, is seen as Lyla. This episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys contained the first of the series' semi-satirical disclaimers ("No Centaurs were harmed during the production of this picture"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his cousin Iloran (Dean O'Gorman) are determined to put an end to plundering and pillaging of warrior princess Xena (Lucy Lawless). As it turns out, however, the real villain of the piece is not Xena, but instead her treacherous lieutenant Darphus (Matthew Chamberlain). When Xena unexpectedly shows compassion in battle, Darphus accuses her of being unfit to lead her minions, forcing her to run the deadly Gauntlet ritual. This puts Hercules in the embarrassing position of having to join forces with his old enemy Xena in order to expunge the "greater evil." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) crosses over from This World to the Other Side, there to rescue Persephone (Andrea Croton), daughter of the goddess Demeter (Sarah Wilson), from her abductor Hades (Erik Thompson). Upon his arrival in the land of the dead (where he is briefly united with his long-gone wife and children), Hercules discovers that Persephone is in love with Hades and has no intention of leaving. This does not rest well with Demeter, who threatens to rend the upperworld asunder with foul weather unless her daughter is immediately returned. ~ 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

Hunter (Fred Dryer) investigates when journalist Ralph Ormond (Richard Gilliland), who holds evidence that will put a Mob boss away for good, is reportedly killed in a car bombing. Actually, it's a case of mistaken identity: while the city mourns an innocent bystander, the very-much-alive Ormond intends to sell his evidence and retire to a life of ease--far, far away from Los Angeles. But Hunter puts a crimp in this plan and sees to it that the guilty--ALL the guilty--will suffer! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide