TV GUIDE PROMO
The strongman and a perky young sidekick search for a
missing city.
AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION
2nd RELEASE: 10-24-94
An AA average of 5.8
Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas:
6 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 238/99 7.8 8.1
8 Baywatch 216/97 7.4 7.8
13 Action Pack Network 163/95 5.8 6.0
SYNOPSIS:
Synopsis by Lydia M.
Woods.
The story opens with three men running
relay-style through some mountains and fields. The lead man hands
off a scroll to the man behind him and heads down to a stream to
drink some water. As he bends down to drink, a green sprite rises
up from the water and says: "You came searching for Hercules, but
instead you found your death." She then pulls him into the stream
and he drowns. The other two men keep running. One says: "Hera
killed him, it's only us now." We realize immediately, that Hera
is once again out to get Hercules. A rock falls from a hill and
strikes one of the men. He throws the scroll to the last man and
says: "You're the last one, it's up to you."
The next setting is in a village.
Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) is in an inn trying to eat some food. The
entire village shakes from the approach of a Giant. The Giant
tears the roof off of the inn and yells: "I want Hercules!"
Hercules reveals himself and the Giant tells him he wants to kill
him. I wonder why? All in a day's work, Hercules makes short
shrift of the Giant much to the enjoyment and satisfaction of the
villagers and his father, Zeus, who is disguised as one of the
villagers.
As the villagers are celebrating,
the last messenger carrying the scroll appears running into the
village and collapses from exhaustion. He informs Hercules that a
hundred of them were sent to find him. All, but him, were killed
by Hera. He tells Hercules that they need his help in liberating
their lost city of Troy. Many of their warriors have been killed
by Hera and they don't know why. Troy has also been lost in the
mist and only he can lead Hercules to it. Hercules gives him a
drink of water, and, much to his amazement, the man gasps and
dies, turning immediately into dust. Hercules glances up to the
skies and sees Hera's eyes and knows immediately that this is her
doing.
Hercules questions his father,
Zeus, on how to go about finding the lost city. Zeus, as usual,
is reluctant to reveal any secrets that Hera might have. He does
tell Hercules that he can find Troy if he can get the one, true
compass that points directly to the city. The compass belongs to
the King of Fahdi. That is all he can tell him.
Hercules begins his search. He
happens on a group of primitives who are performing a ceremony at
a shrine. The leader tells him that the water god has withdrawn
rain and they have no food. They are offering a sacrifice to him,
and the sacrifice is a virgin, hanging from a cross on a hill.
She will fall to her death in the water and the water god will be
appeased. Of course, Hercules cannot allow this to happen. He
walks up the hill to the young girl.
Much to his surprise, the girl
(Renee O'Connor) is a willing victim. She tells him to go away so
she can be sacrificed to the gods. As she starts to fall,
Hercules rescues her. She is, of course, upset and tells him that
to be with the gods is her destiny. Unbeknownst to both of them,
a sinister figure (Nathaniel Lees) is watching them from afar.
Hercules takes her back down and tells the tribe to irrigate
instead of sacrificing people for water. He leaves with the young
girl following him. She tells him that if he is really Hercules
and he saved her, then obviously her destiny is to travel with
him, and that he is there to protect her. She tells him her name
is Deianeira. Hercules reluctantly allows her to go with him.
When they are at rest that night,
Deianeira tells him that her father is really a king who sent her
away when their kingdom was threatened. Hercules tells her that
it's all right to believe in fairy tales. Deianeira is obviously
hurt, but sticks to her story. Once again, the sinister figure
that had watched them before, makes an appearance and Deianeira
runs to him to ask him who he is. He disappears, and Hercules
comes on the scene and asks her who she was talking to. Deianeira
denies she was talking to anybody and runs off.
Hercules finds her the next day
trying to get past twin guards to the kingdom of the King of
Faudi . The guards tell them that the king is dead and that
nobody can get into the city that day. They say that the queen is
in mourning and appears only once a year at the slave market,
which is being held that day. Denying them passage annoys
Deianeira and she mouths off to the guards. They attack her and,
of course, Hercules needs to battle them to rescue her. On their
way into the city, they meet more of the same guards (who are
apparently members of the same family, hence the similarity in
looks.) Hercules battles all of them and eventually gets into the
city by climbing the city walls.
Inside the city, the duo comes upon
the slave market. The queen (Elizabeth Hawthorne) appears and
takes a seat to survey the scene. Hercules and Deianeira concoct
a plan so Hercules can talk to the queen and try to retrieve the
compass that would help them find Troy. Hercules offers himself
as a slave, and, of course, the Queen purchases him. I mean, who
wouldn't!
Once in the palace, Hercules
reveals to Queen Omphale the real reason he needed to talk to
her. Deianeira, in the meantime, tries to get into the palace to
speak to Hercules. She meets the slave, Waylin (Robert Trebor)
who refuses to let her in. She reluctantly enters an inn where
she meets a group of slaves, including Waylin. They tell her they
are happy, satisfied slaves because they get three meals a day
and money from their masters. Deianeira tells them that happy as
they are, they are still slaves and have to strive to fight for
freedom. A protection-enforcer, Melus (Todd Rippon), enters the
inn and tries to extort money from the inn-keeper. Deianeira pays
the money (from the payment she received from the sale of
Hercules) and tells the enforcer that she is Princess Daianeira.
Of course, she makes an enemy of him.
Meanwhile, back at the palace,
Queen Omphale gives Hercules the compass after he spends a night
with her. He must have been really good at what he did. Deianeira
goes back to get Hercules and has to battle the enforcer. She is
cornered, but is rescued by someone. She discovers that her
rescuer is the sinister figure that has been following her. She
confronts him and finds out that he has been following her since
she was a child while she goes towards her destiny. She wants him
to tell her what her destiny is, but he disappears again.
Hercules emerges from the palace
and Deianeira is there to meet him. They go back to the inn where
the enforcer is wrecking the place. Hercules takes care of him
and in the process meets the palace slave, Waylin. Deianeira and
he go off to continue their journey to Troy.
Deianeira wants to know from
Hercules how one can tell if one is a god. She thinks she might
be one. Hercules tells her just to grow up and be a woman. "Just
a woman?" Hercules tells her that his mother is 'just a woman'
but everybody loves her and that is why Hera hates her. Deianeira
confesses that someone has been following her since she was a kid
and she calls him her 'protector'. That is why she realizes she
has a destiny. Hercules thinks the 'protector' is there in the
woods with them and goes to investigate. Instead, he finds Waylin
asleep under some trees. Waylin tells them that he followed them
to serve them. He still thinks of himself as a slave, but this
time, their slave. Hercules tells him to return to his kingdom
and serve the Queen as he has been doing. He tells them that he
will.
Hercules and Deianeira eventually
get to the sea. The compass has pointed them there. There is
nowhere to go from where they are and they realize that Troy must
be across the waters. Deianeira's 'protector' appears on a hill
and calls for the blue serpent to arise from the sea. Deianeira
and Hercules see him, and while they are gazing up at him, a sea
serpent rises up behind them and swallows them.
Inside the serpent Deianeira thinks
that it is the gods that have caused this and that this is her
destiny. Hercules convinces her that they have to escape. He
causes havoc within the serpent's body, killing the serpent, and
thus they are able to escape.
Washed up on shore, Hercules finds
Deianeira gazing at a distant city. She tells him that it is
Troy, and that she now remembers it is where she is from. They
hurry towards the city but they walk into a trap in the woods.
They are set upon by a band of citizens of Troy who have been
exiled from their city. They are brought to the king of Troy, who
has surprisingly been expecting them. He reveals to Deianeira,
that she is indeed a Princess, his daughter, whom he had to send
away as a child because the goddess Hera has demanded her as a
sacrifice. He dies after revealing that he sacrificed Troy
because he could not obey Hera's command, and that she is now
Queen and has to lead her people back to claim their city.
Deianeira accepts the role of
Queen, and organizes her people for their return to Troy.
Hercules then trains them how to fight. The Blue Priest
(Deianeira's 'protector) and his soldiers inside the city realize
that Deianeira, Hercules and the Trojans are around them and
ready to strike. They prepare for battle.
Waylin has followed them after all.
He is apprehended in the woods and joins the Trojans. He
convinces Hercules that he really belongs with them. The old
king's lieutenant, Telamon, (Eric Close), has fallen in love with
Deianeira, but he notices that the young Queen has eyes only for
Hercules. Although the Trojan army is slowly coalescing and they
truly want to fight for their city, Hercules still feels that
they have no concept of what fighting really is. He tells them
that they have to become like rocks, who have no mind, no heart
and no fear. Once they have achieved this and become like a rock,
then they can truly fight. He tells them to find their own rock
and study it. Deianeira goes into Hercules' tent that night and
declares her attraction to him. Hercules tries to tell her that
he is not interested in her in that way and Deianeira runs away
weeping.
Zeus appears to Hercules and
Hercules asks him if he wants to join them in their fight for
Troy. Zeus is reluctant and Hercules asks him if he still has it
in him to do battle. Zeus demonstrates his ability by calling
down a thunderbolt. Deianeira and the Trojans see this as a sign
that the gods themselves are on their side. Zeus, however, still
does not commit his help.
Hercules tells Deianeira and the
Trojans that Zeus is not going to help them and that they will
attack at dawn. Deianeira sees this as a bad omen and, after
looking at her people sleeping in the woods, decides that she
does not want any of them to be killed in a battle. She invokes
her 'protector' who calls her to come to him.
When morning arrives Hercules looks
for Deianeira and discovers that she is gone. He realizes that
she must have gone by herself into the city. Hercules starts to
go after her when all the Trojans, especially Telamon, tell him
that they too are going to rescue their Queen. Hercules does not
want them to go, but one of the citizens tells him that they can
enter through the cowers' way, an underground tunnel that was
used to herd cows into the fields via a shortcut. They all enter
the city through the tunnel.
The city seems deserted. Hercules
tells them that they cannot battle what they cannot see, and that
he alone will go and look for Deianeira. As he leaves the city
gates close and the Trojans realize they are trapped inside.
Telamon issues a challenge, and suddenly the Blue Priest's army
appears. They are organized and hideous, performing a
well-orchestrated exercise of arms. The Trojan army looks at them
in horror.
In the meantime, Hercules sees
Deianeira being led away to a tower by two of the Blue Priest's
minions. He runs to follow her.
Telamon approaches to fight one of
the blue army. Although he fights well, he is no match for the
warrior and is knocked unconscious. Waylin unfreezes and runs to
help him. The rest of the army scream for him to stop and wait
for Hercules to help them.
Deianeira is being prepared in the
tower for the sacrifice. Hercules tries to talk to her but she
tells him to go away and not to spoil anything. Hercules battles
the blue warriors and while he is preoccupied the Blue Priest
comes to take Deianeira away.
Waylin tells the others that he
doesn't need Hercules because he has Hercules in his heart. As he
puts his hand up to his chest he sees that he has his rock
hidden in his shirt. He takes it out and hurls it at one of the
blue warriors. He knocks the warrior down and rushes forward to
beat him with his weapon. The warrior suddenly disappears in a
puff of smoke. Waylin then shouts to the Trojans: "Don't be
afraid. If you stand up to them, they don't exist!" At this, the
Trojans rush at the warriors and engage them in battle.
Deianeira and the Blue Priest
arrive at the top of the tower. Deianeira asks the priest if she
goes through with the sacrifice of herself, her people would be
set free and return to their city. The Blue Priest assures her
that her sacrifice to Hera has always been her destiny. He picks
up a sword and is ready to kill her. Deianeira realizes that her
people has no meaning to Hera or her priest. Hercules appears on
the scene and battles the Blue Priest. The priest almost renders
Hercules helpless by chaining him, and at the same time throws a
dagger at Deianeira who catches it with her hands. Shades of
Xena! However, the dagger seems to have a life of its own and is
inexorably inching towards her throat. He leaves Hercules chained
and approaches the young Queen but Hercules manages to free
himself, of course, and picks up a sword and decapitates the Blue
Priest. He then helps Deianeira get rid of the knife. The knife
lands at the Blue Priest's side and his headless torso picks it
up and attacks Hercules. Hercules manages to throw the body off
the tower.
The Trojan army has routed the Blue
Priest's warriors below.
Deianeira tells Hercules that she
came to the tower to be sacrificed because she thought it was her
destiny and that it was the only way she could save her people.
Hercules tells her that her destiny is to follow in her father's
footsteps and rule her people wisely. Deianeira asks him if he
will rule her kingdom with her.
Zeus appears and tells Hercules
that saving the city was all right, but that Hera still wanted
the girl. Deianeira is suddenly caught by a powerful light and
begins to ascend to the sky. Hera is obviously waiting for her.
She screams to Hercules for help and Hercules leaps up to bring
her down. He shouts at Hera that she does not control anyone's
destiny, and that humans control themselves. Hera quickly lifts
him up to the skies and he disappears. Zeus assures Deianeira
that Hera will not hurt him, but that his work at Troy is done.
He tells Deianeira that she must follow her own destiny.
Deianeira descends from the tower
to her people. The victorious army greets her enthusiastically.
With Telamon at her side she tells her people that she is proud
of them. She appoints Waylin her Minister of Defense because of
his bravery. She tells them that they must depend on themselves
now as Hercules always wanted them to do. They carry her on their
shoulders around the city.
Hercules is seen falling from a
great distance back down to earth. He gets up and walks away when
he is met by an old man who tells him that a fire-breathing
monster is attacking his village. Hercules tells him to lead him
to the monster and he will see what he can do. He is set for
another adventure.
COMMENTARY:
This commentary is by Cathy.
You have seen her with blonde hair, you
have seen her with red hair, now you see her with brown hair! Who
pray tell? Renee O'Connor! If you are a big fan of hers, you must
get this video! She gets top billing behind Sorbo and Anthony
Quinn, and is delightful as "Deianeira". Two of my favorite
people are featured in this movie, Renee O'Connor and Robert
Trebor ("Salmoneous" to us Xenites).
I really liked this movie, more than
the one Lucy Lawless was in, "Hercules and the Amazon women".
Hercules rescues "Deianeira" played by Renee O'Connor, from being
sacrificed by a tribe to the Water God. You have got to see the
costume they have her in!
Turns out, she is followed by a strange
minion in a hooded costume, and has been all her life. Remember
"Dreamworker"? This is the same guy who played the priest of
Morpheus that Gabrielle socked in the face and later played
Nicklio the Healer in "Destiny". Renee O'Connor is a fiesty
talkative girl in this movie, and she is so YOUNG....just a baby.
You will definitely see a "Gabrielle" resemblance in her
demeanor.
Hercules is trying to get to Troy, and
needs a special compass that always points in that direction. It
is owned by a queen, which used to belong to her husband. So,
Deianeira and Hercules pretend to be slave and master and
Hercules is auctioned off to the highest bidder. Of course, the
queen wants his bod and buys him. Once in her palace he gets the
compass, while Deianeira (O'Connor) tangles with some thugs in a
bar. Here we run into Robert Trebor, who is a slave of the queen.
He befriends Deianeira and wants to travel with her and Hercules
to Troy. (Some subtext here, Waylan, aka, Robert Trebor has a
thing for Hercules and wants to be his personal slave) Hercules
is not interested of course, meantime O'Connor is falling in love
with him too.
Now we come to the famous scene where
the sea dragon swallows them both. Hercules kills it by squeezing
its heart (yucky) and he and Renee swim out of its mouth to
freedom. [This scene is copied in the HTLJ's episode WEDDING OF
ALCMENE, but that time Hercules and his step-father Jason get
swallowed up.] They end up on the shores of Troy, the lost city.
Turns out O'Connor is the queen who was given up by the king as
an infant because Hera wanted her to be sacrificed.
She finds the people of Troy living in
the woods, because the city has been overtaken by these minions
of Hera's. Now this to me is the best part. O'Connor gets a new
outfit, a leather body shaped thing similiar to Xena's without
the metal breastplate. Do I even need to tell you she looks
fantastic in this? I definitely think now they purposely dress
her shabbily in the Xena series to keep her from taking more
attention from Lucy in her outfit. Renee O'Connor looks fantastic
in leather, see it for yourselves. I hope next seasons outfit
change for her does her justice.
With the help of Hercules, she and him
teach the people of Troy how to fight so they can retake Troy.
Deianeira sneaks out at night, to try to find the hooded man who
always follows her to get his help in retaking Troy. Of course,
he is evil and only wants her as a sacrifice to Hera. To make a
long story short, Hercules fights him and rescues her. Hera
flings him bodily out of the kingdom after he has killed her evil
priest. Renee O'Connor is now dressed all in a white, flowing
gown and retakes Troy as the Queen to the delight of the
townspeople. There is a young good looking soldier type you get
the impression will become her future husband.
This was a very good movie. I give it
two thumbs up! After seeing this, its reinforces my love and
admiration of Renee O'Connor as a person and an actress. My
immediate goal for this year is to meet her at one or both of the
conventions.
TALES FROM THE HERCAVERSE
02-04-98. This Herk movie was originally called "Hercules: The Journey
Begins", and was slated to be the first aired HERCULES telemovie. Because of script complications,
AMAZING WOMEN was moved up from second in the production schedule to first. This is ironic since in
the mythology of Hercules, the visit to the Kingdom of Troy happened on Hercules' way back from his
adventures with Hippolyta and the Amazons. Had they stuck with the original production and airing order,
they would have mixed up the historical/mythological order of the events.
02-04-98. Portions of this movie were re-enacted and footage re-used in
HTLJ's WEDDING OF ALCMENE (H34/221)
HIGHLIGHTS & THINGS TO LOOK FOR
Ninjas at Troy?????
TRANSCRIPT
Click here to read a transcript of HERCULES AND THE LOST KINGDOM.
