Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Season 2 (1995-96)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Series created by Christian Williams
Produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert
Starring Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst, Alexandra Tydings, Jeffrey Thomas, Liddy Holoway

Features:

• Interview with executive producer Rob Tapert
  
• Stills gallery
  
• Running audio & video commentaries on select episodes by actor Sorbo & assistant director Wayne Rose
  
• Blooper reel
  
• Costume design gallery
  
• Special effects reel
  
• CD-ROM content:
  
  • Director and cast biographies
    
  • Trivia game and trivia database
    
  • Screen saver
    

Released by: Anchor Bay
Region: 1
Rating: NR
Anamorphic: N/A; episodes appear in their original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: Get it.

Season Two chronicles the ongoing adventures of Hercules (Sorbo), son of Zeus, and his friend Iolaus (Hurst). A tongue-in-cheek take on the various versions of Greek myths, the show is a fun combination of action, adventure, fantasy, romance, and comedy all rolled into one. Ready to laugh and wince and have a generally great time? Then pop this one in the DVD player and watch Hercules fight Echidna, worry about the Golden Apple, deal with Hades and other gods, and generally clean house--all without killing anyone, in the best tradition of American superheroes.

The season opens with the delightful episode "The King of Thieves," which introduces one of the show's best recurring characters, Autolycus, the titular thief. Played by Bruce Campbell, Autolycus is slick, hysterically funny, and a great foil for Iolaus and Hercules. It also introduces Dirce. Played by Lisa Chappell, this character recurs later in the show, but not as often as she should. Other episodes involve the egos in an Argonaut reunion, the wedding of Jason and Alcmene, and a third featuring centaurs and their legendary wisdom.

Sometimes the acting is a bit over-the-top, but mostly, it's better than you assume it will be. The plots are on the whole quite clever, often inspired by various myths, major and minor, but usually very creative, yet true to the characters as created by the show's writers. Don't try to take the show too seriously, however; they aren't trying to "recreate" Greek myth or history. They're trying to entertain us and maybe get us interested in learning the "real" stories behind the legends. On the other hand, each myth had several versions, so there is no true canon in mythology.

There are a number of nice features on the extras list. The stills gallery is stuffed with choices and is self-scrolling; any of these pictures would make nice wallpaper. There are also weblinks to lead you to Hercules-related internet content. A few of the episodes have audio and video commentaries by Kevin Sorbo and assistant director Wayne Rose. These additions provide all manner of interesting background information and are just plain funny at times. We also get the "Hercules Chronicles," a CD-ROM feature that details just about everything in the show's world, from the characters to the episodes. There are also a host of actor and director bios, some fun and detailed series trivia, a guide to the various gods, and a lovely screensaver for your PC. Too bad the CD isn't Mac-friendly. A special "surprise" disc has other nifty content: a lengthy interview with producer Rob Tapert, a hysterical bloopers reel, an interesting, but not too detailed special-effects reel, some costume design sketches that would thrill any would-be designer (or resident of Hercules' world), and the Kevin Sorbo appearance on Regis and Kathie Lee.

Whether Hercules is saving children from greedy criminals or fending off his step-mother's deadly schemes, the show always walks a fine line between camp and drama, but somehow mostly succeeds in being entertaining. If you never gave this show a chance while it was on TV, then do yourself a favor, stop taking yourself and TV too seriously, and try it now; you'll be pleasantly surprised.