aving firmly established the tone and setting of the series in the first two seasons, the creators of Hercules were able to spin the characters in new directions in season three. Fortunately, there are some familiar faces to keep Herc company on his adventures. The third season saw the return of several popular recurring characters, including Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, king of thieves, and Robert Trebor as the business-minded Salmoneus. It also built on the growing popularity of its sister series, Xena: Warrior Princess, with guest appearances by Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor).
In the season premiere, co-star Michael Hurst (aka Iolaus) took the first of what would be many opportunities to flex his directorial muscles behind the camera in an episode that features Hercules shipwrecked along with a convicted murderer and a band of pirates on an island inhabited by deadly sand creatures. These kinds of human stories are mixed in with the struggles between Hercules and the gods, particularly the jealous Hera, who continues to plague Hercules in episodes such as "Not Fade Away," "Prince Hercules," "Surprise" and "Reign of Terror." Other notable deities drop in unannounced, some to help (Zeus, Aphrodite), some to harm (Ares, Strife), but all of them troublesome for the legendary hero.
The season highlight is an intriguing three-episode arc, beginning with "Encounter," in which Hercules falls in love with Serena, the last of the Golden Hinds (played by Sorbo's future wife, Sam Jenkins). Half-woman, half-deer, the Hind has the power to heal humans and kill gods. Orchestrating the events is Ares (Kevin Smith), who takes full advantage of the relationship between Hercules and Serena, offering them a happily married life if they both become mortal. Accepting his word, they both agree, but their promised marriage is short-lived.
Serena dies tragically, possibly at the hand of Hercules himself. Though Xena and Gabrielle lend a hand in clearing Hercules' name, it's too late to save his love. Or is it? Before the season is over, Hercules will have the chance to go back and make things right with the help of Autolycus and a stolen gem called the chronostone. But is Hercules prepared to sacrifice their love to save Serena?
A little more conversation
The best episodes of Hercules always involved its hero somehow caught up in the epic struggles of the gods. This maxim certainly applies to the third season, which features a number of good episodes based on this theme. Alexandra Tydings as Aphrodite and the late Kevin Smith (who passed away in 2002) as Ares are always welcome guest stars. Hudson Leick also shines as the criminally (but delightfully) insane Callisto, a memorable villain brought over from Xena. And, of course, the always excellent Bruce Campbell adds his own brand of comedy to the mix. To be sure, there is plenty of entertainment value in this collection for aficionados of the kind of silly humor and over-the-top action the series became known for.
But, with the series still running in syndication, the only value in a collection like this for anyone other than the most dedicated fan is in the special features (and even the fans will most likely have their favorite episodes on tape). Unfortunately, the special features in this collection aren't really special enough to make it worth the $70 price tag, unless you're a die-hard Hercules fan.
While there are only a handful of episodes lacking in either commentary or cast-and-crew interviews, the material is mainly limited to the same small group of people for each episode. Some of the best interview material comes from Sorbo and his wife discussing how they met on the show while filming the episode "Prince Hercules." Naturally, a more diverse array of voices (say, for instance, Bruce Campbell or executive producer Sam Raimi) would have given a wider point of view and a more complete sense of the season as a whole.
With the exception of Hurst on the one episode he directed, all of the commentaries are provided by Sorbo and first assistant/first unit director Wayne Rose. Shouldn't the series merit a higher-ranking creative voice than the first assistant director on at least some of the episodes? And while it is mildly interesting to listen to the two of them reminisce (neither had seen any of the episodes since 1996), their contributions would have benefited from fewer geographic recollections of which scene was filmed at which location and more behind-the-scenes details. There's also a poor-quality photo gallery and a pointless "weblink" feature, which, when inserted into a CD-ROM drive, merely directs the user to the Web address listed on the box.
