508/89. Darkness Rising


Episode promo

Episode credits and cast

Episode descriptions

Episode disclaimer

Episode commentary

Promo:

Dahak-Iolaus: Hercules! You've got to help me!
ON AN ALL NEW HERCULES--
IOLAUS IS ALIVE--
Nebula (to Dahak-Iolaus): You're not real.
OR IS HE?
(Nebula in bed surrounded by flames.)
HAS HERCULES' PRAYER TO THE GODS FINALLY BEEN ANSWERED?
Hercules (to Dahak-Iolaus): If you're in there, fight!
(Dahak-Iolaus throws a cloak.)
(Hercules punches Dahak-Iolaus in the face.)
OR IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF HIS WORST NIGHTMARE?
(Nebula in bed surrounded by flames.)
(Dahak-Iolaus walks through a wall.)
Dahak-Iolaus: It isn't over, until I say... it's over!
AN ALL NEW HERCULES!

Credits:

Writer... Lisa Klink
Editor... David Blewitt, A. C. E.
Director... Chris Long
Original Air Date... Nov. 16, 1998

Cast:

Hercules... Kevin Sorbo
Dahak-Iolaus... Michael Hurst
Nebula... Gina Torres
Morrigan... Tamara Gorski
Mabon... Nicko Vella
Elderly Merchant... Terry Dale
Advisor #1... Geoffrey Clarke
Bronagh... Alistair Browning
Druid of Faith... Renée Brennan
Druid of Tolerance... Tony Bishop

Brigid... Benedicta Joseph
Agenor... Tony Hopkins

Description:

Iolaus easily lost his head during the production of this motion picture.

Commentary:

Iolaus returns from the dead... or does he? This is the question of the episode promo, and the episode itself pretty clearly says Dahak is inhabiting Iolaus' body. "Darkness Rising" has a pretty complex storyline just like "Faith". Storyline one: Herc returns to Eire and with Morrigan helps clean up the mess Caesar left behind. Two: Hercules has a vision of Nebula in danger, then dreams of the Druids being killed. Three: Herc and Morrigan find the Druids dead, and decide to sail to Sumeria because of Hercules' vision. Four: Hercules finds the possessed Dahak-Iolaus that has been tormenting Nebula, and battles him futilely, and Dahak-Iolaus escapes to Greece.. Five: Hercules, Morrigan, and Nebula make an oath to stop Dahak-Iolaus, or die trying.

Hercules: What can I say? At the beginning, Herc spends quality time with Morrigan and Brigid, and feels the emptiness Hera caused him by killing Deianeira and his children disappear. However, though, when Hercules finds Dahak-Iolaus, the gap in his life may have closed a little, but the wound is still fresh, so to speak. Hercules can't bring himself to kill Iolaus' possessed body, since he knows exorcising Dahak from Iolaus is the only way to save him. He clearly needs his best friend back by his side; neither Morrigan or Nebula could fill the void.

Morrigan: Definitely gone good, but still hated by the Celts. Just like Xena, she has a hard time convincing Bronagh that she is sorry for killing his sister. To prove it, Morrigan helps the Celts rebuild the village Caesar's army destroyed. Also, she has definitely accepted her role as Guardian of Justice. It shows through when Morrigan bitterly laments not being by the Druids' side when Dahak-Iolaus killed them, even though she would've died as well. Other than that, Morrigan didn't see any battle action this episode, and I hope it'll change when she reaches Greece with Nebula and Hercules.

Nebula: Great performance by Gina Torres. Her portrayal of a nearly-crazed lunatic Nebula is convincing, and it seems like she jumps at the drop of a pin. She recounts her affair with the newly-dead Dahak-Iolaus to Herc in a daze. It seems that she told Dahak-Iolaus off, and he set her bed where she lay in seclusion on fire, which was Hercules' vision. Beyond that, no battle action for the Sumerian Queen either.

Dahak-Iolaus: I'm being remined of The Exorcist here. He spins his head around, changes voices, and alters his facial features. To me, it looks like Hope is a little more sane than her father. But I have two new questions about Dahak now. One: Why did he need numerous blood sacrifices in "Sacrifice II" if all he needed was a warrior's heart in "Faith"? Two: Why did Dahak kill the Druids? Mabon said they were the Guardians of human virtue, and if Guardians of virtue for the entire world, Herc might have a smidge of trouble coming up soon.

Mabon: Mabon was a mentor to Hercules, as he set Our Hero on the right path again. However, Mabon is now dead. But before he dies, you can see that even though Mabon is the Druid of Knowledge (and the new leader of the Druids), he is just a child, and scared to know that he will die.


507/88. Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bridge -- Previous/Next -- 509/90. For Those of You Just Joining Us

Hercules Episode Guide Index