Iolausian Episodes
Michael Martinez
So, which ones do you like best?
"Pride Comes Before A Brawl"
Not really an Iolaus-only story, but it's definitely the first one that focused
on Iolaus and gave Michael Hurst a chance to show off his talents. The
chemistry between Michael and Lisa Chappell was, IMO, electrifying and I've
always enjoyed the episodes she has appeared in since she gets along with
him so well (but then, Michael generally has good chemistry with everyone,
doesn't he?).
"The Sword of Veracity"
Also not really an Iolaus-only story, but we got to see Iolaus interact with
Leah on his own, and there were some humorous moments. Iolaus jumping in
a cold lake still gets me chuckling. :)
"The Apple"
Pure fun. Iolaus gets the girl when he doesn't want her (for a change). At
least for a while.
"King For A Day"
The first Iolaus-only story, filmed when Kevin was away for a couple of
conventions. I think the on-screen relationship between Michael and Lisa
Anne Hadley was about the most intense I've seen in this series. Two
people obviously wanted each other very badly without any hope of realizing
that desire. And getting to see Michael play King Orestes was a treat. I
didn't realize until this episode just how talented Hurst really is (though
I had some things about his background). I suspect this was a clincher for
many Iolausians. :)
"A Star To Guide Them"
Not an Iolaus-only story either, but as we've just seen this was a chance
for Herc to follow Iolaus on a journey without question. The friendship
episodes seem to offer some of the best work with Kevin and Michael.
"The Lady and the Dragon"
To be honest, I think this episode sort of downplayed Iolaus' intelligence
and attempted too many things.
"Long Live The King"
They actually outdid themselves with this episode -- it was, IMO, a rare
sequel in that it surpassed "King For A Day". The passion between Iolaus
and Niobe is incredible, and even when they consummated their love for each
other they didn't "burn out" as so many television relationships do. The
anger Niobe felt at Iolaus for deceiving her raised a new conflict between
them. I hope they bring her back -- it would be great if Iolaus were to
father Orestes's successor. The potential for story ideas in that kind of
situation is pretty strong.
"The Lost City"
Some people liked this and some people didn't. I think it was a hard episode
to develop. The characters didn't seem to meld together well because so much
was going on. Robert Trebor stole some of the scenes (but he, too, is a great
actor whom I wish they would use more often).
"Hero's Heart"
I could hear a long sigh of relief, I think, as I watched this episode. :)
So many people were disappointed with "Beanstalks and Bad Eggs". So they
gave us some background on Iolaus and allowed Michael to stretch his wings
a little bit -- and we got to see that even a "bad" Iolaus is not an evil
Iolaus. The way the character behaved, without his memory of Hercules,
made it seem credible to me that Iolaus could have been a hardened street
kid that Hercules somehow befriended.
"Stranger In A Strange World"
For me this episode was weird and not really an Iolaus story (despite
Iolaus being the central character). I say that because we were again
seeing so much new stuff (Xena as a moll, Hercules as a dictator, Iolaus
as a fool, Joxer as a capable if imprisoned warrior, Gabrielle as a
psychotic executioner, Ares as the God of Love, etc.). Still, Michael
showed us a side of Iolaus we never expected to see. :)
--
++ ++ "Well Samwise: What do you think of the elves now?"
||\ /|| --fbag...@mid.earth.com
|| v ||ichael Martinez (Mic...@xenite.org)
++ ++------------------------------------------------------
Michael Martinez
In article <67njb1$e...@drn.zippo.com>, Michael says...
>
>So, which ones do you like best?
"Loves Takes A Holiday"
How could I forget that one? Iolaus sets up Aphrodite with Hephaestus
AND rescues his grandmother!
Shame on me!
DebBwell
Um...King for a Day, no, wait! The Apple, no, no.....Long Live the King,
wait....Pride comes ....no, no, Hero's Heart......AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH
No, No don't make me choose. I love them all.
Bwell
Kessham
In article <67njb1$e...@drn.zippo.com>, Michael Martinez <Mic...@xenite.org>
writes:
>So, which ones do you like best?>>
My favorite Iolaus episodes = Any episode the man is in <G>.
But I suppose some do stand out more than others.
"The Sword of Veracity"
"The
>Apple"
"King For A Day"
"Long Live
>The King"
"The Lost City"
"Hero's Heart"
My favorite Iolaus episodes = Any episode Iolaus is on! <G>
Then again, some are even more favorite than others.
Michael Martinez
In article <19971226042...@ladder02.news.aol.com>, kes...@aol.com
says...
>>In article <67njb1$e...@drn.zippo.com>, Michael Martinez
>><Mic...@xenite.org> writes:
>
>"Pride Comes Before A Brawl"
>Not really an Iolaus-only story, but it's definitely the first one that focused
>on Iolaus and gave Michael Hurst a chance to show off his talents.
>>The chemistry between Michael and Lisa Chappell was, IMO, electrifying and
>>I've always enjoyed the episodes she has appeared in since she gets along
>>with him so well (but then, Michael generally has good chemistry with
>>everyone, doesn't he?).>>
>
>costars, whether it's a romantic pairing or not. I can think of quite a few
>recognizably great actors who just do not spark in a romantic pairing. One of
>the things I love about Michael is that he exudes a real comfort with and
>respect for women in his acting. He actually seems to LIKE women, and it comes
>through on the screen.
>
>I didn't see "Pride" until after I had seen the later "War Bride," which was
>one of the first I did see. Even though Lisa Chappell's character, Princess
>Melissa, wasn't supposed to be paired romantically with Iolaus, I absolutely
>adored every scene they were in together. She was such a total spoiled brat
>and his exasperation with her antics was a story in and of itself. Their
>"chemistry" was obvious. When I later saw "Pride", I thought they were a
>perfect match, especially since she was playing a much more likable character.
>I'd love to see these two do "Taming of the Shrew" together -- they'd really
>bring out the comedy.
Let's talk about Michael and Lisa. When I first saw her in "Pride" my socks
were knocked off. She doesn't have drop-dead looks but she is attractive
and definitely exudes a certain energy. She makes her characters come to
life in a very funny way. It's sort of like they have to hold her back until
the cameras are ready to role and then everyone gets out of the way.
Lisa holds the scene with Michael very well, and when I saw "War Bride", I
couldn't stop laughing. It was like watching two people who had been
married pretending not to know one another.
Lisa guest-starred in "Pride Comes Before A Brawl", then in "The King of
Thieves" (as Dirce, the role most people probably know her for), then in
"The Wedding of Alcmene" (again as Dirce), and finally in "War Bride" as
Melissa. I hope we get to see more of her. It would be nice if Dirce
became a semi-regular character. They could do some interesting things
with her (because she's kind of goofy and yet capable).
Kessham
Sorry about my previous post. I hit that button before I was ready. Oops!
Here's the real one:
>In article <67njb1$e...@drn.zippo.com>, Michael Martinez
><Mic...@xenite.org>
writes:
>So, which ones do you like best?>>
My favorite Iolaus episodes = Any episode the man is in <G>.
But I suppose some are even more favorite than others.
Some selected comments follow:
Michael writes:
"Pride Comes Before A Brawl"
Not really an Iolaus-only story, but it's definitely the first one that focused
on Iolaus and gave Michael Hurst a chance to show off his talents.
>The chemistry between Michael and Lisa Chappell was, IMO, electrifying and
>I've always enjoyed the episodes she has appeared in since she gets along
>with him so well (but then, Michael generally has good chemistry with
>everyone, doesn't he?).>>
Doesn't he though? I think Michael has an amazing rapport with his female
costars, whether it's a romantic pairing or not. I can think of quite a few
recognizably great actors who just do not spark in a romantic pairing. One of
the things I love about Michael is that he exudes a real comfort with and
respect for women in his acting. He actually seems to LIKE women, and it comes
through on the screen.
I didn't see "Pride" until after I had seen the later "War Bride," which was
one of the first I did see. Even though Lisa Chappell's character, Princess
Melissa, wasn't supposed to be paired romantically with Iolaus, I absolutely
adored every scene they were in together. She was such a total spoiled brat
and his exasperation with her antics was a story in and of itself. Their
"chemistry" was obvious. When I later saw "Pride", I thought they were a
perfect match, especially since she was playing a much more likable character.
I'd love to see these two do "Taming of the Shrew" together -- they'd really
bring out the comedy.
Michael writes:
<<"The Apple"
Pure fun. Iolaus gets the girl when he doesn't want her (for a change). At
least for a while.>>
One of the sweetest things about Iolaus in this episode is that when he's
presented with the three choices (hero, sage, or lover), he immediately grabs
Aphrodite's Golden Apple of love, without needing the same type of
visualization the other goddesses provided. This is a man who knows what he
wants without having to think too hard about it -- love. Awwwwwwwwwwww.
"King For A Day" and "Long Live the King"
What can I say -- these two are serious :::THUD:::: material. Sigh. And I
agree about the intensity of his relationship with Niobe (Lisa Anne Hadley).
I'd love to see a third episode woven around the very real possibility that she
conceived a child with Iolaus that night they slept together in LLTK, and has
been passing off as the Orestes' heir apparent. What dramatic
possibilities!!!! The actress is now a regular on the American soap Port
Charles, but I'm sure they could arrange a trip for her to New Zealand if they
wanted! Please, oh please. <VBG>
And, yes, I can't get over how masterfully Michael draws the distinctions
between Iolaus and Orestes. This dual role really underscores the subtlety and
depth of his acting.
Michael M. writes again:
"A Star To Guide Them"
The friendship episodes seem to offer some of the best work with Kevin and
>Michael.>>
That's the primary reason I love the show so much -- the deep friendship
between Herc and Iolaus. It's why I'm usually disappointed when an episode is
Iolaus-free. (Although I do like Sal, he's just not Iolaus <G>)
Michael again writes:
"The Lost City"
<<Some people liked this and some people didn't. I think it was a hard episode
to develop. The characters didn't seem to meld together well because so much
was going on. Robert Trebor stole some of the scenes (but he, too, is a great
actor whom I wish they would use more often).>>
Count me among those who loved this episode, despite its flaws. I have a
feeling that your response to this episode would depend a great deal on how
clearly you remember the sixties. I grew up in that era, and it had a
formative impact on me (despite what I recognized even then as a lot of
silliness, but mostly well-meaning silliness), and I was howling at the myriad
references to hippies, tie-dye, love, peace, free love and drugs, gurus and
psychedelics. The other thing I loved about the episode was that Iolaus got to
play the straight-up hero -- no wrestling with self-doubts, feelings of
inferiority to Herc, etc. -- just plain old coming-to-the-rescue heroics. I
also liked Fiona Mogridge as his "sidekick" for the episode, but was
disappointed that there was not more of a romantic involvement for the two of
them. There was a little flirting, but no big payoff at the end (like at least
one lusty kiss!). Robert Trebor was, indeed, terrific as a man denying his own
nature. He also works well as a sidekick with Michael even without Herc. What
was weak were the secondary characters -- the vapid little teenyboppers -- who
had zero personality, and just too much of that purple gunk schmooshed all over
Moriah's face. Not a pretty sight.
Michael writes once more:
"Hero's Heart"
I could hear a long sigh of
>relief, I think,
>as I watched this episode. :)
So many people were
>disappointed with
>"Beanstalks and Bad Eggs".>>
The collective sigh of relief heard round the world! LOL!
<< So they gave us some background on Iolaus and allowed Michael to stretch his
wings a little bit -- and we got >to see that even a "bad" Iolaus is not an
evil
Iolaus. >>
Hero's Heart was such a perfect title for this ep. The fact that Iolaus, even
in what was an amoral state, could not do anything really evil and placed
friendship above all else.
"Stranger In A Strange World"
Michael looked like he was having a great time in this one. The real Iolaus's
attempts at playing the jester for The Sovreign, were just hysterical and
showed yet another dimension of his talent. But the poor dear man did get
bashed around during this one even worse than he's been bashed around before.
I wonder how many black-and-blues he had by the time filming was done? Poor
baby!
"Two Men and a Baby"
Michael M. didn't mention this one, so I will. This one showcased MH's comedic
abilities in such a lovely way. His scene teaching the baby how to fish is an
instant classic, as far as I'm concerned, as is his scene bickering with Herc
like two little boys. It also showed yet another dimension of Iolaus's bond
with Herc, which is always a special treat.
I could list at least half a dozen more, but then I'd be up all night. So
I'll stop here.
I hope others can add their own comments to the list.
Sandy
Dedicated Iolausian, and Damn Proud of it!
Kessham
In article <67vmck$9...@drn.zippo.com>, Michael Martinez <Mic...@xenite.org>
writes:
>
Let's talk about Michael and Lisa. When I first saw her in "Pride" my
>socks
were knocked off. She doesn't have drop-dead looks but she is
>attractive
and definitely exudes a certain energy. She makes her characters
>come to
life in a very funny way. It's sort of like they have to hold her
>back until
the cameras are ready to role and then everyone gets out of the
>way.>>
ICAM. That's why I think Lisa and Michael are such a good match -- their
characterizations seem to share some of the same qualities -- big hearts, tons
of out-there-energy, wacky humor.
<<Lisa holds the scene with Michael very well, and when I saw "War
>Bride", I
couldn't stop laughing. It was like watching two people who had
>been
married pretending not to know one another.>>
Me, too, me, too. If "War Bride" had been an episode of a soap opera (and I
know my soap operas), fans would have immediately dubbed them a future "super
couple," despite the fact they were not meant to be a romantic pairing. It was
classic "Taming of the Shrew", which I appreciate for the humor even as I
ignore the antiquated misogyny in it.
<<Lisa guest-starred in
>"Pride Comes Before A Brawl", then in "The King of
Thieves" (as Dirce, the
>role most people probably know her for), then in
"The Wedding of Alcmene"
>(again as Dirce), and finally in "War Bride" as
Melissa. I hope we get to
>see more of her. It would be nice if Dirce
became a semi-regular character.
>They could do some interesting things
with her (because she's kind of goofy
>and yet capable).>>
Unfortunately, I have yet to see King of Thieves and so haven't seen her first
appearance as Dirce. But the little bit of her with Iolaus in Alcmene's
Wedding had me crying for more. When they met on the road, as Iolaus was
rushing off to get Iphicles, the long, lusting look they gave each other was
just too, too funny. I hope they reprise this character soon.
Sandy
Michael Martinez
In article <681vd6$r0r$1...@news2.ispnews.com>, su...@usaor.net says...
>
>Seems they've known each other even before the HerK eps were filmed - I'm
>about halfway through watching the New Zealand film "Desparate Remedies"
>(which also starred Kevin Smith and Jennifer Ward-Lealand) and Michael and
>Lisa were in this film together too!
I should have known! <g>
It makes sense, though. The NZ acting community seems to be a pretty
tightly-knit group. A lot of them must have worked with each other prior
to these two series. I've seen some of the MARLIN BAY shows with Kevin
Smith, Lucy, and a few other folks from Herc and Xena.
Sue B.
In article <67vmck$9...@drn.zippo.com>,
Michael Martinez <Mic...@xenite.org> wrote:
<snip>
<<Lisa holds the scene with Michael very well, and when I saw "War Bride",
I couldn't stop laughing. It was like watching two people who had been
married pretending not to know one another.>>
Seems they've known each other even before the HerK eps were filmed - I'm
about halfway through watching the New Zealand film "Desparate Remedies"
(which also starred Kevin Smith and Jennifer Ward-Lealand) and Michael and
Lisa were in this film together too!
Andulasia
Owlharp
>Seems they've known each other even before the HerK eps were filmed - I'm
>about halfway through watching the New Zealand film "Desparate Remedies"
>(which also starred Kevin Smith and Jennifer Ward-Lealand) and Michael and
>Lisa were in this film together too!
>
>Andulasia
True, though the character Michael was playing - a truly repellent little creep
who just about left a slime trail through every scene he was in! - was wooing
the character played by Michael's real life wife, Jennifer Ward Leyland. What
was funny is that Jennifer's character winds up the movie in a lesbian
relationship with the character played by Lisa Chappell!
I agree with those who call for more episodes with Princess Dirce - she and
Iolaus really do have a tremendous potential together!
Owlharp (passionate Iolausian and Hurst fan)
Owlharp
Michael poses the question "so which do you like best?"
And the answer is .... ANYTHING with Iolaus in it! But my favorite of favorite
episodes has got to be :
First season: Pride Goeth Before a Brawl
Second season: King for a Day
Third season: Not Fade Away
Fourth season (so far): Hero's Heart - followed closely by "And Fancy Free"!
At the San Francisco convention, when asked what HIS favorite episode was,
Michael answered "King for a Day" and it was for this episode that he won an
acting award in New Zealand this year!
Owlharp