Eye of the Beholder (Hercules episode)

Infobox Television episode
Title= Eye of the Beholder
Series=


Caption=Hercules, Scyla and Salmoneus
Season=1
Episode=102
Airdate=January 23, 1995
Production=76605
Writer=John Schulian
Director=John T. Kretchmer
Guests=Robert Trebor (Salmoneus)
Kim Michalis (Scilla)
Richard Moll (the cyclops)
Prev=The Wrong Path
Next=The Road to Calydon

Overview

Hercules agrees to aid a town terrorized by a cyclops, but soon learns that the creature's actions may not be entirely unjustified.

Plot synopsis

Hercules is running along a beach trying to get away from a large group of young women. Later in a tavern a man asks Hercules about the women, and he tells him that they are the 50 daughters of the king Thespius. Another man comes over to Hercules' table and asks him what he is going to do about the cyclops which is terrorising Trachis. The cyclops had been chasing people out of their homes to protect Hera's sacred vineyard. Hercules sets off to deal with the cyclops. Elsewhere a man is walking along the road and meets the cyclops. The cyclops picks up the man and kicks him away. Hercules walking through the trees sees the man hanging from a branch. The man introduces himself as Salmoneus, a toga salesman. He decides that he will travel with Hercules.

At the riverside three men are attempting to move a rock which had been placed there to divert the river away from their homes and to Hera's vineyard. The cyclops comes and threatens them, one man runs, another stands up to the cyclops and gets smashed into the ground by the cyclops' huge fist, the third man then also runs back to the village. The men who fled from the cyclops tell Hercules that one of their men has just been killed by the cyclops. The villagers throw a party to celebrate that Hercules will rid them of the cyclops. At the party the 50 daughters of Thespius come looking for Hercules, Salmoneus lies and tells them he went to Athens. The following day a young woman, Scilla, is picking flowers when the cyclops approaches and she runs away frightened. She arrives back at the village and tells the others what happened, Hercules goes looking for the cyclops.

While searching for the cyclops, Hercules is faced with the daughters again, but manages to evade them. He meets with the cyclops and after a brief fight, Hercules realises that the cyclops is not evil, he'd just been hurt in the past by the villagers calling him nasty names. He tells the cyclops that he should work with the villagers and not for Hera. He tells Hercules he works for Castor, who is in charge of the vineyard, not Hera. Hercules convinces the cyclops that he should try to resolve his problems with the villagers. Her then goes back to the village and tells the people there that they should give the cyclops some respect and not call him names and treat him like a freak. One man, Atreus, says he won't be nice and some villagers agree, Scilla tells them they are awful for being so mean to the cyclops.

Meanwhile a group of Hera's executioners come looking for Hercules. As Hercules helps the villagers divert the river back to their village, the cyclops comes to help, some people throw rocks at him and call him names, as he retreats, Scilla follows him. Hercules says he know why the cyclops is evil, it wasn't Hera that made him evil, it was the people of the village by always calling him names. At his cave Scilla tries to convince the cyclops that not all the villagers feel the same, he replies that she still fled out of fear when she first saw him. The cyclops offers his help to Hercules and they both fight Hera's men. Some of the villagers say they should help. Atreus says he "I won't die helping a freak, or anyone who side with one, even if it is Hercules." After disposing of all of Hera's men. Atreus asks Hercules how he can repay him, Hercules says that they should just "be nice" to the cyclops. The villagers and the cyclops agree to let each other live in peace. As Hercules and Salmoneus leave the village they are encountered by the 50 daughters again, they say they don't want Hercules and that Salmoneus will do. Salmoneus walks off with the women, leaving Hercules to travel alone to his next adventure.

Quotes and trivia

*This "" was the first appearance of Robert Trebor as Salmoneus.

Main cast

*Kevin Sorbo as Hercules

External links

*Tv.com episode|id=38927|title=Eye of the Beholder