Yes, Virginia, There Is a Hercules

Infobox Television episode
Title= Yes, Virginia, There Is a Hercules
Series=


Season=4
Episode=415
Airdate=23 February, 1998
Production=
Writer=Alex Kurtzman
Roberto Orci
Director=Christopher Graves
Guests=Bruce Campbell (Rob Tapert)
Ted Raimi (Alex Kurtzman)
Kevin Smith (Ares/Jerry Patrick Brown)
Hudson Leick (Liz Friedman)
Robert Trebor (B.S. Hollingfoffer)
Gina Torres (Beth Hymson)
Michael Hurst (Paul Robert Coyle)
Joel Tobeck (Strife/David Scott Pollison)
Prev=Armageddon Now, Part 2
Next=Porkules

Overview

In this clip show, an earthquake in modern-day Los Angeles causes panic for the writers of "Hercules" when the series' star, Kevin Sorbo goes missing.

Plot synopsis

The episode opens with a clip from "Atlantis", where Hercules saves Cassandra as the city falls apart. Then Robert Tapert wakes up from a nightmare when Eric Gruendeman calls him in the middle of the night. He tells Tapert they had an earthquake and gives him some bad news.

Meanwhile, Liz Friedman is practicing her boxing skills. Tapert calls Liz and tells her the news. Jerry Patrick Brown is paintballing in the woods, when Liz calls him. Paul Robert Coyle is in Las Vegas, when he also gets a call. Later they all arrive at the office in Hollywood and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci join them. Rob Tapert tells them all that Kevin Sorbo is missing.

Rob sends production assistant, David Scott Pollison, "Davie", to find Kevin, even if he has to go around the world. Jerry suggests they base the story about a different character: Ares. Clips from "Judgment Day" and "End of the Beginning" are shown. Jerry says, "The God of War is one lean, mean fighting machine." Rob likes the idea, but Liz hates it. She suggests "A woman we can all look up to, a woman of the 90s, a woman who takes matters into her own hands…Callisto."

We see clips from "Surprise", Liz says, "Ares isn't even a close second to Callisto", when it comes to making Hercules suffer. Rob loves this idea too. As he goes to leave, Alex says that both Ares and Callisto are bad guys, so without Hercules to fight they would have nothing to do. On the set in New Zealand, things are not going too well, people are beginning to figure out that something is amiss.

Back at the office, they get a call that the Head of the Studio, B.S. Hollinsfoffer is coming in, when he arrives, he asks what they are doing there on a Sunday. He suggests they should do "Hercules: The Musical" and we see clips from "… and Fancy Free" as he sets out the idea for the story. Then Davie calls from Paris, saying he cannot find Kevin, and B.S. finds out that he is missing. B.S. fires them all, but Paul suggest they use a story involving the Sovereign, until Liz points out that he was played by Kevin Sorbo too. When all the staff begin to leave B.S. rehires them.

As B.S. leaves Eric calls asking if Kevin has shown up yet, Rob says he was going to ask the same thing. Rob says they will have to find a new Hercules. The staff are all waiting, when Beth Hymson arrives with Johnny Pinko, who is auditioning for the role of Hercules. She sets up the story for him, with clips from "Two Men and a Baby", she tells him to go through the speech Hercules gives to Evander in the episode. Johnny tries but fails disastrously. Beth is ecstatic but the others are not impressed.

After several auditions, Liz says, "If we ever make a show called "Rejects", we’ll know where to look." Rob says it is the writers fault, and Jerry challenges him. Rob tells Jerry if he wants a piece of him, he will have to go through Liz. They begin to fight but Alex breaks it up. Davie calls from Spain to say he cannot find Kevin and Eric calls telling Rob that people found out the Kevin is missing.

Rob gets them all back on the topic of how to make a "Hercules" episode without Hercules. His assistant, Melissa Blake suggests "Young Hercules", "when did he meet Iolaus, what was the first monster he killed?" Paul and Rob like the idea, but Beth says they would need to re-cast the entire show and they have not found any good actors.

B.S. comes back and tells them all they have until 5 o'clock to come up with an idea or the show will be cancelled. Liz wishes they could do away with actors all together, Rob get the idea to turn the show into a cartoon. Liz reminds him they would need Kevin's voice.

Jerry suggest they should just surrender, while they still have their dignity, but Alex and Roberto come up with an idea: Chimpules. Rob is not impressed by the idea. Alex and Roberto begin fighting, then Jerry and Liz, and Rob and Melissa start, as the fight continues, Beth walks in and prepares to punch Alex.

In the middle of the fight, everyone freezes and Ares and Strife appear. Strife says Ares' idea to cause the earthquake was "a stroke of genius." Ares says he knew his brother would not put the show above saving innocent lives. Ares says that his brother's "legendary journeys" will soon be over and he can watch "Millennium" in peace. They hear a voice from the doorway and look to see Hercules in a suit. Ares says he is pathetic for pretending to be a mortal called "Kevin Sorbo". He says, "The world isn't ready for the truth." Ares swears they will meet again and he and Strife vanish. Hercules unfreezes everyone and they are glad to see him, he tells them he was stuck in traffic, because "after all I'm only human."

Cultural references

*After being fired by B.S., Liz Friedman says, "I wonder if Sinbad is hiring."
**This is a reference to "The Adventures of Sinbad", which was also airing at the time.

Main cast

*Kevin Sorbo as Kevin Sorbo/Hercules

Continuity Flaw

* Strife (played by actor Joel Tobeck) is seen alongside Ares (Kevin Smith) even though he was killed in the episode "Armageddon Now, Part 1" by Callisto (Hudson Leick)

External links

*Tv.com episode|id=38999