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Hercules: Season Five (February 7/05)

Hercules returns in the penultimate season of the series, with an expected mix of serious and wacky episodes.

The season kicks off with the conclusion to season four's cliffhanger, which saw Hercules turning down the opportunity to become a full-fledged god. Interestingly, Hercules' loyal sidekick Iolaus is killed off within the first three episodes - though the actor who plays him returns as other characters and even Iolaus himself (in ghost form).

Hercules is played by, of course, Kevin Sorbo, who imbues the character with just the right balance of levity and heroics. Bruce Campbell returns as Autolycus, and even has an episode all to himself (Genies and Grecians and Geeks, Oh My). Other guest stars include Tony Todd, Gina Torres (Anna Espinosa on Alias) and Lord of the Rings' Karl Urban.

It wouldn't be Hercules: The Legendary Journeys without at least one really weird episode, and that appears in the form of For Those Of You Just Joining Us. Featuring the show's writers at a retreat, the episode casts Sorbo as himself and Campbell as real-life writer Rob Tapert (who is, coincidentally enough, married to Lucy Lawless).

And, as expected, the season ends on an effectively suspenseful note. Hercules: Season Five delivers exactly the sort of entertainment that one expects out of the series and is certainly a worthy purchase for fans of the show.

 

About the DVD: Like the other sets for this series, Hercules: Season Five comes equipped with an astounding amount of supplemental material. Virtually every episode features either interviews or a commentary track, ensuring that there'll be no unanswered questions by the time one gets through all this stuff. Aside from a bonus disc full of CD-ROM extras (ie trivia, biographies, etc), there are also two featurettes (one a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects and the other an in-depth interview with Sorbo).
© David Nusair