Hercules & the Argonauts (10-08-98)
Egad... Unfortunately I must say I wasn't too excited about this episode... I know I was warned not to expect too much, but this tale, "Jason and the Argonauts" just happens to be my alltime favorite myth (aside from Perseus & Bellerophon with their Pegasus connections) ...but I digress.
Anyhow, here we go:
O.K. This episode introduces us to Hercules' first encounter with Jason (will there be more???).
This was a non-Prometheus Academy episode... the only regular to appear was Phil. With Willian Shatner voicing Jason I guess the Star Trek undertones were inevitable...though I must admit that I forgot it was Shatner while I was watching, and thought I was imagining the Star Trek allusions at first. The "Beach Blanket Bingo" (Frankie & Annette) type beach scene with the nymphs was cute... and I agree with Juan... the tune rand a bell with me to... so to speak.
I think the most appealing part of the episode was the attitude of Jason's crew and the nymphs.
I did like how giddy Herc was to go sailing with Jason, but I think what would have changed my whole opinion about this episode is that it would have been much more appealing *IF* the quest was NOT for the Golden Fleece. I would have preferred that the quest be for some OTHER object and allowed for Jason's quest for the fleece to have been legendary still. Without some accomplishment preceding this episode I can't imagine what was so appealing about Jason and why Herc would be so excited to join his crew?
The gags about Jason's hair were good... considering how much Mr. Shatner seems to worry about his own.
The beast sounded a bit like Sesame Street's Cookie Monster: "Me hungry... Me eat now!"
As for the legend of the Golden Fleece that Juan asked about:
It started when King Athamas of Thebes wanted to divorce his wife Nephele in favor of marrying Princess Ino. Fearing for the lives of her children, when she learned that Athamas planned to sacrifice them, either she (as the goddess of the clouds) or Zeus sent the magical flying golden ram to their aid. The children Helle and Phrixus flew on the back of the ram, however, while flying over the sea Helle lost her grip and fell into the sea, then named Hellespont. Most legends say she drown, but at least on version says she was saved by poseidon who fell in love with her (idanno... something about small children and the gods...).
Anyhow, Phrixus arrived in Colchis safely and sacrified the ram to Zeus in gratitude for his salvation. The fleece was given to King Aeetes and hung in his sacred grotto. The king gave Phrixus his daughter Chalciope's hand in marriage and they had several children, one of whom was named Argos. Most legends say he was a different Argos from the one who built Jason's ship, but others say they were one-and-the-same. It was Argos who introduced Jason to Medea as well.
As for any special properties to the golden fleece, I beleive I read at least one version that purported healing capacity, but mostly it was just important because it was *legendary* itself, having been the means of Phrixus' salvation, and that it was real gold. Jason just wanted the fleece because he was ordered to retrieve it for his uncle King Pelias. Of course Pelias, knowing Jason was the rightful heir to the throne of Iolcos, hoped that the dangers in either the sailing trip, or King Aeetes, or the sorceress Medea (daughter of Aeetes & the goddess Hekate), or finally the dragon, Ladon (son of Echidna & Typhon), which guarded the fleece would mean Jason's destruction. He never counted on the help of all the famous heroes of legend, or the protection of Athena and the aid of Medea to foil his hopes of Jason's death.
Oh, and the guy who was pestered by Harpies was Phineus. In one version of his legend he was said to have had the gift of prophesy, and at one point incurred the wrath of the gods for aiding Phrixus. Thus he was blinded and plagued by harpies who would always eat his food before he could get any of it. Another version says that he was punished for blinding his own sons when their stepmother accused them falsely of trying to rape her. He was finally releaved of his misery when the Argonauts sought his aid, but he agreed only on the condition that they free him from the Harpies forever. This was accomplished when the winged sons of the North Wind (Boreas), the Argonauts named Zetes & Calias, successfully chased them away (some say causing the Harpies' death). These two were later killed by Hercules when he discovered it was they who advised Jason to abandon Hercules in Mysia while he was searching for his missing boyfriend, Hylas. But I digress...
As for the *nymphs*... There was the nymphs at Mysia who pulled Hylas into the lake, which cause Hercules to go looking for him (though never to find him), and to be abandoned by the Argonauts. However, since they were singing and trying to bring about the death of Hercules, Jason and his crew in the episode, they may have actually represented the Sirens who were supposedly evil sea nymphs, though some legends depict them as part bird.