1.20 - Fame

« Previous Episode

Next Episode »

Title Fame Episode # Season 1, Episode 20 First aired October 31, 1998 Directed by Chris Graves Written by Bob Forward Summary Orpheus keeps working for Bacchus. Herc destroys Bacchus. Ep 2 of 4.

FoxKids Spoilers

• Reformed cult member, Orpheus, and his girlfriend, Eurydice, return to Kora's to perform a concert in front of a sold-out crowd. As Orpheus plays the lyre, the crowd of teens slowly transforms into deadly, fang-bearing Bacchai. Hercules realizes that Orpheus has struck a dangerous deal with Bacchus that threatens anyone who hears the music that comes from the lyre.
• Orpheus (Kieren Hutchison) gains his and Eurydice's freedom from Bacchus, but at a deadly price.

TV Guide Promo

• Orpheus and Eurydice, both reformed from their days as followers of Bacchus perform at Kora's in front of a sold out crowd. But unbeknownst to Eurydice, Orpheus has struck a deadly deal with Bacchus freeing him and Eurydice if he helps recruit new Bacchae.

Synopsis

Title card - End credits can be found here.

      Iolaus rushes into the Academy Gymnasium, looking for Hercules, who is practicing drills with another cadet. They chat while Hercules tosses a medicine ball back and forth, and Iolaus tells him that Orpheus is going to be playing at Kora's Inn that evening. Iolaus invites him to go but Hercules is reluctant, referencing Bacchus's efforts to lure them into his "sick little cult." Iolaus finally uses reverse psychology, pretending to give up while mentioning Eurydice, and Hercules reveals that he's going to go after all, but bluffs "I'm only going to keep you outta trouble."

      Later that evening, night has fallen but Kora's Inn is brightly lit with roaring fires. Advertisements for Orpheus's band are pasted all over the walls, and there's a constant stream of people heading inside the Inn. A line quickly forms at the entrance, guarded by Roadie who is standing next to a full-length mirror. The surface of the mirror ripples as Bacchus's voice says "Do not let these two enter," and Roadie puts up a hand to stop Hercules and Iolaus from entering the Inn. Iolaus tries to leverage his way in by saying that they're "friends of the band", but Roadie tells them to take a hike and pushes them back into the line of people that formed. Hercules is about to retreat when Eurydice appears, greeting them happily. She hangs backstage passes around their necks, and when Roadie objects, she tells him that they are "honored guests". She leads them into the club despite Roadie's glaring, telling them that Orpheus's music is going to be "the most incredible thing you've ever experienced." After they pass, Bacchus's face appears in the mirror again, foreshadowing their doom, "Incredible, yes. And maybe the last."

      Light glints off of a spinning disco ball hanging from the ceiling, while the club is hopping below. Eurydice makes her way through the crowd, with Hercules and Iolaus following. A group of three girls notice the passes around the guy's necks and stop them, "Are you a friend of the band?" Iolaus is more than happy to go on at length about how he and Orpheus go way back, but Hercules catches sight of Eurydice slipping backstage and follows her.

      In Bacchus's Cavern, Bacchus pulls Roadie through one of his mirrors. "I told you not to admit Hercules," Bacchus says. Roadie explains that he tried, but Eurydice let them in, and Bacchus had said not to make her suspicious.

      Eurydice pulls Hercules into a backstage room and hugs him, "It's so great to see you again!" Hercules is confused that Eurydice is no longer a Bacchae, and she explains that Orpheus made a deal for her freedom and gushes about how great he is, and how "he's finally getting all the fame he deserves."

      Back in the main club, Roadie is discussing Bacchus's orders with Orpheus. Iolaus catches sight of them and calls out to Orpheus. Orpheus, visibly upset, pastes on a smile and greets Iolaus, asking if Hercules came with him. Iolaus tells him that Herc went backstage, and Orpheus tells the fangirls "This man helped save my life. Treat him well." He then leaves Iolaus in the throng of fangirls and heads backstage.

      Backstage, Eurydice comes out from behind a partition and twirls, showing off her stage outfit. Hercules admires it for a moment, but is more concerned about the feeling that "there's something very wrong" with Eurydice herself, that "it's like you're hiding something, even from yourself." Orpheus arrives, interrupting the mood. He greets Hercules, but ignores the hand Hercules holds out to shake. Hercules compliments the lyre Orpheus is holding, saying that it looks like the one Bacchus has. Orpheus corrects him, saying that it's his now, won in negotiation with Bacchus. "How could you do that?" Hercules says, "You know how dangerous he is." Orpheus puts his arm around Eurydice, "As her if she likes her new freedom." He nods to the crowd in the club chanting his name, "Ask them if they like my music." Orpheus then takes Eurydice's hand and leads her away, inviting Hercules to enjoy the performance. Eurydice pauses just long enough to try to console Herc, "I appreciate your concern, Hercules, but really, everything's fine," before following Orpheus on stage.

      Orpheus and the band are rocking the house, with Eurydice shaking some maracas and dancing backup. Everybody seems to be having a good time, but there are flashes of bacchae roaming the audience. Hercules leans against the wall, watching the concert and starting to enjoy the music, when he catches sight of the bacchae. Searching the crowd, he grabs Iolaus and tries to get him to leave. When Iolaus refuses, Hercules picks him up and carries him outside. Orpheus notices them leave, but is too occupied with the performance to do anything about it.

      Walking out of the Inn, Iolaus is complaining that Hercules pulled him away, "Three girls talking to me, just 'cause I knew Orpheus!" "Something's very wrong here. We're going." Hercules counters, walking off. Roadie watches them go.

      Backstage, Orpheus carefully places the lyre in its case before admiring himself in a nearby mirror. Noticing something odd, he steps closer to the mirror, only to be grabbed by Bacchus's hand as it shoots out of the rippling surface. Bacchus pulls Orpheus through the mirror and into his cavern for a chat about how Hercules knows that something is going on. "This is not my problem," Orpheus objects, saying that he's upholding his end of the deal: his concerts are a cover to convert more bacchae. Bacchus tries to threaten him, saying that if Hercules interferes, that will be the end of their deal. Orpheus cockily assures him that Hercules knows Eurydice's freedom is part of the deal, "He's not going to try to stop me. He's gonna try to stop you. Ball's in your court, Horn-boy." Orpheus pats Bacchus's cheek condescendingly, and Bacchus screams in rage and shoves Orpheus back through the mirror. Upset by Orpheus's arrogance, Bacchus vows to take Eurydice from him "just to remind him who's responsible for all his glory". He knows Hercules will try to interfere at the next concert, "But we'll be ready, and Hercules will be destroyed."

Characters (in order of appearance)

• Iolaus
• Hercules
• Woman in Shiny Corset and Sleeves
• Roadie
• Bacchus
• Eurydice
• Bar Girl Serena
• Teenage Fan Victoria
• Orpheus
• Woman in the Blue Dress
• Cheiron
• Dryad

Characters (mention only)

• Jason
• Lilith

Places

• Cheiron's Academy
• Academy Gymnasium
• Kora's Inn
• Bacchus's Cavern
• Weapon Storage Cubby
• Dryad Desert

Items

• Backstage Passes
• Modern Disco Ball
• Bacchus's Lyre
• Dryad Bones
  • More items from this episode...

Mythology

• Bacchae
  
• Centaurs
  
• Dryad

Plot Arcs

• AKAs
• Cheiron's Advice

Other Pages

• Never Say Kill

Television Tropes

• Plot Tropes:
  • Love Triangle

Quotes

Iolaus: So, are you gonna come along to the biggest event ever, or are you gonna stay here doing Hercules things?

Iolaus: Okay, so the, uh... thigh bone's connected to the, uh...

Hercules: Yeah, the hip bone.
Iolaus: Yeah, and the hip bone's connected to the...

Hercules: Uh... whatever. Let's call the whole thing off, huh?

Hercules: Ladies and gentlemen! I don't mean to alarm you, but there are Bacchae in the building.

Eurydice: Sometimes, following your destiny involves great sacrifice.

Trivia & References

Nod to X:WP - In X:WP "2.04 - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" Xena also goes hunting Dryad bones to defeat Bacchus.

Déjà Vu - The Dryads burrowing through the sand is recycled footage from H:TLJ "3.01 - Mercenary", only in that story, it was sand rays burrowing beneath their feet.

Continuity Warning - During Orpheus's concert, a very modern-looking disco ball hangs from the ceiling. This is in extreme contrast to the more "Greekified" disco ball that is hung during 1.29 - Sisters.

Pop Culture References and Greekisms - While picking up the Dryad bones, Hercules and Iolaus mention that the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone. This is a reference to the song "Dem Dry Bones".

Pop Culture References and Greekisms - While picking up the Dryad bones, Hercules says "Let's call the whole thing off." This is a reference to the song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off".

Unanswered Questions - If the bite takes effect when the sun goes down, and Orpheus's concert was after sunset, does that mean that anyone bitten at the concert would have a full day before they're turned? What was Eurydice's life like before being turned into a Bacchae, and where is her family? Does she try to contact her old life after being freed from Bacchus's cult?

Guides, Scripts, Transcripts, & Reviews

• Fame Transcript (Dialogue Only)
• Whoosh.org's transcript.
• Whoosh.org's Episode Guide
• IMDB's Episode Guide
• TV.com's Episode Guide
• ShareTV's Episode Guide
• Watch the full episode online at Hulu.com.
• Ty's Reviews: 1.20- Fame

« Previous Episode

Next Episode »