The Myth Of Persephone in "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"

 I watched the episode of “Hercules: The Legendey Journeys” called “The Other Side” (Season 2, Episode 8) and oh man, was this 90s cheese at its finest. I kind of vaguely watched parts of this show as a kid when I was on vacation without cable and it is glorious in the not particularly well acted (Kevin Sorbo is frequently the only one really trying and even then look up “hercules disappointed”), slapsticky, low budget although this show probably cost more than you think way. Also, Ancient Greece is aesthetically like a really 90s version of medieval times for some reason. You can make a peplos out of a bedsheet! I don’t understand. 

Also, their take on the myth is basically removing all the problematic elements entirely. It’s very 90s mainstream third wave feminist-y. 

Here we see Demeter and Persephone just wandering around. Demeter somehow had three nice, peplos-inspired dresses and Persephone's dress came from the mall but they RenFaired it up. It looks a little better in a wide shot but she’s mostly in mid shots like this.

So she picks a yellow flower which I guess could be a narcissus although it looks exactly like the flowers she’s holding and Hades comes out of a cave thing on his chariot.

He has the silliest helmet, which is doing a poor job of making him invisible by the way, and I almost didn’t notice it because of the fact that the camera does a drama!zoom on Persephone as she shouts out “Hades!” right before this. Although it was hard to miss his weird collar and leather pants.

Hercules, being the main character, gets incorporated into the story and sees this happen. Demeter says Hades did this “Because he hates me.” What. She asks Herc to go get Seph or else she’ll keep wintering it up and killing people so he goes.

I just need you to see Charon’s design because I kind of hate it.

So the relationship between Persephone and Hades is established pretty quickly. They appear to have been courting or something, Demeter is not down, so Hades took action. Persephone goes from angry to aroused in like, one minute.

“Hades, I can’t believe you’ve done this.”

“Sorry for the bad timing but your mom is annoying and I love you.”

“Oh, that’s reasonable.”

In what I call the B plot, Herc finds his dead wife and kids who don’t know they are dead. They have happy family time and then boning.

For some reason, Hades and Persephone are watching this.

“Hades, don’t be a voyeur.”

“Instead of watching other people have sex, we should do it."

And obviously he’s down.

But he forgot to turn off his peeping screen as they fall onto the floor.

So first Herc tries to talk to Hades about letting Seph go. Hades is just like, whatever Demeter is a drama queen. Somehow the plot point about the Underworld getting crowded from all the people killed by Demeter’s winter is completely gone. Probably because in every version Hades notices this and is a bit more willing to let her go in order to restore balance and this whole episode fringes on Hades not wanting to let her go (and she’s not too keen on it either).

Cerberus looks terrible. Is this what early CGI looks like. If you know your myths, you know these two have a history but he gets past him to Seph’s bedroom (or Hades’ bedroom because yeah).

Herc is confused by her reluctance to leave and her statements that she thinks Hades is “wonderful,” “misunderstood,” and “kinda sexy.” Herc kinkshames her and then is like, “People are dying!” and she’s like, “Well, shoot, I guess I better go.”

These two idiots fist fight it out while Seph stands in the corner telling them to stop. They eventually just give up and talk it out.

Hades makes a plea to emotion (”They won’t even let me in the Elysian Fields anymore because I’m too gloomy! She’s the only bright spot here.”) and tells Herc that he will let Herc take any of the dead he wants out of the Underworld if he let’s Persephone stay. Herc is tempted to resurrect his family but has to do the right thing so he and Seph go to say goodbye to them.

One of Herc’s kids offers Seph a . . .could they not afford a pomegrante . . . or red paint.

On their way out Seph has another change of heart and is like, “Wait, I love him” and Herc is like, “We don’t have time for this” as Hades shapeshifts into his wife to try to beg him to take the deal. BUT LOOK WHO’S HERE

After some arguing Herc is like, “Let’s ask Persephone what she wants” and she’s like, “I choose both, I guess” and Herc is like, “Okay, six months with each of them.” Seriously, Hercules is an idiot. Let her move freely or at least weekly. Whatever it’s a silly television show that needed the main character to play a big role.

Caption this on your own.

I just liked this shot. It’s so ACTING.

I watched another episode with Hades in it called “Highway To Hades” where Sisyphus has escaped and Herc has to bring him back. That didn’t happen in mythology but Sisyphus cheated death twice, once by tricking Thanatos and once by tricking Persephone, so that tracks as a premise. Hades basically asks him to do it because he’s really busy with dead soldiers from recent wars and because he has inventory coming up, which is just about the most Hades thing I’ve ever heard. Although the episode implies that Zeus is his boss which I don’t like. Hades is the boss and takes his job very seriously. Basically every myth gets that right.

The only other episode they both appear in seems to be a season three episode called “Not Fade Away” (with a cameo by Cythnia Rothrock!). They both got new hairstyles. 

I think this is a marked improvement actually. They look cute. Although Hades’ armor got shinier for some reason. Maybe someone recently found out he’s also the god of wealth.

Herc’s friend stuck in between their arguing.

Hades obviously lost said argument. It’s funny how her hair is more controlled and his is less controlled. There’s a point though since Hades spends this entire episode being stressed out.

Don’t worry though. They’re still adorable and in love. I would literally watch a show entirely about them.

Anyway, I loved this version. It’s ridiculous and corny and I will watch it again for sure.