The episode opens at night with a Centaur, Nemis, praying at Hera'a altar. He declares he's willing to do "anything" in order to win "the beautiful Penelope". Hera is obviously impressed by this, as a very nasty-looking spiked club appears on the altar. Nemis is pleased by this sign and asks Hera who she wants him to kill.
Daylight, and Hercules encounters a soldier, Tyron, returning from the war. Tyron is dragging two sets of armor on a sledge: Hercules offers to help him carry it but his help is refused. Tyron explains that the second set of amour was his friend's: a friend who was killed as a result of Tyron's cowardice. He's taking it home to the dead man's family. Hercules understands, and continues his journey alone.
Two Centaurs, Craesus and Deric are practicing archery while the beautiful Lyla watches. These guys are *good*. They've been invited to a wedding: Craesus isn't too happy about this: they've been seated some distance from the wedding party and he feels this is an insult. Deric seems happy to have been invited at all. Their practice session is interrupted by Nemis, who orders Lyla to prepare some sort of drugged wine. "Hera has given me the power to win the hand of Penelope," he announces. "And with this [the club] I will avenge my brother's death!" He thinks he's going to kill Hercules.
Hercules meets Salmoneus on the road. He doesn't seem pleased to see him. Salmoneus has given up on selling togas and is into Real Estate. He's hoping Herc will help him drain a swamp he's just bought. Hercules isn't interested, but Salmoneus doesn't want to take no for an answer. Arriving at the wedding, Hercules tells Salmoneus (firmly) not to hustle the guests. It's Salmoneus' turn to be unhappy. After greeting the bride, Hercules watches one of the centaurs (Craesus) throwing a javelin. Craesus challenges Hercules to a competition and Hercules accepts. Salmoneus immediately starts taking bets. Predictably, Hercules wins, which seems to impress Lyla, who's been watching from the sidelines.
Lyla drags Hercules away from Salmoneus by offering to show Hercules the best "view" in the area. When she gets Hercules alone she offers hima drink and makes a not-exactly-subtle pass...they share one very steamy kiss but that's all, and Lyla doesn't seem too upset when he turns her down. As our hero leaves, Lyla pours away therest of the wine -- it eats into the plant like acid.
When we next see Hercules, he's not feeling too well. He tries to tell Salmoneus, but the guy's not listening. Deric overhears a couple of women complaining about the presence of "beasts" (ie Centaurs) and has some fun playing up to their prejudices, until he sees Hercules watching him and goes to talk with him instead. He's obviously expecting Hercules to display the same attitude, but Hercules was educated by a Centaur, and is quite friendly toward Deric. Deric challenges him to a friendly archery contest and again Hercules accepts the challenge. But Hercules is having real trouble with his eyesight. Somehow, he manages to hide his growing blindness and the contest is a draw. Salmoneus is still taking bets. Deric doesn't get it: Lyla's potion should have "incapacitated" Hercules by now.
Hercules asks Penelope about Lyla and learns that the two women used to be best friends...until Lyla changed and began associating with the centaurs. Hercules tells her that's not a crime, but Penelope says it is to many people. At this point their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the Centaur Nemis. He's obviously an uninvited guest, and Hercules recognizes him at once: Nemis is the twin brother of Nessus, the Centaur Hercules killed for trying to rape Deianeira. Hercules is not happy to see him. Neither is Penelope, nor her husband-to-be.
The arrival of Tyron, still dragging his sled of armor disrupts proceedings still further. His dead friend's family are at the wedding and demanding an explanation. Tyron's story makes it clear that he blames himself, and he is accused of cowardice. It's about to turn into a major fight when Hercules intervenes. Hercules deals with these guys easily enough, but while he's distracted by that fight, the Centaurs make their move, Nemis abducts Penelope, and Craesus takes Cheris, the maid of honor as his "trophy"...apparently Cheris is Tyron's sister. Hercules is unable to stop them. He is blind.
The Centaurs take their prisoners to a cave and chain them up. Lyla is kissing Deric -- boy, that woman gets around! Nemis tells Penelope that when he kills Hercules she'll feel differently about him. He's obviously as crazy as his brother was.
Marcus (the groom) and Tyron guide Hercules across country following the Centaurs, with Salmoneus along "to be Hercules' eyes". Hercules is getting depressed about his blindness ("How am I supposed to help people if I'm the one who needs help?") Salmoneus tries to cheer him up but doesn't have much luck. The group is attacked by the Centaurs: Craesus and Deric with longbows. Hercules, with help from Salmoneus, kills Craesus with an arrow, but Nemis rolls a huge boulder down the hill toward them. Tyron saves both Marcus and Hercules, but in doing so in killed by the boulder. Hercules finally realizes that Nemis is after vengeance for his brother's death and resolves to go after him, but after dark when his blindness won't be a handicap. In the meantime, he is going to give Tyron a hero's burial.
At sunset, Deric and Lyla find Hercules beside Tyron's grave. Lyla tells Hercules that the effect of the potion will wear off in a couple of days and Deric tries to persuade Hercules to wait until then before going after Nemis. "You're no match for him now...Hera has given Nemis a special club." But Deric's mention of Hera makes Hercules even more determined.
In the darkness, Hercules is able to find Nemis' cave by following the sound of Penelope's voice: she is trying to persuade Nemis to free them. Nemis hears someone outside the cave and goes to look. He can hear Salmoneus (who has followed Hercules) moving around and shoots at him. Meanwhile, Hercules has sneaked into the cave. He manages to free Cheris, but before he can free Penelope Nemis returns. Hercules and Nemis fight -- that club is deadly. So deadly in fact that it sets off what looks like a minor earthquake: the cave begins to crumble. While the fight is going on, Cheris is trying to free Penelope but she can't do it. Eventually, Hercules overturns a cooking pot over Nemis' fire, plunging the whole cave into darkness: now they're both blind. Hercules wounds Nemis and tries to hold up the roof of the cave while Cheris frees Penelope. Nemis comes up behind him: Herc is an easy target, but rather than kill him, Nemis helps him hold up the roof, telling Hercules to help Penelope. Hercules breaks the last of Penelope's chains with his hands (why didn't he do that before?). Both women escape, but Hercules cannot save Nemis: the cave collapses on him.
Outside the cave, Hercules tells Penelope that Nemis really loved her. "I know," she replies, "I'm just sorry love led him so far astray."
Daylight, presumably the next day, and Hercules is ready to leave. Seems he has his sight back. He gives Tyron's sword to Cheris, telling her that it's a symbol of her brother's courage and he would want her to have it. Both Penelope and Marcus thank Hercules for his help. Salmoneus is thrilled because he's made a bundle on bets: everyone thought the Centaurs were going to win. Hercules then explains that according to local custom, the bride and groom collect all gambling winnings. He than hands over a lot of Salmoneus' dinars to Penelope. Salmoneus is not happy, and he follows Hercules as he leaves, still complaining.
Starring: Kevin Sorbo (Hercules)
Guest Starring: Robert Trebor (Salmoneus), Cliff Curtis (Nemis), Jacqueline Collen (Penelope), Lucy Lawless (Lyla), Peter Muller (Deric), Mark Ferguson (Craesus), Matthew Humphrey (Marcus), Buzz Moller (Tyron), Fiona Mogridge (Cheris), Maya Dalziel (Mother), Jonathon Bell-Booth (Brother #1), Mervyn Whitley Jr. (Brother #2), Paul Norell (Spotter)
Written by Robert Bielak
Directed by George Mendeluk