One lovely spring day, a hillside suddenly splits open with a mighty rumble. Hades (Erik Thomson), the god of the underworld, rides out of the cleft earth on a chariot and kidnaps the beautiful Persephone (Andrea Croton), daughter of the goddess Demeter (Sarah Wilson). The two quickly disappear in a cloud of blinding dust and smoke. Hearing the awful rumbling some distance away, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) arrives just in time to see the hillside seal itself back up. A nearly hysterical Demeter tells him that Hades has taken Persephone to the Other Side and pleads with him to rescue her daughter.
Hercules claims he cannot help her, saying he is powerless to intercede in a battle between gods. As he walks off, Demeter angrily summons the elements against him and Hercules faces a sudden thunderstorm, then sleet, then snow. Realizing that Demeter's fury is causing devastation across the land, he finally offers to go after Persephone if the goddess promises to restore the earth's harvest. Demeter agrees and points him towards a cave-like split in the hillside, warning him not to eat anything on the Other Side and never to look back once he begins his homeward journey.
Making his way through a dark and smoky cavern he is immediately thrown off balance by a fleeting vision of his deceased wife Deianeira (Tawny Kitaen), and their three children. Soon, he comes upon Charon (Michael Hurst), the ferryman, with whom he bargains to gain passage across the river Styx. Arriving on the Other Side, Hercules again sees Deianeira and his children, this time in the Elysian Fields. Deianeira runs to embrace her husband, and Hercules is swept up in a joyful family reunion. Meanwhile, Persephone, who is secretly in love with her darkly handsome captor, is seriously considering life on the Other Side with him. Hercules is surprised and confused when she shows up at Deianeira's home and is not under guard. But before she can fully explain herself, Hercules finds himself face to face with Hades in the punishment grounds of Tartarus. When he vows to take Persephone back to earth, Hades promises he will prevent it any way he can.
After breaking through the palace gates and making his way past Cerberus, Hades' ferocious three-headed dog, Hercules finally reaches Persephone. But to his surprise, she defends Hades and agrees to leave only when she learns that her mother is inflicting terrible suffering on mankind because of her disappearance. As they make their escape, however, Hercules must defeat a number of skeletal spear-wielding guards, then face Hades himself in a brutal battle.
In the end, Hercules returns Persephone back to the mortal world, where Hades and Demeter agree on a compromise whereby the girl will spend six months of the year with her mother and six months on the Other Side with Hades. Demeter keeps her pledge to let the harvest proceed and the world blooms again.
Starring: Kevin Sorbo (Hercules)
Guest Starring: Tawny Kitaen (Deianeira), Erik Thomson (Hades), Andrea Croton (Persephone), Michael Hurst (Charon), Sarah Wilson (Demeter), David Baxter (Tantalus), Ian Harrop (Triptolemus), Simon Lewthwaite (Klonus), Paul McIver (Aeson), Rose McIver (Ilea), Geoff Allen (Farmer), Paul Norell (Falafel)
Written by Robert Bielak
Directed by George Mendeluk
Trivia: This episode introduced the recurring character of Falafel. Falafel runs a food stand that usually serves the modern equivalent of "fast food". Since the Ancient Greeks aren't accustomed to stuff like hot dogs and tacos, it tastes awful to them.