Prodigal Sister
Encyclopedia
"Prodigal Sister" is the seventh episode of the fourth season in the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
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s of a bird on their hands, explaining they will be able to identify each other, and if anything happens to him and the children's mother that the boy would have to look after his sister. The Amazons attack the man and his wife, killing them. They take the girl and attack the boy.
Thirteen years later, Hercules frees a group of slaves
from a slave trader, telling them they are now free to go. Among them is a young blind
man, Ruun, who tells Hercules he does not need Hercules' help and that he only wants to find his sister. He tells Hercules that he is headed back to his home village of Sona. Hercules tells him he is traveling there too, as he has heard news of outlaw Amazons causing trouble. Ruun informs Hercules that Amazons had killed his parents and taken his sister from him.
At the Amazon camp, they prepare for further raids on the local villages. At the port Hercules meets Ephiny
and her centaur
son Xenan. He introduces Ruun to Ephiny, she mentions the outlaw Amazons, prompting Ruun to comment, "Kill all Amazons as far as I'm concerned". Hercules tells Ruun that Ephiny is an Amazon and Ruun tries to kill her, but Hercules manages to restrain him, telling him to wait on the ship. Back at the camp two Amazons talk about the next raid, one of them says to the other that she feels that being an Amazon is not in her blood. The other telling her that it is training which makes an Amazon not blood.
On the ship Hercules talks to Ruun about what happened earlier on with Ephiny. Ruun says they should kill all Amazons and let the Gods sort them out. Hercules tells him that the Amazons do not keep slaves and if his sister is still alive she has become an Amazon, Ruun replies, "Then she's better off dead". The Amazon party launches its attack on the village, leading to casualties on both sides.
Hercules an Ruun arrive back to where he was born and Ruun begins experiencing flashback
s to the time when his parents were killed and his sister taken. They go to a nearby tavern, where people ask for help from the raiding Amazons, Hercules deduces that they will likely strike this village next, and tells people to prepare their men so they can make a stand against the Amazons. The Amazons, at their camp, prepare themselves for the next raid.
Hercules prepares the men from the village as the Amazons advance on the village. They rampage through the village setting alight houses and burning them to the ground. As Ruun bravely fights with the Amazons, he comes up against a young woman, Siri, as she is about to strike a fatal blow to Ruun, Hercules stops her and notices a bird tattoo identical to Ruun's on her hand. He realizes that she is Ruun's sister. As the Amazons retreat, Hercules tends to Ruun's wounds, and tells him his sister is still alive, and that she is the Amazon who nearly killed him.
Back at the camp, Mayhem, the leader of the tribe informs Siri that the man who prepared the villagers was Hercules. She tells Siri that she wants her to kill Hercules. Siri stalks Hercules through the forest and fires arrow
s at him, which he catches. He tells Siri that the boy she nearly killed is her brother, she replies, "I don't have any family, except for my Amazon sisters". He tells her about the identical tattoos they share. She tells Hercules that her family abandoned her and the Amazons are her only family. Hercules manages to convince her to meet Ruun to hear his version of events.
Back at camp, Siri questions Mayhem about when she found her after being abandoned by her parents. Mayhem reinforces the lie about her parents, telling Siri that her parents left her to die like an animal. As Hercules and Ruun go to meet Siri, they are ambushed by Siri and the other Amazons. They take Hercules and Ruun back to the camp, where Mayhem issues a challenge to Hercules. Siri asks Ruun why he is lying about her past. She tells him that the Amazons made her strong. Ruun says he is glad their parents are dead so they cannot see what their daughter has become. Ruun tells Siri that she cannot deny her past any more and she hits him and draws her sword. He tells her she can kill him, but she can never kill the truth.
Siri again asks Mayhem about the tattoo on her hand saying that the boy has the same and that he is her brother. Mayhem says that she was still abandoned by her parents, but Siri is still uncertain. Mayhem tells her that there will be a ritual, and Siri says the ritual should be the Fire Stakes to find out who is lying. Hercules and Mayhem prepare to fight to the death in order to determine who is being truthful. As Hercules and Mayhem fight, Siri joins in and Hercules fights them both.
Hercules knocks Mayhem out of the way and manages to beat Siri, telling her she knows in her heart that Ruun is her brother. She says, "so what am I supposed to do? Deny my Amazon heritage... all the strength that gave me". Hercules says, "Maybe you didn't get your strength from the Amazons. Maybe you already had it inside you". She says the Amazon strength is the only strength, but Hercules asks her how her brother survived all these years without her. Mayhem tells Siri to kill Hercules, and then attacks him herself. She is revealed to be the Amazon who killed Ruun and Siri's parents and as she attacks Hercules he knocks her off the log she is standing on into the flames below.
Siri blames Ruun for this and goes to attack him, but they are both stopped by Hercules, who asks them if they really want to be fighting. He tells Siri if she kills Ruun she will never know about her real parents, and that Ruun's promise to look after his sister would die with her. They both put down their swords and Hercules tells Siri that she is wise to call off the war. Siri says the war cost her the lives of the only family she ever knew. Hercules says she still has blood family. She says that everything Mayhem taught her was built on a lie and Hercules tells her she needs to rethink what she has been taught, starting with Ruun. She asks Ruun to take her to their village. He takes them back to the place where their parents were killed and she was kidnapped by the Amazons, she begins to remember, saying she can see them dying. As she remembers, she reaches out for Ruun's hand who reaches out for hers. Seeing them reunited Hercules smiles and walks away.
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
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Overview
Hercules helps reunite a blind teenager with his long-lost sister, who was kidnapped years ago by a group of renegade AmazonsAmazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
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Plot synopsis
A gang of renegade Amazons attack a village, killing the people, and burning what is left. During the attack a man gives his son, Ruun and his daughter matching tattooTattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
s of a bird on their hands, explaining they will be able to identify each other, and if anything happens to him and the children's mother that the boy would have to look after his sister. The Amazons attack the man and his wife, killing them. They take the girl and attack the boy.
Thirteen years later, Hercules frees a group of slaves
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
from a slave trader, telling them they are now free to go. Among them is a young blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
man, Ruun, who tells Hercules he does not need Hercules' help and that he only wants to find his sister. He tells Hercules that he is headed back to his home village of Sona. Hercules tells him he is traveling there too, as he has heard news of outlaw Amazons causing trouble. Ruun informs Hercules that Amazons had killed his parents and taken his sister from him.
At the Amazon camp, they prepare for further raids on the local villages. At the port Hercules meets Ephiny
Ephiny
Ephiny is a fictional character from the hit television series Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She is portrayed by actress Danielle Cormack.-History:Ephiny is a trusted Amazon warrior in the tribe led by Queen Melosa....
and her centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
son Xenan. He introduces Ruun to Ephiny, she mentions the outlaw Amazons, prompting Ruun to comment, "Kill all Amazons as far as I'm concerned". Hercules tells Ruun that Ephiny is an Amazon and Ruun tries to kill her, but Hercules manages to restrain him, telling him to wait on the ship. Back at the camp two Amazons talk about the next raid, one of them says to the other that she feels that being an Amazon is not in her blood. The other telling her that it is training which makes an Amazon not blood.
On the ship Hercules talks to Ruun about what happened earlier on with Ephiny. Ruun says they should kill all Amazons and let the Gods sort them out. Hercules tells him that the Amazons do not keep slaves and if his sister is still alive she has become an Amazon, Ruun replies, "Then she's better off dead". The Amazon party launches its attack on the village, leading to casualties on both sides.
Hercules an Ruun arrive back to where he was born and Ruun begins experiencing flashback
Flashback (psychological phenomenon)
A flashback, or involuntary recurrent memory, is a psychological phenomenon in which an individual has a sudden, usually powerful, re-experiencing of a past experience or elements of a past experience. These experiences can be happy, sad, exciting, or any other emotion one can consider...
s to the time when his parents were killed and his sister taken. They go to a nearby tavern, where people ask for help from the raiding Amazons, Hercules deduces that they will likely strike this village next, and tells people to prepare their men so they can make a stand against the Amazons. The Amazons, at their camp, prepare themselves for the next raid.
Hercules prepares the men from the village as the Amazons advance on the village. They rampage through the village setting alight houses and burning them to the ground. As Ruun bravely fights with the Amazons, he comes up against a young woman, Siri, as she is about to strike a fatal blow to Ruun, Hercules stops her and notices a bird tattoo identical to Ruun's on her hand. He realizes that she is Ruun's sister. As the Amazons retreat, Hercules tends to Ruun's wounds, and tells him his sister is still alive, and that she is the Amazon who nearly killed him.
Back at the camp, Mayhem, the leader of the tribe informs Siri that the man who prepared the villagers was Hercules. She tells Siri that she wants her to kill Hercules. Siri stalks Hercules through the forest and fires arrow
Arrow
An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
s at him, which he catches. He tells Siri that the boy she nearly killed is her brother, she replies, "I don't have any family, except for my Amazon sisters". He tells her about the identical tattoos they share. She tells Hercules that her family abandoned her and the Amazons are her only family. Hercules manages to convince her to meet Ruun to hear his version of events.
Back at camp, Siri questions Mayhem about when she found her after being abandoned by her parents. Mayhem reinforces the lie about her parents, telling Siri that her parents left her to die like an animal. As Hercules and Ruun go to meet Siri, they are ambushed by Siri and the other Amazons. They take Hercules and Ruun back to the camp, where Mayhem issues a challenge to Hercules. Siri asks Ruun why he is lying about her past. She tells him that the Amazons made her strong. Ruun says he is glad their parents are dead so they cannot see what their daughter has become. Ruun tells Siri that she cannot deny her past any more and she hits him and draws her sword. He tells her she can kill him, but she can never kill the truth.
Siri again asks Mayhem about the tattoo on her hand saying that the boy has the same and that he is her brother. Mayhem says that she was still abandoned by her parents, but Siri is still uncertain. Mayhem tells her that there will be a ritual, and Siri says the ritual should be the Fire Stakes to find out who is lying. Hercules and Mayhem prepare to fight to the death in order to determine who is being truthful. As Hercules and Mayhem fight, Siri joins in and Hercules fights them both.
Hercules knocks Mayhem out of the way and manages to beat Siri, telling her she knows in her heart that Ruun is her brother. She says, "so what am I supposed to do? Deny my Amazon heritage... all the strength that gave me". Hercules says, "Maybe you didn't get your strength from the Amazons. Maybe you already had it inside you". She says the Amazon strength is the only strength, but Hercules asks her how her brother survived all these years without her. Mayhem tells Siri to kill Hercules, and then attacks him herself. She is revealed to be the Amazon who killed Ruun and Siri's parents and as she attacks Hercules he knocks her off the log she is standing on into the flames below.
Siri blames Ruun for this and goes to attack him, but they are both stopped by Hercules, who asks them if they really want to be fighting. He tells Siri if she kills Ruun she will never know about her real parents, and that Ruun's promise to look after his sister would die with her. They both put down their swords and Hercules tells Siri that she is wise to call off the war. Siri says the war cost her the lives of the only family she ever knew. Hercules says she still has blood family. She says that everything Mayhem taught her was built on a lie and Hercules tells her she needs to rethink what she has been taught, starting with Ruun. She asks Ruun to take her to their village. He takes them back to the place where their parents were killed and she was kidnapped by the Amazons, she begins to remember, saying she can see them dying. As she remembers, she reaches out for Ruun's hand who reaches out for hers. Seeing them reunited Hercules smiles and walks away.
Trivial
- The character Ruun(Dean O'Gorman), also played the part of Young Iolaus in Regrets...I've Had a Few.