Whilst it is never going to be jostling with Game of Thrones in the ratings or popularity stakes, the show does manage to start fairly well this week with Pasiphae finally laying siege to Atlantis. Considering the budget restrictions we have quite a realistic bombardment of the city walls as the resolute Dion (Vincent Regan) leads the defending army against the odds. Meanwhile our trio of hapless heroes attempt to find their way out of the labyrinth of caves in order to return the Palladium.
On the other hand there are some more dynamic moments that do strike just the right balance too. Hercules gets a chance to prove his bravery, Sarpedon, Dion and Ariadne have several cracking scenes together, and it has a strong closing last act with fantastic direction and performances all round.
As you may have seen in the press release and promos over in the Round Up post, Hercules is set to discover a secret in the episode. While I feel they may be over egging the pudding with the wording somewhat – I can’t see this having too much of a change in the future of the show for a while at least – it is something that unfolds well here. In Greek myth Hercules and Jason’s paths are intertwined, especially when it comes to the voyage aboard the Argo that we glimpsed last week. With another Argonaut, Telemon (Clive Standen), also putting in an appearance in episodes 3 and 4, it does look as though the show is starting to set the players in place for these adventures.
A New Dawn: Part 2 airs on Saturday 15th November at 8.15pm on BBC 1 and BBC 1 HD in the UK, and at 9pm on BBC America. Below are a few dialogue teasers to see you through until then. Don't forget to come back to vote in our poll after the episode and let us know what you thought.
“I’m a coward, I thought about leaving you and saving myself”
“May be your only chance to save the city”
“They died fighting for what they believed in”
“I thought it was someone from my past”
“Perhaps we will need to die after all”
“I pray for the city, as we all must”
“If you do not have the stomach for it there are plenty that do”
“Mathematically your optimism is entirely misplaced, the odds suggest we will all be slaughtered”
“Then you will die in the knowledge that I failed heroically”
“Shame on you for suggesting such a thing”