Pasiphaê is still alive. She's on the floor, crumpled up, and when she wakes up she realizes she has an arrow pretty much all the way through her body. Like any good movie person, she yanks the thing out and immediately partakes in strenuous action by dragging herself over the ground to a sarcophagus of some sort. More strenuous activity: Pasiphaê casts a curse with what may very well be her dying breath. As she falls back down to the ground, a rotting hand punches out of the brittle stone sarcophagus. Uh-oh.
Hercules and Pythagoras are staring down into the abyss. They throw torches down to see if they can spot Jason (and Medea). there is no sign of them. They report back to Ariadne who refuses to believe Jason (and Medea) could be dead. Eurydice agrees with her. Quickly, they pack up and leave Dion behind as they start looking for a way down.
Below in the chasm, there are two people very lucky to still have hair. In the glow of the torches Hercules and Pythagoras threw down, Jason and Medea lie sprawled out on the ground, not moving a muscle.
In the tunnels, Orpheus' bat ears pick up on a sound no one else can hear. Ariadne hopefully says it might be Jason. Hercules wisely guesses it's probably something else--something a lot less friendly. After a while, the others hear it as well.
Meanwhile, Dion's body slowly comes to life. It's him the group heard and when Diagoras goes in for the hug (*cough* cannon fodder *cough*, he gets bitten quite terribly in the arm. Dion is not looking very healthy and Ariadne--very rightfully--freaks the fuck out. She's also the wisest of the lot, though, because she orders Hercules to kill him--errr... again. Obviously Hercules skipped Zombie Slaying 101 because he stabs him, which does absolutely nothing. I don't blame him, there is literally not a single zombie in ancient Hellenic lore so how could he possibly know that zombies only die and stay dead when you lop of their heads? Hercules stabs him again then tries to punch him out when a horde of undead befalls them. They run.
Jason, meanwhile, wakes up. His shoulder hurts but for someone who just fell off of a very high cliff, he's pretty well off. He gets up without much difficulty and grabs his sword. Medea is still out cold. He pokes at her with his sword and she wakes up. He has the opportunity to kill her but refuses to take it. Instead he walks off silently.
Pythagoras is obviously well-read because he guesses what's going on: the dead have been brought back to life; necromancy. Orpheus says that the king who was buried here had his entire army slaughtered so he had guards in Hades. I'm not touching that bit of wobbly ancient Hellenic thinking with a ten foot pole, if you don't mind. Anyway, the group rightfully concludes Ariadne did not kill Pasiphaê (instantly). They also concluded that the undead seek to eat their flesh. Diagoras--in the infinite wisdom of many minor TV-characters before him--says his would 'is nothing' and refuses treatment.
Jason is making his way through the tunnels with a sword and a torch, calling out loud enough to draw the undead. He freaks out but manages to fight it off. Back where they landed, Medea screams. Jason realizes these things have also found her and despite his anger he goes back to save the girl--who is being swarmed down on by a dozen or so undead. The same is true for the other group. Hercules keeps stabbing the bastards and it doesn't work at all--until he pierces the heart(?!). I... I am just going to go with this. These are undead zombie creatures raised from their graves by magic which can be killed by stabbing them in the heart. By the Gods...
Our heroes don't have time to ponder this idiocy either: one of the zombies grabs Pythagoras.
Now he knows what to aim for, Hercules fights the zombie off of his friend fairly easily and Ariadne can kill them too now she knows that all she has to do is hit the heart. When Dion goes after her, though, she has trouble sending an arrow into his chest. This show (or actress Aiysha Hart) needs an anatomy lesson, though, because when she finally does stab him with an arrow, it's in his gut and he keels over--again. There is no time to mourn the death-that-should-not-be: the king obviously took a lot of men with him in death.
In the tunnels, Medea shows great knowledge when she, too, says that this must be the undead. She is shocked Jason came back for her and he tells her he nearly didn't. Jason eventually asks the question we have all been trying to get answered for weeks now: who is Pasiphaê to Medea? She says she is 'my blood'. Oooookay, Jason, no falling for this woman. I mean it. They don't have time to get into bloodlines: the undead are too numerous and they are coming closer. Together they go on the hunt for Pasiphaê--the only one who could have made the dead come back to life.
The other group finds the tombs--there are hundreds of them. Surprise, surprise, Diagoras' wound has become infected at an alarmingly quick rate (*rolls eyes*). They need to hide so they can tend to the wound. Eventually they settle on making use of one of the tombs; the previous inhabitants have no need for it now anyway.
Medea questions why Jason fights so hard for Ariadne and he says he swore an oath to his queen. she knows there is more to it than that. He says there can't be. Medea knows about his feelings for her. Jason doesn't engage her in the subject. Instead, he asks her why she is loyal to Pasiphaê. It seems that Medea's powers have always made her an outcast. Pasiphaê accepted her, loved her, and in return Medea gave her her loyalty. Jason doubts Pasiphaê can even show kindness. Medea says that there is more to Pasiphaê than that. Jason tries to convince Medea that Pasiphaê's motives are flawed, but he's not getting through quite yet.
In the tombs, the wound is tended to and Ariadne and Eurydice bond about love at first sight. When Eurydice and Orpheus cuddle up, Ariadne watches and I am damn sure she is imagining her and Jason when they are old and grey.
The sounds of the dead make Hercules and Ariadne uncomfortable. Hercules is staring out, waiting, wondering when the monsters will find them. Ariadne can't stop thinking about Jason who is out there amongst the dead. Hercules sees that as a personal failure. Ariadne blames herself. At the same time, though, they know Jason is strong and skilled. If anyone can survive this it's him. Meanwhile, Diagoras' wound is getting worse.
The ever burning torches carry Jason and Medea down the hallways where they come upon slaughtered warriors. There are wounds to the heart and they are very relieved to have found a way to kill them. Besides, dead zombies means the others came this way. A new group of undead stumble upon them and Jason kills a few before he gets topped over. He struggles to fight one of the monsters off until Medea picks up a sword and kills it. A life for a life. Jason has broken his leg, though. Medea immediately kneels down and heals it, telling Jason to 'trust her'. He does. Medea says he is still wrong about Pasiphaê. Jason counters that Pasiphaê raised the dead--sacrificing Medea as well--and that she doesn't care about Medea. Medea refuses to hear it--she has no one else who cares, she needs Pasiphaê to care.
The group is asleep but a bit of noise wakes Pythagoras up. Just in time because Diagoras has turned and is going after Eurydice. He rushes to pull the monster off and Ariadne comes to help. She gets tossed aside like a ragdoll. With quick instructions, Pythagoras helps Orpheus kill Diagoras for good and Pythagoras draws the logical conclusion: if you get bitten, you get sick, die, and turn. Hercules is not amused by this even darker turn of events. Everyone has a great big scare when they spot a wound on Ariadne's arm. Thankfully it's just a cut from the fall.
Orpheus and Eurydice take a moment to process the loss of their friend. Meanwhile, Hercules spots the horde--they have returned to the tombs.
Self-preservation is finally kicking in in Medea. Once they find the others, Queen Ariadne will have her killed on the spot. Jason swore an oath to her so... what will he doe then? Jason promises he won't let any harm come to Medea. She asks why he would. He says she saved his life and she warns him that doesn't change anything--she won't betray Pasiphaê. He says she already did by saving his life. She makes a few lame excuses but it's clear she is inherently good and getting confused.
Meanwhile, Orpheus realizes something is wrong with Eurydice: she has a fever. There is a wound on her arm: Diagoras bit her. Orpheus refuses to believe it but he knows she is doomed. Pythagoras has noticed Eurydice is not doing too hotly either but Hercules waves it off when he mentions it.
Jason and Medea have a problem: in order to get to Jason's friends, they have to go through the horde. Jason extinguishes the torches and pulls Medea along. It seems he's going to sneak past the zombies in the very--very--narrow passageways. Medea is not exactly convinced by the plan but the first of the zombies pass them without spotting them. It seems hiding until they walk by is actually a sound strategy.
Once more, Pythagoras tries to convince Hercules something is wrong with Eurydice. One more, Hercules waves it off. Orpheus refuses to leave Eurydice's side, however, and Pythagoras comes straight out and asks what is wrong. Orpheus says to just leave them alone. Pythagoras finally realizes the truth. He says he is so sorry and leaves them be. All Orpheus wants is for them to die together. Pythagoras delivers the bad news to Hercules and Ariadne. They know there is only one thing to do: kill her before she turns. Hercules refuses but Ariadne volunteers for the gruesome task. She demands a dagger, saying that as queen, she can't shy away from what needs to be done.
She approaches the pair carefully and Orpheus knows what she has come to do. She says she's sorry, that there is no other way. Orpheus says that she is her entire world, that he can't live without her. Ariadne tells him that Eurydice wouldn't want him to die too, and that is what will happen when she turns. Orpheus knows this. He slowly peels his wife away from his chest where she has been resting. If anyone is to end his wife's life, he says, it will be him. As Ariadne, Hercules and Pythagoras look on, Orpheus lays his wife down on the ground, vows he will come for her in Hades, and requests the dagger. Ariadne gives it to him and then withdraws. Orpheus kills her and then lays at her side. I am not ashamed to say that when Ariadne cries, I cry a little too.
Jason and Medea are getting closer to the tombs. They spot the only one with a light in them and Jason assumes it's his friends. In the tomb, Ariadne hopes that one day someone will love her as much as Orpheus loves Eurydice. Hercules says someone already does, then awkwardly covers for his slip of the tongue by saying she must be beating men off with a stick, pretty girl like her. For a moment, everyone tenses, then Ariadne shrugs it off and goes to comfort Orpheus. Before she can reach him, however, they all scramble for weapons because Jason is making a Gods awful ruckus climbing up. Ariadne falls into his arms.
When Medea appears, the happy reunion is shattered. Hercules threatens to cut her head off, Ariadne jumps back with something between fear and hate on her features, Pythagoras is just confused and Jason says Medea is with him and under his protection. Ariadne is shocked Jason promised anything like that. The entire group wants her dead but Medea says she knows how to vanquish the dead. It saves her life. Medea says they must return to the site where the curse was cast. No one is happy about the arrangement.
Orpheus covers his dead wife while Jason makes his condolences. Orpheus says it wont be the end. Jason is spared from answering when Hercules ties Medea's hands behind her back. He tries to stop them but Medea says it's alright, if this is what it takes for Jason's friends to feel safe then so be it. Before they leave, Ariadne pulls Jason aside. She says she was dying when she thought he was dead. She says he shouldn't accept that she is queen and that therefor they can't be together--both of them shouldn't. She was scared, but seeing Orpheus and Eurydice made her realize that she is and always has been deeply in love with Jason. She breaks down and asks him to say something. He doesn't, instead he takes her into his arms and kisses her deeply.
The group makes their way through the tunnels, fighting the undead at every turn. Jason's main focus is keeping a defenceless Medea alive. Once they reach the spot where Pasiphaê must have ended up, Medea tells them to look for the ancient symbols Pasiphaê carved into something to complete her curse. they must destroy them. Pythagoras asks how she knows these symbols even exist. Medea valiantly stops herself from rolling her eyes as she says that that is how magic works.
Jason and Hercules walk along the narrow strip Jason previously fell down from and Hercules nearly takes a tumble down the cliff face himself. Jason manages to pull him up just in time. When they round the bend, it's all zombies, all the time: hundreds of them. In the one ray of light that miraculously shines down into this cavern the guys spot the tomb. There is no other solution than fight their way through. Hercules finds the symbols on the sarcophagus cover and shatters it. All the soldier zombies crumple into bone piles. A ways off, Medea notes that Ariadne really loves Jason. Ariadne refuses to share her feelings, just watches anxiously for Jason's return. Jason and Hercules make it back in one piece and Jason cuts Medea loose. Ariadne loosely remarks that they are all in Medea's debt and Medea promptly repays their trust with treachery. She steals Jason's dagger and wraps herself around Ariadne, dagger to her throat.
Jason asks what Medea thinks she is doing and with obvious pain in her voice, Medea says she is only doing what she intended to do all along. She plunges the dagger into Ariadne's side and shoves her into Jason's arms. Instead of running, though, she watches with shocked horror and fear on her features. Jason stares up at her with so much anger that if looks could kill, Medea would drop dead on the spot.
Next time on Atlantis: Ariadne is not doing well. The Oracle tries to save her life while Jason goes after Medea. Saturday on BBC One, recap on Monday.
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