"Atlantis" recap (2.10): The Dying of the Light

Last week on Atlantis, Medusa sacrificed herself for the greater good by allowing Jason to cut off her head and use it as a accessory to his combat gear, Ariadne was freed, but Jason learned who his mother is, and he's not happy about it. Which is exactly why the previous Oracle told everyone but Jason to never let Jason find out about Pasiphaê.


There are two people in pain right now: Hercules and Jason. Hercules is grieving his dead girlfriend, so he's allowed, but Jason is feeling that darkness the Oracle warned him for. He's got his girl, he's got his friends, but all he wants is to go one on thirty with the Atlantian patrol combing the woods where the group has been staying. His friends are not amused. Ariadne, especially, is not amused and tries to rally the boys. But Hercules is done: they have risked everything for him, Medusa is dead by his hands, and all Jason does is run headlong into danger. This time, Hercules is not going to help. Ariadne with her bow and arrows, and Pythagoras with his sword do come to the rescue, and they manage to take out the patrol. All but one, who throws himself at Ariadne's feet. Ariadne vows he will not be harmed, and about two seconds later, Jason skewers him like shishkabab.

Needless to say, absolutely no one takes kindly to that. Ariadne calls him out on his shit--not just as his fiancée but also as his queen he tells her: 'who are you to give me orders?'. Not cool, Jason. Not cool at all. Also not a fan: Hercules, who says the sensible thing: all Jason accomplished was kill a bunch of men and give the people of Atlantis--top of all a bunch of grieving mothers--a reason to hate them. also: the bodies will lead Pasiphaê straight to their location. He tells Jason to use his brain, for once, and gets a punch to the face for his troubles. Not backing down, Hercules taunts him into a punch to the gut and then nearly into cutting off his head. Whatever friendship their was between them, Medusa's death and Jason's recent behaviour have withered it to the point of non-existence.

Back in the palace, Medea informs Pasiphaê the patrol has not returned. Pasiphaê is in quite a state: Jason knows she's his mother, and thus that he is the rightful heir to the throne (how does that work, exactly? Midas was king, he is a bastard son of the Queen. Ariadne is the daughter of the King and the first Queen, correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't that make Ariadne first in line, then Jason? All his bloodline grants him is royal blood, which is good for them, but they'd still have to take the palace first in order to get Ariadne on the throne, and then marry with the support of the neighbouring city states now she isn't marrying a peasant anymore. But I digress). Medea says that he now also knows he's touched by the Gods and that that will draw him back to them as it always has. Pasiphaê agrees, after Medea reminds her of the fear they both felt once their powers first manifested. Jason will seek them out for guidance and aid. He will. Anyway, Medea almost convinces Pasiphaê to call off the hunt on Jason, but Pasiphaê won't be convinced. Jason remains a threat.

As a good Hellenist, I have to interject here with something that has been bothering me lately. 'Atlantis' is treating magic as a dark force that consumes and overtakes. It's darkness, and it's overtaken Pasiphaê, as well as Medea. It is now overtaking Jason. It's a nice plot point, but while the ancient Hellenes frowned upon, and were quite scared of superhuman powers, they also viewed magic (in mythological people) as divine. Pasiphaê is the daughter of Helios, and Jason is her son. 'Touched by the Gods' literally means that they are part divine. There is no darkness and evil in the source. If anything, it's in the views of others.

Back at his one-man campfire in the woods, Jason continues to be a jerk to Ariadne, who is seriously starting to wonder what she ever saw in Je tells her to leave him alone, that he's tired of taking orders. When she tried to sympathise with him, he sends her away again, and Hercules mutters that 'he doesn't deserve to be loved'. He'd rather join Medusa than endure this any longer. She sacrificed her own life so they might live in peace and nothing good happened. And Jason is lost to them forever.

Jason has nightmares now. Bad ones where he walks through the woods and there are crow calls to guide him to Medea. Ariadne wakes him up, and he gets up right away. I don't know what he's feeling guilty about. The fact that Ariadne still cares enough to keep an eye on him is a miracle.

The corpses have been found, by the way, and Pasiphaê sends another patrol after him.

The boys discuss Jason and his future. Pythagoras and Ariadne are convinced this is not the same man they always knew and that he needs help. Hercules is done, saying he was the old Jason when he killed Medusa. Pythagoras knows this cannot go on any logner and volunteers to go back to Atlantis to get help from Melas. Good, because I could really use a deux ex machina-solution on this whole darkness business.

Atlantis is still a shitty place to be: hanged men and women in the streets, bag searched, patrols everywhere. It's bad. It's really bad. In her madness, Pasiphaê is running Atlantis into the ground. Ikaros takes him under his wing and guides him deeper into the city to a friend who might be persuaded to help. He's the ancient Atlantian version of a garbage man: he scoops up animal dung during the night--so after the curfew. He buries the boys in crap (literally) and pulls them through the city in his cart. Galenos (Stephen McCole), the dung hauler, gets stopped by a patrol. But when he says he's under orders of the queen, he's indeed let through. The plan works.

Ariadne and Hercules talk about Medusa and Jason. Hercules blames Jason for her death--not Ariadne--and Ariadne says she understands but that she hates seeing the two friends so estranged. He mustn't let hate consume him. If that happens, Pasiphaê has already won. Hercules says she already one, and good luck to her. Ariadne realizes just how depressed and angry he is.

Galenos guides our heroes Pythagoras and Ikaros into the city, and to the palace. They scale the palace wall and kill a guard just before he kills them. Ikaros leaves as Pythagoras enters the palace, searching for Melas.

He finds him in the temple, of course, and Melas asks why he is here. He says Jason needs his help and Melas correctly guesses he knows about Pasiphaê. He will be drawn to the dark side now. Melas decides to help and guides him to Cassandra. Cassandra casts rose petals in water and gets a vision (which is not how divination works, but ey...). She feels Jason's pain as he stands on the threshold between darkness and light. She tells Pythagoras he must find Jason's father (whom Pythagoras believes to be dead but which we know, is not). Melas tells him where to find him, and that he is a leper--one who walks amongst the dead.

Ikaros gives Pythagoras supplies for the journey to the silver mines where the lepers live. He ventures through the woods on his own, pushing on as he knows he doesn't have much time. Meanwhile, Ikaros visits his father in prison--after he told Pythagoras his father was just a little ill. Sunrise tomorrow, Deadalos will be hanged for the bomb he tossed into the fire to help the boys. Ikaros promises his father he will get him out and heads straight to Goran, Pasiphaê's general. He has information about Queen Ariadne that he wants to barter with. He tells him everything he knows. Deadalos will not be hanged, but because Ikaros didn't broker a very good deal, he also will not be freed. Unless, of course, Ikaros can discover more...

In the silvermines, Pythagoras tries to find the lepers. They are still there, and no one seems disturbed by an outsider wandering in. Aeson, Jason's father, is indeed still there. Pasiphaê, meanwhile, learns the news from Goran and somehow figures it's good. that it means that Jason drawn nearer.

in the mines, Aeson is livid that Pasiphaê pulled a fast one over him. He trusted her not to tell him, and Pythagoras says she only told him when he was about to kill her. Pythagoras wishes he had, because now he's damned. Aeson agrees that those who are touched by the Gods carry the darkness in them. I still do not get how finding out about his mother actually changes anything--as if the knowledge kick-started his divine powers--but I'm going to let that go. Aeson is not ready to come with Pythagoras. One, he was a strong man and a good father, but now, like this? afflicted? No. He can't have Jason know that.

In the palace, Medea listens as Goran and his men make plans about following Ikaros to Pythagras and then to Ariadne and Jason (and Hercules, but no one mentions him). Although she's on the side of evil, she seems very unwilling to see Jason die.

Back in the land of doom and gloom, Hercules wonders what's keeping Pythagoras and Jason says he's probably dead. Hercules all but rolls his eyes and I don't even bother trying. Aeson, come fix you son, stat! Hercules doesn't believe Jason anyway, he pats his chest and says he'd know if Pythagoras were dead. Ariadne chooses to believe him, it's as good a speculation as any. she asks how long Hercules and Pythagoras have been friend. Long enough to believe it's been forever, Hercules tells her. I like these two bonding a bit more.

Inevitably, the subject returns to Jason and the death of Medusa. Ariadne says he did it to save her. That he thought it was the right thing to do. Hercules says that Jason always thinks whatever he is doing is the right thing, that doesn't make it automatically true. Ariadne asks if Medusa knew what she was doing, and Hercules says she damn well did, and that he is just as angry with Medusa as with Jason. She begs him not to let Medusa's sacrifice be in vein, and for him to not let his anger destroy the living. 'Talk to him,' she says, in hopes that maybe he can find a way through.

in the mines, Pythagoras gears up to leave. He will do what he can to help Jason. 'And I haven't?' Aeson asks. Pythagoras tells him he hasn't, not by any stretch of the word. He holds a passionate speech about being a father and a decent human being, and by the end, Aeson has a lot to think about.

Jason has another dream about the woods and Medea. He follows her through the underbrush until she stops and tells him she means him no harm. then she guides him onwards, only to disappear. Jason wakes up confused.

Pythagoras has left the mines, and through another exist, Aeson has caught up and is waiting for him. He is coming with him to help Jason.

While Ariadne makes breakfast, Hercules talks to Jason. He says he doesn't want to stay angry. He asks if Medusa wanted it to happen, and Jason says she did, that she begged him. That there was no struggle. Hercules asks if there really was no other way. Icily, Jason tells him there wasn't and that he should move on. Hercules does--away from Jason.

 

Pythagoras and Aeson are only a few hours away from the camp, but with Ikaros' instructions, they walk smack into the view of one of Pasiphaê's sentries, who quickly races off to warn the self-proclaimed queen. Pasiphaê saddles up to ride immediately, but Medea is not on board. She runs along with Pasiphaê, Goran, and a bunch of guards, but doesn't let them see her.

Back in the camp, Hercules packs. He can't stay, he is too angry. He wants to kill Jason, and he can't do that. He leaves Ariadne alone with him. Meanwhile, Pythagoras and Aeson find signs of previosu camps. Aeson wonders if Jason will even want to know him, and Pythagoras doesn't have an answer. Instead, he leads him to camp--along with a dozen soldiers, Goran, and Pasiphaê. Ariadne shoots and hits a good few guards, and Jason fights as if his life depended on it--it does, after all. He tries to draw the guards away from the others, but quickly becomes overwhelmed. Ariadne shoots guard after guard, but there are too many. Everyone scatters and Medea keeps a close eye on everything that is happening, keeping well out of sight.

Jason gets injured and is stunned for a moment. When a soldier attempts to make use of that, Medea casts a spell to kill the him. then she helps him get away. Hercules does the same for Ariadne--well, the getting away part. Medea does even more: she uses her magic to heal Jason as she hold him in her arms. She tells him to sleep and he asks her if he should keep an eye open. Medea just smiles lovingly.

Ariadne and Hercules catch up with Pythagoras, who has managed to get Aeson out of the fray as well. Pythagoras tells them who Aeson is, and everyone is shocked, to say the least.

Jason wakes up in the dirt, and for a second, he thinks he's alone. Then he pulls up and Medea is sitting a little way's off, back to him. She asks him how he is as he tries to get up silently. Defeated, he sits next to her and asks her the million drachma question: why is she helping him? She tells him that all who are touched by the Gods are drawn towards each other. That is why they see each other in their dreams: they are more alike than Jason knows. Medea says they have to go, and Jason asks her where they could go. Back to his mother? And how can he trust her? He grabs her by the hair roughly and holds her close as he searches her eyes. Her gaze dips to his lips, and his to hers... and then they're kissing, hard and deep. Desperately.

Next week on Atlantis: Jason gets captured and is forced to fight in the arena again, and everyone--including Pasiphaê--feels really bad about it. Saturday on BBC One, recap on Monday.