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Well, H:TLJ had three eps in a row without a cheesy CGI/rubber monster for Herc to fight (low-budget Centaur effects don't count), so I guess TPTB decided to make up for that in The Mother of All Monsters. The theme of this ep is pretty simple - moms don't like it when you croak their kids, even monster moms.

Echidna is . . . um, kinda . . . hard to put it into words, exactly . . . OK, I'll say it! Amidst the litany of cheesy Herc monsters, Echidna is a true souffle. I really admire Bridget Hoffman for her willingness to wear that makeup and costume for day after day of shooting, speaking her lines through a mouthful of false teeth (yes, I know they re-recorded the soundtrack, but it still had to be pretty uncomfortable). BTW, if you want to see some odd stuff, check out Hoffman's IMDB entry - she appears to have worked under about 15 different names!

Hey, Herc's mom steps out! Libby Holloway gets hot 'n heavy with the Baddie-of-the-Week, making her stand for Old Fogey sex (as one who is gradually entering Fogeyism myself, I heartily approve)! Alcmene also shows a lot of spirit, both with the bad guys and with Herc when he goes into tut-tut mode - one of her best appearances, and Holloway made the most of it.

In case anyone thought X:WP created the concept of tinfoil-clad bimbo warriors in AUS, I present - Echidna's Reynolds-Wrapped Vengeance Brigade! The girls model a variant of the metal-bra look pioneered by Powena in The Vanishing Dead, complete with cute pseudo-Niebelungen wings on their headgear - the extras must have gotten a good giggle when they saw their costumes! Hephaestos has already gotten into the habit of giving away his military hardware to all and sundry - how did Echidna or her toady Demetrius get their hands on that stuff?

Martin Kove as Demetrius looks like he was cast from David Hasselhoff's injection mold - he's got that 80's high-school hero/creep look down pat. Wow - checked his IMDB entry and found out that he was the bad guy in the Karate Kid movies! I knew he seemed familiar - then again, all those Caucasians look alike anyway. His martial arts training is apparent in his final fight scene with Iolaus - very smooth moves and a professional air throughout.

One thing I appreciated about H:TLJ was that Herc wasn't invulnerable - he could be badly hurt, just as he was here when he got nailed by the arrow of Hephaestos. Too bad the fight coreographer and director chose to forget that in the final fight scene with Echidna - either that, or the Big Guy got one hell of a adrenaline/endorphin rush in that cave!

I rate this one 6.5/10 hydraheads - it labors under a heavy load of Gorgonzola, but there are some fun elements scattered within it.