Aren't You Going to Ravish Me?: Much as he actually does love Aphrodite, Hephaestus initially ignores her sincere compliments and overtures, as he thinks she's only there to protect Leandra and the people of Syllabus.
Hephaestus: You're free to leave. Aphrodite: Actually, I'm not in any hurry. Hephaestus: Goodbye, Aphrodite. [walks away] Aphrodite: That's a first.
Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Aphrodite has become bored with being the goddess of love and calls it quits. She tries her hand at other careers: a musician (which she considers a bust), a scholar like Athena (which she quickly gets bored by), a huntress like Artemis (which she finds tiring and sweaty), and a hero like Hercules (which she fares reasonably at, all things considered). After hooking up with Hephaestus, she finds renewed interest in her old job.
Deus Exit Machina: Zig Zagged with Aphrodite. When the metal panther appears, she bails and forces Iolaus to figure out some way to deal with it. However, she does go on ahead to Hephaestus and talks to him, which gives Iolaus the distraction to get Leandra out and ultimately provides the real solution to all of this.
Dismissing a Compliment: Hephaestus initially thinks Aphrodite is only being nice to him in order to be let out of that throne.
Early-Installment Weirdness: In keeping with some versions of the myths, Hephaestus says Zeus is not his father. Young Hercules would later retcon this to make him and Hercules half-brothers.
Everyone Has Standards: Hephaestus regrets that he reacted so badly to Leandra's rejection. He insists that he absolutely will not force Leandra into marriage or punish Syllabus again, though Iagos claims otherwise to scare the locals into line.
Generation Xerox: Iolaus explains what became of his father and how he died.
Iolaus: It, uh, it happened in battle. He became a great warrior, a general. Leandra: Like his father before him. Sons take after their fathers. I'm sure you're a reflection of him. Iolaus: In a way.
God Couple: Hephaestus and Aphrodite hook up in this episode. Unlike in the myths, it's very mutual instead of something arranged by Zeus.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Hephaestus reacted so badly to being rejected by a mortal that he made an entire village full of people disappear. He has cooled off substantially since then and admits to regret over his rashness.
Hypocrite: When Hephaestus says Hera disowned him for being ugly, Aphrodite points out that she doesn't have mirrors in her home for good reason.
I Owe You My Life: Hephaestus says Iolaus has his eternal gratitude for bringing Aphrodite to him.
Informed Flaw: Deconstructed. Hephaestus has a reputation as the ugliest of all the Olympians. At worst, he only has some minor imperfections caused by working in his forge, but the repeated allegations and being disowned by his own mother have left him very touchy about his appearance.
Little "No": Leandra upon learning that her son has been dead for years.
Leandra: I should never have let him out of my sight.
Satellite Love Interest: Deconstructed. Hephaestus only bothered with Leandra because she reminded him of Aphrodite and figured that was the closest he'd ever get to his true desire. Leandra's rejection of him led to dozens of villagers being effectively erased for 50 years.
Superman Stays Out of Gotham: Hercules would have a far easier time facing the various creations of Hephaestus, so he is conveniently away when Iolaus finds himself in this mess.
The locals upon learning that 50 years have passed.
Leandra's reaction to learning Iolaus is her grandson.
Tragic Keepsake: It's revealed that the pendant Iolaus wears belonged to his father, Skouros. In turn, Skouros got it from his father, who died in the Punic Wars.
Wham Line: After all the talk about Leandra's missing son, a village elder reveals his name to Iolaus.
Elder: There's no sign anywhere of young Skouros. Iolaus: Skouros? That was my father's name.
With Friends Like These...: Hephaestus insists that Iagos is his friend. Aphrodite scoffs at this claim by pointing out how Iagos called him ugly to his face; she's also well-aware the guy is driven to gain access to the Forge's impressive inventory.
Worthy Opponent: In the last scene, Hephaestus is quite impressed by how Iolaus outdid all his creations.
Written-In Absence: Notably the first episode in which Hercules doesn't appear at all. Iolaus says he's off visiting Iphicles and Rena.
Year Outside, Hour Inside: Hephaestus made Syllabus disappear for 50 years, but once brought back, the locals think that only several hours at most have passed.
You Fool!: Iagos to the village elder for being too slow on the draw to realize what has happened to Syllabus.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Hephaestus has a severe self-esteem problem, due to his own mother wanting nothing to do with him and his perceived ugliness. Aphrodite reminds him he's a brilliant inventor and actually rather easy on the eyes.
