Atlantis S2E5 - "The Day of the Dead" Recap

Pasiphae is badly injured and uses what little strength she has left to cast a spell on a nearby sarcophagus, waking the body within. Meanwhile, Hercules, Pythagoras, Ariadne and company are searching the Necropolis cave for Jason. Unfortunately for them, they encounter an undead Dion who attacks them along with many other newly-risen undead effected by Pasiphae's spell.

When Jason wakes before Medea, he considers killing her but doesn't go through it, as it's not in his heroic nature. As Hercules' group continue to fight off the undead, they find that the only way to kill them is to pierce the heart. Jason and Medea find an uneasy truce, as Medea doesn't feel right attacking him after he had spared her life. Plus with the looming threat of the undead, there are greater problems to preoccupy their time. They're of different philosophies, since Medea believes Pasiphae is only doing what is necessary to take her rightful place on the throne, whereas Jason is coming from an entirely different set of experiences of Pasiphae's cruelty and manipulation.

Ariadne is able to share a quiet moment with Eurdice in which she expresses concerns that she may never be able to tell Jason how she truly feels. Hercules assures Ariadne that Jason will make it out alive, as he is braver and faster than any other. Jason finds himself injured when confronted with some undead but Medea uses magic to heal him. Jason points out that Pasiphae doesn't care for her and raised the dead even though Medea was still in the Necropolis. Medea denies this claim, saying she has no one else.

Pythagoras warns the group that if they are bitten, they will become one of them. This raises alarm when they find that Ariadne has an injury on her arm but Pythagoras says it is just a cut after examining it. Jason promises Medea that he will not let any harm to her, since she has saved his life. But Medea insists that she will not betray Pasiphae, though Jason seems confident that she is ripe to switch sides.

Unfortunately for the group, Eurdice is bitten in one of the attacks. She tries to keep it secret but must admit to Orpheus what has happened. It's only a matter of time before she changes and Pythagoras starts to sense that something is off with her. He tries to ask Orpheus and Eurdice what is wrong and they must admit the truth about her injury. Pythagoras tells Hercules and Ariadne about what has happened and stresses the importance of killing her before she changes. Ariadne offers to do it herself, saying that she must be willing to do what she asks of her people. As Ariadne approaches, Eurdice says that if anyone is to end her life, it will be him, promising her that not even Hades can keep them apart. He ends her life and it's one of the stand-out emotional moments of the whole episode.

When Jason and Medea are reunited with the rest of the group, Jason implores them to listen and to not kill Medea. She offers up information on how to defeat the undead, saying it's the only way they'll make it out alive. Hercules wants to kill her but Pythagoras says it's the only way they'll make it out alive. Privately, Jason admits her love to Jason and he of course, reciprocates.

In the final moments of the episode, the group is able to fight off the undead and end the ritual that had brought them to life, thus making all drop and return to their dead state. But once the trio return to Medea and Ariadne to let them know of the good news and release Medea, she promptly betrays them and fatally stabs Ariadne, which she claims is what she intended all along.

Atlantis S2E6 "The Grey Sisters" will air on Saturday, December 20, at 19:55 on BBC One.