Assuming the face and form of Hercules' sculptor friend Thanis (Paul Gittins), the hideously ugly shapeshifting god Proteus frames Thanis for murder. This he has done for the sake of love, reasoning that he would otherwise have no chance of winning the heart of Thanis' daughter, Daniella (Ashley Lawrence). It falls to Hercules to do battle with Proteus and to teach the errant god a lesson in "being yourself". The candidates of the 1996 U.S. presidential election are given a brief, good-natured ribbing in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi