Question: This question applies to both this show and Xena: Warrior Princess. Why do some of the episodes take place in modern times?
Answer: Most shows do flashbacks to show how things begin or what circumstances brought them to their current predicament. The modern episodes was to show how their legacies live on. Hercules changing his name to Kevin Sorbo and starring in a series about himself or Xena, her soul being reborn to continue her fight against evil.
Question: Why send only one enforcer? Hera surely know what he can do so why not send a dozen to be sure? She can't have been that arrogant.
Answer: It's a matter of plot. Having multiple characters who basically would have the same purpose, to kill Hercules, complicates and confuses the story line. It would lose the focus on the characters themselves and the interaction between them. In film and literaturea, characters, plots, scenes, etc. have to be crafted in a way that serves the story in an understandable and satisfying way for the viewer.
Answer: Because most Americans are more familiar with the name Hercules. The show, as I recall, wasn't exactly true to the original Greek mythology anyway.
Brian Katcher