This was The Legendary Journeys' first clip show, which saved the producers a lot of money. Some clips (also shown in the opening credits) are from the feature-length TV specials which preceded the main series. These include the two-headed Hydra; the giant Gargan who falls backward onto a hay wagon; the sea monster with a rolling eye that swallows Hercules and Deianera. These original movies were very rarely re-broadcast, giving viewers a rare chance to see the story behind these scenes.
This is the second time Iolaus is shown trying, and failing, to start a fire, the first time being in Unchained Hearts, the last episode in season 1, where he tries to start a wagon on fire and eventually gives up.
The character Parentheses is a writer. Writers often use the curved brackets known as parenthesis ( ).