We're nearing the end of the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) are close to discovering who stole Zeus' lightning bolt. We will break down the latest episode of the series.
Episode 6 recap
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The episode begins as Percy appears to be eavesdropping on a dream. This isn't just anyone's dream, though — it appears to be Hades' (Jay Duplass) dream. Hades appears to be plotting with the person who stole the lightning bolt when he sees Percy and subsequently wakes him.
When in Ares' (Adam Copeland) transportation, Percy and Annabeth attempt to call Chyron (Glynn Turnman). Instead, Luke (Charlie Bushnell) answers from his office. Before long, Annabeth shuts off the communication as Percy brings up Luke's father, Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda).
They then arrive in Las Vegas, attempting to find the Lotus Hotel and Hermes. Once inside, they split up to find Hermes. They are aware of the lotuses, which cause those who eat them to lose their memory. Time also works differently inside, as seconds are minutes and hours are days.
That's when Grover finds Augustus, who does not remember him. He tries to tell him that he found his uncle when he was in New Jersey with Medusa.
Hermes is no help
Meanwhile, Percy and Annabeth find Hermes at a craps table. They all sit down as Hermes denies their request for help. He reveals that it was Percy's father, Poseidon, who warned him to stop helping others as it only makes matters worse. When he asks Percy if he knows what he means, Percy flashes back to a time in his childhood as he sits in his car.
Annabeth eventually storms away, pickpocketing him for his keys in the process. That's when Hermes reveals that he was buying time and keeping them there. Percy and Annabeth grab Grover, who is playing a VR game and completely wiped of his memory of them. (“It's easy to forget what's important when you're alone,” Annabeth says.)
They rush to the parking garage where they find Hermes' car, a cab. He knew they were going to do so and left them a note with the directions to get into the underworld, a secret password, and a map. They just have to get the car out of the driveway. Percy does so and the three are transported to a beach. That's when Percy goes underwater to meet his father.
Episode 6 review
This sixth episode of Percy Jackson is another step in the right direction. It primarily takes place inside the Lotus Casino in Las Vegas.
If last week's episode had a sore thumb in the form of Adam Copeland's performance, the sixth had an even bigger one: Lin-Manuel Miranda. He's a performer, yes, but an actor? That's a different story. Jeffries and Scobell manage to act laps around him during his limited screen time.
However, it does mean that Simhadri gets a chance to give his best performances in the series thus far. Grover is separated from Percy and Annabeth in the Lotus Casino. That's when he encounters Augustus, who is seemingly a victim of the lotus' memory loss.
The discussions Grover has with Augustus are both personal and heartbreaking as he reveals to him that he saw his uncle turned to stone early in their venture at Medusa's lair. However, the look on Augustus' face tells it all as Grover realizes he has no idea what he's talking about.
A visual step-up
Visually, this was one of the better Percy Jackson episodes, as it also includes an underwater sequence. It's not Avatar, but they do a fine job of making it look realistic. Let me put it this way: this sequence is far more engaging than any of the dimly lit scenes in the other Percy Jackson episodes (though this episode ends with one).
It's also funny how clear of an advantage being a Disney property has on a project like Percy Jackson. When they enter the casino, Dua Lipa's “Levitating” is playing. Granted, the Lightning Thief film, which was released by 20th Century Fox pre-Disney acquisition, featured Lady Gaga's “Poker Face” during this sequence. Even still, hearing a song as iconic as “Levitating” did make me chuckle.
Overall, it's another good episode that shows growth from its leading trio. Lin-Manuel Miranda's casting was questionable, at best, and will make you wonder if it was an effort to simply placate his presence as a Disney staple.
The leading Percy Jackson trio continues to grow into their own with each episode as the narrative is shaping up for its crescendo. It's setting up the final couple of episodes for success, and the sixth episode in particular propels the story in an interesting way without feeling like filler.
Ending explained
We're in the home stretch of The Lightning Thief. In the next couple of episodes, we will finally see who stole Zeus' lightning bolt. Before then, Percy has to make a trip to the underworld to confront Hades.
At the end of the latest episode of Percy Jackson, he goes underwater to meet his father, Poseidon. He is late and doesn't get to, as Poseidon is preparing for war. The underwater spirit greets him, and just as she's about to send him back to Camp Half-Blood, Percy insists he has to continue, which reminds her of his father.
In turn, she gives Percy four tokens to exit the underworld. When he questions the number of tokens, she reveals that the fourth is for his mother.
“Save the world, and then go save your mother,” she tells him.
https://youtu.be/uHb7au6Gmls
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is currently streaming on Disney+.
Follow Us
Subscribe