Episode Grade: (7.8/10)
Percy proves his worth at Camp in a game of capture the flag. After securing the victory, Percy is claimed. Chiron assigns Percy a quest.
Plot (39/50)
Camp dynamics were in full effect as Percy attempted to settle into his new life. Percy is assigned to the Hermes cabin since he’s not yet been claimed. There, he meets Luke, a son of Hermes. Luke stands up for Percy in the face of Clarisse’s bullying. Percy also meets Annabeth, a daughter of Athena. She takes an interest in Percy for her own reasons. Percy proves his worth in a game of capture the flag, after which he is emphatically claimed. Chiron sheds some light on the current state of Olympus as he sets Percy on a dangerous quest.
New Beginnings
The episode opens with Percy waking up in Camp and confirming the events of the previous night, including his mother’s apparent death, with Grover. He tries to find his dad but is instead met with the trickery of Dionysus, god of wine. Dionysus tries to take advantage of Percy’s ignorance, but Mr. Brunner steps in. Mr. Brunner is revealed to be a centaur whose real name is Chiron.
Chiron gives Percy a tour of Camp to familiarize him with the environment. He explains that demigods can help gods do thing that Zeus has forbidden them to do. He also explains that the pen will always find a way back to Percy as long as he doesn’t surrender it. Sure enough, when Percy reaches into his pocket, he finds the pen. Finally, Chiron shows off the Camp’s 12 cabins, one for each of the Olympian gods.
All unclaimed demigods are assigned to the Hermes cabin, and since Percy is unclaimed, that’s where he’ll be for the time being. This makes sense considering Hermes is the god of travelers. Luke is a son of Hermes and seems to be the leader of his cabin. He shows Percy around the cabin and takes him under his wing. Despite the unique environment at Camp, Percy quickly learns that the problems that plagued him at his previous schools aren’t going anywhere. Clarisse, daughter of Ares, quickly makes herself known as the resident bully. Ares is the god of war, so it’s only natural for his children to be belligerent. Luckily, Luke steps in before Percy gets hurt.
Something’s Afoot
Meanwhile, Grover had gone to the Cloven Council to inquire about Sally. They tell him that Hades has her, and when he takes this information to Chiron and Dionysus, they confirm that it’s true. However, they insist that he not tell Percy. Grover reluctantly agrees (for now).
After Luke explains to him the importance of glory, Percy spends the following day trying to find out what he’s good at. He figures that if he does something so glorious, his father won’t be able to ignore him. Percy tries his hand at archery and blacksmithing, but he’s terrible at both. Later that evening, Percy is jumped by Clarisse and two other Ares kids. He manages to fight them off using water, but he doesn’t recognize that the water was his doing.
At this point, there’s a bit of inconsistency going on. How has Percy not yet put together that Poseidon is his father? Did his mother not tell him stories about Poseidon? Did she not put it together? Surely not. One person who seems to have put it together is Annabeth, daughter of Athena. She recruits Percy for the capture the flag match after seeing him fight off Clarisse and co.
Capture the Flag
The following day, Luke gives Percy his and Annabeth’s backstory. Some time back, Luke was on the run with Thalia, Zeus’ daughter, when they found Annabeth. Initially, they didn’t want to take her in because they were worried about the danger it would bring to her. Children of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are considered forbidden children. As a result, they usually remain unclaimed and have a large target on their backs. Ultimately, Luke and Thalia took Annabeth under their wing after seeing how strong she was. Thalia didn’t make it to Camp, but Luke and Annabeth are practically siblings now.
Luke also sheds some light on why Annabeth is interested in Percy. He explains that she’s been asking Chiron to go on a quest for years now. Going on a quest is regarded as a way for demigods to prove themselves. Chiron has promised Annabeth a spot on a quest that will be triggered by the arrival of a demigod fated to go on an unavoidable quest, so she takes interest in any new arrivals.
Annabeth takes the capture the flag match as an opportunity to test Percy. She takes him to the forest away from all their teammates, then she puts on a magical cap of invisibility and leaves him without any instructions. Clarisse and her two goons soon arrive, but Percy manages to fight them off after breaking Clarisse’s spear. The distraction allows Luke to capture the flag, thus winning them the match. Annabeth reemerges and reveals that she was watching the whole time. She then pushes Percy into the water and his wounds magically heal. A trident subsequently appears signaling that Poseidon has claimed Percy as his child.
The Unavoidable Quest
Later on, Percy is called to a meeting with Chiron and Dionysus. They explain that Zeus and Poseidon have been fighting over Zeus’ stolen Master Bolt. Zeus claims that Percy has stolen the Bolt. He’s given Poseidon an ultimatum: return the summer solstice in a week’s time or suffer the consequences. Percy obviously did not steal the Bolt. In fact, Chiron and Dionysus know that Hades has the Bolt.
Percy is to go to the Underworld to retrieve the Bolt from Hades essentially because no one else wants to. Percy refuses to go on the quest. This brings out Grover, who reveals to Percy that Sally has been taken prisoner by Hades. Now motivated by the mission of saving his mother, Percy accepts the quest.
Final Thoughts
There was a good pace to this episode as we see Percy start to immerse himself in the mythology. Seeing Percy claimed so early is a bit unexpected, but the timing is right. It doesn’t make much sense for him to not have figured out that Poseidon is his father on his own. Now that it’s been revealed, there’s no reason to dwell on that inconsistency. In terms of structure, the episode still featured development through character conversations with some action sprinkled in. I imagine we’ll continue to see a ton of talking, but with the quest underway, we should be getting more action as well.
Character Development (13/15)
Percy’s been an outsider all his life, but he seems to be finding himself at Camp. The introduction of other characters will further Percy’s development. Luke takes up the older brother role. Clarisse is a typical bully. Annabeth is strategic and ambitious. Needless to say, Percy’s peer group is dynamic. Furthermore, it’s clear that the likes of Chiron and Grover will play important ancillary roles.
Percy
It was clear from the first episode that Percy is a fighter and that he will do anything to protect his mother. Both attributes were once again demonstrated in this episode. He’s also a quick thinker, and because he has the determination to succeed, he’s able to translate his quick thinking into viable solutions. One thing to watch out for is how he distributes his trust because so far that’s been a bit erratic.
Others
Grover may not be the bravest, but he’s just as persistent as Percy and certainly loyal to his friend. Annabeth is strategic, but she will need to learn to work transparently as part of a team if she, Percy, and Grover are to succeed on the quest. Luke’s taken up the role of the older brother in that he will watch out for Percy, but he’ll also give him space to struggle. Clarisse is your typical bully. Finally, Chiron cares deeply for his students, but he’s not willing to rock the boat. He doesn’t want to draw attention to the students because he knows that will put them in danger. But as he’s learned with Percy, that won’t always work.
Theme/Messages (3/5)
- “A good source of glory are feats of skill.”
- Proxy battles between people in power always affect the common folk.
Acting (12/15)
Walker Scobell (Percy) put in another decent shift. Jason Mantzoukas (Dionysus) and Charlie Bushnell (Luke) are good castings. I’m still undecided on Leah Jeffries (Annabeth).
Cinematography (11/15)
Nothing really stood out in this episode.
Watch the trailer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 here