As their adventure continues, the trio bond while being chased by a vicious monster – here’s our Percy Jackson And The Olympians episode 4 review.
This article contains spoilers for Percy Jackson And The Olympians episodes 1-3.
So far, Disney’s adaptation of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson And The Olympians books has been a real treat. A series that’s been produced with heavy involvement from Riordan himself, the show has captured perfectly the feeling of being young and not knowing where you fit in. It’s also been a fascinating fantasy adventure centred around Greek myth, that doesn’t shy away from the moral ambiguity of its stories and characters.
After overcoming the threats posed by ‘Ms Dodds’ (AKA Alecto, the Fury) and Medusa, Demigods Percy (Walker Scobell) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), as well as satyr protector Grover (Aryan Simhadri), continue their journey towards Los Angeles. There they will enter the underworld to reclaim Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt and Percy’s abducted mother. Episode four marks the halfway point in the series, and it once again mixes action with some quieter moments between the characters.
The episode opens with a nice flashback to Percy’s childhood with his mother (Virginia Kull). The scene is very much indicative of the big theme this episode wants to tackle – family. Said flashback turns out to be a dream, and when Percy wakes up on a train with Annabeth and Grover there’s an opportunity for the characters to reveal more about themselves. It does feel a bit like exposition is being dumped on us through the dialogue, but it also sets up well an episode that explores its leads’ relationships with their absent, godly parents.
Without giving too much away, even the episode’s villain has ties to the theme of family. After all, many of the characters in Greek myth are related, and to say they often have dysfunctional relationships is probably an understatement. Unlike Medusa, the villain of the week here is a lot less complex, but perhaps more menacing. They remain in human form for the entirety of the episode, which leads to it feeling a bit lacking in the fantasy department. They do, however, also have a monstrous minion that shows up in all its glory towards the end, which adds some of the magic that’s otherwise missing.
This instalment is essentially one big chase sequence, but it lacks the urgency required for it to feel completely action-packed. Percy, Annabeth and Grover often stop to discuss their feelings or reveal a new piece of information about their mythical world, defusing some of the tension in the process.
That does allow Leah Sava Jeffries to give Annabeth a new dimension, though. Previously in the series she’s been stoic and tough, and here we get to see the cracks in that mask. This chapter follows the train of thought of last week’s episode, questioning whether the gods are good (and in particular, good parents) and where demigods like Percy and Annabeth fit in. Annabeth’s devotion to her mother, Athena, has been obvious from the start of the series. What initially comes off as fierce loyalty, though, slips away to reveal that at her core Annabeth is still a child who’s desperately seeking the approval of their absent parent.
Jeffries steals the spotlight in this episode, with Scobell and Simhadri pushed to the sidelines slightly. With the focus previously being entirely on Percy, though, it feels necessary to take this time to allow Annabeth to be fleshed out more.
Episode four does a good job of developing Annabeth’s character and highlighting the dysfunction that permeates the world of Greek myth and affects the characters’ lives. However, it often lacks the overtly magical and fantastical aspects of previous episodes and struggles to build tension.
Percy Jackson And The Olympians episode four is streaming on Disney+ on 3rd January, with future episodes streaming weekly.
