(Review) Fourth episode introduces questions about Athena and introduces new characters

This Tuesday (02), Disney released the fourth episode of the first season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”. It explores chapter 13 and the beginning of 14, from the book “The Lightning Thief”, in the saga by Rick Riordan. In the episode, we have more questions about Athena, starting with Medusa, and the introduction of new characters.

_{Episode poster (Photo: reproduction/Instagram/@percyseries)}

Dreams

The released episode begins with a dream from Percy. He is with his mother, still small, in a swimming class, learning to swim. Sally encourages him not to be afraid, as she believes he will soon succeed, while Percy says: “Breathe. Just breathe, mom. It's what you always tell me to do”. In the second moment, the boy is in a desert, a common setting for some dreams he had recently.

Still a child, he talks to a somewhat ghostly shadow, with an intense voice that echoes throughout the large space. He holds a bright light object and talks about forbidden children attracting ruin. Fans who have already read the books know who, or what, it is about. However, for those who are following this for the first time, the question remains about the purpose of this shadow and what it wants with the boy Jackson.

Annabeth's Story

When he wakes up, Percy realizes that they are still inside the train, and it is in this scenario that he and Annabeth start to get a little closer. Percy talks about not agreeing with the way things work and the neglect he feels from the gods, who are supposed to be family. “You have to burn an offering to receive attention from your parents. I had to break up with Clarisse just for my father to admit that he is my father. It shouldn't be this way. People close to us shouldn't treat us like this”, he vents.

Annabeth, on the other hand, tries to explain how their world works, talking about the love and respect she feels for her mother, and complements it by telling her story. She reveals that she was not born in the conventional way. According to her, Athena's children are a gift to human beings and are born from the goddess's thoughts. She offers the children to the human with whom she feels a connection, who becomes attached to them. Annabeth's father had her as a gift, but after getting married and starting a new family, he began to neglect her. So, the little girl ran away, at 7 years old.

She ends by stating that despite what Percy thinks, it is possible to trust the gods, as all you have to do is show respect and they will always be by your side. However, Percy is not satisfied with this.

Pan Seekers

In this episode, also, another god is introduced to us. In a conversation on the train when they see centaurs trotting in the fields, Grover says that there used to be several of them all over the world, but humans, little by little, were (and are) destroying nature. According to him, several years ago, Pan, god of the forests, disappeared, and since then humans have destroyed more and more.

The idea of ​​search engines is also introduced, something better explored in subsequent productions (books). The seekers are the bravest satyrs, who offer to go out into the world in search of the god, however, no one has managed to return from their search. Then the subject is changed.

Athena's Ego and new characters

Finally, the series presents the next monsters that the protagonists will need to face. The first character is Echidna, known as the mother of monsters. She approaches the trio inside the train and chases them to one of the temples of the goddess Athena, a place that the demigods considered safe. However, the monster manages to enter, and Annabeth discovers that Athena thought it was impertinent that they sent Medusa's head to Olympus, and decided to punish her.

This only reignites Percy Jackson's criticisms and questions about the gods. Annabeth, who was always devout and adoring her mother, was practically left for dead, because the goddess of “wisdom” had a wounded ego and was upset. How far does the goodness of the gods go is something to wonder.

Echidna brings with her the second monster, which she calls “baby”. When they are still on the train, being chased, we get another glimpse of how the fog works, the veil that hides the magical world from the mortal. Instead of a giant monster, passengers only see a small dog running through the carriages.

We continue without actually seeing the monster until the temple, where it reveals, in fact, Chimera, a being with the face of a lion, goat's horns and a serpent's tail. While fighting him, Percy ends up falling from above, which brings us to the end of the episode.

Percy discovers new ability

Percy falls into a lake, which turns out to be very deep. There, he talks to a mystical being, sent by Poseidon, who tells the boy that everything is fine. The apparition reveals that the god has always been with his son, and that it is difficult for him to see the demigod suffer and not be able to intervene.

She also asks Percy to trust his father, and to just breathe. This scene matches the beginning of the episode, in the boy's conversation with his mother about breathing. It is there that Percy discovers that he can breathe underwater, ending with the water going to the boy.

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Percy: Poseidon never did anything for me

poseidon: here my son, just not to say that I never did anything for you #PercyJackson pic.twitter.com/iddPbq50cj

— lai (@aelinbegins) January 3, 2024

_{Scene of Percy falling from Athena's temple (Reproduction/X/@aelinbegins)}

More action

This Tuesday's episode was a contrast to the previous one, which had a great focus on dialogue to the detriment of action scenes. The characters fight and/or flee from the beginning of the episode, with destruction everywhere they go.

There are moments of conversation, like Percy and Annabeth's interaction about the girl's childhood, or even when Grover talks about Pan, however, there is a better balance.

This episode sets a bigger cliffhanger for the next one, which makes fans even more excited for the next release. The questions that remain are who the shadow is at the beginning of the episode, who Percy is talking to and what is the fate of Echidna and Chimera.

The next episode should air on Tuesday (9).

Featured photo: Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson and Grover Underwood (Reproduction/Instagram @percyseries)