In Episode 1 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians audiences were introduced to the titular 12-year-old, witnessing how life is hard for a Half-Blood in the non-magical world. We also watched Sally Jackson and Grover Underwood inform Percy that he is the son of a God and transport him to Camp Half-Blood, Sally sacrificing herself to distract a Minotaur to ensure the safety of her son, which he then avenged by killing the monster. Which leads us into Episode 2, with the description:
“Percy finds his place at Camp Half-Blood, where he learns just how special his origins may be.”
Percy Jackson is in-and-out of consciousness after the ordeal he’s been through, and there is a girl standing over him, waiting patiently to inform him that he drools when he sleeps in the brief moments he is awake. When he does fully wake Grover is the one now waiting for him, getting to be the one to tell Percy that yes, everything that happened was real, even taking the Minotaur horn as a trophy for his friend. Percy doesn’t care about the Minotaur or how big of a deal it is he killed a monster like that, he cares about what happened to his mom.
Percy gets up to go find his father. The first adult he comes into contact with is lounging in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses drinking a Diet Coke on the porch, wholly uninterested in the boy he very loudly announces as “Peter Johnson.” Grover rushes in to stop Percy and introduce him properly to the Camp Director, “Mr. D.”, who is still completely uninterested. When Percy gets snarky with Mr. D Grover pulls him aside to tell him that the man is Dionysus. This resonates with Percy who attempts to approach more respectfully.
Dinosysus can’t resist telling Percy that he’s his dad in order to get Percy to go fetch him a bottle of wine as he’s unable to do it himself. When Percy is about to set off to do so, “Mr. Brunner” joins the group in his true form, a Centaur. Grover re-introduces the pair with the teacher’s real name, Chiron, who shares that Mr. D. is not Percy’s father.
“I could be.”
“Yes, but are you?”
“Why must you ruin everything?”
Chiron also shares that Mr. D. has been forbidden by Zeus from consuming alcohol and that he was trying to take advantage of Percy before asking him to go on a walk together — alone. Grover expresses that he feels guilty and Mr. D. commends him that he did his job and to leave it at that.
As Chiron shows Percy around Camp he reveals that the pen sword, Riptide, is a magical item that will always make its way back to Percy no matter where he loses it. He shows Percy to the 12 cabins for the children of the 12 Olympian Gods, and also shares that Percy’s father has not claimed him yet … it could happen any day now or it could never happen. But there’s still a place for Percy in Hermes’, God of Travellers, cabin, where both the God’s own children and the unclaimed are housed. Percy begins to try to settle in, finding the bag of candy from his mom still at the top of his bag.
When he is approached by one of the older kids he defaults to sarcasm and cynicism, expecting bullying here just like he’s received everywhere else, but the older kid has good intentions.
“I heard what happened to you on the hill and I just … wanted to say I’m really sorry. I know what you’re going through, believe me. I’m Luke.”
Grover sneaks off on his own to consult with the Council of Cloven Elders, followed by interrupting Chiron and Dionysus as they are playing a card game together. Grover reveals that he thinks he knows what really happened to her and that she evaporated like a monster would. Chiron and Dionysus already know this and tell Grover it’s best if Percy doesn’t know the truth because the Earth’s fate is in the balance. Dionysus firmly tells Grover he’s not to say anything to Percy and that if he can’t trust himself not to do that, he needs to stay away from him.
Percy has another nightmare with the same figure from before speaking to him, goading him with taunts of his father and wanting to take back what’s been taken from you and get justice. He wakes with a start and Luke reassures him that’s normal — all Half-Bloods have intense, reoccurring nightmares … and daydreams, and dyslexia, and ADD. For the first time in his life, Percy is exactly like everyone else around him, the difference being Luke does know who is father is as Hermes has claimed him.
Luke introduces Percy to more parts of camp life, including the idea of fighting for glory to get stronger and gain more respect and therefore be messed with less. It’s at this moment Clarisse introduces herself by shoulder-checking Percy and knocking him to the ground, expressing that she doesn’t believe Percy killed the Minotaur. Luke lets Percy know that the children of Ares “come by it honestly” and shares that they won’t mess with him because they know better … he’s the best swordsman in camp, after all.
Percy decides he wants to fight for glory to force his father’s hand at claiming him. Queue a training montage of Percy mostly struggling through feats of skill — archery is dangerous, forgery isn’t much better, and so on. Percy questions if he’s the son of the God of Disappointment. Luke maintains more faith in Percy than Percy has in himself. After learning about making parental offerings by burning foods, Percy later goes off on his own to make an offering of some of the candy his mom gave him in order to speak to her, sharing that he thinks he made some genuine friends at Camp Half-Blood and his feelings toward his father’s continued absense.
“He isn’t here, my father, he just … didn’t show. I mean, ignoring me is one thing, but he doesn’t get to ignore you. I’m going to make him come down here. I’m going to make him see me. I’m going to make him see us both.”
When Percy gets back to camp he is once again attacked by the children of Ares with Clarisse at the helm, ordering Percy to admit that he didn’t kill the Minotaur to avoid getting a swirly. When they force him close to the toilet the water mysteriously vanishes downward, then sprays from the toilet in three perfect streams to knock the assailants back. The children of Ares run away before they can get caught being involved with the damage to the bathroom, and the same girl that was standing over Percy at the beginning of the episode enters to introduce herself as Annabeth.
Percy accuses her of stalking him, which she is more than willing to admit is true — she’s been waiting to see if something like this incident would happen so she would know if he can help her win Capture the Flag. The next day leading up to the game, Luke shares a bit about Annabeth — the head counselor of the Athena cabin who sees the world six steps ahead of everyone else and his little sister. He tells Percy about his life before camp and that he was on the road with Thalia, a “Forbidden Kid”, the daughter of Zeus. Luke shares how he and Thalia found Annabeth and how Thalia didn’t make it to camp with the two of them. Annabeth is now just waiting for her chance to go on a Quest, the last thing she needs to prove herself.
Capture the Flag begins. As Luke leads the majority of their combined team’s company, Annabeth takes Percy in the opposite direction alone. Percy gets vulnerable and expresses that he needs the day’s events to go well. Annabeth puts a baseball cap that makes her turn invisible on, telling Percy that he’ll do great … without telling him what exactly he’s supposed to be doing. So Percy passes time by dancing, whistling, and petting lizards. As he lies down to relax, the children of Ares sneak up on him with Clarisse once again leading the charge.
“No maiming is like, the one rule.”
Clarisse doesn’t mind the consequences she’ll face if she gets her revenge. She once again asks him if he’s ready to admit he made up the Minotaur fight and Percy takes her momentary pause to run away. They arrive on a beach and it’s three against one, Percy not only managing to hold his own but also break Clarisse’s spear. Before she can react to that the beach is stormed by Percy’s victorious team. Annabeth removes the hat to reveal she was there the whole time watching Percy’s fight. She helps him to his feet, apologizes, then promptly pushes him in the water behind him.
The very water that then heals Percy’s injuries, prompting further confusion from him. As he expresses that he doesn’t understand, Annabeth and everyone else are transfixed on the glowing trident that is now hovering over Percy’s head. His plan worked — his father has claimed him.
“You have been claimed by Poseidon: Earth Shaker, Storm Breaker. Percy Jackson: Son of Poseidon.”
Percy moves into his new cabin, one he has to himself. Chiron and Dionysus inform Percy that Poseidon and Zeus are locked in conflict over the disappearance of Zeus’ Master Bolt which has been stolen, apparently by Percy. Poseidon needs Percy’s help — Zeus has given the ultimatum that if the Bolt isn’t returned within the week he will initiate war. Chiron shares that the Bolt is with Hades and that Percy is to go to the Underworld to retrieve it, along with the help of two others. Percy says he won’t do it until Grover reveals that Sally Jackson is alive in the Underworld as she was stolen by Hades.
Percy agrees to accept his fate in order to bring his mom back.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians episodes 1 and 2 are available to stream now on Disney+. Our review for the premiere episodes can be read here, and additional coverage for the series including episodic recaps for the rest of the season can be found here.
