So far, this show has been toeing a delicate balance between straightforwardly following the plot of the book and injecting new elements for first-time watchers. However, out of every episode so far, this one certainly gets the highest marks for novelty.
For all the minor parts of the book the show has been switching up, I was pleasantly surprised by Gabe voicing the Oracle. Sure, it’s not fully explained in here, but it’s a nice touch of faithfulness to the source material. I approve.
Somehow, out of everything so far, watching Percy pack for his quest was the part that gave me the biggest rush of nostalgia. It just felt so true to the books, so ripped perfectly from the pages. It’s the little things, I suppose.
Oh, and the grazing pegasi! Even if it’s only within the realm of camp, they’re another fun addition. They add to the enjoyable visual aspects of this show.
Like I said in my last post, I’m finding the delivery of Thalia’s backstory odd. Percy knowing from the get-go that the other two demigods were Luke and Annabeth, only not yet realizing that Grover was their satyr, feels like too much too fast. When the reveal comes later, the parallel is vivid – Annabeth was once on this path before, accompanied by Grover and a child of one of the Big Three. And the quest ended in tragedy then, so who’s to say it won’t go differently this time?
(Also, side note, why haven’t they mentioned the Big Three pact? It gives Thalia’s story a heightened sense of tragedy, puts Percy in a wildly dangerous position, and makes the Bianca and Nico reveal in TTC hit all the harder.)
Annabeth talking to Thalia’s tree was a lovely touch, though. Despite my previous paragraphs, this was a nice detail to add. Maybe the scene could’ve been about Annabeth saying goodbye to Thalia without Percy understanding the magnitude of that encounter just yet.
And, hey, major props to the show for this – they pronounced Thalia’s name right! I originally absorbed the PJO books when my dad read them to me at nine. He always pronounced her name with the “Th,” and I was furious when the Sea of Monsters movie had her as “Talia.” (Like that’s my only issue with the movie.) So this confirmation that my dad had her name right from the beginning feels incredibly affirming.
Onto the other character moments – I liked seeing Luke and Percy’s friendship, but the flying shoes were so badly bungled. Percy never gives them to Grover!! The point in doing this is that now all three of the quest-ites have a magic item – Percy has Riptide (is that ever going to get named??), Annabeth has her invisibility cap, and Grover has the shoes. Establishing them as Grover’s from the get-go makes the eventual drag into Tartarus feel specific to him before you realize who the shoes were intended for. And Chiron telling Percy that he can’t use the shoes because he should stay away from the air is cut too! It’s a let-down all around.
And then we have the bus scene. Alecto and Annabeth’s convo was good – Annabeth’s loyalty to Percy was a nice way to convey her true intentions despite her brash exterior – but no bus explosion? In the book, that explosion is a significant event that “derails” the gang’s quest very early on, making them fugitives and leaving them without supplies. Also, this means we don’t get to see Gladiola! “I said hello to the poodle” is genuinely one of the funniest lines in TLT. Where’s the humor?
And then we come to one of the most significant villain encounters of TLT – if that terminology can be appropriately used. We’re given a strong episode here, with a twist on the expected story that’s exciting for new viewers and old fans alike.
This was an impressive, fresh take on Medusa. She’s one of the most iconic monsters of Greek mythology, but modern interpretations have questioned how much of a “monster” she truly is. After all, her punishment for “defiling” Athena’s temple was passed on to her alone, leaving Posiedon entirely unpunished. The cruelty of the gods always lands on the mortals trapped in their games, beguiled by the lure of them. Medusa’s presence here shows that both Percy and Annabeth’s godly parents are imperfect, with Medusa herself as living proof.
However, despite how much I liked this retelling of Medusa’s story in PJO, how the gang encountered her disappointed me. In the book, they’re lost and hungry when they stumble into Auntie Em’s, nearly killed before they have to work together and save the day. Having them recognize Auntie Em as Medusa right from the start – as obvious as it might be to an outsider – makes the kids look a lot more proficient than they were in the book. And then there’s the loss of this part:
The neon sign above the gate was impossible for me to read, because if there’s anything worse for my dyslexia than regular English, it’s red cursive neon English.
To me, it looked like: ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM.
“What the heck does that say?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Annabeth said.
She loved reading so much, I’d forgotten she was dyslexic, too.
Grover translated: “Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium.”
Chapter 11, “We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium”
I love Annabeth, as I know we all do – and it’s not because she’s this perfect, super smart, “best fighter in camp.” It’s because she’s human. She and Percy bicker, but they actually apologize to one another in TLT when they cross a line. She’s incredibly smart because she reads and studies and knows architecture, and people don’t assume that when they see her. The line I quoted above, where Percy remembers that Annabeth is just as dyslexic as he is, is a great example of her humanity, her unashamed imperfections. So far, the show hasn’t been delivering that side of her.
Back to Medusa, briefly. It’s funny how much this show has made me want to rewatch the 2010 movie. I just love the Medusa scene from there. I have many fond memories of it, and that “I used to date your daddy” line is iconic as hell. And the iPhone shield for a modern Perseus adaptation! Come on! How can you not love it?
Also, I stand by the fact that the 2010 movie had the best Uncle Ferdinand reveal out of all three adaptations (the book, the movie, the show). In the book, Grover just stares at the statue then blurts out that it’s Uncle Ferdinand at the most random moment. In the show, Grover mentions Uncle Ferdinand ahead of time and finds the statue after killing Medusa. In the movie, Grover sees the status and says, with dawning horor: “He looks just like my Uncle Ferdinand. But it’s not him, because Uncle Ferdinand was killed by… Medusa.”
Absolutely my favorite version. I’ll really have to pull out my well-worn TLT DVD after this show, won’t I?
Anyhow. With the kids having defeated Medusa, we got a fun cameo of Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes in the Empire State Building. I know Hermes doesn’t show up until SoM in the books, but I’m just excited to see Lin-Manuel here. No complaints yet!
This episode excited me – it shows that the show is doing more than just a readaptation of the books. If we get more scenes like the Medusa one, with a fresh twist on previously established stories, we’re in for a treat. Let’s hope this trend continues!
As before, here are my live notes!
