Episode 3 of Percy Jackson and The Olympians is interesting. While there is a lot of action within said episode the more interesting parts of the episode come from the character depth of not only the trio this episode but also the main antagonist of this episode, Medusa. This episode starts with Percy having to choose two other campers/demigods on the quest to take back Zeus’s master bolt. Percy almost immediately says he wants Annabeth by his side, which to many fans sets off their Percabeth alarms. It is then also revealed by Percy himself that he chose Grover, his guardian, to go on the trip with him.
Our demigod trio goes on the quest and from the very start you can tell and view the contrast between Percy and Annabeth. They of course begin arguing about the proper path to take and leadership in their trio. Annabeth even becomes doubtful at one point of Percy because he is so unaware of his destiny and somewhat questions him.
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Grover being the mature satyr he is has to essentially keep the peace between the two while they’re in the early stages of the quest. It is upon the sight of Medusa however that they decide to put forest all of the issues they had minutes before surviving her wrath and not be turned to stone like the many other victims they eventually become aware of, including Grover’s uncle Ferdinand Underwood.
The most interesting part of the episode however is the trio’s encounter with Medusa. I have to applaud Jessica Parker Kennedy’s performance as Medusa in this episode actually, because her ability to make people empathize with what Medusa experienced with the Gods while also having people fear the character for who she truly is was astonishing. There are various moments where Medusa essentially states that the Gods are not necessarily always right, and they do not always make the best decisions for everyone involved. To this point, I have to agree.
It is also very compelling and an even more common trope that I often bare witness to in franchises more often now than ever where oftentimes impacted antagonists explain their reasoning behind becoming so vengeful and it almost always has to do with actions of the proclaimed heroes in previous stories.It is very similar to how in current Star Wars films and television where a lot of the more recent stories explain how the Jedi were not necessarily always correct in their approach to saving the galaxy. In drawing this comparative analysis to Percy Jackson, I would say it is very similar. The Gods were not always correct in their treatment of mortals and beings in general and people unfortunately suffered because of it, including their demigod children.
In the final minutes of the episode, we watch the trio seemingly escape Medusa’s wrath and there are even small yet sentimental moments between Percy and Annabeth. In many ways, there’s somewhat of an understanding that they come from two different places in life. Percy has kind of been on his own his entire life and struggles socially in the real world while Annabeth has been trained her entire life for life-changing quests. This training occurs away from mortals and with other demigod children. The contrast between how these characters were brought up and their thinking processes is why people enjoy the bond between Percy and Annabeth. Percy also uses Medusa’s now severed head to turn Alecto into solid stone so that she can never bother our beloved trio ever again.
The final minute of the episode is also another interesting scene, as we finally meet Hermes played by Lin Manuel Miranda in this series. Undoubtedly who is the key to a larger part of the story which will likely be exposed by the end of Season One. Ultimately this was another successful episode that does its job for children’s television although as a viewer and longtime fan, there are times I do wish the show was allowed to lean a bit more into its action side.
Annabeth Chase - It would appear that I am very biased towards Annabeth Chase however I do have a justification for her power ranking this week. If it was not for some of Annabeth’s strategy in instructing Percy to slice Medusa as well as using her cap to turn Medusa invisible perhaps our lovely trio might not exist anymore. Not only does Annabeth assist Percy with the Medusa takedown, but she also successfully takes down Alecto on the bus right before she can get to both Percy and Grover. Although there is bias against Annabeth, there is also justification for why she is consistently ranked number one.
Grover Underwood - Surprisingly I put Grover above Percy this week, however, there is a simple justification. Grover was and will always be at least for this season the glue of the trio. Annabeth and Percy do not see eye to eye for the first half of the episode, and Grover does his best to bring them back together for their mission to continue successfully. He also can keep it together despite being in the face of his literal uncle who became a statue at the hands of Medusa. Grover is a strong satyr and it is because of that strength that he is at number 2 this week.
Percy Jackson - Percy Jackson is number 3 this week mainly because while he is a strong fighter there were multiple times he was in very real danger! But what I will say is that I do admire the persistence and refusal to give up. Percy also sliced a literal monster’s head open right after taking down a Minotaur. Percy Jackson is in no way weak, but he is here only because Annabeth and Grover showed even more fierceness this week through their tactility and heart to get through the mission.
Medusa - Although her story about Poseidon and the Gods is very moving and how the writers essentially tried to tie in points from the original myth she is here because quite frankly how do you let three children outwit you after turning so many people to stone? The performance from JPK however is phenomenal. It is because of these factors that Medusa is ranked fourth.
Alecto - Alecto reappears from Episode One in an attempt to snatch our lovely trio yet again however she fails twice. Percy and Annabeth end up despising a plan to have her be frozen solid for the rest of her life with Medusa’s severed head, and they are fortunately very successful. It is because of these actions that Alecto is at #5 on this list.
Honorable Character Mentions: Chiron and Luke
Episode Criticism: Fix the editing so that the transitions don’t go to a black screen and instead go to the next scene. Sometimes the show looks like it was made for television with ads when the show fades to black instead of cutting to the next scene of the television show. It is also taking away from the more impactful scenes that occur on screen.
Final Episode Ranking: 7/10
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