Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 5 Review
The fifth episode of ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ sees the heroic trio approached by
Ares, the god of war, who needs a favor. He’s lost his shield in a theme park created by
Hephaestus, the god of craftsmen, and can’t risk returning to retrieve it himself. In return he’ll
give the trio transport to help them on their way. Time is running out and the heroes are
desperate. They have no money and no way to reach the underworld, so reluctantly they accept
Ares’ offer.
Episode four took something of a dip, missing the mark with the story and action and feeling
drawn out and unnecessary, but it looks like the series is back on form with an installment that’s
better paced, makes smarter decisions, and does what this series does best, providing fun,
enjoyable entertainment that doesn’t push you around too much.
A highlight of the episode was Adam Copeland’s performance as Ares. He’s a perfect choice for
the role, with his background as a professional wrestler meaning he has the kind of arrogant,
antagonistic, and smug personality that you’d expect from the god of war. He’s a smart
character who holds your attention, and you’re never quite sure if he’ll suddenly snap and use
some of the barely restrained power and aggression that’s clearly hiding just under the surface.
It’s here that one of the changes from the book comes. In ‘The Lightning Thief’, all three heroes
go to the theme park to look for the shield, but here Grover is left behind as insurance, allowing
him to gently wring Ares for information, trying to find out more about the war that’s brewing on
Olympus. It’s the kind of change that actually adds something to the story, and gives Grover a
chance to shine, building on a character that’s sometimes overshadowed by the other two
members of the group.
One important alteration here is how Grover says he knows who stole Zeus’s master bolt after
talking with Ares. In the book, this wasn’t revealed until the trio had entered the Underworld and
confronted Hades. If Grover’s right, this could alter everything that happens in the finale, and
lead to some even bigger deviations from the source material.
As for the other two heroes, it made sense to keep Percy and Annabeth together, giving us a
chance to see them having to work alongside each other without Grover’s stabilizing influence,
and the Tunnel O’ Love scenes allow for some well-executed moments setting up the romance
that’s forming between them. In fact, most of their scenes in the theme park focus on character
development rather than action, like Percy’s decision to sit in Hephaestus’s chair, even though
he knows he could be trapped forever, and Annabeth’s refusal to leave until she’s freed him.
This episode hit a better balance than the last in every way. There’s a chance for some good
character-development, but it doesn’t come at the expense of the story, and all three main
characters are given something useful to do. It’s also got better pacing, and never drags too
slow, or gets clogged up with long scenes of exposition. Hopefully things will continue on the
same path as the series travels towards its finale.