Recap: Episode 1 “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher”
The show begins with Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) talking about how he never wanted to be a half blood. Percy warns that being a half blood is dangerous and it can get you killed.
Percy talks about how he is a troubled kid, and that even back in the second grade he swears he saw something that looked like a flying horse. He continues to see these impossible things that came out of the stories his mom Sally (Virginia Kull) always told him. Poor Percy is teased and called a loser by his classmates.
We meet Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) who becomes Percy’s best friend at Yancy Academy. They share their thoughts on imaginary monsters, and Percy for the first time feels connected to someone. Everything seems to be going well, until his class takes a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Percy’s Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner (Glynn Turman) is leading the trip telling the students that the statues they see are the truest and deepest parts of themselves. Percy is trying to focus on his teacher however, his dyslexia and ADHD are a problem.
Drawn to the statue of Perseus who holds the head of Medusa, Percy remembers when his mom Sally brought him to the museum. (Wow, the level of detail taken directly from the book already is astounding, but the new content that has been added to flesh out the story for television is incredible.) While the young Percy asks if his mom named him after Perseus because he was a hero and slayed monsters, Sally informs her son that not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster, and not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero. (Nice foreshadowing plus these words of wisdom help us to connect to Sally Jackson so much sooner.) Percy learns that he was named after the mythical Greek hero because against all odds despite being cast out he was able to find a happy ending.
The memory ends with Percy calling out for his mom, only to be back in the museum with his class and teased by his arch nemesis Nancy Bobofit. Mrs. Dodds (Megan Mullally) warns Percy to control himself. Saved by Mr. Brunner, he tells Percy that he believes in him, and gives him the gift of a pen which Brunner says is a mighty instrument.
Outside Grover is explaining to Percy the various reasons why Nancy is such a bully. Percy is tired of being picked on, and he thinks it’s time to do something about it. Grover recommends talking to the dean, while Percy wants to shove her into a dumpster. Grover does not agree with this. He tells him that the one thing he knows about bullies is that you should never ever stand up to them. (Simhadri captures the essence of the character so whimsically with this line.) Grover is interrupted with food thrown at him by Nancy.
Percy has had enough. Without touching her, Percy somehow shoves Nancy into the fountain. The pen Brunner gave to him is vibrating in his pocket, and Mrs. Dodds slowly walks towards him transforming into a winged demonic creature named Alecto. No one notices the change, and Dodds pins Percy to the ground demanding to know where ‘it’ is. Percy’s pen somehow transforms into a sword, and Percy stabs Mrs. Dodds. She fades away to ash.
Percy wakes up wondering what happened and where was Mrs. Dodds. Shocked that no one saw what happened, Percy is stunned to hear from Mr. Brunner that there is no one at the school named Mrs. Dodds. Back at Yancy Academy, Percy and Grover are in trouble with the dean of the school. Stating that he didn’t touch Nancy, the dean appeals to Grover, who says that Percy had wanted to get back at Nancy. Grover tells the dean that he saw Percy push Nancy. (Nice seeing Rick Riordan have a cameo in the scene sitting to the side of the dean.)
Cast out of Yancy Academy, Percy is waiting for a bus home when Mr. Brunner asks him if he wants to tell him what he thinks happened at the museum. Percy tells his former Latin teacher to stop talking because he doesn’t need any more stories about how special he is. Arriving home to his mom’s apartment, Percy is forced to deal with his awful stepfather, Gabe Ugliano (Timm Sharp). Though Gabe is impressed because Percy got kicked out for attacking another student, the kid is tired of the inquisition, and looks for his mom.
Sitting on the balcony, Sally comes in from the rain and greets her son with a hug. Sally also tells him that Brunner called and told him about Grover. Percy explains that something happened to him, and that it’s more than just his mind wandering. (Walker Scobell was the perfect choice for Percy. This scene alone shows how he has captured the character in essence, cadence, and heart.)
Sally calls in Gabe and informs him that she and Percy are on their way to Montauk. Sally bowls over the overbearing husband and proves that she is a strong and capable person. (Perfect casting for Sally Jackson.) On the ride to Montauk, Percy falls asleep and has a dream of standing in the middle of a storm staring out to the ocean. He sees a ghostly visage atop the water that calls out wondering who he is. The ghost ridicules Percy and tells the little hero to run away before he gets hurt. Percy wakes up on the car ride from this nightmare just as Sally pulls the car up to the cabin.
In the kitchen Percy tells Sally that he needs to talk to her. He explains that he is used to the world feeling weird to him, and that he pays attention as best he can. However, his daydreams lately feel more real. Sally asks him if at the museum he saw something that felt real and no one else could see. Sally asks Percy what she said to him.
Percy’s mental alarm bells are going off because he wonders how his mom knew about Mrs. Dodds. Sally tells him that they come to the cabin every year because this is the place where she met his father. Describing how wise, noble, and kind he was, Sally tells her son that his father wasn’t anything like she had met before, because he was a god. Percy asks if she means she fell in love with God like Jesus.
Sally explains that it was not God, but a god. The stories that she told him about Greek gods and monsters are real. Sally continues explaining that children of mortals and gods are half-bloods. Percy states this is what Mrs. Dodds called him.
As Percy starts to come to realize the truth about his lineage, he rejects the words of his mother and states that there is something wrong with his brain, and that there is no such thing as gods and monsters. A knock at the cabin brings Grover to the scene. Grover states that everything is changing too fast, and that something is coming. While Percy is shocked to see the friend who betrayed him, he is more shocked to see that Grover has goat legs.
Grover, Sally, and Percy get back in Gabe’s car and leave. Grover tells Percy the truth about why he was at Yancy Academy. Grover is a satyr, and he is assigned to protect Percy. Grover explains that if he hadn’t got him kicked out of school what is chasing them now would have killed him that night. Grover admits to seeing Dodds, but the Mist kept her hidden from everyone until it’s too late.
On the car ride, Grover explains about their destination Camp Half-Blood, a sanctuary for half-bloods. The trio is startled to see the Minotaur chasing them. Grover explains that the Mythomagic Cards they played together were training for Percy who doesn’t grasp the danger he is in. Sally tries ramming the monster but ends up crashing the car. The three have a few moments to escape before the Minotaur comes back for another attack.
Making it to the boundary of Camp Half-Blood, Sally makes Grover promise that he will protect Percy. Telling her son that she can’t cross the boundary because she is human, Sally wants her son to be brave and remember the stories she told him. She finished by telling her son that he is a miracle and not broken.
The Minotaur is about to attack when Sally tells Percy that she is going to distract the monster so that he and Grover can escape. Waving Percy’s coat around like a matador, he is horrified to see the beast grab his mother and squeeze her into disappearing. Changing his pen to a sword, Percy is angry and charges at the Minotaur.
Nearly smashed with a boulder and gored by the monster, Percy climbs onto the back of the Minotaur in a last-ditch effort for safety. Breaking off the monster’s horn, Percy stabs the Minotaur in the head, and it vanishes into ash.
Waking up, Percy hears the voice of Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries), but is greeted by Mr. Brunner who has transformed into a centaur.
Recap: Episode 2 “I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom”
Waking at Camp Half Blood, Percy asks the closest person watching him, Annabeth, where he is. Her response is that he drools when he sleeps, and Percy promptly passes back out. The next morning Grover is standing at Percy’s bedside telling him that he is safe. On the table across from the bed is the horn of the Minotaur. Percy wants to know what happened to his mom.
Percy is upset and tells Grover that his job is done. Wondering where he is going, Percy tells Grover that he is going to find his dad. Walking out on to the porch of the house, Percy sees an older man sitting alone at a table. Explaining who he is, Percy learns that this guy, Mr. D (Jason Mantzoukas) is the god Dionysus, and the god doesn’t like him. Grover comes running in and introduces Percy to Mr. D who is also the camp director. Grover advises not to pick a fight with Mr. D.
Asking to know who his father is, Percy asks Mr. D for help. Mr. D claims to be his dad and asks Percy to go get him a bottle of wine. It’s at this moment that Mr. Brunner arrives in his centaur form and Percy learns that Brunner is Chiron, the camp activities director and immortal trainer of heroes. Chiron tells Percy that Mr. D is not his father and invites Percy to walk with him, leaving Grover and Mr. D behind.
As they walk Percy, gets to see the entirety of Camp Half-Blood. Telling Chiron that he lost his pen/sword, Percy is stunned to learn that the pen is in his pocket and will never be lost unless he surrenders it. Chiron shows Percy the 12 cabins at camp that represent the 12 Olympian Gods. Percy also learns that he must be claimed by his godly parent. Until that time, he can find a home in Hermes cabin, which is home to the god’s children and the unclaimed.
Introduced to the cabin mates, Percy is met with silence as Chiron walks off. Finding his bag in the cabin, Percy opens the backpack and finds his birthday treat. Hearing other campers whisper that he’s the kid who killed the Minotaur, he’s met by Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell). Luke tells him that he heard what happened on the hill and that he just wanted to tell him he is sorry for what happened.
At the Big House, Chiron is playing cards with Mr. D when Grover comes bursting in and interrupts their game. The satyr explains that at his meeting with the Cloven Council, he learned that Sally Jackson evaporated like a monster would. When a mortal is close to death, Hades himself can reach out to spare her, and Grover is shocked to learn that Chiron and Mr. D knew this already, and that they haven’t told Percy yet.
Percy has another dream where the voice calls out stating that Percy was left by his father and left him with nothing. The voice states that he knows how he feels, and Percy awakes in the Hermes cabin with a scream. Luke is standing there to tell him that every demigod has these nightmares. For the first time in his life, Percy is just like everyone else. Luke tells Percy to stop worrying about the nature of the gods so that he can enjoy what the camp has to offer.
Luke explains that demigods fight for glory, but during Luke’s tale, Percy is knocked to the ground by Clarisse La Rue (Dior Goodjohn) the daughter of Ares, the god of war. Taunting him, Clarisse shows she is an aggressive bully.
According to Luke, the best source of glory is feats of skill, and hands Percy a bow. Trying to explain that it looks dangerous, and he has never done anything like this before, Luke quiets Percy by telling him that he had never killed the Minotaur before, until he did. Percy is a horrible failure in archery. Trying to forge weapons, Percy nearly starts a fire. Luke tells a disappointed Percy that they are going to find what he’s good at.
At dinner, Hermes cabin gets their turn to offer items to be burned to the gods. Percy takes one of his mom’s cookies and burns it as an offering. Appealing to his mom, Percy lets her know that he likes Camp Half-Blood and that he might have made some real friends. Percy vows in his offering that he is going to make his father appear.
Walking back to his cabin, Percy is attacked by Clarisse and other Ares cabin mates. Shoving him into the bathroom, Clarisse wants him to admit that he made it up about the Minotaur and she will let him go. Just as Percy is about to get his head shoved into a toilet, the water disappears from the bowl only to return, sending Clarisse and her thugs flying against the wall. Annabeth watches from the doorway with a mistrusting look on her face. She introduces herself, and Percy wants to know why she has been stalking him.
Annabeth explains that she has been following him waiting to see if he could do something like he just did to Clarisse. Wanting to know what she was interested in his abilities Annabeth tells Percy that she needs him to help win capture the flag.
The next day, Luke explains how smart and capable Annabeth is. Telling Percy that he is always on Annabeth’s side, he rewinds the story even more explaining how he came to camp with a forbidden kid named Thalia, a child of Zeus, and how they found Annabeth when they were on the run. Luke tells Percy that one day a new arrival will go on a quest that will enable Annabeth to go on the quest as well.
Chiron walks by and announces that it is time for the game to begin. The first team to retrieve the flag and cross back over the river will win. Assembled at the starting line, Percy and Luke are led by Annabeth in the game.
While Luke disappears to begin the game, Percy is assigned to go with Annabeth, and she promptly leaves him for bait. Annabeth disappears after she dons her invisible Yankees hat. While Luke has faith in Annabeth’s plan and Percy, all that Percy can do is the floss as he stands in the woods waiting for whatever will happen next. Surprised by Clarisse, Percy is in danger. The daughter of Ares wants revenge. Though they were told maiming wasn’t allowed, Clarisse is willing to lose desert privileges to get back at Percy.
Forced to defend himself, Percy is attacked by Clarisse and two other warriors. All she wants is for Percy to admit that he’s a fraud. Trying to flee, Percy makes it to the beach where the odds may have improved. Percy fights back and seems to be holding his own. Percy breaks the end of Clarisse’s spear, and she is horrified at her loss. It’s magnified by her loss in the game. Annabeth reveals herself and Percy learns that she had been watching the whole fight, apologizes for not helping and pushes him into the water. The cuts and bruises he sustained start to heal, and Poseidon’s trident appears over his head.
Chiron states that he has been claimed as a child of Poseidon. Percy moves into the Poseidon cabin, and heads to the Big House where Chiron describes the dispute between Zeus and Poseidon over the master bolt. This symbol of Zeus’ authority has been stolen. Mr. D explains that Zeus thinks Percy stole it. Percy proclaims his innocence and Chiron explains that if the bolt isn’t returned by Poseidon in one week, by the summer solstice, then there will be a war. Percy is told that he must leave the camp immediately to begin his quest to find the bolt and prevent the war.
While Poseidon has always resented Zeus, Chiron explains there is a third brother who resents both, and that is where they believe the bolt is. Chiron, and now Percy believes Hades has the master bolt in the Underworld.
Percy refuses to accept the quest, and it is not until Grover walks into the room and tells Percy that his mother might be alive and being held in Hades that he changes his mind. Grover tells him that Hades stole his mother and took her to the Underworld. If he can find his mother in the Underworld, then he can probably bring her back.
Percy wants to know when they leave.
Review
Episode 1 “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher” is practically perfect. Not only do we get the essential start off for the series with Percy’s voice guiding us into the world he lives in, but we also get to meet many essential characters, have the action distilled down to the essential elements with the first episode ending with the epic battle with the Minotaur.
Walker Scobell makes the perfect lead. The actor’s talent shines through as he takes the well loved lead character and provides him with a human touch. Percy is at heart a devoted son to his mother. We see that throughout the book in many ways, and this first episode in the show brings that connection home.
Virgina Kull as Sally Jackson is given many moments of screentime, whether it’s on the drive to Montauk or the flashback scenes where we see a younger version of Percy at the museum with his mom. Kull makes Sally Jackson swell with pride and love for Sally. She is a selfless dedicated mom who is devoted to her son Percy. She is the indefatigable single mom, who is giving everything she has for her son.
Aryan Simhadri is another perfect casting choice because his role as Grover is a mix of best friend and worry wort. Grover is filled with anxiety and determination, and Simhadri nails that ambiguity in this first episode with a flair of joy.
Seeing Percy defeat the Minotaur was great. The effects look awesome, and though it is a pivotal battle for the young demigod, it is just the beginning of what is to come.
Rating = A+
Episode 2 “I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom”
The biggest part of the action has happened, and now Percy needs to find out who he is. While the episode is beautifully enhanced with the walkthrough tour of Camp Half-Blood, what really shines is the introduction of Charlie Bushnell as Luke, and Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse. These two characters are incredibly important for the future story, and they need to be perfectly cast.
Bushnell exudes the aura of everyone’s bigger brother, and someone that Percy would naturally make friends with. From the supportive Luke to the taunting Clarisse, Dior Goodjohn needs to bring the physical threat that Clarisse has while also leaving a lasting impression of intimidation and terror. Both Bushnell and Goodjohn bring their characters to a whole other level with their command performances.
Episode 2 is also important because this is where we really meet Annabeth. Leah Jeffries not only shines in the role of daughter of Athena, but her chemistry with Walker Scobell is instant.
The capture the flag game was well executed, and how Scobell portrays Percy ignorance to the danger he is in was quite funny. The battle didn’t need to be drawn out, instead it was perfectly timed for the format of the show.
Rating = A
For more Percy, you can check out my Page to Screen series looking at how these first two episodes line up with The Lightning Thief.