TV Review | Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Episode 8: Season Finale)

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians delivers a satisfying and captivating season finale!”

It has been a great ride but all good things must come to an end. After 7 weeks, today is the season finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. So, is this a satisfying conclusion to the first season?

FINISHING THE QUEST

(L-R): Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood in *Percy Jackson and the Olympians*.

This episode picks up exactly where we left off last week with Percy and his friends about to fight Ares. The fight doesn’t disappoint, it’s an intense action scene with remarkable visuals. But there is more to this episode than just this fight. Percy still has a lot to do to finish his quest. This episode is well-paced. It has time for action and time for the characters to process what is happening. It also comes with its own set of twists. I didn’t want a finale where all the reveals happen at the same time. They divided these reveals and twists between the last two episodes. This way it doesn’t feel rush like you have with some of the MCU season finales. The pace has worked for most of the season.

This episode is a satisfying end to this season. It concludes the story while opening up the door for what comes next. At this time, Disney + hasn’t renewed the series for a second season but I’m hopeful that the other novels will be adapted. There is still a lot of stories to tell in this universe. On a side note, there is a fun mid-credits scene.

ZEUS AND POSEIDON

Lance Reddick as Zeus in *Percy Jackson and the Olympians*. Credit: Disney/David Bukach

When Lance Reddick was announced as Zeus, I was so excited to see him in the role and thought it was a really interesting casting. Unfortunately, he suddenly passed away last year making this episode his last live-action appearance in a TV series. In fact, this episode is dedicated to him. Undoubtedly, it is a beautiful swan song for this beloved actor (he also has two films to be released this year). Playing Zeus is definitely a right fit for Reddick. He has the right imposing and seriousness for the character. He isn’t in the episode a lot but when he’s there, he is a scene stealer. It’s sad we won’t see him again playing the character if there is a second season.

Moreover, Toby Stephens finally made his first appearance as Poseidon in last week’s episode and he nails the role. Whether it’s the main characters or the Gods, they were all perfectly cast. It’s an absolute joy to watch these actors and actresses portray these characters so well.

VISUALS

Toby Stephens as Poseidon in *Percy Jackson and the Olympians*. Credit: Disney/David Bukach

Finally, I want to talk about the visuals of this final episode. The scenery is splendid! Indeed, whether it’s the house by the lake with that skyline or Olympus, this episode has amazing visuals. Olympus is so majestic and massive, you can tell its the realm of Gods. The VFX for this place are quite stunning. It’s a place of wonder but it’s also a place of fear and its design reflects that. This series has been brought to the screen with great care.

VERDICT

Percy Jackson and the Olympians delivers a satisfying and captivating season finale! From beginning to end, this series has been a faithful adaptation of the classic book. It’s clearly the adaptation fans were waiting for. We can now hope for the rest of the novels to be adapted with future seasons.