Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
The Big Picture
In the latest episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, fans finally get to hear Percy call Annabeth “Wise Girl.” The show hints at the future of the story by mentioning the search for Pan and referencing the presence of Nico and Bianca di Angelo. The series briefly delves into the complicated relationship between Luke, his mother, and his father, Hermes, setting up future developments, while using details from much later in the books.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ newest episode takes the trio to Vegas, where they enter the Lotus Hotel and Casino. While this plotline may be familiar to fans, their excursion doesn’t happen exactly like the books. In fact, the series has changed many things from Rick Riordan’s series, yet it still pays attention to the future of the story. Even as the Disney+ show adapts Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, it looks ahead to the other books. With subtle references to Riordan’s other works, the series engages longtime fans, forcing them to pay attention to details despite already knowing the story.
Although Episode 6, “We Take a Zebra to Vegas,” may not have the same level of action as earlier episodes, it is still full of danger as the quest encounters a modernized trial from the Odyssey that threatens to erase their memories. Though there’s no monster to battle, the episode dives deeper into Grover’s (Aryan Simhadri) life, introducing a new satyr discussing the search for Pan. Meanwhile, Percy (Walker Scobell) and Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) meet with Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda), exploring the relationship between the god and his son, Luke (Charlie Bushnell), through their shared past with Annabeth. Yet, simultaneously, the show hints at the characters’ futures.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, is coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god, Zeus, accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt; with his friend’s help, Percy must restore order to Olympus.
Release Date December 20, 2023
Creator Rick Riordan, Jonathan E. Steinberg
Seasons 1
Streaming Service(s) Disney+
Franchise(s) Percy Jackson & The Olympians
Percy Finally Said “Wise Girl” in ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’
Image via Disney+
The show has made no secret of the relationship developing between Percy and Annabeth, but fans of the series are no less interested for the obviousness. Book readers know what is ahead and have been anticipating certain moments from the beginning. In Episode 5, “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers,” fans got to hear Annabeth call Percy Seaweed Brain for the first time, and, in Episode 6, Percy returned the favor by calling Annabeth Wise Girl. As they enter the Lotus Hotel, the trio debates the dangers of going inside. While Grover is nervous, Percy sees no way around it. As a tie-breaking vote, Percy asks Annabeth, “What do you think, Wise Girl?”
Though initially an insult, it becomes an affectionate nickname over the course of their relationship, so fans were waiting for the words, and finally, both have been used. Since the show has sped up Percy and Annabeth’s developing relationship, it was time to include the name, especially as it has already used Seaweed Brain. Already, Wise Girl was less of an insult than it could have been, as Percy genuinely asks for her opinion, but it was still an important inclusion.
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Puts Pan Out West
Image via Disney+
As the trio separates, Grover runs into Augustus (Ted Dykstra), a friend of his Uncle Ferdinand and a searcher for Pan. Though Augustus doesn’t remember much, Grover tells him about finding Ferdinand as a statue in Medusa’s (Jessica Parker Kennedy) lair. With Augustus, Grover talks about the satyrs’ search for the god of the wild. The series addressed Pan before, telling how he disappeared, leaving the world to the detriment of nature, but Augustus claims to have found Pan but needs Grover’s help. This conversation leads Grover to comment that he doesn’t yet have his searcher’s license. Grover’s dream of becoming a searcher for Pan plays an important role in the series and was due a mention, but the show goes beyond that.
Augustus’ claim that he found Pan could be explained by the VR game Percy and Annabeth find Grover playing later, but it could be more a shred of memory that escaped erasure. Over the course of the books, Grover earns his searcher’s license and joins the hunt for Pan, eventually becoming the one to find the god in Carlsbad Caverns. Though in New Mexico rather than Vegas, as Augustus’ ramblings implied, Pan is in the West and not far from the Lotus Hotel, especially considering he disappeared in Greece. Augustus may not remember it, but he has given Grover a hint on where to find the god of the wild.
Was That Nico in ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’?
Image via Disney+
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is the first mention of the Lotus Hotel, but not the last. In book 3, Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse, Percy encounters two new demigods who visit the place. Bianca and Nico di Angelo spent years in the Lotus Hotel, and their stay overlapped with Percy’s visit, though they are not seen in the first book. However, Percy Jackson and the Olympians can look ahead and choose to include the siblings in the hotel, if only vaguely.
As Grover talks to Augustus about Pan, a child’s voice can be heard yelling for Bianca, hinting at the di Angelo siblings’ presence. This is presumably Nico calling to his sister, though neither is on-screen. Another reference to them appears when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover first enter the building, and two dark-haired children matching Nico and Bianca’s descriptions are playing a racing game. The siblings both play significant roles in the later story and get an indirect reference in the premiere when Percy’s mother mentions a sandwich shop that shares their name. However, this is much more concrete.
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Tells the Story of Luke’s Mom
The show borrows another story from the later books when they meet Hermes, who recognizes Annabeth from the last time he saw his son Luke. This story appears in the books, but not until much later. Hermes reveals that he and Luke don’t get along, claiming to have failed his son. Earlier, Annabeth tells Percy of Luke’s mother, May Castellan, claiming that she can see through the Mist, like Percy’s own mother, but Annabeth warns that May is a seer, and something she saw in the future messed with her mind. Though Annabeth’s knowledge of the conflict is limited, Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian reveals much more. May Castellan tried and failed to become the oracle at Camp Half-Blood. This left her with terrifying visions of her son’s future that she couldn’t cope with. And, with an absentee godly father and his mother confused and fearful, Luke was left alone.
Though the show doesn’t go into great detail, it does explore pieces of this story through Annabeth’s story and Hermes’ point-of-view. The show portrays a regretful Hermes, who accepts the blame Luke places on him and wants to do right by his child but cannot figure out how. But most importantly, these fragments set up both Luke and Hermes’ relationship and May’s inevitable appearance near the end of the story.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S. with new episodes on Wednesdays.
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