The Details and References in Episode 7: A Good Amalgamation of the Myth and the Book
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the American fantasy series based on the 12-year-old demigod, came out in December 2023.
The story revolves around Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, on a quest to restore Zeus’s thunderbolt as the Greek god Zeus accused him of stealing his thunderbolt.
The story is based on Rick Riordan’s book which goes by the same name, and he is also one of the creators of the series along with Jonathan E. Steinberg.
Episode 7
The episode revolves around Percy, Annabeth and Grover in search of Zeus’ Master Bolt, this time stepping into the underworld as they feel it was Hades who stole the bolt. To their surprise they discover that Hades is not the thief, instead, Hades is also in search of his Helm of Darkness.
Percy also encounters Tartarus, which reveals that it is Kronos who is trying to start a war among the Greek gods.
The chapter 7 of season one covers the book chapter “We Find Out the Truth, Sort of,” for which the creators are doing their best to stick to the originality of the book.
The References and Details
The episode starts with Percy and his two friends in a mattress store which instead leads to the Underworld. The store is run by a son of Poseidon, who is known as Crusty, but his real name is Procrustes.
The nickname has been adapted from the book along with his profession which gives him the power to trick people who try his waterbeds and lead them to the Underworld.
However, in Greek Mythology, Procrustes is termed a killer by Percy for tricking the visitors into using his beds to cut them down until they died. The show gives a different perspective to the myth.
The chapter also includes flashbacks from Percy’s childhood, showing the strained relationship between him and his mother. The part includes a reference to the movie The Wizard of Oz.
Another Myth reference is to Charon, the man responsible for bringing souls to the other side, who plays the same role of accepting payments for the journey ahead but leaving behind the ones who cannot. However, he refuses to take the trio on his ferry as they are alive. This gives the episode an odd and eerie vibe.
Cereberus, the three-headed dog is also a Greek Myth reference in the show, who chases the trio after Charon refuses to take them along. The scene is created with both danger and humor which creates excitement and tension in the viewers.
The trio come across the Fields of Asphodel which is a field of souls, a reference from the Mythology. It is the place where souls, who were not judged to be either good or bad, wonder. However, in the show, it signifies souls with regrets. The twist in the episode comes when Percy’s friend Annabeth gets stuck in the field due to regrets which are not revealed while Percy and Grover move forward.
One of the most important aspects of the book as well as the myth which is shown in the episode is of the Tartarus. It is the giant pit where Percy and Grover get pulled.
It is also one of the most important revelations in Percy’s life as he finds out it is Kronos, the King of the Titans, who wants to start a war among the gods.
The pit signifies the place where Zeus and other Olympian Gods imprisoned the Titans. To take his revenge on the Gods, he attempts to pull Percy into Tartarus. This is just one-half of the real plot twist in the story.
The discovery of Hades Helm of Darkness being stolen adds another mystery to the theft and the person behind it. The finale will reveal the real source of the theft and many more missing pieces from episode seven and the others.
Originally Published on https://stevedigioia.com
