Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 4 Review: I Plunge to My Death
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 4, “I Plunge to My Death,” adapts a difficult chapter in Percy’s story. But with every chance it has to take on water, the show glides through Rick Riordan’s world with ease.
From that perfect underwater opening scene to another knockout antagonist, the episode swims laps around this story.
Also, at the heart of its flawless execution are developments that highlight the trauma the gods inflict on their demigod children.
Messy Gods that Love Drama
This aggressive prioritization of character development is so refreshing to see.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians ensure any entity entering the mix serves Sally and Percy’s relationship or the trio’s friendship. That proves exhilarating because we get lots of mythology goodness, but it also enriches the larger quest.
Additionally, the show has decided to treat the gods as a separate plot happening off-screen that occasionally affects Percy’s story — and I find that hysterical. It’s as if Mount Olympus is a messy reality show that will randomly cross over with this fantasy adventure.
That all-knowing third person bearing down on every scene adds so much personality, too.
When Percy refuses to swim, you know Sally is resisting the urge to side-eye the water like, “Really, Poseidon, you left me with an offspring that can’t even swim?” And, of course, he would help Percy to spite Athena, but not when his goddess wife asks.
One can easily thrive in all the drama of this godly subcontext.
A Lesson in Parenting
Keeping with its streak of pairing adorably juvenile dialogue with deep philosophical debates, Percy and Annabeth argue their differing experiences with their parents.
It’s vital to have Annabeth argue her side and flesh out her mutual respect with Athena. She earns her mother’s love if she gives Athena the perfect daughter. This thinking takes a devastating turn when Athena punishes Annabeth (translation: allows her to be murdered by the Chimera) for Percy’s actions.
The emotional blow to Annabeth is powerfully contrasted by Percy’s point that no person who loves them should treat them like that.
Challenging the gods with a relationship as rock solid as Percy and Sally’s continues to allow this series to soar. It gives Percy an emotional intelligence that rivals Annabeth’s strategic intelligence brilliantly, too.
Opening and closing the episode with the mother-son mantra to “Just Breathe” is the heartbreaking thread that ties this entire rollercoaster of emotions together.
Mother of Monsters
This show knows how to write good antagonists, but it really knows how to cast them.
Medusa was a knockout from the framing of her story to the casting. However, Suzanne Cryer as Echidna, a.k.a. the Mother of Monsters, is just as good from the second she steps onscreen with that sweet tone and sinister smile.
Her kind but demeaning motherly tone never wavers, even when she’s outright threatening the children with her Chimera.
Instead of a touching backstory, Echidna is all bite. Sometimes, you need a cut-and-dry bad guy to spice up the action. Not to mention, the suave dialogue populating this episode does not skip out on the mother. Her delivery of “You should run now” is chilling.
These villains are giving a masterclass in scene-stealing, and I am excited to see what that means for Percy’s run-in with Ares when our first godly antagonist replaces the monster-of-the-week format.
A Leap of Fate
We have all been there as book readers, wondering how the hell Percy made it from that Arch to the Mississippi River.
One of the biggest draws of the series being adapted was finally seeing how Rick Riordan would deliver the physical proof we have craved since middle school. And the big moment does not disappoint!
The choice to make us sit with the vertigo of watching Percy fall is excellent in drawing forth nausea, fear, and the emotional stakes of our mortality. However, that switch to a first-person perspective is where this shot solidifies its excellence.
Switching perspectives allows us to experience what Percy sees in all its disorienting glory. It also abstracts our viewpoint. Instead of seeing some ridiculous VFX shot of water shooting out of the river and catching Percy, we see panic, air, and a burst of water. It is elegant and practical — and most importantly, satisfying.
Our Trusted Trio
Forget the gods; I’m worshiping at the altar of these demigods because their line delivery is downright biblical.
Aryan Simhadri’s grumpy Groover gives Percy’s sass a proper challenger. And Leah Jeffries continues to do the emotional heavy lifting of this trio with her moving stoicism.
Additionally, watching Walker Scobell slowly reveal his deadly poisoning to the audience is thrilling. However, that suave maneuver as he extends the sword hilt to Annabeth and uses her momentum to trade places — that move is smooth as hell.
As he battles the Chimera, I am struck by an image of Dylan O’Brien in his early days of Teen Wolf. It’s not that they share physical similarities. Instead, both actors possess this incredible capacity for depth and humor you cannot teach; you can only hope to bottle.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an endless pool of depth, thanks to castings celebrating these young actors’ potential.
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New episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians stream Tuesdays at 9/8c on Disney+.
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Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a Rotten Tomatoes Certified Critic and a Critics Choice Association member. She credits her passion for TV to workplace sitcoms, paranormal dramedies, and coming-of-age stories. In her free time, Alicia loves to curl up with a good book and lose herself in a cozy game. Keep a lookout for her coverage of Ghosts. You can also find her work on Eulalie Magazine and Cool Girl Critiques. Follow Alicia on social media: @aliciagilstorf