Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 8 Review: The Prophecy Comes True

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 8, “The Prophecy Comes True,” fights for season finale glory as Walker Scobell embraces Percy’s final, sassiest form.

The outing ambitiously wraps up several episode-defining conflicts, including a heart-pounding battle against Ares and a showdown with Zeus. Through all the action and mythological lore, the actors at the heart of this show are otherworldly as they deliver every line with emotional precision.

After years of speculating a Percy Jackson show would be a force to reckon with, we have the satisfaction of seeing that prophecy come to fruition.

This finale exemplifies everything that has and hasn’t worked with adapting the first book.

The castings carry this show, from the powerhouse trio with a chemistry that ensured the quest went off without a hitch to the guest stars who slipped effortlessly into each role.

Dionysus and Alecto’s brief appearances during this episode prove how compelling those characters will be as the series expands.

However, two issues with Percy Jackson’s season restrain this episode from reaching its full glory. The first is the show’s reluctance to let its characters have notable missteps.

Just like most of his quest, Percy figures out Luke’s plan before he can spring his betrayal on him, and I cannot help but feel it would have been far more powerful to let Percy go in blind to this and so many other situations throughout the season.

Finally, Disney has to do something about pacing. Give these shows more than eight episodes because the limited seasons are not working. This season could have benefitted from several filler or backstory episodes on the gods woven into the larger story.

That’s Percy Jackson

Scobell is the perfect casting for Percy Jackson; we’ve known this all season. However, this season finale showcases why his character is so rightfully beloved.

Scobell frames Percy’s disobedience as something noble and brave, not arrogant. When he stands before Zeus and holds his own, it is enough to send chills down our spine because that’s our Percy. With his smart mouth and kind heart, he is the tiny little menace of a hero we grew up worshipping, and now he’s alive onscreen as if no time has passed.

Every scene is a knock-out performance from this actor, whether he’s teasing Annabeth about her fear of Disneyworld or working up the courage to look his father in the eye to speak Sally’s name.

The final scene confirming that Percy is willing to bear the weight of Kronos’ war so his friends and family don’t have to is too perfect.

It is rare to have a show where the lead is the best and most likable character. Percy is the best part of this finale and has everything to do with Scobell’s capabilities. If this adaptation gave us anything, it was a book-accurate Son of Poseidon.

Betrayal and Backbiter

Luke has entered his Reputation era, and for the most part, this episode orchestrates a chilling reveal.

This season has done an excellent job of deflecting the heat off Luke as the lightning thief while still keeping him present and relevant to Percy’s quest. The flashbacks to Percy’s first weeks at camp are an excellent use of callbacks to bring his friendship with Luke back to the forefront of the story in time for the reveal.

The final confession scene is rushed. Luke would benefit from an entire episode at Camp Half-Blood celebrating Percy’s return before outing himself. The writing forces him into more of a one-note villain monologue at times, and Bushnell deserves better to work with than that.

Also, after revealing the powers of the celestial bronze, it would have been beneficial to offer more exposition to the scene. To explain why Backbiter’s introduction is chilling rather than focusing on its magic’s less deadly portal applications.

That said, Charlie Bushnell, Leah Jeffries, and Scobell do the best with what little time and dialogue they have to break our hearts.

First of all, Annabeth’s blind trust in Luke as an ally, the fatal flaw that does not allow this daughter of Athena to see his betrayal coming, is ridiculously sad.

Then there’s Luke’s confession. The way Bushnell latches on to that first line of the confession with a crack in his voice as he admits he never intended to hurt his protector, Grover — implying he still intended to hurt Percy with no remorse. Yeah, that line stings worse than Backbiter’s blade.

Oh, and then there’s the part where Percy enters into a fight with no intent to hurt a boy he still believes to be his friend, and when he accidentally grazes him with his sword, he drops his guard entirely to apologize. That alone is heartbreaking if Luke doesn’t take the opportunity to twist the knife further and use Percy’s caring nature to take him down.

All three of these actors transcended the material they must work with by tapping into the emotional innocence and softness of kids reckoning with all the hatred and betrayal of their parent’s world.

Farewell Camp Half-Blood

We close out this season with praise for Percy and Poseidon’s first meeting because it is a masterclass in saying so much with so little.

Poseidon going against his nature and surrendering to Zeus is a clear act of love; it’s enough to make any cynic’s heart soar. But just like with Sally and Poseidon not bearing to make eye contact, the scene draws out the moment that Poseidon forces himself to turn and make contact with Percy’s gaze.

The scene has very little dialogue, relying on the characters’ identical vibrant blue eyes and the emotion crashing behind them to disarm us emotionally, and it works. When Poseidon declares, “the sea does not like to be restrained,” he clearly loses the battle, but this show wins the war.

Disney would be out of line to cancel Percy Jackson after such a strong Season 1 showing. If it does, then Kronos deserves to wage war on our world.

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Season 1 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is available to stream on Disney+.

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