Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Nobody Gets the Fleece

If there’s ever a series that continually keeps you invested, it’d have to be Percy Jackson.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Episode 6, “Nobody Gets the Fleece”, is the turning point that encapsulates everything that makes Rick Riordan’s second book exciting, from Percy and Annabeth’s fun, if goofy, plans to the raw and heartbreaking emotions.

What we get from this episode is a well-rounded experience from what Percy and Annabeth face as well as the challenge that Grover and Clarisse can’t escape from.

Similarly to how Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 7 approached Percy, Annabeth, and Grover’s venture into the Underworld, this episode feels more grander with the narrative scale that’s being laid out throughout Season 2.

Particularly, there’s still the two different perspectives that we’ve been following continuously in Season 2. It takes time to pave out those steps to finally get Percy and Annabeth to where they need to go while also giving more weight to Grover and Clarisse’s “therapeutic” bond.

Primarily, Percy and Annabeth’s fortified friendship serves as the backbone for this episode. Even though they’re both determined to save their friend and Camp Half-Blood, they each have their own doubts that their solution won’t be for the best.

This mostly shows through Percy’s dream, as he sees Thalia as the key Kronos will use to destroy Camp. Although he still believes that the Golden Fleece will do good, it feels like there’s something hidden that’s still being felt.

However, it also feels like Annabeth doesn’t necessarily agree with the sentiment, given how she was protected under Thalia and Luke’s watch back. “Clarisse Blows Up Everything” made us feel empathetic for Annabeth’s perspective, but it does put into the question of otherwise.

This doubt also becomes increasingly apparent when Annabeth gets the Iris message from Luke, who advises her about Polyphemus. The case he makes tries to gain some pity points when he tries to reason how Thalia’s hatred for Zeus would’ve brought the trio closer together.

While it’s cut off in a brief comedic moment by Percy, there’s this feeling that what Luke was trying to say was right. It’s brought out in this nuanced way that allows that softer side to Luke to shine, even if it’s for a fleeting moment.

Though Luke serves as a bigger problem for the future, the current challenge Percy and Annabeth have to face is to try and avoid Polyphemus, who’s slowly catching on.

The execution of the duo’s plan to utilize the sheep’s cloth was funny to read in the book. On this episode, it’s about as hilarious as ever as Percy and Annabeth try to mimic the bleating of Polyphemus’ herd and make their way to the top of the cave.

Once they get here, there’s a bit of a psychological scuffle as the two decide to split up, with Percy coming in to save Grover and Clarisse while Annabeth distracts Polyphemus.

It’s mostly action-focused in this portion. Hilariously though, Percy has his Spider-Man: No Way Home moment trying to use the rope and falling into Clarisse’s arms. However, Annabeth taking the sneaky offensive to Polyphemus does have its charms.

For the most part, where Polyphemus was featured in Percy Jackson Season 2, he has a lot more intellect. Though this was shown when he psyched Clarisse out on the previous episode, the opening montage gives him a much needed brevity.

Not only does this montage show how credible of a threat he is, but also how not every monster is a true monster. That being said, he still can’t escape trying to get vengeance against demigods and other heroes.

This all unravels in a climactic conclusion, where Polyphemus manages to outmaneuver Annabeth and knock her unconscious. Although Percy, Clarisse, and Grover nearly manage to escape, Polyphemus catches them right on the spot, but a friendly face comes to save them.

Everything here feels like it’s culminating into a big climax, with Luke stealthily arriving to the island and figuring out Polyphemus’ trap and the incredible anger that Percy shows when Annabeth gets severely injured.

Yet, in a “hero moment”, Tyson arrives just in the nick of time to fight Polyphemus, showing his determination. Although it presents this as Tyson not embodying a monster like how it was in Riordan’s books, the show’s build-up to this moment did feel a bit short.

However, this was mostly because of how Tyson was already being treated in general in Percy Jackson Season 2. The show did take a much more empathetic route with his character.

What comes after Tyson defeating Polyphemus raises that emotional intensity even more. Luke shortly arrives at the scene and tries to negotiate with Percy about using the Golden Fleece to save Annabeth. The way that this debate is shown is quite impressive, given how the show has developed everyone’s arcs.

For one, Clarisse still shows that linear focus to get the job done even if it means sacrificing Annabeth’s life. Though she believes that’s what Annabeth would’ve wanted, Percy doesn’t see it that way because of his fatal flaw and protecting his friends.

Not only does it allow Clarisse to stand her ground, but it also rounds out her inner motivation of wanting to protect those she considers her “allies”. She made that promise back on Episode 3 and it’s finally come back to push her own boundaries when Grover relates this back to her.

It’s a powerful moment to see Clarisse trying to be the bigger person, but Percy’s desperation to save Annabeth by any means costs them the Fleece. In a carefully paced moment, the Fleece does its magic to save Annabeth, but she’s taken by Luke back to the Princess Andromeda.

The rest of the ending is more narrative setup as Tyson finally brings the hippocampi (and Rainbow) for them to use. Yet, the emotional tension still feels like it’s riding high as the implications for the Fleece being used have now changed under Luke’s hand.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 Episode 6 is the much-needed narrative crossroad for Percy and Annabeth needed to face and it works. Although some parts of it, like the ending, could’ve used more time, this episode was quintessentially Percy Jackson at its core.

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New episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians drop Wednesdays on Disney+.

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