REVIEW: 'Percy Jackson And The Olympians' Season 2 Episode 3 Sets Sail For An Exciting Chapter, But The Real Monster Captains The Ship
- Moriba Forde
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
This review contains minor spoilers for 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Season 2 Episode 3.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Two continues to elevate the story's caliber, bringing it another step closer to Mount Olympus in its third episode.
In this episode, "We Board The Princess Andromeda," Percy, Tyson, and Annabeth leave Camp Half-Blood unceremoniously to embark on uncharted waters to rescue Grover and find the Golden Fleece before it falls into the wrong hands. Along the way, they encounter obstacles in Luke Castellan and his fellow disciples of Cronus, who would stop at nothing to overthrow the Gods. Meanwhile, Clarisse, desperately looking for her father's approval, is far behind in the race to the Golden Fleece.
The first two episodes of this season were appetizers; episode three is the first bite of the main course, marking a definite beginning for the Sea of Monsters arc. The episode delivers action, adventure, drama, and suspense more than the prior episodes. It also paints a picture of what true evil looks like. For a series embracing all the fantasy elements of Greek Mythology, monsters such as cyclops, dragons, and krakens are not the ones we should worry about. The ones who look like us, claim to be friends, yet conspire to play God, are the real monsters.
Percy Jackson's Foes With Friendly Faces
There is nothing worse than someone who values power above everything else, except someone who values power more than you. Look at Luke Castellan, played brilliantly by Charlie Bushnell. Since his betrayal was exposed, he has remained focused on destroying the Gods and resurrecting Cronus so that he and the other followers of Cronus can supposedly rule alongside their grandfather, instead of mending fences with his surrogate sister, Annabeth, and his friends at Camp Half-Blood. However, he would still try to persuade Annabeth and Percy to join his cause when the opportunity presents itself.
Luke behaves like a politician throughout the episode. In season one, he pretended to be a trusted ally. Now that his lies have been exposed, he adapts his manipulation tactics to fit his needs through charisma, a life of luxury, and twisting the truth about a prophecy. These tactics yield results, given that Half-Bloods are joining his Cronus cult. Ironically, he is being manipulated by Cronus's evil spirit while he is busy manipulating others.
Bushnell demonstrates phenomenal acting chops as Luke Castellan, given the material now that Luke is undoubtedly Percy's arch-nemesis. He shows the depth of his character without falling into the "misunderstood villain" trope. While his natural charisma makes him likable, his character's motives are clear as day.
The Anti-hero's Journey
Clarisse, played by Dior Goodjohn, reveals her true nature in this episode. She is not as tough or as confident as she pretends to be. The daughter of Ares has no shortage of Daddy issues. The desire for her father's approval is the root of her motivations; however, it is also the root of her problems. For the first time in the series, we see how vulnerable and lonely she is.
Goodjohn's portrayal, symbiotically with introspective direction, unpeels the layers of Clarisse's hard exterior to expose a human side that was noticeably absent in the first season. In many ways, Clarisse is more depressed and lonely than Tyson, but she might be more courageous than Percy; underneath all her fears and insecurities lies the heart of a hero. Despite her desperate need for her father's approval, she commits to finding the Golden Fleece out of a sense of responsibility.
She may be afraid of her father or of letting people get close to her, but she is not scared of a fight or of keeping her word.
This Is Still Percy Jackson's Show, Starring Annabeth Chase
As exciting as Luke and Clarisse are commanding their scenes, Walker Scobell and Leah Sava Jeffries make it abundantly clear whose show this still is. Their tense relationship is a focal point of the third episode's story. The dynamic Demi-God duo disagrees on Luke and how to proceed with their quest. Percy sees through Luke and is prepared to eliminate him if necessary, while Annabeth believes that Luke can be saved, despite his breaking her trust.
Fear is another reason behind their tension; Percy is scared of Annabeth holding back, while she is scared of losing someone else she loves. Watching them dance around each other until they have a difficult conversation about the root of their predicament is like watching opponents play chess, only far from boring.
The chemistry between Scobell and Jeffries fuels their scenes, working in tandem with the writing and directing to keep viewers, especially "Percabeth" fans, on the edge of their seats.
Showdown On The Princess Andromeda
Minutes after Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson boarded The Princess Andromeda, the thrill and suspense reach new heights for an already action-packed season. Percy and Annabeth are forced to contend with a foe in the best choreographed and edited fight scene of the series, thus far. The battle is an adrenaline-pumping scene that confirms how much our heroes have grown in only two years to face higher stakes.
Tyson also has his heroic moment when he uses his brain to defeat his opponents instead of his brawn. The simple moment contrasts Percy and Annabeth's tag-team death match, demonstrating the saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Tyson proving his worth like this makes him more endearing and closer to his brother, which is becoming increasingly cathartic.
The rest of the episode provides a master class in depicting conflict on screen. The tension and animosity are palpable not only through the acting but also through the instrumental pacing and expectation subversion. Anyone watching would be shocked to see Percy not kill Luke on sight.
Victory For Percy Jackson and the Olympians Stays In Sight
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is delivering a fantastic second season so far. "We Board The Princess Andromeda" is a stronger episode than the incredible two-part season premiere, while indicating that the best is yet to come. The thick volume of conflict, tension, and suspense is palpable through the cast's performances, action sequences, and story progression. The Sea of Monsters saga is three episodes in the second season and shows no sign of slowing down.
New episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Season Two, release every Wednesday on Disney+.
About Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2
Premiere Date: December 10, 2025
Based on: The Book series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan
Episode Count: 8
Showrunners: Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz
Writers: Jonathan E. Steinberg, Joe Tracz, Monica Owusu-Breen, Andrew Miller, Craig Silverstein,
Directors: James Bobin, Anders Engström, Jet Wilkinson
Production: Co-Lab21, The Gotham Group, Mythomagic, Quaker Moving Pictures, Quaker Moving Pictures, 20th Television
Distribution: Disney Branded Television, Disney+
Cast: Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Daniel Diemer, Charlie Bushnell, Dior Goodjohn
Synopsis: Percy Jackson sails to the Sea of Monsters to rescue his friend Grover and save Camp Half-Blood.
