Review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 5: “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers”

The most recent episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians continues the trend of monster-of-the-week storytelling. However, the show also faces some growing pains with new gods being introduced, resulting in an abundance of relationships and layers of mythology to digest. Despite this, the likability of the characters and the unique look of the series maintain its overall enjoyability.

The episode’s dialogue is where some of these growing pains are most evident. The need to provide exposition on Greek myth basics while also progressing the plot creates an uneven pace and often puts the young actors in the difficult position of delivering convincing monologues.

The introduction of the Fates and the revelation of Annabeth’s interactions with them offer a prime example. Percy, who is supposed to serve as the audience surrogate, already knows these stories thanks to his mom. This makes it challenging to smoothly integrate the necessary exposition without the character’s prior knowledge interfering with the plot development.

Annabeth’s role and her wisdom as a Daughter of Athena become a narrative crutch, allowing her to solve puzzles quickly and consistently throughout the episode. As our heroes face challenges, their ability to overcome them with minimal effort leads to a lack of tension and stakes.

While the episode’s craft may be distracting at times, it contributes to the unique look and feel of the series, with high-quality production design and directing that are consistently impressive.

The casting continues to be a highlight of the show, with Timothy Omundson and Adam Copeland delivering standout performances as Hephaestus and Ares, respectively. Omundson portrays a character who empathizes with Annabeth’s reluctance to follow in her family’s footsteps, while Copeland shines as he transforms from an immature Twitter troll to a serious, intimidating threat.

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how the show handles the escalating stakes as Percy and his friends chase the Master Bolt across the country. While maintaining a balance between the weight of the narrative and the lightheartedness of the characters’ interactions will be crucial for the series as it progresses.