REVIEW: ‘Percy Jackson And The Olympians’ Episode 6 — “We Take a Zebra to Vegas”

Throughout Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Percy’s quest to meet his father, save his mother, and uncover the lightning thief’s identity drives the TV series but sure takes its time compared to the novelization. While adhering to major story beats, the writing in Percy Jackson Episode 6 continues the series trend of a more of formulaic approach with shorter episodes, aiming for an epic climax. Unfortunately, the series may fall short in this quest, contributing to the series’ slow pace and underutilization of its live-action format on Disney+.

Percy Jackson Episode 6 begins with the trio heading to Las Vegas, courtesy of Ares’s help in last week’s episode. Their initial Vegas escapade, releasing animals and hastily moving on, is the first pacing issue that sees the series zooming by potential spectacle. They have to navigate the Lotus Hotel for their true adventure of the week. Similar to Odysseus’s experience in the Odyssey, the hotel’s powers pose a threat, risking the trio forgetting their quest and plunging the world into a war among the gods.

While a compelling premise, the short run time makes it challenging to see Percy Jackson Episode 6 balance the trio’s backstory with advancing the overall plot. Despite the show’s focus on Percy, providing only glimpses of potential backstory and character growth feels disingenuous, especially for Grover. His emotional moments are often experienced away from Percy and Annabeth or hastily set aside for the quest, while Percy’s needs, and even Annabeth’s at times, take precedence. Although the trio is established as strong and connected, their uneven growth, particularly Grover’s, creates a sense of imbalance, with Grover relegated to leading into the next episode with his discovery while away from Percy and Annabeth.

To accommodate the runtime, Percy Jackson Episode 6 heavily relies on exposition. Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda), the god of the week, tells the audience how fickle and unhelpful the gods can be. He leaves the trio to navigate the next steps while they slowly lose their memory in the Lotus. This falls right into the formulaic approach, reminiscent of episodes starting from Episode 3.

The pattern involves the trio moving to the next city, encountering a god or monster for exposition, followed by an action sequence to propel them to the next city, and the cycle repeats. While it aligns with the novel’s themes and sequences, there’s a noticeable sense that the budget was reserved for the premiere and closing episodes. The series fails to leverage available technology to its fullest. This misses the opportunities to portray magical and mythical elements believably in the real world.

One of the series’ strengths is its weekly guest stars, injecting adult nuances into a children’s show, usually taking the role of a god or monster. However, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes falls flat compared to other performances. While exposition is common, Hermes’s story, more than any other, could have benefited from a “show more than tell” approach. It could have re-engaged viewers in the stakes of the story, but it doesn’t. Until now, the series heavily relied on exposition, but nearing the end, it feels tedious. The series has demonstrated its ability to visually and literarily showcase its richness, making the continued reliance on exposition less satisfying.

Ultimately, the series seems to be running out of steam leading into its final two weeks. Percy Jackson Episode 6 confirms it has settled into a formulaic pattern. It relies heavily on exposition from guest stars and minor action sequences to advance the plot. This repetition makes it barely passable as a “monster of the week” series at this stage. The only glimmer of hope lies in the potential for a ramp-up in the penultimate and finale episodes, aiming to recapture the magic seen in the promising opening episodes of this beloved franchise.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 6 is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+, with new episodes every Tuesday.