Percy Jackson & the Olympians Episode 3 review: A heart of stone

Percy Jackson & the Olympians still needs a little more time to warm up, but its villains are certainly setting the stakes.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians has been one of the most awaited shows for Disney+ in recent years. The story follows a young demigod as he attempts to find his place in the world and survive all the Greek myths and monsters that come with it, having been beloved for the past couple of decades.

This new TV series, which has far more involvement from author Rick Riordan, is expected to be a better depiction of the story than the 2010 movie, and so far we’d have to agree. As we state in our review of the two premiere episodes: “Be not afraid those who were burned by the movie. Even in the first two episodes, this feels like Percy Jackson. From the second you hear that classic opening monologue, warning you of the life that Percy leads, you can feel yourself getting ready for a fun trip back to Camp Halfblood.”

But does the third episode continue the hype? Let’s find out, and don’t worry, we’ll be avoiding spoilers!

Our golden demigod trio is here

Episode 3 has an intriguing – if slightly too dark, lighting-wise – opening, setting the more spooky atmosphere of this excursion. However, it makes sure to throw in some jokes here too, which continue as our leads, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, begin on their quest to prevent a war.

While fans may be upset that we’re already heading into a quest – meaning a couple of book related things have been left out – it’s nice to feel a great sense of forward momentum, solidifying how serious this quest is… which has been left to a couple of 12-year-olds.

This group, who will carry a lot of the entire Percy Jackson franchise, are just finding their feet together, with their dialogue being occasionally stilted but still endearing. Grover in particular is very funny this episode, so kudos to actor Aryan Simhadri.

Their hijinks get interrupted by monsters, of course, which result in some tense yet simple conflicts. There are no wow shots with any of the battles yet, but we can perhaps attribute that to the fact that our kids are not fully trained warriors just yet.

Medusa may catch your intrigue

As for the monsters they fight, we have a couple this episode, and their respective actors are clearly enjoying hamming it up. The CGI on them is also pretty well done, though their wig work often isn’t.

Medusa is a major factor of this episode, and she certainly makes it her own. Both welcoming and unnerving, she serves as a very interesting kind of villain, one we wish we could have more of.

The battle with her also lends itself to some neat set production; it’s just a shame that the lighting is so dark, we can barley see anything, which feels like wasted potential.

Furthermore, Medusa is such an interesting villain that the conclusion to this epiosde may have you scratching your head, wondering what message the show is trying to convey to you, for better or worse. Then again, the kids may be too scared – in the best way – to learn anything.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians Episode 3 review score: 4/5

With an interesting villain, and a premise that is action packed and spooky enough for those of a similar age to our characters, Episode 3 is continuing to present a series that’s great for Percy Jackson fans – old and new alike.

Even with its flaws, we’re excited to head forward on our quest.

Check out our other Percy Jackson coverage here, how and when you can watch it here, and the rest of our Movies & TV coverage here.