Percy Jackson & the Olympians Episode 4 review: Things are getting dark

Percy Jackson & the Olympians keeps going on its quest, but does it manage to win over our interests as well as its monsters in Episode 4?

Percy Jackson & The Olympians has been one of the most awaited shows for Disney+ in recent years. The story, which 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, has been adapted from the beloved book series by Rick Riordan.

As we said in our review of the first two 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 Half-Blood.”

But does the fourth episode continue that fun trip, or does it take a dip? Well, technically both – if you know, you know. Let’s get into it, and don’t worry, we’ll be avoiding spoilers!

Episode 4 ups the stakes

Percy Jackson continues following the quest of our main trio, as they attempt to locate the Master Bolt that Percy has been accused of stealing. This ongoing plot has the potential to become monotonous when placed into consecutive episodes, but while the story elements of this episode are certainly similar – that being a monster chasing after them as they tour America – thankfully the stakes are heightened just enough to keep things interesting.

We still get flashbacks to Percy’s mother – and some slightly repetitive dream sequences – which keeps the audience on track with his motivation. We also get several nice moments of bonding between our lead characters, mainly Percy and Annabeth, which not only sets up their future bond, but also shows the brilliance and the pain of the characters that author Rick Riordan created. The book series was never afraid to show the danger of being a child of the Gods, both emotionally and physically, and the show is keeping that undercurrent present.

However, the dialogue of these conversations can sometimes suffer from sounding overly staged and stilted, which isn’t always the actors’ fault, as there does tend to be a lot of Disney-channel-esque writing – which makes sense, given it’s a Disney+ show.

There are some legitimate laughs in this episode though, including a certain water-splashing scene. Grover, played by Aryan Simhadri, is once again a high point, and the actor’s talents definitely favor comedy over drama.

The hunt is on for Percy Jackson

Our leads are once again being chased by monsters, with this creature of the week being one of the best. We have an actor – this time Suzanne Cryer – once again joyfully hamming their evil role up as a Chimera’s mother, along with some pretty decent CGI for the beast itself. There’s also multiple fun choices of battle locations, with some having you wish they stayed there for longer – a proper fight on that train would have been great – ending in a suitably shocking climax.

But yet again, multiple moments, including tense moments and slow ones, are weakened by the fact that the audience may not be able to see anything that’s happening with the lighting being so poor. Thankfully, as our leads race to get away from their enemies and get to finding Hades in Los Angeles, we get some good occasional scenic shots, as the first book was always clever in its use of tying American monuments with the history of the Greek Gods.

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

Episode 4 is continuing to show that this burgeoning TV series is focused on budling up these beloved characters and adapting the book’s plot in a well paced manner.

While hopefully we get something new next episode, Percy Jackson & the Olympians continues bringing the books to life in a faithful and fun way. If they would just turn a damn light on so we can see it in all its glory!

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.