Percy Jackson Episode 5 review: An emotional tunnel ride

Percy Jackson & the Olympians Episode 5 sees our gang all make sacrifices for each other, but do these sacrifices pay off for the episode as a whole?

Percy Jackson & The Olympians has been one of the most highly anticipated and excitedly awaited Disney+ series in recent years. And thankfully, 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.”

This fifth episode continues the series’ overarching plot of our heroes Percy, Annabeth, and Grover attempting to recover Zeus’ lightning bolt, to save both the world and Percy’s mother.

Episode 5 throws another wrench into their quest, but thankfully these problems lead to the episode being one of the best so far. Let’s get into it, but first, a warning: Minor Percy Jackson spoilers ahead!

Episode 5 gives us a new conflict

An issue we had with Episode 4 was that while it was good, the plot of Percy being chased by monsters was starting to become a little repetitive. Thankfully, this episode manages to mix up the formula, but it does still have an entertaining antagonist.

Enter Ares, the God of War, a welcome appearance for fans of the book – who never forgave the movies for cutting him out – and an insider into just how messy all the Olympians really are. He and the group have an interesting discussion at a diner, one that Grover and him continue throughout the episode, which makes for some interesting back-and-forth dialogue, and also allows for exposition without being too on the nose – which had been a slight issue in past episodes.

Grover especially manages to grow through these very discussions, giving his scenes a great sense of momentum despite him being stuck in the diner for most of the time. Ares himself, played by Adam Copeland, manages to be both threatening and brutishly funny, making him a great obstacle for a show like Percy Jackson.

This park is more emotional than amusing

Meanwhile, Percy and Annabeth are tasked with retrieving Ares’ shield, which takes them to an abandoned amusement park, continuing the creative choices of locations for action scenes. Plus, these scenes are – for the most part – well lit, meaning we can actually see what’s happening for most of the time. It’s becoming all the more clear that this series has relied on dark lighting to hide any potentially poor looking effects, and while this episode doesn’t do that as much, we do get some suspiciously timed cuts, which are no doubt there for the same reason.

Our lead demigods find themselves in a tunnel of love, playing on the adorable growing bond that the pair are experiencing, but there’s far more trouble than romance. What Percy and Annabeth must do to retrieve the shield (which we won’t spoil here) leads to an incredibly emotional scene, arguably the most emotional so far, with Leah Jeffries, who plays Annabeth, really putting her all into her performance.

This development from all the characters may feel a little rushed to some viewers, but considering the demographic of the show, slightly quicker pacing is probably ideal, especially if the emotions are heightened enough to overpower that pace.

Ultimately, while last week’s episode may have ended on a more action-packed cliffhanger, this episode will no doubt give you an even sense of anticipation for next week. Let’s head to the Lotus Casino!

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

Episode 5 is arguably the best episode so far, giving the audience a fun new antagonist, along with some genuinely emotional moments and character growth for every lead.

While fans who have waited so many years for such an adaptation may nit-pick certain parts of the book that aren’t adapted exactly, as a whole this Disney+ series is proving that the decades-long wait was absolutely worth it.

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.