Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season Finale Review - IGN (2024)

The following review contains spoilers for the eighth episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, “The Prophecy Comes True.”

Endings are hard in any medium. Putting a nice bow on a story can often feel unearned or clunky – it’s especially difficult for ongoing stories that have to leave certain plot threads open while giving a satisfying sense of finality to others. The finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ first season is fortunately a solid example of success in each of these categories, bringing the conflict to a head in exciting final battles and huge revelations, all while setting things up for our little Olympians in a potential second season.

What’s great about “The Prophecy Comes True” is what’s great about the rest of the series. Adam “Edge” Copeland continues to be electric as Ares, and his final confrontation with Percy is one for the books. Their fight scene is maybe the best moment of the episode, a fun, effective demonstration of how strong both Ares and Percy are in different ways. The camerawork is dynamic and exciting, and the choreography creates an even playing field for what seems like a mismatched fight. Percy also fights Luke more than once in the finale, and the action is well done in those moments as well. Shoutout to both Walker Scobell and Charlie Bushnell for doing a good amount of their own stunts. This allows the fight scenes to be more personal – a tremendously important touch.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Official Trailer Stills

Luke gets the most screen time he’s had to date, and he’s one of the most interesting parts of the finale. Throughout the episode, we get flashbacks to Percy’s time at camp, where Luke teaches the young Half-Blood how to engage in one-handed sword combat. Episode 2 didn’t do a great job of showing how much time had passed during Percy’s stay at Camp Half-Blood, which distracted from these moments as I tried to piece together when these lessons out in the woods would have taken place. That reflects more poorly on episode 2 than on the finale, however, and the flashbacks are more than welcome since they provide a chance to watch Percy and Luke’s relationship grow in the past and come crashing down in the present day. The flashbacks bring up some of the most interesting philosophical questions the show has presented, laying out the rules of combat and godlihood, and why demigods need to play things very carefully. This all foreshadows and leads into the big reveal of the finale: Luke has been working for Kronos this whole time, and wants Percy to join him. Even if we only really get to see their friendship develop across this one episode, the buildup still feels authentic and natural.

Percy finally arrives at the titular Olympus in episode 8, and while it is exciting to see the kingdom of the gods realized on screen, it’s not as visually impressive as the Underworld was last week. The sprawling, Ancient Greek architecture was no doubt a harder task to render than the desolate Underworld, but it’s disappointing nonetheless. In a big day of firsts, Percy meets Zeus and Poseidon, which is also a bit of a mixed bag. The late Lance Reddick’s performance as the king of the gods is, of course, well executed on his part, but the conversation between him and Percy is awkward and stilted. While the topic they discuss is dramatic, the cross-cutting between the two actors makes it feel like they’re not even in the same room – acting on a CG stage may have hindered the filmmakers’ ability to engage more dynamically with the scene, but it just never packs the punch it should, even with Reddick’s iconic voice doing the heavy lifting. Things take a turn for the better, though, when Poseidon arrives. Percy’s first-ever conversation with his father is emotional, and that weight is felt throughout. This is in part thanks to Scobell and Toby Stephens, who sell the father/son dynamic – but because they’re father and son, the blocking is more intimate than during Percy’s scene with his uncle.

Luckily, the episode caps things off nicely with an inspired bait-and-switch involving the fate of Percy’s mom, and an adorable goodbye for Percy, Grover, and Annabeth as they head off for another school year. It’s a fitting way to wrap things up, and a sendoff that lets us imagine their time away from Camp Half-Blood, and their (fingers crossed) imminent return.

Verdict

“The Prophecy Comes True” brings the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians to a close in epic fashion. Stellar fight scenes and solid reveals overshadow the few disappointing moments, and Percy’s relationship with Luke is a highlight. Storylines are wrapped up cleanly while setting things up for a potential sophomore season.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season Finale Review - IGN (2024)

FAQs

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season Finale Review - IGN? ›

Verdict. “The Prophecy Comes True” brings the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians to a close in epic fashion. Stellar fight scenes and solid reveals overshadow the few disappointing moments, and Percy's relationship with Luke is a highlight.

Was the end of Percy Jackson a dream? ›

Though Poseidon warns Percy that it may take a while for Hades to release his mom, Percy does reunite with Sally Jackson at the end of the season finale. Though the first time we see the scene, it is in a dream manipulated by Kronos.

Will there be a season 2 of Percy Jackson? ›

Percy Jackson will be embarking on another quest to protect Camp Half-Blood. Disney Branded Entertainment's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series has been officially renewed for Season 2 at Disney+.

What changed in episode 6 of Percy Jackson? ›

The Sea Nereid Gives Four Pearls In Percy Jackson Episode 6

Instead, Poseidon's Nereid gives Percy four pearls after he insists on finishing the quest despite the Solstice passing. While the way in which Percy obtains these pearls stays true to the source material, there are only three given in the book.

What was the ending of Percy Jackson and the Olympians? ›

Percy Jackson and the Olympians ended with Percy completing his quest and preventing the war between Zeus and Poseidon. In the finale, Percy defeats Ares and delivers Hades' Helm and Zeus' Master Bolt to their rightful owners. He convinced Zeus to call off the war against Poseidon with the help of his father.

Who had the saddest death in the Percy Jackson series? ›

Which character in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians had the saddest death? Michael Yew, Silena Beaguar, and Charlie Beckendorf had the saddest deaths.

Who betrayed Percy in the end? ›

Upon returning to Camp Half Blood, Percy is betrayed by his friend Luke, son of Hermes, who turns out to be the human hero whom Kronos used for the theft. Luke poisons Percy, and tells him before leaving that Kronos will rise and destroy the age of the gods. Western Civilization is unraveling.

Why did they cancel Percy Jackson? ›

Percy Jackson movies disappointed fans and performed poorly at the box office, leading to the abandonment of Percy Jackson 3. The Percy Jackson TV show on Disney+ offers a chance for a faithful adaptation of the books, with the author's involvement ensuring a true-to-source material approach.

Does Grover find pan? ›

Satyrs like Grover have been searching for him ever since, believing he is still alive. Grover eventually finds Pan in the fourth book, but the god is on the brink of death.

Will there be a season 3 of Percy Jackson? ›

Percy Jackson 3 didn't happen, but the Disney+ TV show gives Riordan's story another chance at a proper adaptation. The author's heavy involvement as an executive producer means the show doesn't make unnecessary changes to the source material, especially if they don't make sense for the story or characters.

Why did they change Annabeth in Percy Jackson? ›

“Percy Jackson” author Rick Riordan explained to Entertainment Weekly that making his franchise more diverse by casting Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ series was always staying true to the reason he wrote the “Percy Jackson” books in the first place.

Did Percy ever get his mom back? ›

Hades took her from the Minotaur and held her captive until Percy returned Hades' helm of darkness. Once he got his helm back, Hades set her free.

Does Percy ever get his mom back? ›

Unable to rescue his mother at first, Percy defeats the Minotaur and retreats to Camp Half-Blood until he is allowed to go on his own quest with Grover and Annabeth Chase, a daughter of Athena. After ten days, Percy rescues Sally by returning the Helm of Darkness to Hades in the Underworld after a fight with Ares.

What happened to Thalia at the end of Percy Jackson? ›

Thalia is resurrected after the Golden Fleece purges the poison from her tree with the side effect that it also heals and purges Thalia herself. She appears on the hill the next morning, which is good and bad because it means that Thalia can also be the one of the prophecy and Kronos would take advantage of that.

When did Annabeth fall in love with Percy? ›

Annabeth mentions that she had had a crush on him since she was 12, and that her feelings for him grew exponentially once he disappeared. Percy's love also grew exponentially to the point where he liked certain aspects of Camp Jupiter because he was thinking of their future.

Does Zeus end up liking Percy? ›

Zeus hates Percy, because in the first book, his master lightning bolt is missing. He blames Poseidon because Percy was in New York over the holidays (where mount Olympus is),and Posideon was always trying to over through Zeus and become King of the Gods.

What happens to Percy at the end of the book? ›

After the battle, the Olympian gods offer Percy the honor of becoming immortal. He refuses the gift but asks for the gods' promise to claim and interact with their mortal children from this point forward. The curse on the Oracle is reversed, and Rachel Dare becomes the new Oracle of Delphi.

What happened at the end of the last episode of Percy Jackson? ›

Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) steps in to help Percy fend off an attack from Luke, who then disappears. After the tension of those scenes, though, the finale shifts to a more upbeat place, with Percy, Annabeth and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) saying goodbye for now (and Grover having earned his searcher's license).

Who was the man in Percy's dream? ›

The man in Percy's dreams is Kronos, the main villain of the series, a Titan who seeks revenge against the gods. While the first season focuses on the theft of Zeus' lightning bolt, it teases Kronos' overarching plan that will be explored in future seasons.

What did Percy fail to save in the end? ›

And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end. Percy has to chose to save his mother or his friends, Grover and Annabeth. He chooses his friends and leaves his mom in the Underworld, promising to come back for her.

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