Percy Jackson and the Olympians – Season 1 Episode 5 “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers” Recap & Review

A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 5 picks up where the previous episode left off. Poseidon comes to Percy’s rescue after he falls from the arch. However, Annabeth and Grover hold out hope that Percy is still alive. Three women sitting near Athena’s temple capture Annabeth’s attention. At this point, Grover drags her to find Percy.

Percy is seen emerging from the water as soon as Annabeth and Grover come near the deck. Now that she knows Percy is alive, Annabeth hugs him. Being reunited with his friend also brings Grover immense joy. Following this, they tell Percy that the police are pursuing them owing to the incident at the arch. Consequently, they deduce there are no trains or buses to take them to the underworld.

The trio makes their way to the underworld. However, they take cover beneath a bridge as soon as they hear a motorbike. Now Annabeth tells Percy and Grover that she saw Atropes—one of the three fates—cut a thread, representing the web of life. Consequently, she thinks one of them is going to pass away shortly.

At this point, the biker called out to them. They discover quickly that the man is none other than Ares, the War God. Ares offers to help them enter the underworld, but not before insisting that they meet him at a nearby diner before hurriedly going forward.

The three of them eventually make it to the eatery, where they spot Ares. Following that, Ares spills the beans about the police being after Percy by showing them a video of Percy’s stepfather accusing him of being wicked. His next move is to offer his help in reaching the underworld, but only if they can retrieve his shield from an amusement park. In addition, he requests that Grover stay behind as collateral while Percy and Annabeth proceed with the task.

The moment Annabeth and Percy set foot in the amusement park, they immediately realise that it is not a typical amusement park. Hephaestus, the God of skill and craftsmanship, is responsible for the amusement park’s brilliant construction. At the amusement park, Annabeth and Percy also discover that Ares may have had an affair with Hephaestus’s wife, Aphrodite. It is possible that Hephaestus caught them in the act. Ares may have forgotten to get his shield with him, so he asked them to retrieve it.

After navigating the Tunnel of Love, Annabeth and Percy find Ares’s shield, but obtaining it requires a sacrifice, so they are faced with a dilemma. This is because they remember Hephaestus’s tale of holding Hera captive on the golden throne and only releasing her when he received Aphrodite, who would later become his wife.

Meanwhile, at the diner, Grover is trying to figure out who stole the thunderbolt by manipulating Ares. Seemingly, he succeeds in getting the truth out of Ares by playing on his frustration with Athena.

At the amusement park, Percy stubbornly gives his life for the quest, but he begs Annabeth to carry on without him and then lend him a hand when she returns. However, Annabeth is determined to help her friend Percy and is working tirelessly to find a solution. At this point, Hephaestus shows up and shows Annabeth the way to leave. However, Annabeth’s unwavering support for her friend eventually moves Hephaestus to release Percy.

Following this, Percy and Annabeth quickly return to the diner. Ares’ shield is subsequently returned to him. As promised, Ares loads the three of them into a cattle truck and says it’s going to Las Vegas. Additionally, he assures them they will meet Hermes, and if they’re lucky, he will lead them to Los Angeles.

The trio boards the vehicle in the episode’s final moments. At this point, they aren’t sure that Ares is guiding them correctly. In this instance, Grover reveals that he has figured out who stole the thunderbolt, and the episode comes to a close.

The Episode Review

In episode 5, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover face the challenge of evading the police as they make their way to Los Angeles. They meet Ares along the road, and he promises to simplify their journey—but only if they retrieve his shield from Hephaestus’s theme park.

Just like the books, this episode is extraordinarily fascinating, brimming with mythology and infused with a fresh contemporary spin. Although there are certain changes made to the source material, the subject matter is masterfully executed, and the story comes to life. Additionally, the changes don’t feel forced, and they enhance the plot quite nicely.

In this episode, the actor portraying Ares does an outstanding job of bringing the God of War to life on screen. Among the notable characters is Hephaestus. He just appears for a short while, yet he leaves quite an impact.

Taking everything into consideration, the episode was an excellent piece of storytelling. It’ll be interesting to see the direction the show takes moving forward.