The third episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians focuses on Percy’s journey to save his mother from the clutches of Hades in the underworld. This episode is replete with mythological characters, and the stories have not been altered to suit the preferences of the modern world. Keeping the mythological content similar to the source material, other aspects of the series have been modernized. James Bobin deserves accolades for a wonderful and apt presentation of each and every mythical creature in the series. However, after watching the third episode, certain questions may arise. Why is Percy unable to trust his friends? Why does Medusa try to attack them? Let’s find out!
Spoilers Ahead
What Does Oracle Tell Percy?
The Oracle, believed to be Apollo’s messenger, is known to deliver prophecies that the Greek God senses beforehand. Before Percy set out on a conquest to search for his mother in the underground, Oracle appears before him. He lets Percy know that one of his friends would betray him on his journey, hindering his cause of traveling. Later, Percy chooses Annabeth and Grover to go into the underworld along with him. He had chosen Annabeth because she was someone he could never call his friend, and Grover was his protector, whom he believed would not betray him. He was told that entry into Hades was from below New York City and he was equipped with some money to keep himself safe on his trip. Oracle’s prediction diverted his focus to a great extent. He could not believe any of his companions and kept arguing with them over trivial matters all throughout the trip. The sense of mistrust that the prophecy had given rise to in Percy’s mind was sure to not be dissolved easily.
Why Was Thalia Turned Into A Tree?
Thalia, a very powerful child of Zeus, had been attacked by the furies while traveling to the camp. Thalia, being a forbidden demigod, existed against the will of the other gods. She had fought the furies dexterously, helping Luke and Annabeth reach the camp safely. She had then been turned into a tree by Zeus to save her life against the dangerous enemies. Thalia’s sacrifice for others is remarkable, and she was used as a magic barrier that protected the camp against any external forces. Luke and Annabeth were very grateful to Thalia for having sacrificed herself to keep them safe from external threats.
What Does Alecto Do?
Alecto, a fury, constantly tries to attack Percy, as he is Poseidon’s son. The children who were at the greatest risk of getting attacked were the children of the most powerful gods, like Poseidon and Zeus. While Percy and Grover wait on the bus for Annabeth to get them something to eat, she gets followed by Alecto. She tells her that she would help in their conquest of getting back Zeus’ bolt if she handed Percy over to her. She refused and ensured that Percy was safe. Later, when Alecto attacked them, they got off the bus and fled the place. Annabeth could have easily betrayed Percy to get Alecto’s help to complete her conquest and gain greater fame in the camp, but she had chosen the path of righteousness. It is, however, possible that going ahead, a situation would arise in which Annabeth would be compelled to betray Percy, making the Oracle’s prophecies come true. They manage to escape Alecto’s glance and end up at Medusa’s doorstep, where they face greater perils! Even Alecto is afraid of Medusa’s frightful glare, which could turn anyone into stone.
What Happens At Medusa’s House?
After they reach Medusa’s doorstep, she takes them all in and offers them food. Percy tells the rest that he believes Medusa, as she is not the way people thought her to be. Medusa tells them how she had been betrayed by Athena, the goddess that she had worshiped all her life. She told them that after Poseidon had expressed his love for Medusa, Athena decided to punish her. She had put a curse on her and turned her into a monster that no one would ever dare to look at. She tried to tell Annabeth that her mother had wronged her in every way. She also tried to lure Percy into betraying both his friends and helping her kill them, as she would then help him complete his conquest. Later, Medusa attacks the trio and tries to turn them into stone statues. She told Percy and Annabeth that they had invited peril upon themselves by siding with their parents and that she would not spare them.
Later, Annabeth put her invisibility cap over Medusa’s head so that Percy would not see her face while killing her. Percy managed to efficiently execute the plan and cut off her head with the invisibility cap on. Percy is a modern impersonation of Perseus, as the Greek hero also manages to cut off Medusa’s head by looking at her in a mirror. They carefully carried the head outside and took off the cap, exposing her face to Alecto and turning her into a stone statue. They then placed Medusa’s head inside a box, where neither of them could see it. They decided that they would use Hermes Express to ship her head to Olympus, the same procedure Medusa used to parcel out all the stone statues that she would create by glancing at individuals.
What Will Happen In The Next Episode?
The next episode is sure to bring out greater perils for the trio! They are about to meet a new enemy, the Chimera, which is supposed to be a monster as per Greek mythology. The dangerous mission that they have set out on is thrilling for us to watch as they overcome every hurdle together. There is, however, a possibility that either Annabeth or Grover would betray Percy on this quest. It is most likely that Annabeth would betray him, as her purpose for coming on the quest was different from Percy’s. She wanted to recover Zeus’ bolt, while Percy was more focused on saving his mother from the underworld. Different motives are sure to split up the paths of Annabeth and Percy in the long run.
