Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 1, episode 7, “We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of.”
Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 1, episode 7 continues the Disney+ show’s trend of including Easter eggs and references throughout its run, even as the first outing approaches its climax. Episode 7 sees Percy, Annabeth, and Grover reaching the Underworld at long last, but they’re surprised to learn that Hades isn’t the one who stole Zeus’ Master Bolt. In fact, Hades is missing an object of his own — his Helm of Darkness — and he seems utterly uninterested in a war between the Olympians.
This, along with a close call with Tartarus, leads Percy to the revelation that Kronos is the one trying to start a war among the Greek gods. With so many big moments and reveals, it’s hard to keep track of the smaller details included in Percy Jackson season 1, episode 7. However, there are a number of nods to Greek mythology, Rick Riordan’s books, and even pop culture throughout the latest installment.
9 Percy Jackson Episode 7’s Title Is Another Chapter Reference
It Covers The Book Chapter “We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of”
Disney’s Percy Jackson show is going to great lengths to stay faithful to Riordan’s source material, and all of season 1’s episode titles match The Lightning Thief‘s chapter names. Season 1, episode 7 is no different, as it covers the events of a chapter dubbed “We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of.” While the Disney+ series doesn’t always adapt the books word for word — and each episode adapts more than one chapter — the major events are close enough that one can pinpoint what will happen just by looking at the Percy Jackson episode titles and their book counterparts.
8 Percy Jackson Episode 7 Puts A Modern Spin On Procrustes
It Pulls The Character From Greek Mythology
Percy Jackson season 1, episode 7 opens with Percy walking into a mattress store, which turns out to be the gateway to the Underworld. It’s run by another child of Poseidon, Procrustes, who goes by the name Crusty. The nickname is taken from Riordan’s books, as is the character’s odd profession, which allows him to trick people into trying his waterbeds, then stretch them until they journey to the Underworld. His meeting with the trio plays out differently in the show, but Procrustes’ origins in Greek mythology remain the same.
In the Greek myths, Procrustes would invite travelers into his home and trick them into using his beds, which were just as dangerous as the waterbeds in Percy Jackson & the Olympians. He would either stretch or cut down the visitors until they died, which is why Percy accuses Procrustes of killing travelers. This is yet another example of the Disney+ series putting a more modern spin on an ancient myth, though anyone without a background in mythology may miss the reference.
7 Sally Jackson Makes A Wizard Of Oz Reference In Episode 7
It’s Perfect For A Fish-Out-Of-Water Story
Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 1, episode 7 flashes back to Percy’s childhood, showing the tensions between the young demigod and his mother when she first sent him away to boarding school. While Sally is driving, she tells Percy, “We’re not in Kansas anymore,” a reference he doesn’t understand. Movie buffs will recognize the line from The Wizard of Oz, which feels like the perfect film for Percy Jackson to reference. After all, like Dorothy, Percy eventually finds himself becoming an outsider in a fish-out-of-water story.
6 Charon Is Pulled From Greek Mythology
He Takes Souls To The Underworld, Just Like In Percy Jackson
When Percy and his friends finally reach the entrance to the Underworld, they run into Charon, the man who brings souls to the other side. Like Procrustes, Charon is taken from Greek mythology, and he plays a nearly identical role in the ancient stories (via Theoi Greek Mythology). Chiron accepts payment for bringing souls across the River Styx, leaving behind anyone who can’t pay. However, even after Percy offers him drachmas, Charon won’t take the trio on his ferry, as they’re still alive. The Disney show’s take on the mythological figure is every bit as eerie as the original, and that’s what makes it great.
5 Cerberus Appears In The Percy Jackson Books (& Is Taken From Mythology)
The Three-Headed Dog Appears In Many Shows & Movies
Yet another figure Percy Jackson pulls from Greek mythology is Cerberus, who chases Percy, Annabeth, and Grover after Charon denies them passage on his ferry. Percy Jackson season 1, episode 7’s inclusion of the three-headed dog is true to Riordan’s novel, and it infuses some humor into the monster’s presence. For one, his heads look like real-life rottweilers, making this iteration of Cerberus cuter than others — even in spite of his vicious attack. The trio also calms him by petting him, and they attempt to distract him with a squeaky toy.
4 Annabeth Gets Trapped In The Asphodel Fields
Her Staying Behind Feels Like A Callback To Thalia
During their journey through the Underworld, Percy and his friends come across a field full of souls, dubbed the Fields of Asphodel in Greek mythology. In the stories, this is where the souls of people who weren’t judged to be good or evil went to wander for eternity. In Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the souls in these fields are those with regrets. Annabeth gets stuck here, suggesting she has some regrets, though episode 7 doesn’t elaborate on what those are. Her staying behind while Percy and Grover go onward also feels like a callback to Thalia’s fate, even if Annabeth fares better than the other demigod.
3 Tartarus Is An Important Location In Greek Mythology (& Percy Jackson)
It’s Where The Story’s Big Bad Resides
Percy and Grover nearly get pulled into Tartarus in Percy Jackson season 1, episode 7, and the giant pit within the Underworld plays an important role in Greek mythology and Riordan’s books. It’s where Zeus and the Olympian gods imprisoned the Titans, a development that directly leads into Percy Jackson season 1’s big reveal. Kronos, the King of the Titans, is the one trying to start a war among the gods. That’s why he attempts to pull Percy into Tartarus, though there’s a second part of that twist.
2 Hermes’ Sneakers Tease A Percy Jackson Finale Reveal
The Sneakers Hint That Luke Is The Real Lightning Thief
While Kronos is the one who wants to drag Percy and Zeus’ Master Bolt into Tartarus, the real traitor is the person who gives him the means to: Luke. While Percy has realized that Kronos and Ares have a horse in this race, he hasn’t pieced together why Hermes’ sneakers malfunctioned in the Underworld: because Luke gifted them to him for that purpose. Luke is angry at his father, and his bitterness leads him to betray Olympus. This will be the grand reveal of the Percy Jackson season 1 finale, and episode 7 teases it for anyone watching carefully.
1 Hades’ Helm Is Rooted In Greek Mythology
When Percy discovers that Hades has no interest in the Master Bolt or a war among the gods, he learns that the Olympian is looking for a mythical object of his own: his Helm of Darkness. This item exists in Greek mythology, and it serves as Hades’ symbol, similar to the way the Lightning Bolt represents Zeus and Poseidon’s Trident represents him. Hades’ Helm grants the wearer invisibility, and he tells Percy that the Lightning Thief must have used it to snag Zeus’ weapon. Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 1’s finale will reveal more about the theft, and it will probably contain more Easter eggs.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Based on the novel series by Rick Riordan Percy Jackson & the Olympians is an action-adventure fantasy television series created for Disney+. When Percy Jackson is framed for the theft of Zeus’ almighty thunderbolt, Percy must clear his name, all while harnessing the powers inherited by his father, Poseidon, at a camp created for demi-gods.
- Cast
- Walker Scobell , Leah Sava Jeffries , Aryan Simhadri , Jason Mantzoukas , Megan Mullally , Glynn Turman , Adam Copeland , Virginia Kull , Lance Reddick
- Seasons
- 1
- Story By
- Rick Riordan
- Writers
- Rick Riordan , Jonathan E. Steinberg
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney Plus
