WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1, episode 4, as well as Rick Riordan’s book The Battle of the Labyrinth!
Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1, episode 4 concludes with a lingering question about Echidna that fails to solve a 19-year-old mystery from the book series. While the Disney+ TV show is incredibly faithful to the book series given author Rick Riordan’s heavy involvement, Percy Jackson season 1 has made some book changes that expand on the stories and characterizations of both original creations and figures from real Greek mythology. With an episodic format that may allow for additional details and sequences, Percy Jackson’s TV show also presents the opportunity to finally solve some long-standing mysteries from the 2005 novel The Lightning Thief.
One burning question from The Lightning Thief was about Echidna, who serves as the primary villain for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1, episode 4, “I Plunge to my Death.” Just as she did in Riordan’s book, the “Mother of All Monsters” battles Percy, Annabeth, and Grover at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. With the help of the monster Chimera, Echidna nearly succeeds in dispatching Percy until the 12-year-old falls into the Mississippi River, where the son of Poseidon’s water-based powers help him survive. Percy Jackson episode 4’s final moments simply depict Percy breathing underwater, meaning a question about Echidna’s fate is still answered after 19 years.
How Many Episodes Percy Jackson Season 1 Has Left & When The Finale Is
Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1 has already debuted its first four episodes on Disney+, with several more outings to go before the finale.
Percy Jackson Episode 4 Still Doesn’t Answer Where Echidna Goes After Attacking Percy
While the fate of Jessica Parker Kennedy’s Medusa is firmly answered as her head is sent to Olympus in Percy Jackson episode 3, there’s no confirmation about what happens to the antagonistic Echidna. Other monsters who fail to eliminate Percy, such as Mrs. Dodds and the Furies, continue to follow him on his quest, whereas the Gateway Arch is the first and last time Percy sees Echidna in The Lightning Thief book. Consequently, with no indication of her next whereabouts or intentions after Percy Jackson episode 4’s ending, it’s unlikely that the Disney+ show will solve the mystery about where she goes in episode 5 or later in season 1.
Being the Mother of All Monsters, Echidna’s sudden disappearance has long been curious, as she has plenty more monsters she could have sent after the surviving demigod. The mystery of where Echidna goes after battling Percy at the Gateway Arch isn’t answered in the books, but she still plays an indirect role in the story’s future. Echidna’s husband, Typhon, becomes a major villain in Percy Jackson’s book series, though he isn’t apt to be properly introduced in the show until season 4. Echidna also appears in a flashback during The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure novel in which she complains about Percy evading her, but still doesn’t reveal where she went after their confrontation.
Echidna Needs To Break Book Canon & Meet Percy Again Before The Show Ends
After the mystery surrounding what happens to her directly after their battle, Percy and Echidna never meet again in the book series. However, Echidna is certainly one of the most fearsome mythological creatures in Percy Jackson season 1’s quest, and her later connection to the villain Typhon could make for a realistic return. Since Percy didn’t kill the “Mother of All Monsters,” it would make sense for her to come back alongside the “Father of All Monsters” to try and finish what she started. Even if Typhon and Echidna don’t appear together, she could still return in Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ future to aid his fierce battle against Percy, the gods, and Olympus.
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.
- Release Date
- December 20, 2023
- Cast
- Walker Scobell , Leah Sava Jeffries , Aryan Simhadri , Jason Mantzoukas , Megan Mullally , Glynn Turman , Adam Copeland , Virginia Kull , Lance Reddick
- Rating
- TV-PG
- Story By
- Rick Riordan
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney Plus
