Warning: This article contains spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1, episode 5 and the Percy Jackson books.
An unexpected cameo from a particular Greek god in Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 5 fulfills one of Rick Riordan’s major goals for the series. Episode 5, “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers,” introduces a major integral god, Ares, who reveals insight into the series’ yet-to-be-revealed villain and sends the young demigods on a quest for his shield. Additionally, an early cameo from the Greek god Hephaestus is a welcome addition, even though his first direct interaction with Percy is only in the fourth book in Riordan’s Percy Jackson book series.
Hephaestus, played by Timothy Omundson, appears on-screen for the first time while Annabeth tries to free Percy from a machine in the Tunnel of Love ride at Waterland, an abandoned amusement park. His golden throne traps Percy in gold once he sits on the chair, thus releasing Ares’ shield from a nearby statue’s hands. Omundson’s addition to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast as Hephaestus provides a unique perspective on the Greek gods in the series. More importantly, Hephaestus’ inclusion in the story from so early on helps reinforce one of Riordan’s original goals when he first wrote the book series.
12 Easter Eggs & Hidden Details In Percy Jackson Season 1 Episode 5
Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 1, episode 5 contains a number of Easter eggs and references to mythology, pop culture, and Rick Riordan’s books.
Percy Jackson And The Olympians’ Hephaestus Is Depicted With Physical Disabilities
Hephaestus is depicted as an outcast among the gods, being the only Olympian with severe physical impairments. In the third book, The Titan’s Curse, his physical disabilities are a major focus of his character, being described as “a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, [and] a misshapen head.” In the Heroes of Olympus series, he’s depicted with lumpy welts on his face from his forging work. He’s also described as having mismatched shoulders that create a constant hunching for the character. In the Disney+ adaptation, Hephaestus uses a cane to help with his limp, lessening the extent of injuries and deformities the books outline.
While this may seem like a drastic change, Hephaestus’ disabilities are not the focus. Instead, the show references his hardships in the light show on the Tunnel of Love’s walls in a way that draws focus to the gods’ poor treatment of one another, more so than how Hephaestus is different from them. The moments in Hephaestus’ story that attention is drawn to are his mother Hera disowning him and his wife Aphrodite rejecting and being unfaithful to him. By focusing on the cruel treatment Hephaestus faces because of his disabilities, the show sheds light on an issue of unjust prejudice often imposed against those in the disabled community.
Percy Jackson Season 1 Episode 5 Recap: 7 Story Reveals
Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 5 tells a consequential story that includes several major reveals and iconic moments from the source material.
How Hephaestus Supports Rick Riordan’s Aim For Representation
One fundamental way Riordan honors a more compassionate and empowering depiction of Hephaestus is by casting Omundson in the role. Omundson shares some of the character’s disabilities in real life after he suffered a stroke in 2017 that resulted in paralysis in his arm, hand, and left leg (via TV Insider). This commitment to casting someone who inherently understands Hephaestus’ disabilities adds authenticity and a respectfulness to this area of representation. The show not making Hephaestus’ disabilities the main focus of his cameo resonated with Omundson, who told TV Insider that “it is just who he is, much like it is who I am. So I just appreciated how they chose to handle that.”
This relates to Riordan’s aim for representation, which includes the message that anyone “can be a hero, and what sets [one] apart from everybody else is something to be celebrated” (via Cosmopolitan). With Hephaestus – the god of blacksmiths, fire, and technology – his skills outshine his disabilities, showing how they don’t prevent him from practicing his abilities and expertise. His ingenuity relates to the gods’ weaponry, indicating that his craftsmanship is important for battle acumen. Some Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ magical items expand on this and highlight his inventions, such as his mechanized golden throne, the Waterland amusement park, and the contraption at the park entrance.
How Many Episodes Percy Jackson Season 1 Has Left & When The Finale Is
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is already over halfway through season 1 on Disney+, with only a few more outings to go before the finale.
Why Hephaestus Is Crucial To Disney’s Percy Jackson And The Olympians Series
Including Hephaestus in the Tunnel of Love scene sets up a deeper link to the gods’ perceptions of one another and their behavior. Hephaestus’ brief interaction with Annabeth signifies the idea that he sees beyond “the silliness of Olympus,” as Riordan shares. Episode 5’s portrayal of him as sympathetic also rewrites the cynical depiction the book includes where he sets up traps to humiliate Ares and Aphrodite for their affair by broadcasting it to Olympus. In doing so, Hephaestus’ compassion indicates his fragility, thus highlighting how, despite being a god, he can be humanized and break the negative patterns of his fellow gods in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
This is a promising perspective for the young demigods, as the Percy Jackson gods criticisms suggest they possess irredeemable selfishness. However, Hephaestus also mentions “some of us don’t like being that way” when Annabeth proclaims that the gods’ primary obsession with power and glory is not how she wants to be. Hephaestus equating himself with the demigods proves his importance to the quest, as he frees Percy from his throne. Additionally, establishing Hephaestus as a respectful representation of disabled people is promising for any future Percy Jackson and the Olympians appearances that can explore his role, such as in The Titan’s Curse and The Battle of the Labyrinth.
Sources: TV Insider, Cosmopolitan
- 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
- Genres
- Action , Adventure , Fantasy
- Rating
- TV-PG
- Seasons
- 1
- Story By
- Rick Riordan
- Writers
- Rick Riordan , Jonathan E. Steinberg
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney Plus
- Franchise(s)
- Percy Jackson & The Olympians
- Directors
- James Bobin , Anders Engström
- Showrunner
- Jonathan E. Steinberg , Dan Shotz
