Warning: This article contains spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1, episode 4.In Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 4, a new pool scene references a book detail that the premiere breezed past. Disney+’s adaptation of Rick Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson book series has already shown its faithfulness to the source material, and episode 4’s Easter eggs and details continue this trend. While the episodes haven’t always been a direct copy of the books, the deviations made so far have helped add a fresh angle, such as the changes to Medusa’s story in episode 3.
Many changes are arguably for the better since they allow Percy’s story to be expanded beyond solely his perspective, as is expected with the confirmed flashback scene between Poseidon and Sally in episode 7. Similarly, Echidna mentioning Percy’s great-grandmother in episode 4 further develops how he fits into the mythology of Riordan’s universe, despite this detail not being in the Echidna scene in the first book. Episode 4’s pool scene sticks to this trend as it uses Percy’s past to solidify details about his life while still tying into his newfound knowledge about the Greek gods.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians Episode 4 Adds A Pool Scene That Isn’t In The Books
The pool scene in Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 4 kicks off the episode.
The pool scene in Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 4 depicts a swimming lesson young Percy attended with his mother Sally. Appearing as a memory in one of Percy’s dreams, this pool scene never occurs in the books, but it’s an important depiction of Sally’s worries as Percy was growing up. Sally urges Percy to try to swim while other parents and their kids practice. Percy’s reluctance frustrates Sally because she knows his comfort in the water is a matter of safety, even saying it could be dangerous if he doesn’t learn. This references Percy’s special abilities as Poseidon’s son, which he’s been slowly uncovering.
In the premiere, Sally tells Percy about how she met Poseidon and how his being Percy’s father puts the young demigod in danger. As Percy discovers more about the Pact of the Big Three and the danger he faces being a “forbidden child,” this pool scene adds to his retrospection after learning Sally knew about his demigod status. Moreover, the pool scene creates a comparison between Percy’s parents as it mirrors the closing scene where one of Poseidon’s sea nymphs echoes Sally’s advice to “breathe,” thus helping Percy unlock the ability to breathe underwater. Poignantly, the scene highlights an added obstacle in Percy’s life, especially while growing up.
Percy Jackson Season 1 Episode 4 Recap: 6 Biggest Story Reveals
Percy Jackson and the Olympians episode 4 furthered Percy’s quest to the Underworld and featured a handful of shocking story reveals in the process.
Percy Jackson’s Pool Scene References A Book Detail The Premiere Glossed Over
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief establishes Percy and Sally’s financial struggles early on.
One of the biggest changes between Disney+’s Percy Jackson series and the books is how limited his time at school is, which ties into the topic of finances. In the book, Percy mentions his classmates discussing vacations to places like Switzerland and the Caribbean with parents who are executives or celebrities. Percy, on the other hand, would return to the city for the summer and have to find a job. Despite being in the second book chapter, the show’s premiere skipped over how Percy is poorer than the other Yancy Academy students.
However, the pool scene in episode 4 shows Sally snapping at Percy over paying for a swimming lesson that he isn’t committing to. This suggests that Sally’s budget is much tighter than the other parents at the lesson, since one even gives her a dirty look when she makes her remark. Sally’s comment also ties into the book details about how she worked through high school to save for college, then was left with no money or family when her uncle died of cancer. Therefore, the pool scene adequately communicates Sally and Percy’s financial struggles as well as her desperation to spare no expense for her son’s safety.
How This Moment Adds More Depth To Percy & Sally’s Story
Percy and Sally’s financial struggles make the Greek gods’ actions worse.
While the pool scene helps accurately depict Percy and Sally’s financial situation, it also amplifies the criticisms about the Greek gods’ absence from their offspring’s lives and how, as a rule, they choose to leave their loved ones to fend for themselves. Percy repeatedly brings this up as he tries to understand why Poseidon didn’t immediately show up to help when Sally was taken during the Minotaur fight. The financial strain on Sally while raising Percy showcases how the odds are stacked against them from more than just a safety perspective, ultimately strengthening their bond through their struggles.
Sally’s parental care set up episode 4 to continue a juxtaposition between Percy’s view of a true parent and the reality of having god parentage. This is clear when Percy tells Annabeth that she’s done more for him in a few days than Poseidon has ever done. The conflicting depictions of parenting between humans and gods heightens Percy’s personal mission to save Sally from the Underworld. Including the real-world struggles in Percy’s family helps further set up his disdain for the gods, which will add weight to future encounters in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, like Percy’s fight with Ares and meeting Poseidon.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
- 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
