The following review contains spoilers for the eighth episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, “The Prophecy Comes True.”
Endings are hard in any medium. Putting a nice bow on a story can often feel unearned or clunky – it’s especially difficult for ongoing stories that have to leave certain plot threads open while giving a satisfying sense of finality to others. The finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ first season is fortunately a solid example of success in each of these categories, bringing the conflict to a head in exciting final battles and huge revelations, all while setting things up for our little Olympians in a potential second season.
What’s great about “The Prophecy Comes True” is what’s great about the rest of the series. Adam “Edge” Copeland continues to be electric as Ares, and his final confrontation with Percy is one for the books. Their fight scene is maybe the best moment of the episode, a fun, effective demonstration of how strong both Ares and Percy are in different ways. The camerawork is dynamic and exciting, and the choreography creates an even playing field for what seems like a mismatched fight. Percy also fights Luke more than once in the finale, and the action is well done in those moments as well. Shoutout to both Walker Scobell and Charlie Bushnell for doing a good amount of their own stunts. This allows the fight scenes to be more personal – a tremendously important touch.
Luke gets the most screen time he’s had to date, and he’s one of the most interesting parts of the finale. Throughout the episode, we get flashbacks to Percy’s time at camp, where Luke teaches the young Half-Blood how to engage in one-handed sword combat. Episode 2 didn’t do a great job of showing how much time had passed during Percy’s stay at Camp Half-Blood, which distracted from these moments as I tried to piece together when these lessons out in the woods would have taken place. That reflects more poorly on episode 2 than on the finale, however, and the flashbacks are more than welcome since they provide a chance to watch Percy and Luke’s relationship grow in the past and come crashing down in the present day. The flashbacks bring up some of the most interesting philosophical questions the show has presented, laying out the rules of combat and godlihood, and why demigods need to play things very carefully. This all foreshadows and leads into the big reveal of the finale: Luke has been working for Kronos this whole time, and wants Percy to join him. Even if we only really get to see their friendship develop across this one episode, the buildup still feels authentic and natural.
Percy finally arrives at the titular Olympus in episode 8, and while it is exciting to see the kingdom of the gods realized on screen, it’s not as visually impressive as the Underworld was last week. The sprawling, Ancient Greek architecture was no doubt a harder task to render than the desolate Underworld, but it’s disappointing nonetheless. In a big day of firsts, Percy meets Zeus and Poseidon, which is also a bit of a mixed bag. The late Lance Reddick’s performance as the king of the gods is, of course, well executed on his part, but the conversation between him and Percy is awkward and stilted. While the topic they discuss is dramatic, the cross-cutting between the two actors makes it feel like they’re not even in the same room – acting on a CG stage may have hindered the filmmakers’ ability to engage more dynamically with the scene, but it just never packs the punch it should, even with Reddick’s iconic voice doing the heavy lifting. Things take a turn for the better, though, when Poseidon arrives. Percy’s first-ever conversation with his father is emotional, and that weight is felt throughout. This is in part thanks to Scobell and Toby Stephens, who sell the father/son dynamic – but because they’re father and son, the blocking is more intimate than during Percy’s scene with his uncle.
Luckily, the episode caps things off nicely with an inspired bait-and-switch involving the fate of Percy’s mom, and an adorable goodbye for Percy, Grover, and Annabeth as they head off for another school year. It’s a fitting way to wrap things up, and a sendoff that lets us imagine their time away from Camp Half-Blood, and their (fingers crossed) imminent return.
Verdict
“The Prophecy Comes True” brings the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians to a close in epic fashion. Stellar fight scenes and solid reveals overshadow the few disappointing moments, and Percy’s relationship with Luke is a highlight. Storylines are wrapped up cleanly while setting things up for a potential sophom*ore season.
