Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Episode 5 Review - IGN (2024)

The following review contains spoilers for the fifth episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers”

As Percy Jackson and the Olympians enters its second leg, the stakes are higher, the gods are bigger, and the dialogue is explain-ier than ever. One thing episode 5, “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers,” remains true to is monster-of-the-week storytelling, which at this point is starting to feel inspired by the formula of Disney+’s most recent Dave Filoni-led Star Wars shows. The series suffers a few more growing pains – with each new god added to the roster, there are new relationships and layers of mythology to know – but the sheer likability of everyone on screen and the unique look of the series continue to push it past the threshold of enjoyability.

Many of these growing pains are reflected in the episode’s dialogue, which has the admittedly difficult job of catching viewers up on Greek myth basics while also keeping the plot moving. It makes for an uneven episode that feels at times both sluggish and hurried. And it’s a problem that the young actors aren’t able to keep up with, often struggling to make their expositional monologues convincing. This is epitomized by the quick moment at the beginning of the episode with the Fates, where Annabeth sees Atropos cut a life strand that (supposedly) belongs to one of our heroes. To keep things rolling along, this moment is glossed over, but not before Annabeth and Grover explain the Fates to Percy, who already knows these stories thanks to his mom. It’s a corner that’s hard to write out of when the character who is supposed to be the audience surrogate is already privy to all the lore.

The writers will also use Annabeth and her Daughter of Athena wisdom to keep things on pace, and it turns into a bit of a crutch. She comes to conclusions and solves Hephaestus’ puzzles almost instantly (and often) casually throughout their time at Waterland, deflating the tension in their quick excursion to retrieve Ares’ shield. Even as Percy tries to sacrifice himself for the second time in 24 hours, it’s hard to feel worried for him. Not just because his name is on the poster, but because the kids are almost always able to skirt the things that get in their way with minimal effort. It’s interesting that Annabeth saves Percy in the end not by her wit, but through an emotional plea to Hephaestus, but the scene is blocked and shot so awkwardly that it distracts from the weight of the moment. But the rest of the episode contributes to the series’ track record of high-class lighting, production design, and directing, which makes this one absence of craft even more perplexing.

The season continues its run of perfect casting with Timothy Omundson and Adam Copeland in the roles of Hephaestus and Ares, respectively. With what little time Omundson is given, he asserts himself as the quaint but not to be trifled with old man who empathizes with Annabeth’s desire to not follow in her family’s footsteps – he’s seen the worst of what they are capable of. But it’s the ever-charismatic Copeland (the professional wrestler better known as Edge) who’s the focal point of “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers.” Save for an awkward introduction, he nails every scene, erratically shifting back and forth from immature Twitter troll to serious and intimidating threat. It’s a fun character who Copeland embodies well both physically and spiritually. He plays well with the kids, too, particularly when Grover (Aryan Simhadri) prods the God of War for information.

As Percy and friends chase the Master Bolt across the country, the stakes will continue to climb, leaving fewer scenes where the kids can be kids. It’s a problem that the Harry Potter films struggled with, and one that Percy Jackson and the Olympians will hopefully be able to avoid. So far the show has kept it light and balanced its varying tones, usually at Grover’s insistence.