TL;DR – Despite some forced tension, the episode shines with a thrilling chariot race and heartfelt godly moments.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review –

A couple of days ago, we looked at the first part of this opening introduction to Percy Jackson’s second season: I Play Dodgeball with Cannibals. We talked about how it felt like the first part of an opening episode. Well, today we take a look at that second part where things ratchet up in tension as the real threat comes into view.  

So, to set the scene, Tantalus (Timothy Simons) is ruling Camp Half-Blood like his own fiefdom, which is getting in the way of everyone wanting to go save Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and secure the Golden Fleece. But Percy (Walker Scobell) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) think they have found a loophole in the rules, thanks to the chariot race, that should let them go on an official quest. Well, that was the idea, but a cryptic warning from Chiron (Glynn Turman) and the sudden swarm of Stymphalian Birds put a wrench in their plans. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

Artificial Conflict

Before we get into what about the episode I really liked, and there is a bunch, I did want to flag one thing that did pull me out a little bit. In both the book and the show, there is an artificial tension created between Percy and Annabeth. In the books, it all centres around Tyson (Daniel Diemer) for reasons we find out during the book. In the show, it is because Chiron told Annabeth that Percy cannot go on the quest. The stakes are already high enough without layering in unnecessary tension. Which is exemplified by the fact that we already know that they will both be going on the quest, so what was the point of it all? At least Walker Scobell has a good “my bestie just stabbed me in the back” expression.

Chariot Race

The highlight of the episode was the chariot race, on both a narrative and a technical level. If you know anything about chariot races, you know it is a dangerous event, and Hollywood is littered with examples of things going wrong. Which then makes you realise that there is no way that they would risk their young cast, so how did they film it? Watching, you can see several different techniques from stunt teams, fake chariots, raised platforms, and some well-created digital inserts. All of these techniques combined together to create a visually exciting event. Though I will say, some notable characters are missing in this episode, replacing a mythical water created with an inflatable boat, and Hermes’ companions absent altogether. Given they would have been created digitally, you do get the feeling they have disappeared because they used all the budget on the race.

Gods

One of the interesting things is how the gods are depicted in this episode. It is clear that Jason Mantzoukas is having a blast. While everyone else is running around, fleeing from the Stymphalian Birds, he is just walking around swatting at them like they were just flies hovering around. But the heart of the episode is the conversation between Percy and Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda). Where Mantzoukas leans into the perfect absurdity with quips about his parentage, Miranda grounds the episode in emotional resonance. Here, we get a good discussion about destiny, which you would expect in a show like this. But I liked Lin-Manuel Miranda’s performance because you do believe that he hopes there is a way out for Luke, even if Percy has given him up. He understands Luke’s pain and what drove him into the arms of the enemy. It was a touching moment until Tantalus (Timothy Simons) showed up with his crossbow, becoming even more of a heel than the book.      

Recommendation   

In the end, do we recommend Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Demon Pigeons Attack? Yes, I would. While it did have some frustrating moments, it coalesced in the end and did the job of sending us off on the quest into the Season of Monsters.

Have you watched Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Demon Pigeons Attack? Let us know what you thought of the episode in the comments below.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and producers of Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Directed by – James Bobin
Written by – Sarah Watson
Created by – Rick Riordan & Jonathan E. Steinberg
Based On – Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Production/Distribution Companies – 20^th Television, Co-Lab 21, The Gotham Group, Mythomagic, Quaker Moving Pictures & Disney+ 
Starring – Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Charlie Bushnell, Dior Goodjohn & Daniel Diemer with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jason Mantzoukas, Timothy Simons, Kevin Chacon & Glynn Turman and Sage Linder & Marlo Marolle