It’s hard not to be a little flustered by some of the creative choices on Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 6, “We Bring a Zebra to Vegas.” No, I’m not talking about excluding Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.”
The trio’s trip to Vegas moves the plot along but lacks some of the fun you may expect from a trio of kids ending up in a casino. Unlike with Medusa, where the trio figuring out what’s happening in advance creates a new interesting angle for the story, them being quick to realize the Lotus Casino is based on the story of Odysseus and the lotus flowers hampers the story.
The show seems like it’s in such a rush it doesn’t give the kids a chance to be kind of silly and make mistakes. The interactions between Percy and Annabeth (we finally get him calling her “Wise Girl”) keep the story’s spirit but aren’t enough to save this episode.
There are still some shenanigans, like when 12-year-old Percy attempts to drive a cab with comically bad results, but the episode suffers from having stuffed in too many details from elsewhere in the story.
Grover’s quest for Pan is important to the character, but there’s another quest going on right now that the show needs to focus on. I do have to credit Aryan Simhadri who’s done a great job of communicating Grover’s maturity while still making him feel like one of the “kids.”
At least he gets to play one of the fun arcade games, unlike Percy and Annabeth who have to track down Hermes.
Lin-Manuel Miranda may be a draw to some audiences, but watching mopey Hermes over seeing the chaos of Percy losing their memory and losing time in the casino is not what I would prefer. Hopefully the show has many more seasons left to explore Luke’s tragic back story, we did not need it on this episode.
Fans of the book will appreciate the Easter Egg of hearing a child shout “Bianca!” in the background of one of Grover’s scenes (no spoilers), but it’s not explicitly clear to viewers that some casino patrons have been in there for decades. That seems to be an oversight if they’re setting up what they appear to be setting up for future seasons.
Overall, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 6, feels like a missed opportunity for some real fun instead of serious questing. After all, it appears there’s plenty of that left to do.
Despite arriving in Santa Monica after the solstice has passed, Percy is determined to find the bolt. His visions, which we get another one of on this episode, make it clear there’s something else happening in addition to the war between Zeus and Poseidon.
The underwater scene, in addition to being technically impressive, feels like the birth of a real hero. Percy could walk away after being released from his quest but chooses the nobler route of fighting.
It’s no surprise Poseidon is proud of his son, and I hope he gets the chance to tell him that in person by the end of the season. For now, it’s time for Percy to save the world and save his mother.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians streams Tuesdays at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT on Disney+.