It’s time to say goodbye on Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 8, “The Prophecy Comes True.” The Season 1 finale perfectly wraps up Percy’s quest with the right amount of emotional satisfaction as well as plot satisfaction.
Unlike the past few episodes that felt rushed, the finale managed to squeeze in a lot of plot without losing any of the heart of the book.
There’s an epic showdown with Ares where Percy shows off exactly what the son of Poseidon can do. A trip to Olympus where “Persassy” faces off with the king of the gods Zeus played by the late, great Lance Reddick.
Not to mention an emotional meeting between father and son, where Percy and Poseidon bond over their unruly nature and their love of Sally Jackson. It’s a meeting befitting their awkward relationship but full of love all the same.
And finally, a heartbreaking revelation for both Percy and Annabeth that the one prophesied to betray Percy was Luke all along. You’ll have chills as Percy recounts each line of the prophecy to Luke, including the last line that he had kept hidden from everyone but Annabeth and Grover.
Charlie Bushnell and Walker Scobell both deliver some incredible acting that rivals any of the scenes featuring the more seasoned adult actors.
Non-book readers may have already seen it coming since the clues have been laid out throughout the season, but Luke is in cahoots with Kronos. Yet, it’s hard to stay completely mad at him.
After all, his beef is with the gods, not Percy. The show goes to great lengths by adding Hermes to Episode 6 to give us some reasons to be sympathetic to Luke instead of waiting until later in the series.
Luke looks genuinely stricken when Annabeth takes off her invisibility cap during the scene and he realizes she has been watching this whole encounter and that he’s lost her too. Leah Sava Jeffries broadcasts heartbreak that feels like our own.
As much as the fandom is simping over Poseidon now thanks to Toby Stephens and the flashback scene with Sally, the truth is still that the gods are not great parents to their demigod children. Luke’s attempt to overthrow them by teaming with the Titan is misguided but sort of understandable.
Part of me is convinced this show is competing at the Daytime Emmys instead of the Primetime Emmys because they are too afraid of the acting performances dominating! I’m partially kidding, but has there been a better performance by a child actor on TV recently than Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson?
Even at times when the screen-to-page changes were jarring to me as a book reader, the whole cast consistently delivered excellent performances all season. My only complaint is that I wanted more of them with longer episodes.
The scene where the golden trio hugs before going their separate ways at the end feels reminiscent of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the best way, an emotionally fulfilling end to their adventures with the promise of more.
Of course, Percy gets his coda with him reuniting with his mom and receiving another threatening vision from Kronos. A demigod’s work is never done.
Hey, at least smelly Gabe is out of the picture. Fans worried the show wouldn’t get rid of him will be pleased his demise thanks to Medusa’s head is now a result of his own carelessness and not because Sally Jackson is a murderer (a very smart change from the book).
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 successfully brought The Lightning Thief to life this season, creating a whole new legion of Percy Jackson fans in the process. The only question left after this finale is whether Disney+ will let the adventures continue.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 is streaming now on Disney+.