Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, Episode 5 ‘We Check in to C.C.’s Spa & Resort’ gives us one of the biggest departures from the books so far, and yet one of the episodes that feels closer to the spirit of Percy Jackson that this adaptation has tried to embody. So much of what makes this show enjoyable is, of course, straight from the source material. And yet, this version of the show understands what to adapt, what to change, and what to scrap really well.
I am very much a book purist, in most respects. Or, at least, I have historically been one. Lately, I’ve realized that it is not so much about an adaptation keeping every line or every moment I loved from the books, but an adaptation managing to capture the soul of the characters and the feelings the book made me feel. ‘We Check in to C.C.’s Spa & Resort’ does a great job of that, and also of utilizing the different medium to provide us with things we didn’t have before.
The thing about the books is that the things we loved and didn’t get will always be there. There are audiobooks if we just want to hear the book. TV, as a medium, particularly in an 8-episode season with as few episodes as Percy Jackson and the Olympians has needs to make changes. These changes work because Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Clarisse are still recognizably the same people they’ve been before, and of course, because these actors are so gifted at making these characters come to life in ways that feel richer and more real than the words on a page ever could.
I’D BURN IT ALL DOWN
Percy and Annabeth in ‘We Check in to C.C.’s Spa & Resort’ are not just friendship goals, ship goals, and future couple goals; they are the most engaging scene partners you could have asked for. And that is, perhaps, the most important thing.
Epic ships are built of a bunch of things. Percy and Annabeth always had the writing behind them, the epic slow burn, but they needed two actors capable of bringing that to the screen and making us believe it. And when Walker Scobell tells Leah Sava Jeffries’ Annabeth that he’d choose her over Olympus, over the world basically, we believe him. Most importantly, she believes him.
The moment encapsulates everything that works about their relationship, one that is just a friendship for now. They have become one of the most important people in each other’s lives, so quickly, so easily. Percy would sacrifice the world for Annabeth. Annabeth would sacrifice herself for Percy. And all of that is a sign of love. But it’s also a sign that they’re not ready for this love to be anything more, not yet. They’re willing to die for each other, but are they willing to live for each other? To be each other’s port in a storm?
Well, that part has always been harder. Scarier. But they’ll get there. We just have to give them time.
HOPE CAN BE A POWERFUL TOOL
Grover and Clarisse provide the lighter moments in this episode, making a surprisingly good team as they try to best Polyphemus. It’s great to see that Grover does indeed have a plan, even if he needed another person to put it into place. And it’s fun to see two people who absolutely do not get along and don’t have too much in common, as Grover and Clarisse work together. I guess the enemy of your enemy is your friend? Or better a campmate than a literal cyclops (Tyson not included).
But of course, Polyphemus is smarter than Grover and Clarisse give him credit for. It was always going to be like this; the quest was always going to need not just Clarisse and Grover, but Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson. This isn’t over. It’s nowhere near over. So, even though Clarisse and Grover might be down now, they’ll get back up with a little help from their friends.
And yeah, that’s what they are at this point. Friends. Sorry, Clarisse, you’re just gonna have to own it.
MAYBE WE BOTH HAD TO BE HERE
After the sirens, after Percy saves her, the two get a moment of honesty that moves them forward just as much as the trials they’ve faced together or the fact that Annabeth can recognize Percy even in pig form. Because the moment is the two accepting that, despite the prophecy, despite their own separate flaws, the only way they get to where they need to be is together. And that’s important considering this quest isn’t anywhere near over.
But it’s also important going forward. Percy and Annabeth are stronger when they are together, and there’s a lot of what’s coming that won’t necessarily have them together. We’re entering the dark times. Things will get bleak. And when they do, it’s important to remember the lessons of this hour. It’s important to remember that, deep down, Percy and Annabeth know that together, they are better. Together, they can do anything.
It’s not the answer to everything, but it is an important piece of the puzzle going forward. And well, if the puzzle we thought was 500 pieces ends up being 5000, so be it. Percy and Annabeth are still the center, and the center will hold.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, Episode 5 ‘We Check in to C.C.’s Spa & Resort’? Share with us in the comments below!
The first five episodes of Percy Jackson Season 2 are now available to stream on Disney+.
