Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, Episode 8 ‘The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well’ doesn’t just close the story for Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson; it also sets the stage for the war to come. Oh yes, and it ends on a cliffhanger. And quite a cliffhanger it is.
In general, this has been a very good season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, one that improves on the first one and does a pretty solid job of setting up what comes next. The problem, if there’s any, is that it often feels like the show has had to condense things too much. Eight episodes isn’t that much when there’s so much deep mythology, particularly when so many of the episodes are just a little over the 30-minute mark.
Even so, in Season 2, the show more or less succeeds in telling the story it wants to tell—even if it leaves us with the kind of cliffhanger anyone who has read the books understands isn’t even one to begin with. But going forward, it’s hard to imagine the show being as successful at telling not just the story it wants to tell, but the one it needs to tell, unless there’s a commitment to more episodes, or longer ones at least.
But that’s a problem for tomorrow. For now, Percy Jackson and the Olympians has done enough to cement itself as the YA fantasy adaptation to watch, upcoming boy wizard show or not.
HONESTY IS A GOOD POLICY
‘The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well’ is a pretty great episode for Percy, the one we’ve seen grow over two seasons, the one whose story and growth we are invested in. Because in this episode, Percy continues on the same path he has been on the entire season—one that so many fantasy heroes never traverse. And that’s the path of honesty.
Sure, Percy is as susceptible to the notion of wanting to save others, to his own detriment at times, but he is generally a kid with a healthy family life—absent father notwithstanding—who understands the importance of communication. He talks to Tyson about their relationship, he is honest with Annabeth about his greatest flaw and how much he cares about her, he doesn’t hide from Grover either, and in this hour, he once again opens up to Annabeth about Thalia.
But Percy also listens. He is not the kind of hero who doesn’t allow anyone to help him. That’s part of what makes him so likable. Prophecy or not, weight of the world on his shoulders or not, Percy has people on his side, and he knows it. And he might not always do what they want, but he’ll listen, and he’ll weigh his options before acting. That’s a very rare and important characteristic for someone in his place.
IT WAS ALWAYS THALIA
The prophecy always seemed like it could only apply to Percy, but with Thalia in the picture now, it’s hard not to wonder if it could all be about her. If it even makes sense that it is. Perhaps because Percy, and we, at this point, only know Thalia the warrior. Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, isn’t exactly happy with Zeus. Thalia, who would give her life for Luke and Annabeth.
We don’t know the soft Thalia. Don’t know how she formed those bonds with Luke and Annabeth. We just know the end result of them. So, it’s harder to look at her and see someone who could never be corrupted than it is to look at Percy and see him coming out on top. But now, Thalia is here, and whatever she does next will be crucial to the next season and even beyond.
Is she who Annabeth thinks she is? Will Percy’s fears about her and Luke come to fruition? How do she and Percy even get along, particularly considering what Percy and Annabeth have and that, for Thalia, no time has passed? All interesting questions the show has left for Season 3. They could have given us a hint. Anyone who hasn’t read the books can go Google the answers. But isn’t seeing what this journey brings part of the magic?
WAR IS INEVITABLE
The thing about this war, ‘The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well’ shows, is that it’ll have surprising turns. Chris turning on Clarisse (knowing what happens here makes this a hard watch), and therefore on Camp, is one of those. There were always going to be people, instead of Camp Half-Blood, who were on Luke’s side, particularly because, as we’ve discussed, Luke has some great points. But this episode also sort of cements why, great points aside, Luke is on the wrong side of this. And unlike Percy, he is going for the kill.
He’s willing to do anything, to hurt anyone, just to get what he wants. No, to get what Kronos wants. Does the end ever justify the means? Luke has picked his answer to this question. For Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse, and so many others, the answer is no. And they will put aside their differences to fight Luke on this. Because the difference between Percy and Luke is clear in that final fight. Deep down, Luke might not have wanted to kill Percy, but he was going to. And Percy might have thought he had given up on Luke, but he wasn’t ready to land a killing blow.
But, as Poseidon so aptly put it, war is coming. This is just the beginning. And everyone has a role to play in what comes next. That’s why Tyson is leaving. That’s why Thalia is back. And that’s why Luke, at this point in the story, cannot see past what he knows is wrong and what he cannot fix with just a sword.
FRIENDS
Perhaps the most important thing we learn in Season 2—other than that Percy has no chill when it comes to Annabeth, which I’d argue we already knew—is how important it is to have friends. Clarisse discovers it as Grover and Annabeth come to her aid after she and the camp are betrayed by Chris. And even though, later, we see that she still isn’t and perhaps will never be the warm and cuddly type, there’s now a common thread between her and our trio.
If we think back to where Clarisse started, it’s almost impossible to believe we got here. Bullies usually remain bullies. Clarisse, however, has learned a lesson. Percy has learned a lesson. It’s not the same lesson, but it leads to the same place: understanding, and perhaps, a tentative friendship.
There are enough problems coming for all of them from the outside. In the end, Clarisse is on the same side as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. They can all fight the same battle on different fronts, and hopefully, come out ahead together.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, Episode 8 ‘The Fleece Works Its Magic Too Well’? Share with us in the comments below!
All episodes of Percy Jackson Season 2 are now available to stream on Disney+.
