After the heart-stopping drama of Episode 5 (featuring a mini-quest from Ares, god of war, where Percy almost gets permanently turned into a gold statue), and the chimera attack in Episode 4, you could be forgiven for assuming that Episode 6 would be a bit of a breather episode. And on some levels, it is; drama and fight wise, this is a much lower stakes episode.
However, that doesn't mean that Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) don't still find ways to get themselves in trouble, or that their quest is going to be smooth sailing. After rescuing Ares' shield for him in Episode 5, the trio find themselves en route to Las Vegas in the back of an animal transportation van (surrounded by some very smart animals, which we know because Grover can talk to them). They were instructed by Ares to go to the Lotus Casino and seek out the god Hermes, who will be able to give them fast passage to Los Angeles, where Percy's father awaits in nearby Santa Monica. From then, the quest will continue at the entrance to the Underworld.
It becomes apparent quite fast that this will not be as easy as assumed, and not just because Grover lets loose a bunch of wild animals in Las Vegas, giving them a "Satyr's blessing" and only afterwards wondering whether humans might be affected by this decision.
The Lotus Casino
Our trio seek out Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda) at the Lotus Casino and quickly become separated. While Percy and Annabeth find Hermes, Grover gets distracted by an older satyr (more on that later...) and they slowly but surely get the feeling that something is very wrong about this place.
Far from offering help, Hermes essentially plays them for time, trying to confuse Percy and Annabeth (who are already feeling slightly confused anyway, with Percy forgetting who Grover is and what exactly they're doing in this place). Annabeth eventually realizes, after Hermes gestures at his watch, that time moves differently in the Lotus Casino; what feels like a few minutes in the Casino is a few days out in the real world. Their time in the Casino is about to make them miss the Summer Solstice, the deadline for them to find the real thief of Zeus' Master Lightning Bolt.
Some quick thinking and careful pickpocketing from Annabeth ultimately saves the day and the trio escaping with Hermes' car and car keys (which the god of thieves lets them get away with it), making it safely to Santa Monica. So all ends well, but the sequence is another reminder that the world of gods and myths is a dangerous place, and even somewhere which feels safe can be anything but.
Pan
Book fans will be aware that this is not the last we will hear of the Lotus Casino, so in some ways the sequence sets up future plotlines. For show-only fans, attention should be paid to the growing mentions of Pan.
In Episode 4, Grover mentions how there used to be many more centaurs, but ever since Pan (the satyr god of the wild) went missing, nature has been dying. It is an aim of satyrs to find Pan, and to restore nature to how it should be. Being a satyr, this is an aim of Grover's too. It is clear how firmly he believes in the power of Pan, and also believes that Pan is very much alive and just awaiting rescue or discovery.
Grover comes across another satyr in Episode 6, one whom he has met before. But the satyr has no memory of him, which is our first indicator that something is wrong with the Lotus Casino. However, Grover's time with the satyr is important. He is told that this older satyr came very close to finding Pan; but before he can tell Grover anything else, he forgets what he is talking about and who he is talking to. This is a storyline which is quite evidently going to become very important to Grover as a character.
Wise Girl
Episode 5 gifted us with an iconic book line: Annabeth referring to Percy as "Seaweed Brain." In this episode, we got the iconic counter line from Percy: him referring to Annabeth as "Wise Girl." Both of these lines felt completely natural and unforced, which highlights how well written these episodes are, and how well cast the actors.
These nicknames appearing at this point shows us how this trio really is a concrete group now. When Percy and Annabeth find Grover again in the Lotus Casino, he's starting to forget who he is. Percy's method of reaching out to him is by reminding Grover that Percy and Annabeth are his "best friends." It isn't up for debate to Percy anymore that the three of them are a unit.
This is further reiterated when Grover is distressed that he seemed to forget more than Percy and Annabeth did, but Percy and Annabeth say gently that he was alone, and it's easier to forget things when you're alone. It's a way of reassuring Grover that they don't blame him, but also showing that they recognise that being together in the Lotus Casino saved the two of them from getting permanently stuck there.
The quest is fulfilled and Percy arrives on the shores of Santa Monica, all thanks to the people he is with. They are the beating heart of this story. One of the strongest elements of this show is that where it could lean into gods and power it instead leans into friendship and humility.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is available to stream on Disney+ now.
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