‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Season 1 Finale Explained – The Hollywood Reporter

(This story contains spoilers for the season finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+.)

Percy Jackson completed his quest.

The season finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians finds the main character (Walker Scobell) facing off against two powerful Greek gods, sharing emotional scenes with his parents, and discovering there might be more challenges to come. According to the structure of The Lightning ThiefRick Riordan’s novel that is the source material for this season, the finale features several high-stakes scenes that seem like climaxes to the story, only to turn into another big moment.

First, Percy confronts Ares (Adam Copeland) in hopes of reclaiming Hades’ helmet and preventing an all-out war between the gods and its disastrous consequences for humanity. After successfully confronting the god of war, with a little help from the sea, he travels to Olympus to return the master lightning bolt to Zeus (Lance Reddick, in one of his last acting roles before his death in March 2023). Zeus is ready to go to war anyway, until Percy’s father, Poseidon (Toby Stephens), intervenes and surrenders before he can begin the fight. Father and son (finally!) share a moment together before Percy returns to a hero’s welcome at Camp Half-Blood.

The party is short-lived, however, as Luke (Charlie Bushnell) reveals what Percy had already largely discovered: that Luke helped orchestrate the potential war on behalf of Kronos, the titan who has been haunting Percy’s dreams for all season and is looking to get revenge on his children, the Olympians. Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) steps in to help Percy fend off an attack from Luke, who then disappears.

However, after the tension of those scenes, the ending shifts to a more optimistic place, with Percy, Annabeth, and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) saying goodbye for now (and Grover having obtained his seeker’s license). The trio hug by Thalia’s tree and Percy leaves, still unsure that Hades has fulfilled his end of the deal to return his mother from the underworld.

However, Percy is still Sally Jackson’s son, and after a fake dream sequence, Sally (Virginia Kull) wakes him up to start the day. It’s a touching season finale (save for a well-deserved punishment for Smelly Gabe in a post-credits scene), though it promises more. (As of press time, Disney+ has not made any calls for future seasons, although the series is off to a strong start on the streamer.)

Co-creator and co-showrunner Jonathan Steinberg said that in following the model established in the book for the season finale, he and co-showrunner Dan Shotz decided “by feel” how to give the right weight to each key scene.

“If you have a series of scenes that seem to be an ending, they have to be endings for different things, and each one has to feed into the next,” Steinberg said. The Hollywood Reporter. “Everyone feels like they’re making a slightly different comment, because there are all these different motives and priorities.”

Steinberg and Shotz spoke with THR about the finale, the relationship between Percy and his mother, working with Reddick in the finale, who is remembered in a title card at the end of the episode, and the possibilities for the second season.

Can you talk a little more about getting the multiple big moments in the finale?

STEINBERG The journey to find friends, companions and find connections is one of them. That ends at Annabeth and Grover’s moment. The need to save her mother comes at a time. The need to find his father: I think each one is a moment to feel that (the story) has come to an end. And then you’re just seasoning to taste so it doesn’t feel like the show is running longer than expected.

SHOOTING The Kronos part is also launching a much bigger mythology. It’s been teased all season, but it being towards the end sets up a lot more to come within the broader mythology and within what it means to Percy personally. So that was another part of it as well, looking forward.

The relationship between Percy and Sally seems very strong even though Walker and Virginia don’t share much screen time during the season. How did you and the two actors work to build that bond?

STEINBERG You know you’re going to have a really limited amount of time between them. You have to achieve this sense of investment and chemistry between mother and son in a way that lasts throughout the season. So there was a tremendous amount of attention and energy that went into figuring out what those scenes were: How do you create this sense of warmth that’s everywhere without feeling like you’re trying too hard? That said, you can do it until the cows come home, but if you don’t have two actors who can sell it and who are just as charming, warm and engaging, it’s not going to get you anywhere. They are both stars. You see Walker touch her on the wrong shoulder and play with her, and in three seconds, you get this relationship and you love them.

SHOOTING We had to really make sure we achieved this. You had to understand that what was at stake throughout the season was in that first episode, how important this relationship is. They really built it up a lot off screen. They just bonded right away. Virginia is a mother, Walker is very funny and silly, and they were very playful with each other. I remember one day when he was shooting her with water guns. It was that kind of dynamic and they were just laughing all the time.

When you were casting the gods and other adult characters, how many of the people you approached said, “Oh, my kids love those books” compared to people who didn’t have a connection to the source material?

SHOOTING It was a mix of both. Megan Mullally had never heard of the books, or she knew the name, but she had never read them. And from the moment she signed up, she said, every single person called her and she couldn’t believe he was a part of this. She said: “I had no idea. “I thought I was just signing up to play a really cool Fury.” But she had no idea what she was getting into and she was very excited. She said: “I’ve had more calls than for any project I’ve ever done.” And then others like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jay Duplass, and Adam Copeland, whose kids love these books. It is part of her DNA as young readers and influenced her children to the point of falling in love with reading. That is a powerful experience. I think everyone said, “I read these books to my son and then my son read them to me.” That relationship with books becomes very personal very quickly.

Lance Reddick’s title card at the end of the episode was a really nice nod to him.

SHOOTING Obviously, as you can imagine, that was very difficult for all of us, for the children, especially for Walker, who worked with him during those days. But for all of us, losing Lance was heartbreaking. At the same time, we also feel very lucky to have spent that time with him. And so he fulfilled it, and he loved it. He was very proud to be a part of this and play that role. He took it very seriously; You can see in the performance how seriously he took it. But he was also kind and funny and a very good scene partner for Walker. It was a really special experience with him. We miss him very much.

Have you talked about finding another actor to play the role in the future?

STEINBERG We haven’t really talked much about it. Zeus does not play a major role in many of the books. We will have to face it as it comes. I think for now we’re really excited for people to see his performance and honor him in any way we can.

Seeing Walker, Leah, and Aryan doing press at the beginning of the season, they’ve definitely grown up a bit since filming wrapped. Are you thinking about “not having a growth spurt” or something like that as you approach possible future seasons?

STEINBERG We tried telling them that, but it didn’t seem to have any effect. (laughs)

SHOOTING We look at it as if it’s very important to launch this with kids of the right age. As the story progresses, it moves forward a year in each book, so we benefit from the fact that the way Rick structured the book series, we have a big jump between each one. But yes, Walker experienced a growth spurt from him. He is a little taller than Aryan and was a little shorter than him before. There’s all that we’ll have to deal with. But the truth is that these children are these roles, and we will assume them as we have them at that moment, because they are perfect.

As you know, the second book, sea ​​of ​​monstersIt takes place mainly in the ocean…

SHOOTING Many boats. let’s go back to our black candles days.

Are there things you learned doing that program that you can apply here?

STEINBERG Safely. Even though I swore I would never sail on boats or the ocean again, somehow the universe has disproved that. But there are a lot of things you learn from spending all that time in the water. You can’t stop me from picking up some things. So at least in that direction we are on the right track.

Finally, I’m curious if you two have a favorite book in the series? Is there anything you’re really looking forward to putting on screen, assuming the show can continue for a while?

STEINBERG I think it’s hard not to (look at) book five (The last Olympian). All of these stories being given new life and an opportunity to be brought into this medium so that they all collide in this giant war piece, and all of these characters and these emotional factors that intersect is really exciting. Who knows how tall Walker will be at that point, but the story is exciting.

SHOOTING Being able to get to book five, and I know Walker loves book five, would (would be) amazing. It’s very exciting to think about that culmination. We have the benefit that, even doing the first season, we have all those books to look forward to and tease and play with all those elements that we know are coming.

Edited and condensed interview.