S01.E05: A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers

[Mr. Sparkle]

The quest deepens as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are tasked with a favor from a fearsome opponent.

Premieres Tuesday, January 9th on Disney+. 

[RachelKM]

Still watching the episode. But, question, was there a break in filming between this episode and the one before? Walker Scobell's face took on a bit of the early teen awkwardness.  Not an insult. I was just wondering because it seemed like he got out of the river a 12 or 13 year old and then was walking down the road a 13 or 14 year old. 

[Affogato]

7 hours ago, RachelKM said:

Still watching the episode. But, question, was there a break in filming between this episode and the one before? Walker Scobell's face took on a bit of the early teen awkwardness.  Not an insult. I was just wondering because it seemed like he got out of the river a 12 or 13 year old and then was walking down the road a 13 or 14 year old. 

Maybe it is acting. He has more confidence now that his Dad is supporting his quest. 

Edited January 10 by Affogato

[RachelKM]

5 hours ago, Affogato said:

Maybe it is acting. He has more confidence now that his Dad is supporting his quest. 

No, I was referring specifically to his physical appearance. His nose seemed a bit bigger and I think he grew a couple of inches. 

l'm really liking this show. I'm bummed more people aren't commenting.

[ursula]

I also agree that he looked visibly older. It was very lucky timing for the writers. If there was ever a time to have an inconvenient growth spurt in your child actor, it should be after he gets a figurative baptism.

[tennisgurl]

This shows casting has been excellent, its almost been too good, like I always end up liking the one off gods and monsters so much that I'm sad to see them go at the end of each episode. Casting a professional wrestler as Ares (who of course no starts online flame wars for fun) is brilliant casting, he was so much fun. Scary, blood thirsty, but also weirdly likable and fun in a bloody sort of way. Loved watching Grover playing him for information was hilarious, he was so touched at Grover mentioning his little known wars and at his annoyance with Athena. And her stupid owl. I am also always thrilled to have Timothy Omundson on my screen, who I really hope we see again soon, he did a lot with only a little. 

The Greek gods really are a hot mess of a family.  

[madhacker]

2 hours ago, ursula said:

I also agree that he looked visibly older. It was very lucky timing for the writers. If there was ever a time to have an inconvenient growth spurt in your child actor, it should be after he gets a figurative baptism.

While I agree with your assessment, I think it's maybe because Percy got a definite confidence boost from Dad. That and the fact he found out a bit more about his heritage (being able to breathe underwater). Maybe a bit of puberty and an acting choice of Walker.

This show is doing so well, Disney better be announcing a multi season renewal and fast. I want 4 more seasons, just so all the books are covered.

[Spartan Girl]

Using “What Is Love” for that moment was GOLD!

[Guest]

On 1/10/2024 at 8:56 AM, tennisgurl said:

This shows casting has been excellent, its almost been too good, like I always end up liking the one off gods and monsters so much that I'm sad to see them go at the end of each episode. Casting a professional wrestler as Ares (who of course no starts online flame wars for fun) is brilliant casting, he was so much fun. Scary, blood thirsty, but also weirdly likable and fun in a bloody sort of way. Loved watching Grover playing him for information was hilarious, he was so touched at Grover mentioning his little known wars and at his annoyance with Athena. And her stupid owl. I am also always thrilled to have Timothy Omundson on my screen, who I really hope we see again soon, he did a lot with only a little. 

I agree with everything you’ve said. The casting is really elevating the show. 

I loved the scenes with Grover and Ares. They helped to flesh out Grover’s character in a way we don’t get when he’s just interacting with Percy and Annabeth. 

I’m also impressed with how the God’s personalities are being encapsulated with so little and, in turn, how their personalities explain why their children are the way they are. 

I am so impressed with the kids playing three main characters. They bring a lot of nuance to small moments. 

[RachelKM]

On 1/10/2024 at 8:56 AM, tennisgurl said:

This shows casting has been excellent, its almost been too good, like I always end up liking the one off gods and monsters so much that I'm sad to see them go at the end of each episode. Casting a professional wrestler as Ares (who of course no starts online flame wars for fun) is brilliant casting, he was so much fun. Scary, blood thirsty, but also weirdly likable and fun in a bloody sort of way. Loved watching Grover playing him for information was hilarious, he was so touched at Grover mentioning his little known wars and at his annoyance with Athena. And her stupid owl. I am also always thrilled to have Timothy Omundson on my screen, who I really hope we see again soon, he did a lot with only a little. 

The Greek gods really are a hot mess of a family.  

Couldn't agree more. The casting and the development given to each of the characters is really great. I'm disappointed whenever I realize I won't see most of them again, at least not this season. (Please let there be more.)

I also loved the conversation with Grover and Ares. It was also nice to see Grover as more than peacemaker between Percy and Annabeth. 

15 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Using “What Is Love” for that moment was GOLD!

I actually laughed out loud when it started. The amination with it was great too.

[DearEvette]

Great casting of Ares.  That is exactly how I would picture Ares in my head. 

Good casting of Hephaestus as well.  Although in my head he is still a somewhat of a blacksmith in my head, not the steampunk inventor the show went with. But I'll take it. It works.

Also good concept of the Three Fates as older lady knitters.  Of course!  So Atropos cut a thread.  And yeah that means someone's gonna die. I wonder if Percy' technically 'died' during the minute he was frozen on that chair? 

On 1/11/2024 at 9:38 AM, Dani said:

I’m also impressed with how the God’s personalities are being encapsulated with so little and, in turn, how their personalities explain why their children are the way they are.

I love this. Whoever is writing did their mythological research.  Ares was always jealous of Athena.  She always got the better of him.  And she has always been presented as smarter at warfare than him.  Grover being able to use that tweak him for info is great. And Ares comes off as just the right amount of beleaguered and thirsty for validation

Also I really hope we get a scene with all the gods together at maybe a dysfunctional family event.   I know who they cast as Poseidon, Zeus and Hades.  All great choices.  But nothing yet on Athena.   I think it is the Iliad that has them choosing sides in the Trojan war and arguing about it like teenagers.  I want to see something like that. LOL.

 

On 1/10/2024 at 11:56 AM, tennisgurl said:

This shows casting has been excellent, its almost been too good, like I always end up liking the one off gods and monsters so much that I'm sad to see them go at the end of each episode. Casting a professional wrestler as Ares (who of course no starts online flame wars for fun) is brilliant casting, he was so much fun. Scary, blood thirsty, but also weirdly likable and fun in a bloody sort of way. Loved watching Grover playing him for information was hilarious, he was so touched at Grover mentioning his little known wars and at his annoyance with Athena. And her stupid owl.

I enjoyed how Grover was able to draw him out.  But the nature of the conversation was pretty funny. Talking about Ares' war phases and 'softer' wars reminded of when people have conversations with, say, hard rock musicians who write a love ballad or something. 

 

On 1/11/2024 at 7:50 AM, Spartan Girl said:

Using “What Is Love” for that moment was GOLD!

That was great as was the accompanying short film of Hephaestus' life. 

What I liked the most... Percy's reaction to the song.  He is 12 years old.  That song is way older than him.  One of my pet peeves is when writers write YA characters as if the stuff resonant with them when they themselves were teenagers would be the same things that would resonate with their teenage characters set in the present day.  That is simply not true.  So I love that Percy's only point of reference is that he kinda maybe recognized the song as something that was played in his orthodontist's office. 

[Silver-hyren]

The first thing I ever saw Timmothy Omundson in was Xena and his character uh set in motion a sequence of events that led to the end of the Greek gods.  So seeing him here now playing a god was . . . something.

Loved the casting for Ares.  He just nailed the petty dangerousness of the character.  

[paramitch]

I wish I liked this as much as everyone else seems to.

For me, it's just incredibly childish, and not in the good way. Some of my favorite books and movies are about children, but the writing for these is barely competent to me. It's bright and shiny with very little substance underneath at all for me.

And on a shallow note, while the kid playing Percy is okay, his voice is incredibly unpleasant and whiny, and I keep wishing someone else was playing him when he speaks.

On 1/14/2024 at 11:37 AM, DearEvette said:

I love this. Whoever is writing did their mythological research.  Ares was always jealous of Athena.  She always got the better of him.  And she has always been presented as smarter at warfare than him.  Grover being able to use that tweak him for info is great. And Ares comes off as just the right amount of beleaguered and thirsty for validation

For me, the Greek mythology knowledge feels like the author did a quick Google, and that was it. I've been so disappointed. Nobody is surprising or reimagined in any way. Even Medusa, with her horrible origin story that cried out for her NOT to be just "a monster" was betrayed by the show to be... yep, a monster. I was so angry and disappointed.

Meanwhile, onward. It was nice to see Omundson back again, and he was a lovely and quiet Hephaestus.

But meanwhile, there is very little subtext -- everyone just says whatever they need to say to move the plot along. And the arcs all move at lightning speed -- "I hate you!" "We're best friends!" etc.

The casting is okay, the acting is okay, I appreciate the diversity, I just wish the show was better.

I feel like they spent all their money on effects and far too little on caring about the writing or worldbuilding. But since the author did the adaptation, I'm guessing the books are just this bad?

Maybe it's just not for me.

 

Edited January 27 by paramitch
fixed quote

[Hanahope]

Ok I remember an animated Greek gods show that I think Disney did when I was a child 50 years or so ago and I swear that is what they showed in the tunnel.  It looked very familiar.

and can show runners or directors or whoever please stop making the scenes so dark I have to watch only at night and turn out all lights to see what’s going on.  Not everyone has a home theater without windows.