Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 has me holding my breath every episode, and that's not easing up. With only two episodes left in season 2 after this week’s episode, I’m not sure where our heroes go from here. But they’ve faced many challenges, and this recent one won’t stop them from completing their quest.
So far, we’ve seen how Percy and Annabeth’s demigod nightmares have pushed the narrative into fear and danger from the get-go. Their determination led them to beg for a quest from the Camp Half-Blood leaders, who laughed in their faces. Yet, a good hero doesn’t give up even when Percy’s destiny threatens to destroy him.
Even though they arrived at the Sea of Monsters, the vortex tore our heroes apart and sent them to different parts of the island. Clarisse ended up as Polyphemus’ second captive, along with Grover. Percy and Annabeth faced their fatal flaws to hopefully escape the sirens' deadly song. Circe tried to make Percy believe that Tyson was a goner, and with the episode not showing him, all I could do was hold onto hope that he survived because he is Poseidon’s son, too.
Percy Jackson season 2 episode 6 reveals Tyson's whereabouts and Percy's fears
We finally get a glimpse of Tyson. As far as we know, he looks alive as he sinks to the ocean's floor and opens his eyes. He catches Annabeth's bracelet that floats down to him. Other than looking confused, he seems okay.
Percy looks around him, dazed and confused. The cloaked person bursts through the doors and electrocutes him and shocks him out of his dream. His anxious thoughts and lighting the lamp wake Annabeth, who immediately has to talk him out of saving Grover and getting the fleece right this second. They have to be careful because the Cyclops' senses are strong. She reminds him that his dream showed him the hole by the tree that leads into the cave, and that's where they need to get to. They have to be smart about it or risk ending up in more danger.
His dream shook him because the cloaked figure wasn't Kronos but someone else. Annabeth guesses that it was Thalia, as the flash of her face is shown to us. Percy's tied in knots about it because his mother always said dreams don't lie, even when you don't understand them, there's some truth to them.
Demigod bait
Polyphemus (the giant cyclops) is smarter than anyone thought. He may be lonely on his Island, but he knows how to lure demigods and satyrs into his trap. He reveals to a tied-up Grover and Clarisse that he takes demigods' voices. Not only that, but the fleece gives off the smell that brings satyrs to his Island because Pan first came there.
So not only is he holding Grover and Clarisse hostage, but he's luring other demigods to his Island. He may prefer to be alone, but he loves to talk and mimic voices. As it shows an overview of Percy and Annabeth running towards the tree, Polyphemus says that demigods will do anything to save their friends, even cross oceans. But in the end, that will be their downfall because they're walking right into a trap.
Luke's recon plan
Annabeth and Percy split up to grab disguises and make a plan to get past Polyphemus. This allows Luke to Iris in and catch Annabeth alone for a chat. Although he seems concerned that she's on Polyphemus' territory, she's not buying it. She turns down his advice, and I couldn't be prouder. Yet, she tells him he was right about Thalia hating Zeus, but was wrong about thinking she would ever stand with Kronos. Luke still believes Thalia wanted change. Annabeth says she wouldn't want change through war.
As Annabeth is telling Luke how he's lost himself by trusting Kronos, Percy swipes the call away. Polyphemus has left his cave. Percy reminds her that Luke is working an angle, but her face reveals she still has hope as they grab their disguises from the sheep's fence and head towards the cave.
I fear that Percy is right as we flash to Luke and Allison talking. She confronts him about spending so much time on Annabeth. He tells her that he does what he wants and that call was recon. I'm guessing he wanted to see where they were and make their quest harder. Less work, more action for Luke's side.
Sheep's wool
They throw the sheep wool over them and crawl on the ground surrounded by the sheep. Polyphemus comes stomping down the hill as Annabeth reminds Percy to be a sheep, and they start baaing. Luckily, it looks like he doesn't see a difference as he leads his sheep pack up the hill past the tree. Percy runs up the tree and looks down into the cave. Grover tries to warn him, but he can't hear him saying it's a trap.
After Percy reveals to Annabeth that Clarisse is with Grover, it flashes back to the cave to show her trying to get them up. They are tied together, back to back, with gags in their mouths. When Clarisse spins them around, knocking Grover into the mirror, he doesn't understand until a piece of glass lands beside them.
Polyphemus' trap
Percy and Annabeth discard the sheep wool and head to the cave's tree entrance with the rope. As they are preparing to send their rope down, Clarisse struggles to free herself and Grover. Annabeth reminds Percy they need to hurry as he descends into the cave with Grover yelling for him to turn around. Polyphemus comes running up the hill as Annabeth realizes it's a trap and Clarisse gets free to yell that the fleece is a fake.
Annabeth cloaks herself just in time when Polyphemus arrives at the cave's entrance. He mocks Percy and slams a rock into his rope, trapping him in the cave as he falls directly into Clarisse's arms who promptly throws him to the ground. Polyphemus may have the upper hand with two demigods and a satyr trapped, but Annabeth has other plans. She mocks him back, sending him into a swinging rage, but luckily, she's still invisible to him. Down on the ground, Luke appears in a swirl of dust, proving he has a plan all his own.
Grover uses his nose to sniff out the real golden fleece as Luke picks up the fake one at the cave's entrance. An invisible Annabeth fails to keep Polyphemus away as he realizes Grover found the real Golden Fleece.
Tyson stands up to Polyphemus
Polyphemus rolls the stone away and tells them the fleece is his. But he's stopped when something cuts his foot and the stone slips. Annabeth flies back, unconscious, as a bloody knife falls from her hand. Percy yells for Annabeth through the crack in the cave and rock as Tyson comes into view. I'm as shocked as Percy to see Tyson alive and standing up to another Cyclops to try to save Annabeth.
Listening to Polyphemus call Tyson little brother makes me want to scream, but thankfully, he tells the giant like it is. Percy is his brother, and he's a hero. Polyphemus speaks to him in the cyclops' tongue, trying to get him to listen because he doesn't want to hurt him. Tyson stands strong because Percy is nothing like Polyphemus. All bets are off when Tyson doesn't agree with his kind. Tyson doesn't want to hurt him, but Polyphemus says he hurt him, so Tyson throws him into a very impressive body slam. Tyson pushes Polyphemus off the cliff, sending them both over the edge as Percy yells for him.
Annabeth's fate
Percy pleads for Annabeth to wake up while he's still stuck in the cave. Then, Luke appears and goes to check on Annabeth, but like Percy, I want him far away from her. Luke says she's dying, and Percy immediately offers up the fleece to save her. I can't tell if Luke is genuine or if they are all blinded by fear of losing Annabeth.
Clarisse holds the Golden Fleece tight to her chest to save the quest. Yet, Grover and Percy plead for her to save a fallen warrior. While Grover's voice has her distracted, Percy takes the fleece and pushes it through the crack to Luke. He lays it on Annabeth, pockets her knife, and takes her into his arms. He tells Percy she'll be okay as Luke walks off with Annabeth, and Clarisse confirms that Percy signed their death certificates by handing the fleece to Luke.
Heroes don't give up
As Clarisse is giving Percy a hard time about killing Camp and probably Annabeth, a miracle happens. Tyson pushes open the cave rock. Not only is he alive, but he's also saving them. Tyson confirms that Polyphemus won't bother anyone again when he meets Grover for the first time. Then, Tyson sees Percy and starts apologizing for not going after Annabeth. As he's telling him he had to save him, Percy hugs him as tightly as possible. Even though they are in danger, my heart melts for them as they grow closer as brothers.
Tyson still helps because he points them in the direction Luke went as they see the boat leaving them on the island. Clarisse yells at them, but Tyson, our unsung hero, has a plan. Four Hippocampus (half-horse, half-fish) pop out of the water as Tyson says meet Rainbow and friends. This leads Percy to confidently say they'll get Annabeth and the Golden Fleece back. All we can do is hold onto hope as Annabeth and Camp Half-Blood's fates hang in the balance.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 streams Wednesdays on Disney+.