‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ 1×03 review: “We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium”

Percy Jackson and the Olympians continues its faithful retelling of the book series with Episode 3, “We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium.” This chapter of the book introduces one of the most famous figures from Greek mythology — Medusa. While her encounter with Percy, Annabeth, and Grover is short-lived, she leaves an impression and provides more background information about the gods. Though Percy still has a lot to learn about this world, we’re past a lot of the heavy-exposition moments, allowing for a smoother pace this episode.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover begin their quest to find Zeus’ lightning bolt. Hades’ furies are still on the hunt, attacking them on the bus. Once their ground travel plans are disrupted, the trio makes their way on foot through a forest into New Jersey. The trio may be working on limited time, but air travel is out of the question for this quest. Since Zeus patrols the skies, it would be dangerous for Percy to enter Zeus’ domain as Zeus believes Percy stole his lightning bolt. It’s not clear how they know they are going the right way, although Grover explains his Uncle Ferdinand traveled this way on his search for the god Pan.

Regardless, the furies chase them into a corner at Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium. They immediately clock that this is Medusa’s residence, probably because there are a bunch of statues of Greek mythical creatures and random passerby out front. In the book, the Medusa reveal is more gradual; Percy, Grover, and Annabeth aren’t aware of her identity when they first arrive hungry from their travels. On screen, they’re quick on the uptake; however, it’s questionable that Percy would still take Medusa’s offer of lunch knowing the danger she represents. Annabeth’s reservation’s come from her mother’s history with Medusa, as Athena is the one who cursed Medusa in the first place. The fact that Annabeth mentions this and Percy and Grover still go along for lunch rings a little callus of them, another reason why their ignorance in the book works better for this chapter in their quest. 

Still, the moments with Medusa stand out. Played by Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash), Medusa glides onto screen with grace, mystery (despite her identity already being known), and bitter sweetness. She wears a hat and a mesh face covering to hide her eyes, but the scaly skin of the snakes peek out from under the hat. Clever camera work frames her in a way so that even the audience never fully sees her, staying tight on her face in profile, and angling her body to face off camera for wider shots. In this way, the mystery of her stays alive, giving her an air of poise and danger at every moment.

Kennedy imbues her with a motherly charm as she tries to persuade Percy on her side. She tempts all three of them with a feast for champions. And, she gets to tell her side of the story. After worshipping Athena for years, Athena’s curses her after Medusa falls in love with Poseidon (though, there are many interpretations of this situation.) Allowing Medusa to tell her side of the story, especially to two demigods whose parents are responsible for her curse, provides nuance to the gods. Though they ask for devotion and worship, the gods can be vindictive, malicious, and petty.

As compelling as Medusa is, she doesn’t last long against our trio. For the entire episode, Percy and Annabeth bicker while Grover tries to play mediator. Furies and Medusa try to break the trio apart before they’ve barely set foot on their quest. But in the clutches of Medusa, the three come together for the first time to escape the Garden Gnome Emporium. Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say. Grover acts as a distraction. Annabeth offers up the baseball cap her mother gave her to serve as the workaround to facing Medusa full-on. Percy cuts off Medusa’s head, and then uses Medusa’s head and Annabeth’s baseball cap to defeat one of the furies, turning her into stone. 

Though he’s been thrown into this world of Greek mythology without a rulebook to follow, Percy’s all about making his own way. Not wanting to leave Medusa’s head behind where anyone can stumble upon it and turn to stone, Percy boxes it up and addresses it to the gods on Mount Olympus. Baller move for a twelve-year-old. This leads to an end tag that reveals Lin-Manuel Miranda as the god Hermes (messenger god), who delivers Percy’s message to the rest of the gods on Mount Olympus, which is on the top floor of the Empire State Building. 

We finally get the whole trio together in “We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium.” Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri have great chemistry together, even while their characters are fighting over petty things. This episode also contains some great comedy beats; Grover’s mediation song is a particularly great highlight, as well as his “damn the consequences, let’s eat” attitude. 

Percy and Annabeth’s first real connection comes in the resolution of their fighting. Percy has been stand-offish to both Grover and Annabeth because the Oracle’s prophecy is on his mind. He eventually tells his companions the truth — that a friend will betray him on this quest. He explains that he chose Grover for the quest because he’s his best friend, so betrayal is out of the question. And he chose Annabeth because Percy doesn’t see how they will ever be friends, so how could the prophecy be about her? It’s a revealing moment, and Jeffries gives Annabeth wonderful subtleties in reaction to Percy’s confession. But fighting off Medusa forges a bond all three can’t ignore. They’re in this together, now. 

“We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium” showcases the strengths of this Percy Jackson and the Olympians adaptation. It allows the characters to navigate inner insecurities and project team dynamics while also going up against external forces that don’t want them to succeed. And it does it all at a much smoother pace than the double episode premiere last week. 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres new episodes every Tuesday at 8 p.m. central on Disney+.

---

Images courtesy of Disney/David Bukach