"I Plunge to My Death"[1] is the fourth episode of the first season of the Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Synopsis[]
The heroes search for a refuge in St. Louis, and come face to face with the mother of all monsters.
Plot[]
As the three half-bloods continue their quest by train, Percy dreams of when his mother took him to swimming lessons. He is afraid, but she urges him to swim as it can save his life one day. The scene suddenly shifts to a desert where a voice is telling Percy he will fail.
Percy then wakes up and talks with Annabeth about her relationships with Thalia, noting that she wants him to prove himself, similar to how Annabeth had to prove herself to Thalia. He is also frustrated about how their godly parents only contact them if they need something from their children. Annabeth says humans are similar and talks about how life with her father was good until he married her stepmother and had twin sons. After that, she made her feel like a burden, and she left when she was seven. To her, everyone is like that, but at least with the gods will always look out for you if you worship them. Their conversation awakes a very frustrated and hungry Grover and the trio go to the café car to get breakfast.
As they eat, Percy questions what they are looking for when they reach Los Angeles, but Grover says they will sort that hurdle when they get there. Percy also asks about the last line of the Oracle's prophecy, noting that the two of them are deliberately ignoring it. Before he can question them, he suddenly spots four centaurs outside. Grover explains that the number of Centaurs in the wild has dwindled due to human activity. He also tells the story of Pan and the satyr's quest to find him, which none have ever returned from. Annabeth assures Percy that the quest won't fail, only a part of it, and Fate works in mysterious ways.
A transit officer suddenly comes to them and asks to see their tickets. After confirming that they are passengers of Cabin 17B, the officer takes them to their room, which has been destroyed with a massive hole blown through the window. A woman with a puppy claims to have heard children's voices. The three press their innocence, but when Annabeth asks if they will be arrested, the three are kept under watch in the dining car. As they suspect someone is looking for the Master Bolt, the woman comes over to comfort them. Not long after, Grover notices she has glass on her clothes, and they realize she is Echidna, the mother of all monsters. She explains how she views demigods as monsters, and her puppy, revealed to be a young monster, attacks them, as training for a hunt. It stings Percy, and Annabeth stabs it with her knife. They run, chased by security and the chimera, although the passengers only see a tiny dog. When the train stops in St. Louis, they escape, although most of the train is destroyed.
Once they are in the city, Annabeth leads them to the Gateway Arch, a temple to her mother, and promises safety. As they look around, Grover suggests they look for a way to escape Echidna and walks off, upset by the Manifest Destiny exhibit inside. Percy and Annabeth talk about their parents, where Percy imitates Athena, causing her to laugh, and admits she was right about the sanctuary. Annabeth apologizes and says that Fate is real, as the train stopped in St Louis, before suggesting that Percy pray to his father. Percy refuses and, just as he says that Annabeth has been there for him more than his father, the monster's poison takes effect, and he becomes weakened. Annabeth and Grover take him to the fountain outside and douse him in water to no effect, confusing nearby tourists. They see Echidna coming and decide to head to the top of the Arch to pray to Athena; however, as they do, Echidna telepathically tells Annabeth something. When they reach the elevator, they notice Echidna and her monster, now a fully grown Chimera, are inside.
As they go to the top, Percy and Grover ask Annabeth how the monsters were able to get inside the arch, and she says her mother let them in as punishment for mailing Medusa's Head to Mount Olympus. Percy tries to protest that Annabeth shouldn't be punished for something he did, but she says her mother does not care. When they reach the top, they find it full of tourists. Annabeth pulls the fire alarm and tells Percy and Grover to get to the river so the former can heal, volunteering to hold off their attackers. In response, Percy offers Riptide to Annabeth, tricking her into switching places with him before closing the door, ignoring their pleas for him to escape.
Echidna and the Chimera arrive, and a fight breaks out. As Percy moves away from the Chimera's fire breath, Echidna blows a hole in the floor, and he is eventually knocked into it. As Percy dangles for his life, Echidna mocks him. Percy then loses grip and falls. But before he can hit the ground, an arm of water grabs him and pulls him into the Mississippi River. Percy falls in the river and struggles to breathe as his feet are embedded in the riverbed. As he struggles to free himself, a Nereid swims over to him and says Poseidon has always been watching over him and to trust him. As she urges him to 'just breathe', as Sally told him to during their swimming lessons, Percy realizes he can breathe underwater.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson
- Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase
- Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood
Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
- Azriel Dalman as Young Percy
- Nick Boraine as Voice in Dream
- Ryan Cowie as Chaperone
- Alessandro Juliani as Transit Cop #1
- Ely Jackson as Transit Cop #2
- Gayle Yamamoto as Mom
- Winson Won as Dad
- Julia Lee as Child #1
- Joshua Lee as Child #2
Uncredited[]
Differences[]
- The three are able to get a sleeper car, where as in the book they do not have enough money.
- The questers encounter Echidna and the Chimera on board the train, and flee to the Gateway Arch to hide. In the book, they only visit the Arch during a stopover and encounter Echidna and the Chimera at the Arch.
- The Gateway Arch is depicted as a temple to Athena, which its book counterpart is not.
- The Chimera is female here, like in the myths, in contrast to the book version being male.
- Instead of falling directly into the Mississippi River like in the book, Percy is grabbed by a waterspout and pulled into the river.
- The book depicts the Arch as being directly above the Mississippi River because Rick Riordan thought the two were located closer together when writing it. In real life, the two are about a mile apart from each other, meaning it would be impossible for Percy to fall directly into the river from the top of the Arch, which is likely why this change was made.
Trivia[]
- The title is derived from Chapter Thirteen of The Lightning Thief while the episode itself is an adaptation of Chapters Twelve through Fourteen.