"We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium"[1] is the third episode of the first season of the Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Synopsis[]
Percy is tasked with the quest to return Zeus’ stolen Master Bolt, to stop a war between the gods.
Plot[]
Percy is sent into the attic of the Big House to visit the Oracle of Delphi and receive a prophecy for his quest. The Oracle's corpse comes to life and expels a green mist, which takes the form of Gabe Ugliano and explains his prophecy, via a rhymed riddle:
- You shall go west and face the god who has turned.
- You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned.
- You shall be betrayed by one who calls you friend,
- And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.
With the prophecy delivered, Chiron assembles the top candidates - including Luke, Chris, and Clarisse - for Percy to choose to join him on his quest. He instantly chooses Annabeth as his first companion, and also chooses Grover, who has missed the ceremony due to being forced to shovel pegasus dung as punishment for disobeying Mr. D's orders. The day he leaves, Percy is visited by Luke, who offers him another gift for the quest: flying shoes sent by Hermes, which activates with the command, "Maia". Percy admits he was going to pick Luke before changing his mind, but Luke reassures him that Grover was a wise choice.
The three questers gather at the border of the camp, where Annabeth shares a moment with the tree at the top of the hill. Grover explains to Percy that the tree is actually Thalia, who was transformed into that form by Zeus after she, Luke, and Annabeth were attacked by Alecto and Hades' forces. Annabeth and Percy bicker about the quest and who's in charge. The three of them take a taxi around New York, as Grover explains a bit more about the world, however the scene quickly shifts to them on a bus in New Jersey. Percy is annoyed at the circumstances, and Annabeth is annoyed at him. Grover reasons that Zeus himself could take a shot at Percy; and with the sky as Zeus's domain, travelling via an airplane was out of the question. When the bus stops, she refuses to let him or Grover off, saying she will buy food herself, Percy tries to vote on the decision, but Grover won't take sides. To calm them, he starts to sing a reedpipe song which is used to soften arguments. Annabeth leaves for the shop, where she stares at the sweet aisle, despite insisting otherwise, she starts to grab as many as she can. As she pays, she notices a woman in a leather jacket nearby. Back at the bus, Grover and Percy discuss how unrelenting monsters will be in their bid to end a demigod's life; for outside of Camp Halfblood, monsters are both rampant and unseen, courtesy of the mist. Hence why a demigod beyond the camp's protection must identify them first before vice-versa or things will get ugly. And while it's true that stronger demigods, such as those fathered by the Big Three, are the most likely to draw their attention, the way monsters home in on their prey is actually much more complicated and has little to do with the demigod in question's rising potential. Percy suspects that monsters sense fear but Grover corrects him (that's bees, actually). No, how they discern and track demigods depend on the monster itself, for some could sense a demigod's competence, or lack thereof, their ambition for glory or even their personal insecurities and so on. And then, of course, is the matter wherein the monster is already familiar with their target, from way long ago, and thus can identify the demigod on sight.
Annabeth returns to the bus, noticing Alecto - in the form of Mrs. Dodds - reading a newspaper. Putting on her invisible cap, she talks to Alecto, who taunts her over their past together. She offers to lure Percy away to be given to Hades whilst Annabeth can continue on the quest without his annoyance. Annabeth seems to consider this, but returns to Percy and Grover to warn them. Alecto transforms into her Fury form, and begins to advance, so she pulls the alarm, causing an evacuation. Another fury bursts through the window to attack Percy, but Annabeth kills her with her dagger. The three of them then escape out of the window.
The three questers walk along a Satyr Path together, where Percy wants to find a phone to call camp as he believes they cannot complete it; Annabeth disagrees, insisting they have not failed. Grover attempts to change the topic by talking about his Uncle Ferdinand, who used the same path for his own quest. Percy and Annabeth ignore him, as she accuses him of being afraid of something he is keeping from them and he tells her to call her mom for help, realizing that they haven't talked for a while. After Annabeth tries to pull Grover in, and they bicker about who he will side with, she reveals he was the previously unnamed Satyr who was supposed to protect Thalia. However, Grover suddenly smells food and leads the other two along the path to 'Aunty Em's Emporium'.
As they enter, they quickly realize that it has to be the place of someone mythical, with Annabeth soon theorizing it to be Medusa due to the many stone statues they come across. Alecto suddenly arrives, taunting them and telling Annabeth she should've taken the deal, to the others confusion. Before anything can happen, a woman arrives and Alecto hides her face. The woman introduces herself as Medusa, and invites the three questers inside, claiming no intention to harm them and invites them in for lunch. As they enter, Medusa assures Annabeth she does not hate her just because of who her mother is, asserting 'I am a victim' upon the suggestion of monsters. As they sit at the table, Medusa tells them how she devoted her life to Athena and the Goddess of Wisdom only noticed her after starting a relationship with Poseidon, turning her into a Gorgon after he left her. Annabeth retorts that her mother is just but Medusa casts doubt on her beliefs. Medusa goes to the kitchen and Percy follows and once they are alone, Annabeth tells Grover they need to run. In the kitchen, Medusa tells Percy she his mother are similar due to their relationship with Poseidon, calling the god a monster. Percy is thrown off by this and Medusa says his friends will betray him. After offering to petrify them for him, the Son of Poseidon runs and Medusa removes her hat and veil before going after the three.
Percy finds the dining room abandoned and goes to the basement, meeting up with his companions. A fire starts to burn and the three see countless of Medusa's victims as she makes her way down stars. The three run and fight over their next plan of action. Grover puts on the winged shoes and inadvertently triggers them before he is ready. Percy and Annabeth scatter and hide. Soon Medusa finds Percy hiding behind a crate and tries to manipulate him into looking at her. He stands up and closes his eyes. Medusa taunts him before Grover flies down and Annabeth puts her hat on Medusa and Percy beheads her. Percy and Annabeth head upstairs and back outside together to where Alecto is waiting. The fury attacks him just before she turns to stone and falls falls apart upon hitting the ground.
Back in the basement the demigods find Grover in front of his Uncle's remains, the only one without fear on his face, and they discuss what to do with Medusa's head. Percy suggests they bury it in Annabeth's hat but she gets defensive and she and Percy argue about their secrets. Grover repeals that the hat is the only thing Annabeth got from her mother and that Percy is acting the way he is because he is trying to chose between saving the only person who has ever cared for him and the world. Percy then reveals the oracle said a friend would betray him and he will fail to save 'what matters most', choosing Annabeth as he thought they would never be friends and Grover because he would never betray him. They find an address book and Percy mails the head to Olympus, despite the warnings of his companions.
After the package arrives in New York City, Hermes takes it to Olympus, saying "you are not going to believe this".
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson
- Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase
- Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood
Guest Starring[]
- Megan Mullally as Mrs. Dodds/Alecto
- Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus / Mr. D
- Timm Sharp as Gabe Ugliano
- Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa
- Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan
- Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue
- Glynn Turman as Chiron / Mr. Brunner
Co-Starring[]
- Andrew Alvarez as Chris Rodriguez
- Threnody Tsai as Sarah
- Sara J. Southey as Tisiphone
- Jennifer Shirley as Oracle
- Brooklyn Scotland as Samara
- George Moran as Red Team Bully
- Darla Fay as Cashier
Uncredited[]
- Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes
- Rick Riordan as Mail Carrier Statue
- Rebecca Riordan as Statue
Differences[]
- While Gabe does appear in the vision of the Oracle of Delphi, his poker friends do not (since he doesn't even have any) and he uses his own voice.
- Percy does not accidentally blow up the bus they are on, or become a wanted fugitive because of it.
- The trio realize "Auntie Em" is Medusa immediately after arriving, and she makes no effort to pretend to be a human woman.
- Alecto appears outside Aunty Em's Gnome Emporium when the trio meet Medusa.
- Percy informs Annabeth and Grover about the Oracle's Prophecy shortly after defeating Medusa.
Trivia[]
- The title is derived from Chapter Eleven of The Lightning Thief while the episode itself is an adaptation of Chapters Ten through Eleven.
- Rick Riordan has a cameo as a statue in Medusa's collection, as does his wife Becky.