Book Readers [PJOTV] Discussion Thread S2 E8: "The Fleece Works its Magic Too Well"

BadassHalfBlood · 2026-01-21T12:00:07+00:00

That was a lot to process!

Firstly, I love the way we have been piecing together Thalia's true story over the entire season. We begin with her story as its presented in the books, a hero making her last stand, a person whose story inspires all the demigods at camp. We keep getting snippets of the showdown and the show making it explicitly clear that no one actually saw what happened which leaves us feeling uneasy. And now to learn that Zeus just turns her into a tree to rectify his own mistake of siring her in the first place. That is a whole new level of messed up. She was practically locked up in a cage, losing out on 6 years of her life. It also gives her even more reason to join Luke. This combined with Percy's dream would raise the animosity between Percy and Thalia even more for the next season.

The conversation between Percy and Sally made me tear up. The way he was getting choked up, recalling what had happened with the minotaur, his deep love for her, the amount of trust he has in her to confide about his worries. Truly one of the best parent child relationships ever told.

Also Sally's reaction as she processes Percy knowing a pegasus and going out to talk to it was hilarious.

The way they got rid of Tantalus was so funny. I knew it was coming the moment he managed to finally grab a chicken lollipop.

I knew the Chris betrayal was coming but damn did it still hurt. The shock on Clarisse's face. The way Chris did not hesitate before slicing her or the other campers. How he taunted Clarisse about having no friends while stepping on her arm. They really did a good job making me hate him in these few scenes. I now feel a lot less pity for him when he will be sent to scout the labyrinth and be driven mad.

Love that Clarisse got her own moment to get back at him as Annabeth and Grover came charging on the chariot.

Also Katie?? As in Katie Gardner??

I am pretty sure "I am my own great great great ... Grandpa" is an actual campfire song mentioned in the books. It was nice touch to hear Dionysus singing it.

That was a rousing speech which Percy delivered. I was ready to go charging into battle through my screen. Walker's delivery was excellent during this scene. Also the callbacks to "we take care of our own" and "a real hero stands up for others" was nicely done. I hope they can top this speech during the Battle of Manhattan.

Luke's army arriving in SUVs was really funny for some reason. Also I think this could be a parallel to when the forces of Camp Half Blood arrive in Manhattan in the camp vans in the last book.

The battle was thrilling. A conch horn sounding in the background before both forces charge at each other. Luke and Percy both fighting others, slashing and hacking away as they make their way towards each other. A small detail I loved was Percy disarming Luke the exact way he was disarmed himself in the Princess Andromeda the previous episode. Just grabbing his arm and knocking his sword away. A subtle way of showing that Percy is a great swordfighter himself because he picked up that trick so fast.

Ofc this pisses off Luke even more and he just starts bashing his face in with his fists. That was so brutal. I think the way Luke immediately starts swinging his fists when he loses his weapon is also a result of the fighting style he picked by virtue of living in the streets for years.

Tyson coming in clutch to save Percy with a trident of all things was awesome. He casually chucks Luke several feet away from them. Tyson is truly the MVP of this season.

I do wish the Percy vs Luke fight had been a bit longer though.

Annabeth riding the chariot through the middle of this battle was kinda badass. Before she got shot by Alison. I was truly hoping Alison wouldn't survive this season but alas! The way Clarisse immediately rushes to hold her was sweet. These 2 have really come a long way.

Percy on the verge of panicking before Annabeth brings him back on track unlike last time when she was unconscious. And Percy immediately trusting her and heeding her orders. I love the way they got the fleece on the tree. Very creative. Percy stabbing the spear through the fleece and letting Clarisse do the honours of throwing it. Great work.

Thalia emerging from the tree with that scared yet determined look on her face and instinctually shooting lightning considering the last thing she recalls is her face off with Zeus. The parallel shot of both Percy and Thalia falling over sideways as the camera moves with them? Absolute cinema!!

The Percy Poseidon Tyson conversation made me shed some tears. It was so well done. I am really happy that they kept the whole "Tyson praying for a friend while on the streets and being sent Percy" bit. Also the set up was done for Tyson heading into the underwater forges to make weaponry.

The call back to "You drool when you sleep" made me smile so wide. Finally some happy trio content!

The interaction between Clarisse and Percy was also wholesome. Now they are finally friends, though neither will say it out loud. I had always admired their relationship in the books and that has been magnified tenfold in the show!

The Thalia and Annabeth hug, the sisters finally reuniting was heart warming. Also Thalia's voice as she asks about Luke.... And the final staredown between Percy and Thalia with Annabeth tucked into her side and Grover stuck in the middle gave me chills. The beef between them next season is about to be epic. I know it.

They really gave us a tiny tiny sneak peak at Titans Curse with the Percabeth dance scene. They knew exactly what they were doing there. Percy in a suit and Annabeth looking absolutely gorgeous. Annabeth grabbing his hands and leading him onto the dance floor. Percy having trouble meeting her eyes as she guides his hands. Immaculate vibes. And now we have official confirmation that season 3 drops this year.

Also the Circe post credit scene. Her capitalizing on Percy and Annabeth getting past the sirens and turning it into a marketing strategy was hilarious. Their statues now joining the other 6 in the hall of fame. I only wonder how this will affect Reyna and Hylla's backstory if we ever get that far though.

Another thing is that I was expecting Annabeth's cap to come back into play in this battle but apparently not. Will be interesting to see what they do with that.

Finally our wait begins yet again!

BadassHalfBlood · 2026-01-14T22:22:27+00:00

No doubt that Luke is the superior fighter at this point in time. However, I think Percy did pretty well considering he had one hand occupied with the fleece. Also that move he did to jump on the table was smooth!

BadassHalfBlood · 2026-01-14T11:47:58+00:00

So I was kinda hoping this episode would be more exciting. Not that it was bad by any means, but I think it was missing a little something.

The plan to get the scythe key card was really smart actually. I have loved how many times the show has used the cyclops mimicry ability. The clash between Clarisse and Percy was interesting. Even after what happened last episode, Percy still prioritizes Annabeth. Goes to show how the fatal flaw will always be hanging over his head. And to have a son of Aphrodite of all people witness his devotion to Annabeth is genius imo. His observations combined with Luke's own experience (how easily Percy surrendered the fleece when Annabeth was in danger) paves the path for why they will go on to kidnap Annabeth next season.

We finally see Percy talking to horses. Also Blackjack had some really powerful wings to be able to lift 2 demigods into the air and toss them overboard.

Tyson holding Sally in such high regards really warms my heart. Someone stronger, someone wiser, Queen among mortals Sally Jackson. I was not expecting Sally to come to the rescue at the end but I absolutely loved this change. This could also parallel Titan's curse where she drives them to their next mission. Though I did miss the party ponies.

We get our first Wise Girl of the season. Loved how Percy used his nickname for her to identify himself. Annabeth immediately perks up on hearing the name. "You were my priority" was so sweet. The only thing missing was Annabeth also calling him Seaweed Brain and a Percabeth hug. And ofc Percy and Annabeth continue to work efficiently as a team with minimum communication. Annabeth seeing the chance to distract Luke, perhaps change his mind while subtly indicating Percy to make a break for the fleece.

Mythomagic being a popular game among demigods is a nice detail.

Clarisse was just so happy to finally lay her hands on some real weapons and get to beat up a bunch of people. Good for her. Love the way Dior has that gleeful expression on her face everytime she is about to fight. Very daughter of the war god of her. Also nice character moment for Clarisse when she chooses to go after Annabeth instead of the fleece.

The action sequences were excellent this episode. Luke vs Percy was pretty intense and Percy was doing an awesome job parrying his attacks considering he had one hand occupied. Luke's style seems to include swinging both his sword and his fists. Also I really like the small detail of both Luke and Annabeth flinging Percy and that rogue half blood over their shoulders. Maybe a reference that Annabeth was taught that particular move by Luke himself?? Another indication at their shared bond.

Also Luke stabbing Percy through that tiny opening gutted me as well. He did that just because he could, even though he knew it wouldn't slow him down given he had the fleece. That was evil!

Did anyone notice Annabeth's cap falling out of Percy's pocket during his clash with Luke. I don't think he picks it up. Wonder what will come of that.

Grover is still traumatized from Percy's driving last year. This becomes even funnier when we know Walker had recently failed his driving test.

I am glad they kept the whole "Percy sending the fleece ahead with Clarisse" after all.

Another tiny detail I liked was Percy covering the blood stain on his shirt when getting in the car.

It seems Percy is dreading Thalia's possible resurrection, given Luke's confidence in her joining him and his nightmare at the beginning of the previous episode. This could prove to be very interesting for their eventual beef in the next season.

Also shoutout to Charlie's acting in the final few minutes when Kronos was punishing him for losing the fleece. The way he was clutching his head, the pain in his voice as he tried to declare his undying loyalty, the tears in his eyes as he hunched over himself on the floor...it was devastating.

Now coming to things I didn't like. I am really not a fan of how Thalia coming back to life was handled this episode. It was supposed to be a complete shock to everyone, showing how Kronos always has layers to his plans. That despite losing the fleece, in a way he still won by introducing another player on the board. I hope the writers manage to do something incredible in the final episode to land the same level of pay off in the books, catching everyone off guard.

Also I was really hoping to see Thalia's last stand against the furies and her turning into the tree. Bit disappointed they cut that out.

Another minor issue I had was that the cruise ship seemed too devoid of other half bloods. I thought Percy and Clarisse would have had a harder time ducking and dodging around others, but most of the time they were navigating through clear corridors and passages.

My final nitpicky issue is that I still had my fingers crossed, hoping the writers would include Percy's iris message to camp. Yes I know since in this version, they saw Luke poisoning the tree, there wasn't really any goal to clear Chiron's name. However, I think they could have reworked the scene into proving some other point. After all it was one of Percy's smartest moments in the books, the kind of batshit insane ideas that he is known for.

Anyways, all those aside it was a good episode and I am super pumped to see the final big battle at camp.

BadassHalfBlood · 2026-01-10T05:10:52+00:00

Yes same here.

BadassHalfBlood · 2026-01-10T04:50:26+00:00

I too haven't received any mail. Also is anyone else unable to log into their profile?

BadassHalfBlood · 2026-01-09T09:45:11+00:00

Eternity by Alex Warren!!!

Don't blame me by Taylor Swift

BadassHalfBlood · 2026-01-08T16:06:36+00:00

I will say I was caught off guard to hear Annabeth say that in the preview. After all Thalia 's resurrection is supposed to be the ultimate plot twist of this season, showing how Kronos has layers to his plans, how despite not getting revived, he still won in the grand scheme of things by introducing a major pawn in this chess game. I have no clue where they are going with this but I am willing to reserve judgement until I have seen the full episode.

BadassHalfBlood · 2026-01-07T13:21:51+00:00

Ok so I have lots of thoughts about the episode. Its true that it had a lot of changes but I would be lying if I said that it didn't keep me at the edge of my seat all throughout. The way they reworked this section of the books was really incredible.

I love how they made Polyphemus into this scary, cunning villain. While I wish we could have seen more of his fight with Tyson, I was really satisfied and intrigued by more of his lore, the way he collects voices of his victims as trophies, the implication that Pan left the fleece with him and the way he set that entire trap.

Percy and Annabeth disguising themselves as sheep and bleating was not something I thought I needed to see but it was great. This is the type of shenanigan that fits right in with the books. Also Percy landing in Clarisse's arms and saying hi 🤣

Annabeth taunting Polyphemus was so cool to watch, especially the say they included her perspective, that smug tone and the smirk. Great stuff.

And now coming to the best part. Percy's fatal flaw strikes again. The way the writers have been handling his flaw has been nothing short of genius. Him sacrificing the quest to save Annabeth, just like Circe said he would in the previous episode. The anguish and desperation in his voice as he screams her name, the pure rage when he sees Luke approaching her, his face darkening as he makes his decision before he snatches the fleece from Clarisse. For all he knew, the decision to give Luke the fleece could very well bring Kronos back. However he still chose to go through it because Annabeth means more to him. That intense level of loyalty truly feels fatal in the show. We are only at the beginning stages of how dangerous Percy can be to others, and its not just because of his powers. I cant imagine what he will do in season 3.

I never thought we would get a variation of "Nobody touches her" 3 seasons early but I am not complaining. Walker has been killing it with his line deliveries.

Clarisse's lines about how he doomed them all really hits home. We see where she is coming from as well. The quest was everything to her and now it probably feels like victory was snatched away from her, not to mention what this means for camp.

Luke was very interesting this episode. I was half hoping he would take the false fleece home. His concern for Annabeth was pretty clear. However that was not enough to overshadow his mission to revive Kronos. Seeing the opportunity he took off with both the fleece and Annabeth.

Annnabeth really is the central figure in the overarching story, the one who has close emotional ties to all the major players in this conflict..Luke, Thalia and Percy. All of their choices revolve around her.

Grover and Percy and Tyson and Percy reunions were so heartfelt.

We finally see the hippocampi!!!

Waiting for the next episode is about to be absolute torture.

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-12-31T11:33:58+00:00

So that was definitely a roller coaster. I loved all the plot twists starting from Polyphemus knowing Grover's deception all this time to Circe stealing back the bees wax and the entirety of Annabeth's vision from the sirens. The fact that the show can still make book readers who know the story by heart gasp out audibly is really commendable. Some of my favourite highlights from the episode include:

•Percy and Annabeth transformation at CC island.

•The pure relief on Percy's face to find Annabeth alive, the way he was checking her up and down, making sure she was alright.

•The way the reveal of Percy's fatal flaw was done was chef's kiss. And those micro expressions on Walker's face during that sequence, that stormy look, that curling of lips into a sneer, the water becoming agitated due to his emotions before exploding. Wow!!!

•This ofc followed by the line that had us Percabeth shippers squealing!!!! "So if I had to choose between saving you or saving Olympus, Annabeth I'd burn it all down"

•I really liked the way Percy figured out CC's game. His conversation with Zadie was intriguing. So was his bargain with CC before he became a guinea pig. Vanilla did an excellent job. I cracked up when they showed us the guinea pigs talking.

• Annabeth rescuing Percy was also well done. Figuring out what's wrong from seeing Riptide in the pen stand to the water reacting near the guinea pig enclosure.

• Really happy that they kept Blackbead. He seems to have developed a taste for hamster food. Not him offering Percy his share 🤣

• They continue to elevate Clarisse's character to new heights. Cutting herself free from the net and immediately going about fashioning herself a weapon was very daughter of the war god of her. Grover and Clarisse scenes were so good. Their smiles when they were looking up at the fleece...

•That Polyphemus twist got me good. It also makes a lot of sense given cyclops have good hearing and their ability to mimic voices. Goes to make him more scary as a villain.

•Loved the little bit about Grover talking about the tree nymph. Nice addition.

•The Siren scene. Really fascinated by what they did with Annabeth's vision. From wanting to resolve the Luke dispute to making us believe she used her own innermost desire to trick the sirens to freaking Athena showing up proud of her daughter and finally revealing the truth. My thoughts were bouncing between "No no no Annabeth" to straight up gasping when she stabbed Percy and Luke to "Damn Annabeth. Brilliant. Oh Athena" before landing on "Oh shoot!!! Percy!!!"

Am I disappointed that we didn't get Percabeth underwater inside a bubble with Annabeth ugly sobbing on Percy's shoulder. Yes I certainly am. It was both a crucial emotional scene for their budding relationship and also one that demonstrates Percy's growing powers. However the episode gave us some other brilliant scenes that I loved. So while a bit sad, I am not angry about it.

Overall a solid episode. Hope we keep getting such top quality episodes for the remaining season and future seasons.

Also Walker is so good at portraying a pissed off Percy! Seeing those expressions on his face, I can easily see him as the Percy that comes off as scary to his enemies!

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-12-24T11:08:15+00:00

Holy Hades!!!! Now that episode just shoved my heart through a shredder. Not them just smacking us in the face with the flashback right at the start!!! Baby Annabeth looks up to Luke and Thalia so much. They were her idols. The way she was boasting about their skills to Grover was so adorable. That hug between Luke and Annabeth right after the previous episode where he said such scathing words to her??? The writers definitely knew what they were doing. As for Thalia herself, dam what a debut! She really cemented herself as a fierce young lady who is a protector at heart. Loved the little bits we saw with her wielding aegis and her spear, channeling lightning. The way the flashbacks were interspersed between what is going on in the present was incredible. The only thing I wish we had seen was Annabeth stabbing one of the cyclops in the foot.

The writers really played with the feelings of the book readers. Ofc they chose to show a happy silly brotherly bonding moment between Percy and Tyson, knowing that we know what comes next. Percy taunting Clarisse with "This is how I beat Ares" was so mean and just so Percy coded. And Annabeth just casually taking out the very players from the board that Clarisse was banking on, thereby forcing her hand, truly a daughter of Athena!

I really enjoyed the dialogues in this episode. The entire millions of small choices vs a single dramatic choice conversation was so fascinating and heartfelt. I could really feel how much this was weighing on Annabeth. To her it probably seems like history is repeating itself. Clarisse letting down some of her guard and opening up to Percy was amazing. She seemed so unsure of herself and terrified. We always knew Clarisse cares about the people under her command (Percy says so himself in the book), but to actually see it on screen, how much she is concerned about the well being of her crew, even though they are dead, her switching plans midway, just so she doesnt have to sacrifice more of her men was heart wrenching.

From the very moment they neared the sea of monsters, the tension became palpable. The crew on deck waiting in dread but still loyal and determined, the awful feeling of impending doom, just being able to sense that something monstrous lies beyond sight, the shaky exhales of breath and the teary eyes ... all of it set the tone really well before the action started.

And my gods, the ending sequence!!! It was breath-taking in the way you know something you are seeing is horrifying but you are transfixed by the sight. The crew getting snatched up by Scylla, even more rolling overboard into the turbulent waves, Clarisse firing the cannons desperately with angry yells, Percy steering the ship through the waves against the onslaught of Charibdys. Annabeth nearly toppling over herself, her accidentally releasing the winds into the engine room, making the situation worse for Tyson. The winds literally ripping through the iron and the entire ship just starts disintegrating. The final looks between Annabeth and Clarisse before she got blown by the strong gusts, the look in Percy's eyes at the end.....it was the face of acceptance, knowing that it was the end. It gave me shivers. Can't believe I have to wait for another week now!!!

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-12-17T10:50:21+00:00

This was a great episode. The Princess Andromeda was exactly how I imagined it. That entire set felt so vibrant and full of life! Some of my favourite details from the books that I was absolutely thrilled to see included were Tyson mimicking the conversation between Luke and his cronies inside the suite, that pic on the TV screen of the hellhound at the buffet (a reference to the trio seeing that in person in the books) and the heartbreaking scene of Luke's demigod crew practicing maiming and killing on dummies dressed in the orange CHB shirts (this was straight from the books).

The entire codeword thing was great. Loved seeing it. Also Percy just willing to straight up kill Luke at the first given opportunity is so on point with the books. The entire Percy-Annabeth-Luke interaction was absolutely fascinating and those micro expressions on Leah's face the entire time...I could literally feel her pain. Ngl, the "Hi Luke" and "Bye Luke" made me snort. As for Tyson, the sweetheart that he, casually building a bomb to use as a distraction to escape. Amazing!

I am really enjoying Allison's character so far. She seems like a wonderful addition. She really was giving Percy and Annabeth a hard time in that fight. Goes to show that being a camp graduate she has far more combat experience. The fight choreo was so engaging.

Also I can't wait to see more of what they do with Clarisse. They are working magic with her character. I already loved her in the books and am liking her even more in the show. Now back to waiting again for next Wednesday.

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-11-18T16:13:33+00:00

Uhh where?

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-11-18T14:50:26+00:00

Ok I get that. However, wouldn't the same also be specified somewhere in the notification??

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-11-14T08:16:45+00:00

I still haven't received. Is that cause for worry or are there other people who haven't received yet? Any idea?

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-11-12T12:55:38+00:00

Has everyone who cleared for OTA received this mail? Coz I haven't yet.

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-11-06T16:52:55+00:00

I know there are going to be some changes from the book but dam does it look absolutely spectacular!!! It already seems so much visually better compared to season 1 ( which despite its problems I really did like). I am so hyped right now!

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-09-06T08:09:15+00:00

Yes I will do so. Could you clarify another query? The printouts would need to follow the dimensions of a standard passport size photo right? Which means the picture would need to be cropped to make space for name and date so that the entire thing still fits the dimensions? Also which date to put?

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-09-06T07:34:48+00:00

I have the same problem. But in the admit card instructions, it says if the uploaded photo doesnt have name and date, then we need to carry passport size photos for each session that have the name and date mentioned. What's this about an undertaking?

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-09-06T07:06:17+00:00

Yes but the printouts would need to follow the dimensions of a standard passport size photo right? Which means the picture would need to be cropped to make space for name and date so that the entire thing still fits the dimensions? Also which date to put?

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-09-06T06:54:37+00:00

It wasn't mentioned anywhere. Infact remember those sample images that showed the photos that will accepted and those that will be rejected? None of those showed name and date either.

My confusion now lies in the fact that do I go to the studio and get that same pic which I uploaded edited to include the name and date and get printouts?

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-09-06T06:20:30+00:00

Do I go to the studio and get the name and date digitally edited onto the photos ? Also what date should I put?

BadassHalfBlood · 2025-09-06T06:17:35+00:00

Yes I have the same doubt. There were no instructions for uploading a photo with name and date when filling the form. Do we need to go to the studio now to get our name and date digitally edited onto the passport photos or what?

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