'Percy Jackson' Season 2, Episode 1 & 2 Recap: The Ultimate Book-To-TV Adaptation

Percy Jackson has a new roommate.

Percy Jackson season 2 opens with a nightmare (and remember, Percy's nightmares aren't your usual dreams). In the vision, he sees Grover trying to find Pan before crossing paths with Luke's followers, running for his life, and getting taken by a giant sea monster in the process. All in all: not good.

But real life is also pretty challenging for Percy right now. His mom Sally opened their home to a homeless cyclops named Tyson (and BTW, no one but Percy and Sally can see through The Mist), who also attends Meriwether College Prep. Tyson is literally the sweetest person on the planet, but his social dynamics are making things difficult for Percy at school.

The slow burn begins!!

Still haunted by his dream of Grover, Percy and Tyson are stopped on the street by Annabeth, who's being haunted by her own dream of Camp Half-Blood under attack. Together, the three teens jump in the Gray Sisters Taxi — driven by the titular sisters and their one, shared eye (yes, you read that right) — and speed off for camp.

It is so good to see Annabeth and Percy finally reunited onscreen, and there's an immediate connection that anyone who read the books will be able to spot from a mile away. Tyson reveals that Percy always talks about Annabeth, and looks at her picture, while the Gray Sisters bring up one of Annabeth's "boyfriends" and cause Percy some alarm. Not to mention there are clearly unspoken thoughts and questions between them.

A lot of fans are wanting instant gratification, or are confused as to why they're showing interest in each other, but my friends: that is the art of the slow burn. It's miscommunications, glances, and concern for each other that builds up over so much time that when the couple finally gets together, you want to cheer. So lock in, because the other side of the slow burn is that it takes forever to get there.

Camp Half-Blood is in danger.

Anyway, this group has bigger fish to fry than their relationship issues: they're being hunted by cannibal giants called Laestrygonians and need to make it to safety within the camp's boundary, but because Tyson is technically a monster, he can't enter camp.

In the last second, Annabeth gives Tyson permission to enter the boundary, and things get even more complicated. Clarisse kills one of the giants before they realize Luke poisoned Thalia's tree — and the boundary protecting the Demigods. (ICYMI: Thalia is a forbidden child of Zeus who made it to camp with Luke and Annabeth, and in an effort to save her life, Zeus turned her into a tree that protects the camp).

(Another crazy fact: Poseidon goes on to claim Tyson, meaning that he's Percy's half-brother. Wow).

But the key to saving Camp also means Percy can rescue Grover.

Desperate, Percy and Annabeth try (and fail) to get a quest to save the tree, but hope isn't lost quite yet: Grover and Percy's friendship opens up a telekinetic link when they dream and the satyr reveals he's been taken to the island of Polyphemus, where the all-healing Golden Fleece is being held. Armed with an idea and the coordinates for the island, Percy tells Annabeth he has the ultimate plan to save Grover and Camp Half-Blood.

Annabeth has a secret.

Episode 2 opens with Annabeth contacting Chiron with an Iris Message (which basically means she turned a rainbow into a FaceTime), where he reveals Percy can't be a part of the quest because of the Great Prophecy. And not only can Percy not go with her, he can't know there's a problem at all. Pretending nothing is wrong when something is very, very wrong is low-key the worst thing ever, so when Chiron said this, my heart sank!

Mr. D and Tantalus (the new activities director) host a chariot race for all the demigods to compete, and this is way more than your average pick-up basketball game. Weapons, horses, and life-or-death danger await the campers, and aside from Clarisse's general ill intent, Annabeth also plans on ensuring Percy doesn't win so that he can't go on the quest.

Mariah Carey saves the chariot race.

The race is off with a bang, but gets interrupted when a flock of dangerous Stymphalian birds break through the barrier and attack. Demigods are fighting for their lives left and right, but the episode takes a hilarious turn when Annabeth, Percy, and Tyson save everyone with Mariah Carey's "Emotions" on a boombox, scaring the birds away with the whistle notes.

Despite Percy and Annabeth saving the day, Clarisse wins the race — and the quest for the Fleece. She picks Annabeth and Chris Rodriguez to join her, leaving a very confused and hurt Percy asking Poseidon's permission to go rogue. Hermes deliver's Poseidon's blessing, and some tools.

Percy Jackson sets off for the Sea of Monsters.

Right when Percy is deciding to leave, Annabeth bursts onto the scene, where she's finally honest about why she sabotaged the race, and how much she dislikes life outside of camp, a fact that just reinforces to her how different she and Percy are. I just wanted to scream into the screen, "Differences aren't bad!! You can trust him!!" but alas. It's a TV show and she can't hear me.

But before they can talk it through, Tantalus arrives and tries to kill both of them for breaking the law, but Tyson saves the day! With nowhere to go but into the sea, the trio jumps in a boat and makes their way for a cruise ship that will take them to the Sea of Monsters — and to Grover.