Percy Jackson Season 2, Episode 2 Review: When Murder Birds Attack Camp Half-Blood

Reel Perspectives

December 15, 2025

Disney+

Episode 2 raises the stakes with dangerous games, shifting loyalties, and a quest that breaks Camp law.

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS - EPISODE 2 REVIEW “Murder Pigeons, Chariot Wars, and Zero OSHA Compliance”

Good Vibes Camp Counselor Morgan reporting back for Episode 2, where we get Alfred Hitchcock–level bird terror, Percabeth secrets so loud they echo, and Mariah Carey quite literally saving the day with whistle-tone supremacy. Episode 2 cements the tone for Percy Jackson’s two-episode premiere: the rules are meant to be broken this season, and friendships—especially this one—are about to be tested.

We open with demon birds absolutely wildin’ out as Camp Half-Blood’s protective barrier weakens thanks to Thalia’s poisoning. Meanwhile, Camp’s newest Activities Director, Tantalus (Veep’s Timothy Simons, having the time of his life), continues his reign of menace by introducing a chariot race that rivals Hunger Games-levels of unsafe teen activities. The rules around maiming or killing are… flimsy, at best.

Seriously—can you imagine the permission slip for this camp?

Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), clocking the danger and using Percy’s (Walker Scobell) natural talent for chaos, contacts Chiron (Glynn Turman), who appears to be living his best life partying in Miami. The Mist must be doing Olympic-level gymnastics to hide that centaur booty. Annabeth updates him on Luke’s return, Thalia’s poisoning, and Tantalus’ refusal to authorize a quest for the Golden Fleece.

Chiron, however, sees a bigger picture—and instructs Annabeth not to let Percy join her quest.

Why? That’s for Chiron to know… and for non-book readers to spiral on about.

Reluctantly, Annabeth agrees and explains to Percy (while casually introducing the PSAT word “boon”) that they’ll need to enter Tantalus’ chariot race separately to earn a quest. Tyson (Daniel Diemer) teams up with Percy, helping refurbish an old chariot while quietly asking what their father is really like—a tender moment amid the chaos.

The race itself is a full demigod showdown, featuring the children of Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, and more. Annabeth is locked in. Percy? He’s there for the vibes. He tells Tyson to defend their chariot and not target Annabeth—while Annabeth, of course, does the opposite and actively blocks Percy from winning.

As the horn blows, Clarisse (Dior Goodjohn) goes full war mode. The race stays neck-and-neck until the Stymphalian birds finally crack the barrier’s Apple passcode and swarm the arena. Chaos erupts, forcing Percy and Annabeth to do what they do best: work together. Their solution? A Say Anything–inspired boombox blasting Mariah Carey’s 1991 classic “Emotions,” whose high-pitched notes incapacitate the birds. 

Pop divas: undefeated. Hercules could never. 

After witnessing the mayhem, Tantalus begrudgingly allows Clarisse—his highly debated “winner”—to go on the quest for the Golden Fleece. Clarisse selects Annabeth after her emotional plea, but Annabeth has one final trick: she whispers something to Clarisse, who then names Chris Rodriguez (now recast and played by Kevin Chacón) as the third member of the quest.

Percy knows something’s off.

That night, Percy dreams of Grover (Aryan Simhadri), who delivers one of the most iconic book moments: the wedding dress disguise used to hide from the cyclops Polyphemus. Grover shines and plants the idea that Annabeth may be acting under orders from the resident ship-blocker, Chiron.

A visit from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hermes sends Percy off with both tools and emotional baggage: a thermos of gale-force winds, chewable Flintstone era vitamins, and a reminder that gods always want something in return. For Hermes, Luke's life is worth saving. Percy doesn’t believe Luke can be—but reluctantly agrees when Hermes insists you never give up on family.

Annabeth later finds Percy by the shore, urging him to reconsider leaving camp. Their conversation makes it clear that Annabeth is holding back crucial information—knowledge that’s driving a wedge between them just as the stakes rise. 

Whatever Chiron told her was enough to fracture their trust and push Percy closer to going rogue.

Before either of them can fully process what’s happening, Tantalus arrives—cheerfully threatening to kill them because a grounding is not good enough for those kids. Tyson intervenes at the last possible moment, and the trio escapes by boat, officially breaking Camp law and setting sail for the Sea of Monsters. With Camp

Half-Blood behind them and no clear path back, the quest begins under the shadow of betrayal, prophecy, and very real consequences.

Top 3 Percabeth Squee Moments 🔱🧡🦉

1. The Betrayal

Show Percabeth is far angstier than book Percabeth—and we are thriving. Annabeth’s decision to block Percy from the quest is rooted in care, fear, and prophecy knowledge she can’t share. Percy is blindsided, hurt, and understandably confused. It’s not sweet—but it is compelling. I mean, star-crossed doesn’t even begin to cover it.

2. Mariah Carey’s “Emotions”

Separated by teams, united by chaos. When the Stymphalian birds attack, Percabeth immediately syncs up, weaponizing Mariah Carey’s whistle tones like true heroes. It’s ridiculous, brilliant, and perfectly on-brand.

3. “Did you even see Jaws, Annabeth?”

Angst meets humor. Annabeth’s confession that she can’t exist as anything but a demigod hits hard—and Percy’s attempt to bridge the gap is clumsy, sincere, and very Percy. They don’t resolve the secret, but the emotional groundwork is laid.

Shipping Verdict:  Angst on angst on angst, with aggressive ship-blocking from Chiron and Tantalus.

🏛️ Olympian-Level Quotes

“Getting in trouble is like breathing for me, okay?” — Percy, self-aware king 👑🌊

“Killing not so much, but things happen, et cetera, et cetera.” — Tantalus, HR nightmare ⚖️😬

“Beautiful.” — Percy, upon seeing Grover in a wedding dress 💐🐐✨

“If there's one thing I learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it.” — Cousin Hermes, iconic Riordan wisdom 🏛️🪽💙

“Me? I just know how to be a demigod.” — Annabeth, breaking our hearts quietly 🦉💔

Reel Perspectives’ Grade

🏕️ Camp Half-Blood Rating: 

8.7 / 10 Whistle Notes Strong Enough to Kill Birds

🚢What Happens Next: