Hamilton as Hermes? - Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 7 Review

 With the scene in the original film being something of an early 2000s icon, viewers of the new Percy Jackson series on Disney plus anticipated this weeks episode, taking place in the Lotus Casino, very highly.

Being a tween around the time the first movie came out, I remember the Lotus Casino scene vividly. The characters eating delicious looking flower cookies while letting loose in a Vegas Casino, meanwhile Lady Gaga’s hit song “Poker Face” played in the background. While it seemed like the height of cool back then, the scene seems hilariously outdated now, so I was as excited as everyone else to see what the modern interpretation of the Casino would look like. And more importantly, would they still include Poker Face?

With the airing of episode 7, I was surprised by how different the interpretation was, not just from the first movie, but from the books too. While the rest of the show has stayed pretty consistent to the books, this episode strayed the furthest of any episode so far. Instead of the plot line involving the lotus flower cookies, the characters in this version are aware of the Casino’s magic and manage to avoid it. It’s an odd choice, considering the Lotus Casino was a key part of their journey and learning to live with their mistakes.

Instead, the focus of this week’s episode was on Hermes, played by broadway actor and writer, Lin Manuel Miranda. Personally, I wasn’t sure going in if Lin was going to play a good Hermes. His character acting felt just a little too goofy for the supposedly emotionally absusive and strict God of Messengers. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Miranda’s performances which managed to capture both the power and the whimsy of Hermes. I had never seen him play a serious role so well, and I found myself not just liking but loving his interpretation of Hermes.

While I hope episode 8 brings back the original book storyline for our hero’s I appreciate the performances we got this week in episode 7. I am looking forward to the final few episodes to air in the next weeks.



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