In episode 5 ‘A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers’ we finally meet the god of war Ares, played by Adam Copeland. Percy, and Annabeth get sent on a side quest to help the anger inducing god of wat, the trio bonds more over their life and death adventure. So where does this week’s episode come from in the book?
Let’s have a look.
Since episode 4 ended with Percy jumping from the St. Louis Gateway Arch, and being saved by his father, this is the start of chapter 14 ‘I Become a Known Fugitive’. Percy makes his way to land, where he meets up with Grover and Annabeth, and quickly learns that he is being blamed for the incident on top of the Gateway Arch.
The three friends make their way back to the Amtrak Train, and take off for Denver, avoiding the authorities. Since his meeting with his father’s messenger at the bottom of the Mississippi River, Percy and his friends are setting a course for Santa Monica. His father also warns him not to trust the gifts, but Percy doesn’t know what this means.
Tonight’s episode title comes from chapter 15 which is the same name. The group manages to make it to Denver without any hassle and try their luck at contacting Chiron via Iris messenger. Instead, Percy gets Luke and learns about what is happening at camp.
Chiron has been busy mediating between feuding campers. Since the outbreak of hostilities between Zeus and Poseidon, some campers have chosen sides, and this has resulted in some fights amongst the demigods. Luke also mentions to Percy that it must have been Hades who stole the master bolt. Percy loses the connection, and he and his friends go for dinner at a local diner.
While Annabeth and Grover try to learn more from Percy about what is happening at camp, the groups struggle to pay their dinner bill. Just then a scary looking biker walks in, offers to pay their meal tab, and sits down at their booth. This is Ares, and he needs their help in retrieving his shield that he lost at the Waterland Amusement Park. Annabeth and Grover are respectful to the god, Percy is angered by his presence. Before Percy can start a fight, the group accepts Ares’ challenge and head off to Waterland to find the shield.
Unlike the show where Grover stays with Ares, all three go to the park in the book. They discover the shield is in a boat in the Tunnel of Love Ride. Annabeth and Percy climb down into the boat to retrieve the item, only to discover that this is a trap designed by Hephaestus. The god hopes to capture his wife Aphrodite and her boyfriend Ares on camera and broadcast their chicanery to the rest of the Olympians.
Percy and Annabeth think fast, and with Percy’s waterpower, and Grover’s ability to use Luke’s flying shoes, they escape the trap and successfully depart Waterland with the shield.
Chapter 16 ‘We Take a Zebra to Vegas’ brings the group back to the diner, where they meet with Ares and return his shield. He promises them transport to California in the back of a transport labeled Kindness International. The truck is bound for California, with a stop in Las Vegas first.
Final Thoughts:
There is a lot to happen in these three chapters of the book. It’s essential that the episode be given to introducing Ares and giving him most of the screen time. In the book, the kids reboard the train without any difficulties, and this is hard to believe. There pictures would be everywhere, and it makes more sense for the introduction of Ares to the kids in the show, then delaying it until Denver.
Chapter 14 needs little time for this week’s episode, condensed to a minute or two. Episode 5 is all about chapter 15, and like the book the show delivers a compelling and entertaining story.