Aahana Swrup
The Disney+ show, ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ tells a thrilling tale of demigods and monsters, with a fresh-faced hero fated for big things at its center. When Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old boy who has always felt out of place in the world, discovers the truth about his godly parentage and everything else that comes with it, his life effectively gets turned upside down. However, with the help of a few friends, satyr, Grover, and fellow half-blood Annabeth Chase, Percy might just have a small chance of completing his quest and emerging with life unscathed.
Percy starts the story oblivious to the existence of the magical world on the other side of the mist. As such, his transition into the same comes with a few problems, namely the sudden spike of monsters ripped from Greek myths that start preying on him. Nevertheless, the kid manages to make it to the safety of Camp Half-Blood, a haven for demigods, albeit with his mother, Sally Jackson’s sacrifice. Thus, the question remains: is Sally Jackson really dead? SPOILERS AHEAD!
Sally Jackson and The Hero’s Quest
As a demigod grows older, their senses sharpen, and they become aware of the world around them. Therefore, where a glimpse at a Pegasus could be blamed on childhood fancies at a young age, the same is harder to do when you see your pre-algebra teacher turn into a winged beast and attack you. For the same reason, at 12, it becomes impossible for the people in Percy’s life to keep the truth from him any longer.
As such, Sally Jackson takes Percy to their designated beachside cabin to reveal the real reason behind the strange things that keep happening around her kid. Years ago, Sally met a man unlike any other on the beach and had a kid with him. Only, as it would turn out, the man was no man at all but rather a Greek God. Consequently, Sally’s child was born a half-blood, fated to become every monster’s target upon discovery. Although Sally could keep him hidden among the mortals for a while, the same wasn’t a long-term solution.
However, Sally knew of a place that could keep her son safe for a long time: Camp Half-Blood. The Camp was a place for other demigod children to remain safe in their valley, boarded against monsters and mortals alike. Yet, Sally and Percy’s trip to the camp ends up being more difficult than thought. Ever since Percy’s run-in with Mrs. Dodd at the museum, his identity as a demigod has become apparent to the monsters.
For the same reason, a Minotaur intervenes on Sally, Percy, and his best friend/secret protector, Grover’s way to the camp. Worse yet, while Percy and Grover can escape from the monster by crossing the border over to Camp Half-Blood, Sally has nowhere to go but back due to her mortality. As a result, Percy watches his mother die at the hands of the Minotaur on the outskirts of the Camp.
Even though Percy avenges his mother’s death in a fit of rage afterward, defeating the Minotaur with his sword, Riptide, the kid continues to mourn his mother’s passing. However, there remains something peculiar about Sally Jackson’s death. The woman had evaporated instead of being crushed under the Minotaur’s hold. Grover notices the same and consults the Cloven Council Elders. Thus, the young satyr discovers that when mortals are close to their death, Hades, the God of the Underworld, can pull their souls from the mortal realm to him.
Hades’ motives become clearer once Percy’s godly parent claims the kid as their own. Percy is a son of Poseidon, the first one in a long time since the God of the Sea, like his brothers, Zeus and Hades, has been forbidden from fathering kids. Furthermore, a perpetual rivalry remains between the three brothers, recently exacerbated by the theft of Zeus’ master bolt. As such, the God of the Sky suspects Poseidon of stealing his bolt, a suspicion that will only grow with the knowledge of Percy’s existence.
However, Chiron and Mr. D, Heads of Camp Half-Blood, believe Hades is in possession of the bolt. Therefore, Percy must set out on a quest to protect his father by unveiling the real lightning bolt thief. Yet, the kid has no interest in doing any favors for a father who has been absent his whole life and had to be forced into claiming him.
Nonetheless, once Grover tells Percy that Sally might also be alive in the Underworld, a detail neither Chiron nor Mr. D wanted him to know, the demigod agrees to take on the quest. Consequently, despite her altercation with the Minotaur, Sally Jackson is not actually dead and currently resides in the Underworld. For the same reason, Percy undertakes his first quest with plans to rescue his mother.
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