'The Lightning Thief' Ch. 17-22 THE END | Percy Jackson

0:00 Hey, I'm Derek. And I'm Noah, and you're listening to A Bite of. Where we take our current favorite pop culture obsession and enjoy it 1 Nibble at a time. One nibble, final nibble of the Lightning Thief. Here it is. We've read the entire book. We've read an entire middle grade book as 30 year olds, yes. And when I first read it, I wasn't even in middle grade either. And let me tell you, I forgot a lot. These final chapters, after we were both done, I was like, Derek, do you remember Krusty? He's like no. No, OK. I was reading it and I was like, wait a minute, tell me more. What happens in the next chapter?

0:42 It is so stacked. Speaking of stacked, so we have a lot of fun coverage and special things coming up. I think this is going to be our most stacked talking about episodes, stuff that we've done on the podcast because we were fortunate enough to get access to a lot of cool stuff for the show. So we got screeners for the first four episodes. That's cool. We're not going to spoil anything. Don't worry. We got access to doing interviews, talking with the cast and crew creators Rick and Becky Ray Ordon. That's so cool. Is amazing. So we have a lot to piece through. We have articles coming out next episode, which is tomorrow on Thursday, because that's when the embargo lifts. We are going to be doing episode talking about a lot of those interviews that we were able to attend. We're going to have sound bites and everything, so it's going to be really fun.

1:32 It's just going to be talking about the excitement and all the cool things that they told us. Yes, and we are also going to do a spoiler free review. We can call it a review of the first two episodes. Yes, of the first two episodes. So don't worry, we will not spoil anything but the first two episodes. Except we'll tell you all the giant changes that were made. So how you get all those episodes? Make sure you're subscribing. You want to subscribe. That way you get the episodes 1st and you have to wait for the app or even search for it. It just comes on your phone just right there. What's up? Good morning. We are also still on our way to 200 reviews, so there's some. Stars our way for the holidays. Yeah, come on.

2:13 Put a star on top of our review. Tree. Oh my God, that's gorgeous. Wow, look at the tree. Oh. OK, we have a lot to talk about with everything. Yes, and so just giant spoiler alert for the last 6 chapters of this book. I mean literally spoiling everything. So if you haven't read it and you don't want to know, go read it and then listen to the episode. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't wait for us to get to this in the show. Read the book. It's fun. It takes like no time at all. I really. Love this book. I mean, I loved it when I first read it, but I really enjoyed it again. You're giving away the juicy content. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm also like, when am I going to read the next one now?

2:55 OK, we're we're done recording. All right, So let us officially take a bite of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The Lightning Thief, Chapter 17 to the. End 22, Six chapters to the end. So as we promised two episodes ago, we took the BuzzFeed quiz. We put it on the bottom of the last episode so that way you guys could take it. And some of you had shared where you were in like Cabin 5 and Aries and all that. So it was really cool. So we took it on our Patreon. We will have us like live taking it that way. You can hear the questions and kind of what we did with it, but we'll just tell you our results now. OK, Do you want to go first?

3:36 I'll go first. So I took this very seriously. I want to guess who you're in. OK. You're not going to, am I not, you're not Athena. No. OK, go ahead. Imagine. I'm 6 steps ahead. I'm. In Cabin 4 as a child of Demeter, that's easy going, but strong when you need to be. Oh. Right. That's not. Yeah, Yeah. When when you put it that way. Yeah, and she's the goddess of the harvest, so she fucking loves wheat. And I'm like, yeah, I love Brad. Which can't have it. Can't have it carb free, no. But I I was like, OK, that makes sense. I really, I really thought about the questions I wasn't at. I wasn't like answering them flippantly, so. OK, so I did too.

4:25 Should I? Should I guess yours? Yes. Now, should I do the obvious one that I would think you are? You do this every time you're like, do I? Should I do the one where I know it is or the one that I like it should be? So I want to say Hades. He doesn't have a cabin, OK? Roasted, that's true. But you could still be his child, right? That's all. Just like, you know what? Not all monsters are bad, OK? Just putting that. That's beautiful. So, Zeus. No, but it is a big three. So there only leaves one more. I'm Poseidon. You are Percy's brother. I'm Percy's brother, which, you know, it's fine, it says As a child of Poseidon, you can move like the sea, but you never forget the constant friends in your life. Plus, you have pretty much the coolest half brother ever. That's cool.

5:12 Awesome Earth Shaker. I love it. Move like the sea. All right, so. She loves doing body rolls. So we will again put the link to this. It's on BuzzFeed so you can search for it, but take the quiz and then let us know. Go on our Discord or, you know, social media, all that stuff. We'd love to know. I want to know who our fellow campers are and where they will be hanging out for the summer. Don't leave me with Percy like he's fine, but also like, I don't know if I'd get along with him. What I don't? Know I feel like I get more along with Annabeth than I would with Percy. But that's good though, yeah? Because you know it's nice when you can separate from your friends for a little bit instead of being related to them. That's true, all right, So should we officially, officially take a bite of?

5:54 Officially fish. Fish A fish a fish. Officially because it get it ocean. And OK, we're Chapter 17. We more water. We shop for waterbeds. He is the the son of a water. God, he smokes. There's so much water in this book. A cab ride to LA leads Percy leads to Percy plunging into the Pacific. The gang stretches out on a baddie's bed. Very nice. This chapter completely erased from my memory. Oh yeah, I feel like just like Percy in the Lotus Hotel. Like I just out of my memory. What's so funny to me is that I remembered the Lotus Hotel, but I thought it was at least 12 chapters long.

6:36 Yeah, I was like, this is huge. This is such a big thing. It's half of one chapter. Yeah, I I feel like reading these earlier, you know, my brain is more developed, I think, than it was when I first read them. So it's like it did seem like a lot of that stuff was drawn out. And I don't know if it's because of the movies, but like all this stuff just happens in each chapter. It's very episodic and you know. Rick Rick packs a punch in every Percy chapter. He really does. So they get a taxi ride from Los Angeles all the way to Santa Monica Beach. So they're actually going from Las Vegas to LA. In this park, did I say Los Angeles? To Santa Monica, Yeah, you jumped like 3. I did.

7:20 But they just give them the Lotus credit card and they're able to take, which is very lucky because like, it's far no amount of money. That was a question that I was thinking. I was like, do the cabs in Las Vegas take cards from hotels? Probably. I would think so. Cool. I don't know. This is also 2005. I don't think we have. Times have changed everything on our phones. Yeah, that's true. I've only been to Las Vegas once and I don't. Yeah, it's hot. So in this car ride, because they have a long car ride ahead, but they also still have one day left, so they're burning a lot of a lot of daylight. During this he Percy finally tells them about his dream that he had when he was in the truck and Annabeth and Grover, they can't really make sense of why the cold voice in the dream is wanting two objects. So it's like if Hades, if that was Hades or whatever that was, why would they need the Master bowl and also the helm and all this stuff.

8:23 So like it just it's seeming like it's not really making sense to them and leave it to Annabeth to really like analyze that. But I love in these chapters and because it's written for this age group that like, it's like, oh, this isn't making sense, but we have all this other stuff that we're going to do and then like, we'll go back to this. So they, like, mention these things, but they kind of drop it. They're like, oh God, to my destination, we're good. Yeah, I think because for them, they are really so set on the next step is doing this and in their minds it's Hades. They have to get to Hades. So they're not really taking those puzzle pieces and putting them together yet. They're just collecting them and going well. We have this. I guess we'll wait. What could do this mean?

9:04 I don't know. Just put it down for now. So the question is if the the master bolt is not in 80s, if it's not in the underworld, where is it? So that was a big question. And also who is the voice in the pit? So they finally get to Santa Monica Beach and I love this part of the chapter because like to my best knowledge, Rick is from Texas, but he loves New York. NY is like dirty but also like great. And then when he's describing Santa Monica and you know, Los Angeles and California, it's like dirty but also really disgusting.

9:44 Like he does not like it. No, no. And and when, I mean, when they get to the LA part, you know, when they when they're done with the beach section, there's like rich bad boys. It's hilarious. Yancey Academy followed him all the way over. There. It's all Nancy's, Nancy Baba, Fitz brothers or something. It's hilarious. There's also a bunch of like people without homes sleeping in the sand dunes, but also like surfers waiting for the next wave. It's like a very interesting, it's like media because of this kind of media. I think that's what has always made me think of those two cities, because I feel like a lot of media does paint these parts of California as, like, nasty.

10:26 Like, it's like cool, but it's really nasty. And New York is like smells like pee, but like organized. That is true. It does smell like pee. Every organized pee here. Every corner. Yeah, every single corner. Even Olympus has to smell like pee. It all goes up, the scents all go up. So the this part of the chapter, really the only part that's important is Percy decides to walk into the ocean and he also he meets that spirit that he met in the Mississippi River and she's pretty much like, you know, I'm an I'm, I'm a sea spirit and I work for your dad. I'm the frenzy of fathers. I can't.

11:06 He can't show favoritism. But he can work, wink, wink in indirect ways. And she gives him a gift of these three pearls, which watching the movie we watched you recently, I cannot believe that they made that like the whole point of the movie to like, get them across the country is like, you have to find these pearls. What? No, like, that's like, I can't believe the stuff that in the movie they decided to, like, make a big thing when it was like the sea spirit just gave him the pearls. That's it. I fell asleep for more of that movie than I thought I did because I didn't even know the pearls were a part. That was the whole point. Yep, that's hilarious.

11:46 Whole point. She also does leave him with some advice, saying, you know, don't trust some things, but like, she disappears every time. Like he's like, oh but who or what? And she's like bye. Yeah, again, I, I, I always ask this question of like why can't we just tell the person what's going on? And I I guess it really is just part of the hero's journey of We can give you clues. We can give you a wink, wink, nudge, nudge, but we will never outright tell you what's happening. She's the purpose of it. Like, I don't understand why this creature is like a sea spirit, but like fades. Like, can you not? Like, can you only be like, in a form for so long?

12:29 Like, I need these details because you're just a jerk. Maybe she just wanted to like, she's like, I gotta go. She's just like, watch this. I do. I do. Like, on a serious note, sorry, I didn't mean to like Sideway because I know we're leaving this, but like, I I do like how she, like, treats him because, you know, she is, she works for his father, which would kind of make him like a Prince in a way. So it's like, she shows this kind of respect to him. And it's a really cool thing to see just within the hierarchy of like, he's still just like a dumb kid. But like, she's like, oh, here you go, Like, I'm going to help. It's fine. But like not totally help. One of the things I liked about reading this was really seeing Percy's journey as a person who knew nothing about anything to becoming this demigod and Godling. And I feel like that is seen in how these people are treating him right, because he's really seen as such a novice in the beginning and such a fool, and now towards the end of our journey here, he's getting respect. Yeah, he he has some moments, especially in this next part where it's like, oh, OK, you're you're starting to take charge a little bit, he definitely.

13:38 Matures. It's like a character development thing, but it's a very quick I think because he's getting closer to the end and goal, so he's like, I gotta like back up. Things are getting serious, everyone. So on their way to find DOA records which I think is layer is dead on arrival. Dead on arrival. Which is the entrance to the underworld he does see on TV. Smelly, Gabe crying and being interviewed by Barbara. Warbra Walters, the man is on the media warpath. He is doing everything he possibly can. He's the worst. Yeah, he is. He's smell like Gabe. He's the worst. I also don't remember in the very last chapter of like a revelation. We did touch on it earlier in the episodes, but like, I really hate him and he deserves everything that he gets.

14:24 Yeah, just putting that. And it gets even worse, yeah. I don't. I don't like it. So they run into these switchblade carrying rich white kids. Yeah, it says. A gang of kids had circled us, Six of them in all. White kids with expensive clothes and mean faces, like the kids at Yancey Academy. Rich brats playing at being bad boys. What? But they have switchblades. I don't think they're really playing. I know. It's like such a weird mix of character archetypes. It's like rich kids in polo shirts in loafers with switchblades. Yeah. Is that a thing? Who's The Jets and who's? The Sharks, you're. I guess you're. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess it does feel sort of like that. It's just hilarious that these, you know, these rich kids, they just spend their time going downtown.

15:08 And I mean. Trying to kill 12 year olds. Which is insane. But like I I want to say the only reason for this part is to show that like these demigods not only have to worry about mortals with switchblades, but also monsters and everything else. And also we find out that their godly weapons don't work on mortals. Yes, which OK. It feels very unfair. It's fine I. Guess it just feels like so the demigods can get attacked by anything and yet can't defend themselves. Well, they have powers, so like, hopefully there's water around, right? Also, good thing it wasn't a gun. Just saying.

15:49 He has. What would he have done? Yeah, he he needs to do like a katara from a katara and always have a little jug of water with him. But does he do that later on? I feel like that might be a thing. Is it? Yeah, I think so. I told you I forget everything. I do too. OK. Maybe I'm just we'll find out, Katara. So anyway, they run from them and they get to Krusty's, Krusty's Waterbed Palace, which I mean it's the only place open. I yes, places don't stay open late in Santa Monica Beach, just waterbed. Just yes, waterbed emporiums. Also, does the Sign of the times? In the early 2000s, waterbeds were like a thing. I never had a waterbed. My parents did.

16:31 Hated it. You said you had to empty it, right? Yeah, you had to empty it and it's like they were on the top floor. So, like, they would have to put the hose outside the window and the water would just come out and then they'd have to fill it back up. It's just like pointless. Like, I don't. I remember being on it and feeling sick. But also like what is the point of this? It was just, I felt like a lot of it was novelty I. Guess so it's. A waterbed. These waterbeds are not your not your mom's waterbeds, OK? Because they have headboards with built in lava lamps. There's a tiki version. I mean, there's everything you can dream of. Safari version. Safari. Yeah, I mean, I Mr. Krusty himself, I don't trust, but his products, they're fine products. I do like how he describes him as a guy who looked like a Raptor in a leisure suit.

17:19 OK? The funny thing about Krusty, though, is that like I'm pretty sure, what is his name? Procrustus Krusty's. I keep thinking of Krusty the Clown. Yeah. Krusty the for short, but like I think he's believed to actually be a son of Poseidon, who Theseus, who is also a son of Poseidon does defeat him. So it's like a very bizarre chance thing that happens here. He's a very, like, not well known person, but his thing literally in the myths is him trying to fit people into an iron bed. Yes, and he does the same thing here. So he lures Annabeth and Grover into beds. He says, ergo, they get trapped in there and it's stretching them. And so Percy has to outsmart him and he makes him get into a bed and he's like, oh, I'll just chop off the excess pieces that are hanging out.

18:09 That's what he did in the mist, and that's what he was planning on doing. If they were too big, it's like a very bizarre thing for even a myth to happen. Like, I don't really know what the message is behind. Like fitting in a bed perfectly because don't make. Yourself fit in well, it's a beautiful thing actually. No, I don't. Don't be your own procrusties. Believe in yourself. The more you know, you know an. Iron bed I don't know, it's just. I do love though, that this is like the good old, like Percy Bait and Switch where he's like, I don't really think these are good beds, you know, no one can fit in them.

18:51 And this guy's like, wait a minute, This is the, you know, Crusty Palace. He have the best beds. He sold the salesman on his own product. It's just it's so silly. But this is like Percy becoming a leader in some way, becoming the hero while his friends are getting stretched. And you know how he really showed himself as a leader? He cut his head off. Yeah, Dang, that got real for me. I was like, oh. I like how he was like. I didn't give a second thought and what I was about to do, it's like. OK. Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I guess it does become easy to kill monsters when they just turn into dust. You know they'll come back. And they're coming back. So it's like really killing. It's just more like you can go to sleep and then they'll come back later on, just like we know misses Dodds did.

19:37 Yeah, it definitely eases the conscience. A little bit, a little bit, but like he went for the head, so it's like. But also, I guess if you're watching your friends be stretched to death and then ultimately be chopped up, you're kind of willing to do whatever you have to do. I guess so. So next chapter. Chapter 18. Annabeth Does Obedience School. Percy, Annabeth and Grover take an elevator to the Underworld and come face to face to face with Ciboris. Oh, I love anything that Cerberus is in. I love it. I've always loved Cerberus. I think that it's so such a silly concept, but it's like also really cool. I liked that in this one they broke the mould of what Cerberus is. He's a wrought wire.

20:18 Learned this when most of the time even Percy says I thought he was a black mastiff, Right. That's what most of us think of Cerberus. I'm also just glad that they don't make him pit bulls, 'cause like, we don't need that stereotype for pitbulls. No, but I mean, I think that what we see here is that Cerberus is just, he's just a dog at his core. He's just a good boy, He's. Got 3 heads? Yeah. Yeah, so before they get to Cerberus, I love when they first walk in. So here's the description of DOA Records. Music played softly on hidden speakers. The carpets and walls were still Gray. Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands. The furniture was black leather and every seat was taken. Can I go on there?

20:59 Yes. There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved or talked or did much of anything out of the corner of my eye. I could see them all just fine. But if I focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking transparent. I could see right through their bodies. Whoa, whoa. That's so cool. I'm very excited to see the whole Underworld stuff in the show. It's just the visual of it and the kind of like modernization of it or this retelling of it seems just super cool. And I really love it. And I also like that it's just like a record studio that is the entrance to the underworld. Just really cool.

21:41 What do humans see when they walk into this place? Do they see all these spirits? Is it just Muzak playing and no one's there to help? Them, it's just Karen, I said. Karen. Cat. Karen, hi, I'm Karen. Well, it's a carrion bird, right? It's like that's what the right Isn't that how you say it, he? Explained it and I didn't. Write it down, Kyron. No, it's not Kyron. It's very it's. Karen. Yeah, it's Karen. OK, there we go. Whatever. I like Karen. Better, Yeah. I'm going to call him Karen. Yeah, but he's this very like suave person that looks like he doesn't. He like overspends on looking good, though. Like, I'm curious if like mortals it to go in there. It's just him sitting there and nothing else is happening. Just like so he knows that they're not dead, but I love that Percy tries to put one over on him by saying like we all drowned in a bathtub.

22:36 The same one. He's like, what? He might be like coming into like his hero self, but like just let somebody else speak because he's not really good at doing that. Yeah, I think Annabeth should have taken over at this point in time. I. Think Annabeth during that was like what? Yeah, Grover, I think is willing to go along with anything. Annabeth should be taking the helm, but Percy for some reason is steering the ship also. She just lets him. It's like Annabeth like. Maybe she's too busy thinking about all the puzzle pieces and then she's like, oh damn it, he said something stupid. You. Can't help it. So they end up pawning their way in there by paying him a lot of money. They got a big satchel of money from Krusty's. I love that every time Percy kills a monster, he, like, loots their offices.

23:24 I love it, yeah. Because these are the things that I think about on hero's journeys, where I'm like, where do they get their money from? How do they do it? It's like he steals it from the monsters that try to kill them. And I'm like that makes perfect sense. He loots the corpse just like a game. Oh my well. He gets it so they go in an elevator at 1st and then it turns into a wooden barge. So essentially this is the hooded, hooded figure that you would give passage to on the River Styx to get to the underworld. That's what it is. I love that like, he talks about like, he tells the corpses. Like, don't touch my easy listening music. If any of you yes, with my music, it's over. I mean he these people, he has to take care of these people forever. And I would be the same way.

24:07 Like the one thing I enjoy when I take you guys to this place. Do not mess with it. I was kind of hoping that Percy would take whatever he had left of his drachmas and give it to everybody in the room so they could all have passage. Oh, that would. You know what? OK, you know what I'm thinking about? OK, so like, a lot of half bloods die when they're on their quests and stuff like that, or they get killed out in the real world. Who who gives them money to do that? Like, you know what I mean? So, like, if they die out there, like, who's giving them passage? Or like, do they bring their bodies back to camp, half blood to them, bury them. But then do they tell their families of like, oops, there was an accident at camp like?

24:50 Maybe we they just have to hope that they have some money in their pockets. I don't. Know, right? Because the dead are buried with the coins and then that's how they pay. So you have to hope that you at least have something. Keep always keep a. Quarter in your shoe, in your mouth until you pay. Tastes terrible, but it'll be useful. So the description of the River Styx, I really liked it, said the description of it is I like the the, so it was a bunch of dead hopes and dreams and other metaphysical items floating around in it. So it's not just like physical beings, it's all of like people's aspirations that are also dead. And as we see in the underworld, it's overcrowded.

25:34 So it's overcrowded with like people's dreams and that metaphysical stuff, but also literal people. And you can tell that like Mr. Rick here is trying to talk about, like the overcrowdedness and like how the world is now that not only are we like killing the planet because he's talking about the River Styx literally being polluted. Also, anybody of water that Percy goes into is disgusting, but also how overcrowded it is. I mean, you have different lines going into it and they're all overcrowded and the only fast line to go through is to go to purgatory. And just stand there in a field. That's like Kansas.

26:14 Kansas Field. But it's all stomped all over, like it's not even a nice field. The humans have destroyed that even as well the spirits. It's not the field of Reeds. It sure is not. One of the things that I liked here is that I feel like we get one of our first little clues about Persebath, so it's as Annabeth grabbed hold of my hand. Under normal circumstances this would have embarrassed me, but I understood how she felt. She wanted reassurance that somebody else was alive on this boat. It's those little moments that are just so good. She didn't grab Grubba's hand. OK, I'm just saying. She didn't. She grabbed purses, but like the journey to Persebath is a long, slow burn. And these little tiny moments are what reminds you of, like, there is a friendship being built here. It started really in the tunnel of love, which is funny, but it is those little moments that it's like, oh, but then when you like finally get to the end, it's like, oh and. I think there is something else to be said about them being 12, right?

27:18 So it's an innocent crush at this point. Maybe they're not even sure what their feelings are. And then? Who they? Right. And as time goes on, then it blossoms into something more substantial, 100%. So I think that that makes perfect sense for the characters. But now they are making their way. Yes, and I like that the underworld looked like a cross between airport security and the Jersey Turnpike. To the worst things I. Hate both of them. The worst You like go through a toll and it's like 17 lanes and then it goes down to two everybody's it's a fend for themselves. Oh my God. There's also like a highway for trucks and cars, but also just cars. It's very confusing. I don't. I don't. I don't. A lot. Yeah, I'm just leaving it at that. So you could do the easy death line and just go to the field that's all stomped on, which seems like a lot of people are doing because it's moving fast.

28:04 Who wants to be standing in line for eternity to then just have your fate be judged by like Thomas Jefferson? And was it Thomas Jefferson? Yeah, it was King Minnos, Thomas Jefferson and Shakespeare. And of all of those. People like that. Kind of all of those. Shakespeare would be the only one that I'd be like, OK, maybe he's decent, The other two are not. Yeah, I wonder with Shakespeare if, like, you could quote Shakespeare to him and he'd be like, you're, you're good people. The most obscure Shakespearean, though. Yeah, I'd just be like Romeo. So as they're in line trying to figure out what to do, they see Cerberus and I love that Annabeth kind of has her moment to shine here. And she uses her obedience training from her life with her mortal family because they had a Doberman. And she's like, oh, I can use the ball that I got from Waterworld to like distract it.

28:59 And like we kind of said earlier, he just wants some attention and she gives him that attention. They do fight. The heads fight with each other, which is also something that like happens anytime services anything, but I like it. Yeah, and it And so, once they finally get through it all, Percy notices something and he says I pretended not to see Annabeth wipe a tear from her cheek as she listened to the mournful keening of Severus in the distance, longing for his new friend. It's so sad. Yeah, I do want to just take a personal moment here, if that's OK, and just thank anyone who had reached out to us to offer their condolences for our beautiful Dallas, our dog who passed away just a little under two weeks ago. It's been rough.

29:46 That was a horrible. I did not mean a pun. It's hard, but thank you all so much for your love and support. She really was just so beautiful. It's been a hard year for us. So thank you for everything. Yes. And so whenever I lately when I see any dog in any media, it makes me think of her. So this was, And especially with Annabeth crying, this was no. Different I do. I do want to like specifically shout out Cara. She sent very beautiful ornaments because we lost both of our dogs this year and she sent beautiful ornaments of, you know, a paw print with both of their names. It's just you guys. Like, that was so sweet. Yeah, when you do this kind of stuff, like as podcasters, you don't know who you're reaching, right? And like those little tiny moments, it's like, oh shit, people care, like, about us.

30:34 Not very sweet. What? Even what we're doing. So all right. I will say that the original pun that we made in our One Division days still remains true that she sure does care a lot. I hope you're listening, Kara. It's like you deserve it. But thank you. Yes. All right, let's move on. Chapter 19, we find out the truth. Sort of. Grover's shoes have a mind of their own, and Percy's pack packs a double crossed secret. Very nice. Yeah, well. So I try just just to not, like, get in the weeds too much about the beginning part of this chapter. We we kind of see the fields of punishment. We see Elysium, we see all of this stuff. And we also see like, where the gods or the heroes go. So it's like islands that look lush. It's like a gated community almost. So you have these, like, you still have elitism. You still have like classism and a happening here. You see the fields of punishment. It's like every torture areas, barbed wire off and. Just awful people being chased by hell hounds burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music.

31:45 I Rick. Rick Rick is having fun in these last chapters. He's being silly Goose. I love it. He's. Like I hate opera. I'm like, I would hate it. I mean, to hear it for eternity. I don't think I'd like it either, because if you can't see the opera itself, that's probably worse. And I guess for all eternity, yeah, that's a. Lot. Oh my God. One other silly thing he does is that when they first get there, it says Jasmines for Elysium and eternal damnation welcome newly deceased. It's so good. I love it. So twist the shoes that Grover's wearing, The shoes that fly Mira, all that start acting on their own and start pulling him away from everything, and it pulls him to a very familiar chasm. Percy says.

32:29 Wait a minute. I remember that pin that was in my dreams. Luckily they're on Grover though, because he had he has hooves and they don't fill out the whole shoes, right? So they're a little loose. So he ends up getting out of them. Yep. He just pops his little hooves out. And I love that when the shoe, the last shoe that got off of them, got mad and, like, kicked them in the head and then went back for its twin. So it's the the entrance to Tartarus, the the deepest, deepest, deepest, deepest part of the underworld. This is where, like, the gods put the things that, like, they really don't like. So Tartarus is right there, but something is in there. They can feel it. It's not good. So they run away. They're like no thanks. Mike. Again, this is the thing that's like something happening, but like, we're going to ignore it. I would probably ignore it, too.

33:14 That's a little too scary. I'd be like, let's just go to Haiti. There's a lot. Yeah, there's too much. Too much. You almost went down there. Gotta go, gotta go. This is obviously setting up for future stories within the universe of Percy Jackson. Unfortunately, by the end of this we do not get real answers for anything, no, but it's very smart for him to set it up that way. He's good. Yeah. All right. So you know how I love these descriptions of these people, Minotaur being my favorite. I think that's all of our favorites. But this description of Hades is fantastic. So it was. He was at least 10 feet tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder length and jet black.

34:02 He was bulk. He wasn't bulked up like Aries, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking live, graceful and dangerous as a Panther. I love it. Oh my God. I love that he made him kind of seem like the typical thing that you like a greasy, you know, like kind of guy. But he's radiating power. I love that description. Black silk robes. Ooh, Haiti said. I like to lay in the lap of luxury. Well, I mean he is kind of concerned that his like wealth and all his resources is being drained because he's overpopulated the under.

34:43 He said. Just me and my human bones. That's all I got. And his like guards with every type of mass destruction weapon, if possible, was just waiting for his command. And again, we see this very cool thing that we saw with Aries where Hades's aura effects them. He he. It says the Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I'd seen of Adolf Hitler or Napoleon or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Haiti had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma. So good the descriptions like Rick hats off. Very good descriptions. Especially when you like want him pack a punch with them. So good. So Long story short, with this conversation they get to know the truth.

35:28 Sort of. So Hades, Helm of Darkness is gone. Hades thinks that Percy has the Master Bowl and also his helm. He does not surprise. The backpack the Aries gave him does have the master bolt in it. Now he's like walking. And he's like, oh, my backpack got heavier. Maybe I should check that. Well, not right now. Again, a child, Not really. He's like just again, put it away for later. So it's easy to see that like Aries gave him the backpack, which also has the master bolt in it, but also twist. We knew that Sally was going to be down there somewhere, so 80s is holding her. Yes, it's kind of sad because she's still in that moment of like, being killed, so he can't really even talk to her. He only has three pearls.

36:14 And Hades knows that. He's like, you either give me all the stuff or do the stuff that I'm telling you, or I'm going to unleash the dead to the surface, which I think he wants to do anyway, 'cause he's like, get there's too many, get him out of here. And he's also holding Sally Jackson. And if he doesn't do one of those things, he's going to like bye bye Sally. Yeah, so Percy at this point remembers what the Oracle said and realizing that the thing that he won't be able to save is actually his mother. So he's not saying goodbye to her. He's saying I will come back for you. But in this moment I know what I have to do. Right. He has the Master Bowl, so now all he has to do is tell Zeus and hopefully they'll help. Which is, I think, smart, right?

36:55 Because it's like, how are you going to side? And I like that he realizes that his mom wouldn't want him to sacrifice himself or one of his friends for her. Exactly like that's her job. And I'm glad that he heeded that Sea Spirits warning as well of like don't trust Hades. Follow your heart, Wink. See what we're saying? Yeah, so he does. They smash the pearls and they go right up into the bank. Yes, it like puts them in a bubble and they go all the way to the surface. This very much reminds me of My Little Ponies. So in the first episode ever of My Little Ponies, Megan and Firefly fall into the water and the sea ponies save them.

37:41 There was a pony named Firefly and Megan. No, no, no. Megan was the girl. Megan was the girl that the ponies got. No, So wait, they fall in the water. But then the sea ponies come and they sing a whole song. It's the Best Song Ever. Are they called sea ponies? Yeah, like, they're sea horses, but they're sea ponies. Wait, do they not use the word horse in My Little Pony at all? My Little Pony. They're all ponies, OK? Well, isn't a pony just like a small horse? That or like a. Small magical horses. But do they grow up into horses? They're ponies. Wow, I can't believe I'm getting this push back right now.

38:23 But anyway, so they fall into the water and then they see ponies saying shooby Doo, shooby Doo. It's such a good song. Oh my God, I'll send you the like. But they put them in a bubble, Noah. You have to watch it. It's one of my favorite childhood memories. And they put them in bubbles and they rise to the surface of the water. And then they give them a seashell. And they say if you ever need us again, you just throw the seashell in the ocean. We'll come and get. We'll come and help you. Oh, so it's not like a one time use like the pearls? No, exactly. OK, so I'll make you a deal. I will watch My Little Pony if. Just that one. What a. Thing. No, I don't even want to. Watch. You have to. You have to agree. No, because I don't. Because Noah's been trying to get me to rewatch Lost and I don't want to agree to anything.

39:07 That's what I was going to say, I. Do it. I knew it. Does anybody want to watch Lost with Me? OK anyway. Anyway. Highly. Recommend that entire scene and this reminded me of it. It made me very happy. That's good. There's. The Sea ponies. One of them has a bow. I can't. It's too much. OK, on to a a demigod and. God Battle, OK, Chapter 20 I Does anybody else remember that? Chapter 20 I battle my jerk. Relative things go from wet to worse as things heat up on the beach OK. So that one was good. It was good. But it was like, oh, OK, so Percy realizes that. Haiti.

39:50 Haiti. Haitians. The Aries. He realizes that Hades didn't do anything right, Right. So it's like the thing of like, maybe the bad guy isn't really the bad guy. And it turns out Aries was behind some of it. There's still like, other things being pulled here, so he has to go talk to the person that betrayed him, which is Aries. They get to the beach, Coast Guard like brings him to the beach and like bye, we have to save. Other people, kids, goodbye. And of course Aries is there and he's mad because Percy didn't die. Like the whole plan was to get Percy down there and for him to be dead and then start the war and then blah blah blah.

40:34 So they have to fight, which I love. That Percy at this point is like some game. I got it. I can fight a God. Listen, Percy is not afraid to take some vengeance on some double crossing gods, all right? And Aries is a real jerk. Yeah, I mean, I do think in the grand scheme of things, right, it's like Aries is strength. They've said they said this in the book, that he's strength. He's not really smart. But I do think the person that planned this and for Aries to understand how good of a plan it is of like killing having Hades kill the son of Poseidon to make Poseidon mad at Hades. But then Zeus being mad at both of them, it would create a disastrous war, right? And we can see too when they get to the surface that like parts of like LA are on fire.

41:22 So like things are starting to escalate a little bit and Percy realizes that he has to take action now because the sun going down and it's like summer. Solstice, we also do see this thing where Aries is kind of like has a voice in his head and he's kind of like getting tripped up by it. And he says I'm the God of War. I take orders from no one. I don't have dreams. Which nobody mentioned. Right. And Percy's like, wait a minute, nobody said no, nothing but no dreams, baby. Which I think does plant a seed for, like, there's a little more to Aries than we're letting on, right? He's not just somebody that loves war. Like, yeah, that's where he kind of comes from.

42:02 But, like, does he just want to do that? So like, what is his dream? Does he just want to, like, hang out and like? Be fine. I think that he dreamed a dream of time gone by. OK. And Hathaway, so this, I want to say, is like really at the top three of the things that I'm super excited to see in the show because this is really like the showdown of. Of this book. Of the book, right. So you have Percy Fighting Aries, you have all the cops descending on it, which they think that they have guns, which I think is hilarious that they're just watching it. But nobody's shooting.

42:42 Are they just, like, hitting the guns together? I'm going to get a cab. I want to know what they're saying. You have all the Furies coming. There's. Also, that wall of fire? That's very cool. So good. There's also a bore. RIP the bore that gets washed out to sea. Yeah, I mean, Percy was like wave he. Said Bore. More like bacon. Get out of here. What a bore. So they fight. He uses the pressure of the ocean. He's really coming into his powers of the ocean and using these abilities, and he stabs him in the ankle. And that just like sets Aries over the edge. How dare you? Mama, he's got gold blood coming out. He is not happy.

43:25 So he's not happy about it and he curses Percy, which I come into play later. He says you have made an enemy, godling. You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware Perseus Jackson. Beware. And then he runs away. Well, he turns into light that you can't look. At don't look at. His full immortal form. Don't look at it. It'll make your eyeballs melt and you'll go COO. COO COO COO COO COO. So he ends up giving the Fury the furry furry. Oh man, what is happening? The. Minotaurus still in my. Head. Oh my God, he said. All those tiny whities. So missus Dobbs the Fury the.

44:09 Megan that Mulally. Electo, if you will, comes and he gives the Helm of Darkness series like here give this to Hades, whatever. But she does kind of leave it with like, good but bad, she said. Live well, Percy Jackson, Because true. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again, Dun Dun, Dun. She'll be back. Why is everybody just, like, hating on Percy? Oh no. The guy just, like, got the helm back. Here you go. Return the Bolt like he's a good kid. They're just like, it's like it's like this thing of with these, with these creatures or these gods. It's like if you best them in any way, even if it's besting them to help them, they can't stand that you're the one that got the glory.

44:59 Right, Yeah. Get over yourself. But I do like, I do think there is some type of like, OK, like, thank you, I can go bring this back to like my master and like, but like, don't cross my path again. Like you defeated me two times. I kind of like that. So I think there's like a personal thing going on now. And pluck your eyes out. Or shit the the fire whips and stuff. So cool, so cool. So they decide they don't have much time left and they need to get to Manhattan, They need to go to Olympus, so they're going to fly. They're going into Zeus's territory. Which they're not supposed to do. No. OK, chapter 21. I settled my tab.

45:39 Percy takes an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building and reunites with loved ones, big and small. Oh, big and small. Big and small. God's really big as Mom. Small. So one of the. Developments in the beginning of this is that Percy Jackson is no longer a delinquent in the eyes of America. The mist has like, changed or something. And like, he's not bad. It turns out Aries. Aries kidnapped these people and wreaked havoc on the bus with the bat and all the stuff. He was trying to cause distractions and get away from his kidnapper. So like, that's good. And it explains like later in the like the the cops don't have to be after him for like 5 books, right? It's like we've ended that. Yeah, they've ended it.

46:22 But he does part ways with Annabeth and Grover, which is this is, it's very typical of these types of stories, right? It's like I got to do the final part. Yes, it's me. I'm it's very serious that I just just by myself, even though you've helped me through every single thing. And you've literally saved my life the entire time. You have to go back. You have to go back and tell them because I have to go to Olympus by myself. Yeah, so he gets to go to Olympus, they go tell Chiron. They're like, OK, bye I guess. So he finally gets to Olympus and I really like the visual that he sets here. It's like, you know, like marble and it's in the sky. It's as high as Lane should be, and you know, it doesn't seem as like bustling as you would think Olympus would be, right? It's like the Underworld is so crowded, there's so much going on and then Olympus is like a couple. People, it's like a beautiful, like the the top of the mountain is like a beautiful little village. Right, Yeah.

47:16 Not too much happening. It's definitely not like the Underworld. No, not at all. And he goes to Zeus's throne room, and really only Poseidon and Zeus are there. The only ones he interacts with, yeah, And it it's really interesting, like you would think. I'm more curious because we know that Poseidon has been helping him throughout this whole thing. Sending his friends. Right. But like when he does finally get to see him, there's like nothing. And I'm curious if it's because Zeus is present that, like he doesn't really want to seem like. Well, it's like a forbidden child. Yeah, but like, he already claimed him, like, so he defied it anyway.

47:56 And like, son's there, you know what? And so it's like, I kind of hoped that's the only thing in the movie that I did like because you kind of saw Poseidon. Like once they were alone, Poseidon was like, oh, hi, like you're my son. I love you. He doesn't really get any of that here. Like, very little, but not a lot. He's like, good job get Yeah, you did it. So I want to read the descriptions of our two gods here, because it just wouldn't be complete if I didn't. So Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue pinstripe suit. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum, simple platinum. He had a well trimmed beard, marbled Gray and black like a storm cloud.

48:37 His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy Gray. Nice. And now our good friend Poseidon. He wore leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts and a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it. I don't. His skin was deeply tanned, his hands scarred like an old time fisherman's. His hair was black like mine. His face had the same brooding look that had always gotten me branded a rebel. But his eyes, sea green like mine, were surrounded by sun crinkles that told me he smiled a lot too, Daddy. Except for when your kid is in your presence. Daddy. Will you smile for me, Daddy? You're only kid and he's like, no thanks. He's like, how's that hot piece of tail, Sally? I don't like the description of Poseidon. I think it's lame, but like, whatever. I think it's too on the nose, you know what I mean? Like Zeus is in a suit, so it's like, oh, that's kind of cool. And then, yeah, and Poseidon is just looks like a beach bum, you know what I mean?

49:34 Like. He's he's supposed to be. Does he work at Rajon Buffett? He's Margaritaville, I guess. Wasting away? No. Like my I. Get it? I just don't like it. Does Poseidon eat seafood? That is the question. Probably not. You know you would. But aren't they like his? No. Citizens I. Don't know. Coconut shrimp. I don't know. He probably does eat them. So what? Fish So the conversation here is he has to pretty much plead his case to Zeus and say, like, this is what happens. Aries is the one that did it. Here's your Masterbolt. Like, hello. He believes him, but like, not really.

50:15 He's just like, I have my eye on you. Also, you're not supposed to be here. Why is no one grateful? He gave it to him, right? Even if I stole it, why would? I bring it, yeah, he's like #1. I didn't even steal it. #2 Here it is. I've. I've brought it back. To you. So it's like it's one of those things where he finally gets to the big boss, he finally gets to his dad, and it's kind of an underwhelming experience, right? And it's he knows he's in the presence of these big things. But Zeus doesn't want to talk about anything of possibly what's in Tartarus. His father pieces of him like he doesn't want to talk about it. He's like I forbid any of this being talked about because that's not the what's happening.

50:56 It's not true. Again why would Percy lie? Yeah whatever you. I guess he thinks he has his reason. Zeus leaves the room and the sighting and Percy do kind of have a conversation. He does call his Mama queen, which is, like, really sweet. You can tell that like he wants to love them, but like, you can't. Yeah, and we also have an apology here where he says that he's sorry he brought him to the world because that means he has a hero's fate, and a lot of times it's never a happy fate. They never have happy fates, yes, but like, also rude, like you wish I wasn't born then you shouldn't have done it. But this is the first time you're seeing me in years, and this is what you're saying to me? All right, Dad.

51:44 Terrible. They're rude. Yeah, So. That's pretty much for that chapter. Well, he does. He goes home. Oh yeah. Oh yeah, because Sally is back. Yes. So Sally is home, which is a an amazing thing. He just let her go. Back, yes. And when? Because he got the Helm of Darkness back so. But when he gets home, the apartment is disgusting because Gabe has just been basically decomposing. I forgot that this was this chapter. And so we do see in this chapter that Gabe is just being horrible and he is yelling and he's gesticulating and Percy's mom actually flinches.

52:25 And this is what it says. It says for the first time I realized something. Gabe had hit my mother. OK, woof. Yeah, I I didn't remember this. I think maybe subconsciously we kind of knew that this happened. Literally one line it's it's, I mean it's two senses, but it's. Well, I mean, Frank, from the beginning, interactions with him, when we were first talking about it, we were like, was he hitting her? Like, it feels like there's more abuse going on here. But having this lamely set out, especially in the middle grade book like this is heavy. From what I remember of the other books like it does get a little dark and stuff, but like I feel like the first book was pretty heavy. I think there's like something to be said of when it's like demigod on monster violence, it's kind of fun, but when it's talking about human on human violence, it's very scary. Well, especially somebody like Sally, right? It's like Sally's an Angel.

53:18 And when we know that she's putting herself in the situation for Percy. Yeah, his dad did tell him something of like, you're going to have to make a decision. Nobody can make the decision for you. You have to do it. And one of the things that comes about is in his room there's a package, the package of Medusa's head that he sent it got returned to sender and he has to really this next chapter and his decision is really like, OK, do I like take out Gabe? Do I go back to camp half blood, like, what is going on? His mom really didn't know anything. She doesn't remember anything since the Minotaur, so he had to fill her all in. So easy do. Yeah. So he's just kind of like mom. You know what?

53:58 I'm going to leave this here for you. In case you need it. Wink. I'm going to go back to Game Applet. I have things to do. Yes, So that leads us to our final chapter of the book, Chapter 22. The Prophecy comes true. Camp goodbyes are bad, but the sting of betrayal hurts more. Very. Yeah, I said. Sting. I love that. Like he goes back to camp half blood. And like he does things, he does camp things because camp is still happening. And he's getting better at them. Yeah, he. Climbs the Rockwall and doesn't get burned at all. And like, they have to burn their burial shrouds because they actually got to come back, which is like a really morbid but kind of nice thing that, like your cabin is supposed to make. The thing that you're going to be buried in an Aries cabin volunteered to make Percy's since he's the only one and has a bunch of like smiley faces and loser. I it is sort of funny like oh, they left on a quest in the next day like Mr. DS like, all right guys, get get ready those burials frouds.

55:01 It's the arts and crafts. Function exactly. Of camp, Yes, yes, I really love it. But I just love the pettiness of Aries Cabin and I'm kind of concerned that Aries children are still allowed to be there. But yes, I mean I guess the sins of their father is not their own, but I don't trust. It I'm sorry. Clarice has just been awful this entire time. I do not trust her or her siblings. Her spear is broken. OK, she's pissed. Very pissed. And she is again like her father and Will has Percy on her shit list. Yeah, there is some also big character development happening in the spine. Grover. Yeah, he gets his searcher's license and he's going off to search for a pan. And it's really sweet too, because it's like his two friends that he went through everything and Percy is talking about is like, I want to go with him or like, I don't want him to go, but like, he has to.

55:53 Like this is his thing. And it's really sweet. I think it's mature for somebody that age to, like, let go when they have to. And then also Percy is really left with the decision of like he's finally feeling that he belongs somewhere. So does he decide to stay there year round or just do summer? Because then he could just be with his mom, because we find out that his mom used Medusa on some other game. Mama. And. She said I'm selling art. She sold him, got a shit ton of money and it's like I'm enrolling to become a writer. I'm going to school. Which size? Concrete sculpture. Good for her. I love it.

56:35 You're never too old to go to school and to do whatever you want to do. If you have to use Medusa on a abusive person to do it, go ahead. The fact that he is in poker playing mode means that he was sitting at the table with his friends and she whipped that Medusa head out and she said watch this motherfucker. Open that box. I got a present for you, Gabe. Yeah. So his really big, one of his big decisions here is deciding that before he decides. Remember the Oracle, the prophecy that they said. There's still one thing when I was getting, when I was reading this, I was like, OK, it's all done. And then he was like the Oracle said somebody's going to betray me, that I call friend. And I was like, Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. I forgot that this betrayal happens right at the end of the book the.

57:26 Very end of. Which is so good. Yeah, so everybody's leaving for camp. Percy decides, you know what, I'm going to go train a little bit. I'm going to bring my my sword down, good ol Riptide and see what's going on. But guess who else is training? Luke. Luke. And Luke has a very special sword, one with two blades, made of two different types. Of stuff. It's 2 sided so it's the same but it's like just split down the middle which is so cool. I love it. It has different colours and it's really cool. So it's to kill monsters and also hurt mortals. One side is celestial bronze, the other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both, so Backbiter is looking to kill everyone.

58:12 That's. Almost in its path, like it's back snapper, but it's backbiter. Because it sounds cooler, yeah. And also, it's not too on the nose at this point. True. So he pretty much is like, Percy, let's go into the woods and like fight something, you know, kids camp is like happening. And he's like, OK again, the sea spirit told you to trust your heart. This is one of those moments again, I don't think it's ever going to stop where you need to trust your heart. It's like I can't give you everything, Percy. So he goes into the woods and the scorpion comes into play and it turns out that's Luke was the one that was the thief during the winter solstice, the the field trip, he was the one that was acting with the thing in the pit to do all these things.

59:01 So it wasn't even his father that was making him do this. He went rogue. His Kronos. And I do. His father is to blame though, right? Because like he talks about how his father sent him on a quest just to get a golden apple, which has already been done before. That's how he got a scar. So I get his resentment, but like, he really wants to take down the whole thing. Yeah, and I, you know, there is something to be said about them just being pawns in their parents lives and being used and not really being cared for. But he also is having, you know, the father of all the gods whisper in his ear trying to get him to do his revenge. So he's definitely being brainwashed at this point. Right. And it's it's one of those things where it's going to be a journey for Percy and Annabeth and the people that will believe Percy of, like, what's happening with Kronos and all of that.

59:49 But like, because they said, oh, he put them into pieces, Like occasionally, like, he'll like, influence somebody to do terrible things, but he's never coming back together. And Percy's like, oh, he is. And this is proof, right, that like, he literally has a demigod working for him. It's not. Good, no? So our good friend Percy, he does get stung by the scorpion, even though he cuts it in half. Before he does, he gets stung. Luke escapes. He uses backbiter to slash a hole in the universe, and he gets out of there. He did a clia from Doctor Strange. He sure did. And and then Percy does end up getting help, but he does almost die, and he wakes up.

1:00:31 He wakes up again just as he arrived at camp, being nursed back to health by Anna Beth. Full circle. Just a little sip and nectar will do you good. And also, so again, there is character development, right, that we don't experience until it's told to Percy and he's assuming that Annabeth is going to be there year round. And I think that probably would have pushed him to be a year round this day. Yeah, right. And she took his advice and reached out and her family's there and she's going to try again, which again, these kids, it's just good writing, right? Like, I love the thought of second chances, even with Annabeth, because Annabeth seems very like, Nope, you've crossed me, I don't want to do it.

1:01:11 But like, she's grown a little bit. Percy rubbed off on her and she's like, I'm going to try. It's the harm in trying. She could just come right back. She always has a place that can't have blood. And so Percy realizes that, OK, when we come back together next year, we'll go on a quest again. But until then, I'm going to go home. Because he's like, I want to go after Luke, I want to do this. And Kyron's like, no, Like you need, you need some time. Like, don't go for revenge. Sit down and think a little bit And that's really how where it ends. That's the Lightning Thief. And then there's just four more books, and then it is more universe and now a brand new one. Yeah, and there's going to be two more brand new ones.

1:01:51 College years. I love it. So what did you think? What did you think about the Lightning Thief? I think that what's what's so good about this book is that it starts off in such an innocent place, and as it goes on, it really does become more serious. And rereading it again, I really did forget so many of the details, but I remember why I loved it. And it really is just so well written. And the fact that as an adult, I'm reading it and still enjoying it and still seeing the humor in it and not and I and forgetting the twists and turns, you know, I think that if I didn't remember that Luke double crossed him, I wouldn't have been expecting that at all. No.

1:02:38 And I think that was a really good thing that like, I think once you know that you can see some of those signs and there are some like little tiny heavy handedness. But like, it is a good thing because also he waited until literally the last couple pages. I love it when an author like, knows what they want to do and they're just like setting up stuff, but like, they planted that seed from the beginning from the Oracle. It's really fun, right? I I think to echo what you're saying, I forgot how much I enjoyed it and now I can't wait to just like keep reading all of them. If this gets a second season, hopefully maybe we can do this again for the 2nd book and like keep going until. I really want to read it, you know. The thing was, is that I feel like I think I in my reading of this, I read the first one and really liked it. But then I think, I think I was in college at that point so I was busy with school and I took a break but then like the last two were coming out so I speed read the the next two the which was a sea of monsters and Titans curse. So I don't remember anything about those at all other than he meets his brother and then he gets. Spoilers.

1:03:48 Pegasus or. Something we always said I'm. Just kidding, but you don't know who his brother is. I mean, if you've seen Sea of Monsters, you might. Yes, Yeah. And then I think he at some point gets a horse or, yeah, a Pegasus or something like that. So that's all I remember. Yeah, yeah, there's quite, yeah. I mean, I remember pieces like, I know generally where the series is going, but like everything from there, because this book is packed. Like holy crap, like, I forgot how much time we were in camp half blood and how many monsters. Like, again, it's like episodic, right? It's like fighting this monster, getting to this place, fighting this monster, getting. It's just really packed. And the fact that there's just a universe, more of books like, I think he has completely used everything Greek. Mythology he must have, I mean, at this point. He used Krusty I'm.

1:04:34 Telling you Krusty the Crab, it's ridiculous. The fact is that he's done Roman mythology, He's done Norse mythologies and Egyptian. Yeah, Where's he going to go next? Is it gonna go? I'm very excited. So we just have the show from here on out. Very exciting. I can't wait. Yeah, if you were with us for this whole book reading thing, we'll we'll do more books in the future. Maybe not part subjective, maybe something else, who knows. But this is our roots and we love doing it. So see you, See you tomorrow. We have that bonus episode and then shortly after that we have. We're getting into the show. The show. It's time to go back to Disney Plus.

1:05:15 I can't wait to talk about it. Same because we've seen some of it and that's all I'm saying. Very excited. All right. So till next day. Bye. Goodbye.