‘Percy Jackson’s New Character Elevates Grover’s Story
The latest episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians brought viewers to the Lotus Hotel and Casino. Readers are already familiar with the time-altering casino and its importance to Nico and Bianca di Angelo’s story, but they were in for a surprise in the form of a new character: Augustus.
In the episode, Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) enter the Lotus Hotel in search of Hermes (Lin Manuel-Miranda). However, it’s not long before they notice that something is very wrong. Despite avoiding eating the Lotus flowers, they find themselves experiencing some symptoms of memory loss and an inability to keep track of time. That’s because time passes differently in the hotel, with the Lotus Eaters enticing guests to never leave. It’s not long before they realize they have been at the hotel for days, even though it feels like minutes, and struggle to recall their quest.
It was exciting to see how the show would bring the luxury hotel to life and whether it would sneak in any references to Nico and Bianca, who are believed to have been at the hotel at the same time as Percy and his friends. However, viewers were likely surprised when Grover spotted another satyr moseying around the hotel. Even those who read the books will have trouble placing him.
Who is Augustus in Percy Jackson?
Given how long ago the books came out, it’s sometimes a bit of a struggle for readers to decipher between new characters and characters from the books they just forgot about. However, Augustus is actually a new character created solely for the series, having never appeared in the books. Not only was his entrance a surprise, but viewers were also likely thrown off by the fact that he does look a bit like Mark Hamill. Hamill is not in Percy Jackson and Olympians, though. Instead, actor and writer Ted Dykstra brought the new character to life. Dykstra is best known for lending his voice to the children’s TV series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Since he’s not in the books, everything we know about Augustus comes from the latest episode. Augustus is a Searcher, just like Grover’s Uncle Ferdinand. This means he set out on a journey to find Pan, the missing god of the wild. Unfortunately, just as Ferdinand’s journey was disrupted by Medusa (Jessica Parker Kennedy), Augustus only got as far as the Lotus Hotel on his mission. It’s unclear how long he has been there, but his confused state of mind suggests it has been quite some time. Grover mentions that Augustus started his journey even before Ferdinand did and was a big inspiration to his family. It’s possible that Augustus has spent decades in the Lotus Hotel.
Augustus doesn’t say much or indicate that he understands what Grover is saying. However, he hasn’t lost all his memory. Somehow, he recalls that he was looking for Pan, and surprisingly, he tells Grover that he found him. Sadly, Augustus didn’t actually find Pan in the Lotus Hotel. Instead, he found a game simulation that involved Pan, believing if he beat the game, he would get to Pan. Grover soon gets sucked into the game, as well, with Augustus continuing to wander aimlessly around the hotel. Although he later helps Percy and Annabeth find Grover, his fate remains unknown.
Unless Grover returns for Augustus, he’ll likely continue to stay in the Lotus Hotel in his confused state. Grover returning for him could introduce a new side arc for future seasons. However, Augustus’ purpose was likely similar to Ferdinand’s appearance in the show. Both instances give Grover and the satyrs of Percy Jackson more depth. They give viewers a glimpse of Grover’s family history, as well as highlight the immense sacrifices that countless Searchers made in their journeys to find Pan. Satyrs are truly selfless beings as they spend their lives serving as Protectors before going off as Searchers, knowing there’s a high chance they’ll never return. Viewers may find themselves with a new level of respect and sympathy for Grover as the TV series uses components like Augustus to illustrate exactly what he and his family’s life work entails.
(featured image: Disney+)
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