The sixth episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is finally here, and it's hard to believe that we're already closer to the end than the beginning of the first season. This week's episode, "We Take a Zebra to Vegas," takes many liberties with the plot while staying true to the spirit of the book.

The Book vs. The Show

As mentioned in my previous article, one moment from the book that was missing is now present: Annabeth and Percy try to Iris-Message Chiron back at Camp Half-Blood but reach Luke instead. In the show, the trio now believes that Clarisse LaRue, Ares' favorite daughter and bully supreme, might be the lightning thief, and Luke seems to accept this notion.

Another notable difference is the Lotus Casino itself. In the book, Percy and his friends enter the casino and spend five days there, enjoying the amenities and playing games without realizing what's happening. They forget their memories because lotus dust is being pumped into the air. On the show, they puzzle out the nature of the casino by referencing The Odyssey: it's called the Lotus Casino because if you eat any of the food, you forget your past, just as how eating lotus flowers made characters forget things in The Odyssey.

Grover's Encounter

Something that we don't see in the book is Grover running into a fellow satyr, Augustus, who has lost his memories in the casino. Grover brings up his uncle Ferdinand and his failed quest, the one he mentioned back in Episode 3. Augustus uses this as an in to lure Grover deeper into the casino.

Hermes' Appearance

The biggest difference between the book and the show in this episode involves Hermes, who doesn't appear at all in The Lightning Thief. Lin-Manuel Miranda dazzles as the playful god who turns serious and pensive the minute Luke is mentioned.

Annabeth's Fatal Flaw

I want to dedicate one moment to the perfection of this interaction. Though not yet mentioned, Annabeth's fatal flaw in the books is her hubris, her pride, believing that she can be better than everyone else. This episode shows us her flaw in such a fun way.

The Car Ride

Hermes' car being a cab is a nice nod to the book; on the show, Percy attempts driving (very badly) and once out of the Lotus parking lot, the car transports them to their destination of choice: Santa Monica, where Percy thinks he'll meet his dad. In the book, they take a trip in the same car, but without Percy trying to drive.

The Underworld

In both versions of the story, a Nereid meets Percy at the bottom of the sea. In the book, she says that Poseidon is forbidden to help Percy directly, while in the episode she tells Percy that Poseidon wanted to meet him and waited as long as he could before going to rally his troops. He left a message for Percy, telling him the war isn't his fault and that he is proud of his son, and releases him from his quest.

The Last Difference

The last difference, which will prove to be major in the next episodes, is that the Nereid gives Percy four pearls to escape the Underworld. He only gets three in the book. We'll see how that plays out.

Episode Grade: A-