Medusa-Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV Series (2023)

Percy and allies visit the Garden Gnome Emporium, after being chased by the Fury, Alecto. Medusa, who goes by Aunty Em, offers the heroes sanctuary and a meal. Reluctantly, the trio chooses to dine with Medusa, where she recalls her version of becoming a Gorgon-a story in which the goddess Athena is depicted in a villainous light, in hopes of eliciting sympathy from the trio. She states that she was a devote follower of Athena, but that when Poseidon declared that he loved her, Athena decided Medusa needed to be punished, for she was too beautiful and was a threat to her. Although the TV show is aimed for younger audiences, the dialogue still suggests that Poseidon raped Medusa, which embarrassed and humiliated the grey eyed goddess. Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, challenges this new perspective of the story, which causes Medusa to pull Percy aside privately, and give him a deal in which he hand over his friends, who she stated will betray him, to save his mother. Percy remains loyal to his friends, which anger Medusa, and the heroes battle her in the basement of the Emporium. Here, Medusa accuses the heroes of following in their godly parents' footsteps, accusing Percy of being a coward for not standing up for his loved ones, and Annabeth of hubris and the inability to admit her weaknesses. With her veil unraveled, Medusa attempts to petrify the trio, but is ultimately unsuccessful, as Percy invisibly decapitates her by using the magic hat Athena gave Annabeth, along with his celestial bronze sword. Although she is now "dead", the words and perspective she used continue to affect the trio and prompts them to change their perspective on how the gods truly operate. Medusa serves to question the morals and doings of the gods, and challenges how myth is interpreted to serve the powerful, instead of the victims who are perceived as monsters.