SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from the season finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
We finally know who the real Lightning Thief is.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians wrapped its first season on Tuesday with an action-packed episode that ties up all those loose ends after Percy, Annabeth and Grover narrowly escape the Underworld. That includes who really stole the Master Bolt.
Turns out, it was Luke all along. The son of Hermes has been in cahoots with Kronos to possibly destroy Mount Olympus and overthrow the gods. All is revealed when Percy and the team return to Camp Half-Blood, where they expect to find an ally in Luke, still thinking Clarisse stole the bolt. But Luke soon reveals himself, getting entangled in a battle with Percy, who he tries to convince to join his cause.
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“That was an intense scene to film,” Charlie Bushnell, who plays Luke, told Deadline. “It’s a little different than what goes down in the book. Personally, I like the changes. I think it’s more exciting for a TV show adaptation.”
Bushnell spoke with Deadline about the Season 1 finale and the possibility of expanding Luke’s story in Sea of Monsters, if the series is renewed.
DEADLINE: The finale scene with Luke and Percy is a great moment, and it’s a big one for Luke. How did you and Walker prepare for it?
CHARLIE BUSHNELL: That was an intense scene to film. I think we filmed that over the span of like three days, and leading up to the filming of that scene, there was a lot of stunt training, because of course, there’s the final fight that we have, along with training sequence [earlier in the episode]. So there was a lot of stunt training involved. Working with the stunt team was so much fun. They made us look amazing. We worked a lot with our our onset coach Andrew McIlroy, and really just broke the scene down. I feel like Walker and I truly were able to connect on such a deep level while filming that scene…we were really able to just bounce off each other and, even in between takes, we had this little tennis ball thing that we throw back and forth while doing the scene to just keep that connection going. I just remember it was so much fun and emotional. It’s a little different than what goes down in the book. Personally, I like the changes. I think it’s more exciting for a TV show adaptation.
DEADLINE: Luke has such a big moment at the end, but before that we don’t see much of him once the trio leaves camp. Did you talk with Rick and the EPs about what was going on behind the scenes with him to help build up to that final moment?
BUSHNELL: Absolutely. I remember when I was still in the audition process for Luke, I met with [the EPs] on Zoom one day and and we really just talked about the character and his backstory, all that stuff. There were a lot of discussions and also just a lot of research on my part. Of course, I jumped right into the books when I found out I got the role and did a lot of research. I did actually meet Rick, my very first day on set and I got to chat with him a bit about Luke as a character. Rick truly just laid the groundwork for me out perfectly. Everything was there in the book for me. [I also did] a deep dive online Luke’s backstory and what other people think. I feel like I learned so much from the fans and their takes on things. I love listening to Percy Jackson podcasts, and some people do deep dives into the characters, so there were definitely a lot of discussions with various different people [that] helped me get to know who can his backstory and how that’s going to serve his overall arc.
DEADLINE: What was something interesting you used to inform your performance that you learned from fans on the internet?
BUSHNELL: In that final scene, Luke is essentially trying to recruit Percy, but it doesn’t go in his favor. I think he believes that Percy will understand where he’s coming from, and I think he believes that Percy is gonna be like, ‘You’re right. Let’s do this.’ But I saw someone online say, I think the fact that Percy had his mother growing up [means] Percy is still kind of new to this world. He’s new to this magical world and Greek gods and demigods and monsters and all that. So I think he’s still like holding on to hope. But Luke has been in this world his whole life, and I think he’s lost all hope and sees nothing positive about it. Even though their godly parents have been absent in both of their lives, I think there are a lot of parallels actually between the way Percy and Luke think about things. I think the fact that Luke didn’t really have his mom growing up, because she want she tried to become the host of the Oracle and that drove her crazy, she was just not really there for him in the way that he needed her to be. So I think that was a big factor as to why Percy didn’t join Luke’s side in the end. Because, I think at the end of the day, Luke just wanted nothing more than to be loved, and Percy did have that in some ways whereas as Luke never really did.
DEADLINE: What scene did you most enjoy getting to see that you weren’t there for on set?
BUSHNELL: That Aries fight is insane. It’s so good, and Walker and Adam Copeland just absolutely knocked it out of the park. I was literally like sitting next to Walker watching this, and he was getting a live commentary reaction of me watching this scene. It was just so epic. It was even better than I imagined.
DEADLINE: Luke has a great, very prominent role in Sea of Monsters. The show hasn’t been officially renewed, but what are you looking forward to about potentially exploring that?
BUSHNELL: I mean, right off the bat, I’m excited to just be on a yacht, essentially the whole time. The captain of my own ship, which would be pretty cool. I actually have to go back and reread Sea of Monsters. I’m finishing up the Chalice of the Gods right now. I’m almost done with that one. I’m excited just to see like Luke be really in charge. I feel like Luke is already very confident, which I like about him, but I think in this next season especially, Luke is powerful and is takes on this leadership role, and I’m excited to see him really step into his power even more. Also, I’m just excited for more of those fight scenes with Percy, because me and Walker just have a blast doing those and it’s so much fun with him. It’ll be fun to beat up on him some more. [Laughs]. I’m also excited to meet some new characters that are gonna come in next season. So there’s a lot. The list goes on and on.
DEADLINE: If we make it to Season 5, Luke has a run in with his dad Hermes in The Last Olympian. In the series, Hermes is played by Lin Manuel Miranda. What would you be looking forward to about that scene?
BUSHNELL: It’s too bad that I have to wait that long. I’d film the scene with him, like, yesterday. He was incredible as Hermes, by the way. He was so good. I really enjoyed that episode. He’s the best and he seems like the nicest guy. He actually messaged me, after he saw the first couple of episodes and sent me the nicest message and just told me how much he’s enjoying the show and all that. So I’ve been in communication with him a bit. I’m really looking forward to hopefully working with him one day. because that will be so much fun. It gotta keep working on my acting, because I want to be at his level when we finally get to that moment.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season Finale: The Real Lightning Thief Revealed
The season finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians revealed the true identity of the Lightning Thief and wrapped up several loose ends from the season. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover narrowly escaped the Underworld and returned to Camp Half-Blood, where they expected to find an ally in Luke. However, it turns out that Luke is the one who stole the Master Bolt and has been working with Kronos to possibly destroy Mount Olympus and overthrow the gods [[1]].
Luke's Role and Character Development
Luke, the son of Hermes, plays a significant role in the season finale. He tries to convince Percy to join his cause, leading to an intense battle between the two characters. The portrayal of Luke's character in the TV show adaptation differs slightly from the book, but the changes are considered more exciting for the adaptation. The actor who plays Luke, Charlie Bushnell, mentioned that the final scene was intense to film and involved a lot of stunt training. He also discussed how he and the actor who plays Percy, Walker, prepared for the scene and built a deep connection while filming [[1]].
The character of Luke is explored further behind the scenes, even though he doesn't have much screen time once the trio leaves camp. The actor had discussions with the executive producers and author Rick Riordan about Luke's backstory and character development. He also did research by reading the books and diving into online discussions and fan theories about Luke's character. This helped him understand Luke's motivations and how they serve his overall arc in the series [[1]].
Luke's Motivations and Relationship with Percy
In the final scene between Luke and Percy, Luke tries to recruit Percy to his cause but fails. One interesting insight that the actor gained from online discussions was the difference in perspective between the two characters. Percy, who had his mother growing up, is still new to the magical world and holds onto hope. On the other hand, Luke, who didn't have his mother around, has lost all hope and sees nothing positive about the world they are in. This difference in their experiences and perspectives plays a role in Percy's decision not to join Luke's side. Luke's desire for love and acceptance is also highlighted as a factor in his actions [[1]].
Future Possibilities for Luke's Character
While the show has not been officially renewed for future seasons, the actor expressed excitement about potentially exploring Luke's character further in the adaptation of "Sea of Monsters." He mentioned being excited about Luke taking on a leadership role and stepping into his power. The actor also looks forward to more fight scenes with Percy and the opportunity to meet new characters in the next season [[1]].
Luke's Interaction with Hermes
If the series reaches Season 5, Luke will have a significant interaction with his father Hermes in "The Last Olympian." In the series, Hermes is portrayed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The actor expressed his admiration for Miranda's portrayal of Hermes and mentioned that he would love to work with him in that scene. He described Miranda as incredibly talented and a genuinely nice person, and they have already had some communication about the show [[1]].
Overall, the season finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians revealed Luke as the true Lightning Thief and set the stage for further character development and potential storylines in future seasons. The actor who plays Luke, Charlie Bushnell, shared insights into his preparation for the intense final scene and his excitement about the possibilities for his character in the series [[1]].
