Lin-Manuel Miranda made his first appearance as Hermes in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 3 — a surprise for new and old fans alike, given the character's absence from The Lightning Thief novel.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+.
Hermes and Hephaestus both are stand-outs among the cast of Olympians in the Disney+ show, as neither appears in the source novel for Percy Jackson and the Olympians' first season. However, they both have actors set in the show (Miranda and Tim Omundson respectively) and appear as drawings in the show's credits.
This has left fans speculating what their roles might be — but following Episode 3, fans may finally have (at least part of) an answer for one of them.
Hermes Episode 3 Ending Explained
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 3 ended with a new scene, not from the books — or, more accurately, an extension of a fan-favorite scene from the books. In fact, the scene featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda was an extension of arguably among the most anticipated scenes for the show.
Following the fight with Medusa — which ended with Percy cutting off the snake-haired woman's head — the young demigod ships the deathly head to Mount Olympus, showing that he is, in fact, "impertinent" and mad at the gods.
This scene was missing from the movies, and as such was highly anticipated by fans. But, what fans may not have expected was seeing the head's journey to the home of the gods and one god's reaction to the bold move.
After closing and sealing the cardboard, Percy writes exactly what he did in the book on its side: "With best wishes, Percy Jackson." In the books, readers just hear that he sends it off, and it doesn't come back until the final couple of chapters.
In the show, however, viewers get to follow the head of the Hermes Express mail service, where the book is hand-delivered up to the Empire State Building's 600th floor (where Mount Olympus is located) by Hermes himself.
Miranda's Hermes, with the box in hand, unlocks the elevator's secret button and rides it up 600 floors. Like in the book, the elevator music is a catchy song (this time, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" by Christopher Cross).
When Hermes gets all the way up, he starts to walk into the glowing light of Olympus with a smirk, saying "You guys are gonna want to see this," referring to the severed head.
It should be noted that this is not Hermes' only appearance in the show, as trailers and promotional images reveal him as part of the Lotus Casino sequence as well.
Why Did Percy Mail Medusa's Head to the Gods?
In the books — and, in the show so far — Percy does not hide his anger toward the gods of Olympus.
Unlike Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell), however, he does not let that anger turn him to the side of evil, and he instead decides to put things into his own hands and change things.
While he does not really start being able to do this tangibly until the last book of the series, he starts off right away, by sending the severed head of a lady with snake hair whose gaze can turn people to stone to the gods, with a note saying "With best wishes."
Many fans will argue that this is one of the most in-character moments in all five original Percy Jackson books, and they are not necessarily wrong. As such, fans were likely glad to see the moment adapted and enhanced – both with the Hermes addition and the Consensus Song (which is also new for the show).
The first three episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians are now streaming on Disney+, and the remaining five episodes will release weekly.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
