Season Review: Blood of Zeus Season Three

Nowadays, the relationship between Netflix and adult animation has been hit-and-miss regarding how some of its shows were treated.  Regardless of the positive reception, most animated series were left in the bunker with their cliffhanging fates up to the viewers’ imagination.  However, others wrapped their stories up nicely without the need to tease anything that may not happen, including Jentry Chau vs. the Underworld.  Another adult animated series that belonged to this list is Charley and Vlas Parlapanides’s Blood of Zeus, a reflection of Greek mythology involving the gods being more immature than the ones from Hercules.

With its mature storytelling and solid presentation from Powerhouse Animation, Blood of Zeus offered an epic tale of Zeus’s demigod son Heron (Derek Phillips) overcoming impossible odds, including discrimination, to save Olympus and Earth from destroying themselves.  Initially planned for five seasons according to the creators, Heron’s coming-of-age journey has ended with the show’s third and final season, raising the stakes even higher.  For those who haven’t caught up with Blood of Zeus, the second season concluded with Hades making a massive oopsie in killing the main protagonist and claiming the Eleusinian Stone for himself.  As a result, the gods are now facing the wrath of a pissed-off Gaia (Jean Gilpin), who resurrected Typhon to destroy them.  No wonder Hades can’t be trusted with anything, even when his underworld is at stake.  Fortunately, Heron survived this shocking outcome for one last god-sized adventure.  This time, he and his allies join forces with his half-brother Seraphim (Elias Toufexis) to rescue the latter’s priestess wife while the gods face the sins of their past amid Gaia’s judgment. 

However, the final season showcased that Typhon’s wrath is the least of the gods’ concerns.  Gaia’s actions also unleashed the king of the Titans, Cronus (Alfred Molina), from his underworld prison, resulting in him seeking to eliminate Zeus (Jason O’Mara) and recreate the universe in his own image.  While the show often includes adult-rated violence and subtle language, its first two seasons exemplified the mature themes and storytelling accompanying the genre’s fundamental traits.  In this case, Heron’s quest has him questioning his path as he journeys to protect his homes from the gods’ selfishness.  For the third season, Blood of Zeus was tasked with wrapping up the characters’ arcs introduced in season one while injecting the thrilling and emotional scope of their “end-all-be-all” showdown with Cronus.  One example is Hera (Claudia Christian), who seeks to make amends for her fury towards Zeus’s actions and discrimination towards Heron’s demigod origin by reuniting the Olympians for their showdown.

The result is another well-animated, tight, and consistently enthralling season that effectively balances adult violence with mythological fantasy and a fully fledged narrative.  This is mainly due to the show retaining the qualities that made the previous two seasons as legendary as the gods.  One of them was its themes focusing on acceptance, anger, humanity, and fate, with the latter centering on Heron forging his own honorable path, leading to his ultimate fight against Cronus and Typhon.  In season three, “Blood of Zeus” places a greater emphasis on themes of redemption and forgiveness. This is illustrated by the gods confronting the consequences of their past actions. For instance, Hades faces torment from Cronus due to his decision to kill Heron, a significant event highlighted in the second season’s conclusion.  Of course, the only solution to forgive others and end their anguish is to forgive themselves.  Seraphim’s redeeming arc was undoubtedly the most satisfying of the show’s characters because he’s been tormented by the rage and sorrow caused by the gods’ actions and the loss of his wife.  Initially seen as an enemy to Heron, Seraphim is another strong example of adding three-dimensional depth in a character from an opposing side and their background, with Elias Toufexis’s vocal performance accompanying the trait fairly well.

In addition to Toufexis’s Seraphim, the other voice cast made one last hurrah for their characters.  While a tad underwhelming during some sequences, the cast once again made a respectable effort in conveying their characters’ emotions, including Derek Phillips as Heron.  I would also credit Alfred Molina for capturing the formidably tense aura of Cronus, the season’s main antagonist.  Of course, given his experiences with playing villains like Doctor Octopus from “Spider-Man” and Mordros the Annihilator from Hamster & Gretel, it’s unsurprising that Molina would be a suitable fit for portraying the Titan leader.  As for the animation, it continues to deliver a vibrant, stylized presentation that’s as electrifying as Zeus’s godlike powers.  The dropped frame rates during specific sequences can still be a bit bothersome, but everything else managed to make amends with their dark fantasy essence and thrilling set pieces.

Blood of Zeus may be identified as another piece of adult animation filled with senseless violence and gore.  However, it has proven time and again that the medium can be more than just those tasteless elements, thanks to its mature themes and accessible plot.  This gave its third and final season the task of retaining its thunderous momentum and giving the demigod protagonist the proper conclusion he deserves.  Unsurprisingly, it managed to accomplish that task with ease, providing a worthy and even sentimental finale that even the gods will be pleased with.  Its minor flaws, like the underwhelming line delivery and frame rates, may have kept it from obtaining the true power of the gods.  But, the profound quality of its tight narrative, well-rounded characters, and solid animation was electrifying enough for it to join alongside the other adult animated gods that balance adult themes with storytelling.