Crime
The Irrational
The Irrational finds a behavioral scientist asking questions about memory and the human condition while investigating murders.
Much of Greek mythology could’ve been a whole lot simpler if Zeus had just been faithful to his wife, Hera.
And Hera has finally reached her breaking point. The Queen of Olympus has taken it upon herself to slaughter all of the lightning god’s illegitimate children so as to not be reminded of all of Zeus’s betrayals.
That’s pretty bad news for Heron, since he is one of those kids. But besides the fact that Hera wouldn’t mind shoving a spear through his chest, Heron has other big concerns, too: the lands are facing a threat of demons—ex-human monsters who’ve turned into violent beasts after consuming the flesh from the corpses of ancient evil giants.
Any Olympian god would recall the terrible clash from ages past as gods and giants battled for supremacy. And although the gods won, the ancient scuffle was closer than they’d like to admit.
And as Hera thinks about that wicked race, she recognizes that the giants just might be what she needs to enact her vengeance on Zeus, his progeny and all who have wronged her, once and for all.
That is, unless Heron can stop her.
(The following contains major spoilers for the show’s second season)
At the end of Season One, Olympus cracked and crumbled against the power of the raised giants—but it did not fall. While Zeus did fall, Hera’s scheme was a pyrrhic victory: As she watched the life drain from Zeus’ eyes, she obtained the revenge she had craved … but she didn’t expect him to die by sacrificing himself to save her.
And like Olympus, Heron’s journey has left him a weary state. For one, Zeus truly was a loving father figure to him. For another, the fight against Hera revealed many secrets—including the fact that the demon leader, Seraphim, whom he slew in the final battle, was actually his half-giant half-brother.
As you might expect, Zeus’ death has an impact on Mount Olympus—and it’s one on which his brother, Hades, seeks to capitalize. He’s always felt that he got the short end of the stick when he was assigned to serve as god of the underworld. And with the Olympian throne now vacant, Hades believes it’s time that he and his wife, Persephone, take a turn ruling the heavens.
But in order to make his power play, Hades needs the Eleusinian Stone, a lightning-filled diamond in which untold power resides. But the stone rests in the Hidden Realm, a place where only those with the heritage of the giants can enter. But the Fates must favor Hades, as Heron’s slaying of Seraphim quite literally brings the half-giant lynchpin right to his doorstep. Hades is more than willing to let Seraphim escape eternal judgment and enact revenge on the living once more, provided he can do Hades this little favor.
And, if things go how Hades intends, it won’t be long before Mount Olympus is flush with pomegranates.
Blood of Zeus is aptly named, as the Netflix anime’s characters bleed gallons of blood and ichor alike.
Greek mythology has never been one to shy away from graphic content, and—while this derivative tale is thousands of years younger than those myths—Blood of Zeus is no exception to that rule. In this fantastical world, the most common description of death on any ancient coroner’s analysis would read something like “demise through decapitation, disembowelment and dismemberment.” At the very least, we see instances of all three onscreen.
Blood of Zeus obviously plays heavy on its Greek mythology, and, to its credit, it uses the ancient stories in clever ways for its plot. But other elements of that mythology appear onscreen, too, such as a brief scene referencing Apollo’s bisexuality, the implied consumption of infants and witchcraft, too. Likewise, female nudity is occasionally present, and a couple statues depict male anatomy.
All of that’s got to make you feel bad for Heron. I mean, at least Percy Jackson got to go to summer camp!
As demons attack the town, Heron learns the truth of where the beasts came from.
A sword decapitates a soldier. One demon pulls an impaled javelin from its leg. A man’s leg has a gnarly wound. Heron finds a disemboweled corpse. A demon is sliced multiple times with a sword and eventually decapitated. A soldier burns a shapeshifting demon with a hot iron to reveal its true nature. Fire burns away a demon’s body. A woman brands herself to prove she’s not a demon.
A myth, called the “Gigantomachy” is told, wherein the gods and giants battled each other. The demons tell a crowd that they will “convert or die.” Hermes gathers the souls of various giants.
One giant resembles a woman, and its four breasts are visible.
Heron is described as a “b–tard.” His mother is called a “wh-re” and a “slut.”
Hades initiates his plan to steal the Eleusinian Stone as the battle of Olympus rages on.
In the underworld, people scream as they burn in a lake of fire, their flesh melting away. Giants and gods fight one another. A horse and man are found disemboweled by Keres (blood-hungry female creatures), who eat the man’s entrails. Someone explodes. A shadowy creature bleeds from its eyes.
One giant resembles a woman, and its four breasts and naked rear are visible. A statue displays a naked man. Hades and Persephone kiss.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
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