@@ismael9619 a reference to a now infamous reaction by CF Entertainment (aka Casper) who, in a hilarious bit of confusion, made the theory that the person who shows up at the end of “Keep Your Friends Close” is Hades, when it’s actually Poseidon. Thus, a lot of Epic fans have taken to calling Poseidon “Wet Hades”
Odysseus: “I am your darkest moment, I am the infamous Odysseus!” Poseidon: “I am your darkest moment, the monster who always draws nearer.” Yeesh, Poseidon is really throwing that right back into Odysseus’ face.
Dont forget the part, where Poseidon said, ''You totally could have avoided all this if you'd just killed my son, 'But Nooooo'. And then proceeds to drop a baby.. referring to when Odysseus dropped the Troy prince from the walls..
fun fact, when steven rodriguez, who voices poseidon, was recording his parts for this song, he would hold a literal trident while singing in the studio
In ancient Greece, death by battle was considered honorable. Elysium (the best part of the underworld) was reserved for great warriors and kings. So not only did Odysseus blind his kid then dox himself in a fit of hubris, he also denied polyphemus an honorable death.
It's also a bit of an insult to think that, in the world of the mythos, that some random human has the sheer AUDACITY to disfigure and disable a being who is very likely to have at least a celestial patron if not parent, and then LEAVE HIM WITH HIS NAME. In that context, that's not too far from, in gamer terms, "Get wrecked, you suck, should have been better." Which, considering POSEIDON is Polyphemus' Dad, Oddyseus basically told Poseidon (one of the elder and more powerful of the Gods) that he ain't shit, and to do something about it. Without meaning to, he basically asked for it.
@@zacharyharwell351 while mostly true: Ody isn't some random human. All the gods knew he was Athena's... 'champion' also the widely accepted story is that Ody's great grandfather was Hermes.
I also like to think Poseidon is angry that Odysseus left a witness, and now _he_ has to show up & exact vengeance because he cannot have his enemies think he won't respond. He fought Polyphemus, but how he won was an affront to his authority. Plus, the whole "false righteousness" must gall him, as a mortal had more moral integrity than himself.
Poseidon has TONS of kids, Polyphemus being just one of them. He doesn't really care about him. He is more focused on the fact that someone hurt HIS kid. It's the principle of it. Poseidon's reputation would suffer if he DIDN'T retaliate. Odysseus could have either killed Polyphemus or kept his mouth shut, and Poseidon would have never known. It would have been the same to him like, 'Oh well.'
no no Poseidon may has TONS of kids but he care about all of his kid in greek mythology Poseicdon is a very lovely father who very love and care about his kid
@@supattreewatanawong5025this is true enough in Greek mythology, but I don’t think it’s true for EPIC’s version of Poseidon, at least going by how he talks
@scorpioblueeyes7388 yeah, they're going for a darker take on Poseidon. Not the same as he usually is. Just like how Aoelus is a woman in Epic instead of a man, and that Polites dies to Poluphenus instead of staying alive until... What happened recently
"The line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible" was basically Posidon saying "you really thought after my monolog I would let you go like that?" 😂
Honestly, it came across to me more like Odysseus making excuses is naive. Like he's trying to persuade Poseidon instead of actually owning up to the wrong of his actions. If he had truly apologized, Poseidon may have let the crew live and just killed Ody
@@cdbitesky I had a similar line of thought except I don't for a second think he'd have spared any of them, his whole song is about ruthlessness, leaving anyone alive is inviting some kind of retaliation and would basically be mimicking what Ody did with the cyclops. I think he's saying both that "it's naive of you to think I would actually spare you" and "you call that an apology?"
So, the idea with Poseidon is that, since Polyphemus reached out to him for help and had a name to give, Poseidon had to get involved and take vengeance on Odysseus. He is annoyed and angry with Odysseus because if Ody had killed Polyphemus or just not said his name, Poseidon wouldn't have to get involved. He doesn't actually care about his son.
oh no it not "Poseidon had to" He very willingly do it in mythology Poseidon is a very lovely father who very love and care about his kid and will protect/revange for them
Honestly he does care, but rather the concept of their morality is different. I mean do you want to see you loved ones suffer in their pain that they will forever to hold in their lives, and living in loathe to the person who did that to him, that's why he Poseidon said in this song he prefer he died than live in pain and suffering that oddyseus give to him.
I do like how this musical shows how powerful the gods are. First, we had Athena freezing time. Then, Aeolus trapping a storm in a bag. Now, we have Posiedon drowning a fleet with one word.
@@Definitely_Not_Shakespear She does actually sort of alter time, she can pull people into a separate existence where they can have full mental conversations in an instant without changing the flow of time in the real world. Jorge calls this "Quick-Thought".
As Casper *_wrongly_* predicted, Wet Hades! Btw the Posiedons at the start the "sie-don" part of that is a motif known as the danger is nearby motif, which appears throughout the musical in obvious and not so obvious ways Also some have speculated that Poseidon was never going to accept Ody's apology, no matter what it was as his next line "the line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible" is him saying that Ody was hopeful, to an almost naive degree, that he had a chance of being spared
@@VegaTheLyra could also be read as Poseidon was hopeful that he'd get an actual apology then felt stupid about it given that Odysseus is constitutionally incapable of giving one
@@draeonicTo be fair, in Ancient Greek culture, that _is_ considered an apology. Especially to a higher power, an apology is either an explanation for why one did something or a sacrifice in their name, and since they didn’t have anything to sacrifice on their ship, Odysseus did the former. Poseidon didn’t care, obviously.
That was how I always read it! I get a little frustrated when people hyper fixate on how what Ody said “wasn’t an apology”, when it didn’t really matter what he said. The whole point of the song was that Poseidon was never going to spare them, because Ruthlessness is mercy.
@@scorpioblueeyes7388 I honestly agree with that more than the other interpretations because it would go against Posiedon's _entire_ philosophy to spare Ody and his crew
Idk, gods tend to take joy out of attacking and tormenting mortals. I think it was more of being insulted that Odysseus had the nerve to think he was above killing one of HIS sons. In Ancient Greece it’s more insulting to leave an enemy injured instead of killing them.
The wind bag thing is extra tragic when you know that in the original story they were like... An hour or so away from home, they could see the island, and some dumbass opened the bag, sending them away.
Essentially, because Odysseus let the Cycolps live, the latter was able to tell his father who harmed him in such a grievous way. If Ody had killed him, then Poseidon wouldn't have known who done it. Hence he wouldn't have come after Ody the way he did. Odysseus' version of mercy led to his crew having to take on the parental wrath of a god.
Or he could just not have told him his name and then he also would have been left alone. So, killing the Cyclops wasn't the only solution, which I think a lot of people like to overlook.
@Valfara770 True. If Odysseus hadn't given in to his anger and grief, and if Athena hadn't went and prodded the just made wound, he might have just kept quiet and none of this would have happened.
I'm just speculating here, maybe it is also about honour, how Ody's mercy did not let Polyphemus die honourably and instead left him with a life of suffering. This is just speculation
@@Valfara770 well here's the thing, Ody may not have said anything about the cyclops but given how dumb his crew is THEY WOULD. In this and the original story, a lot of the follies are because of the crew. Ithaca is also right next to the ocean so Poseidon would probably hear because of some dumbass on the beach or a boat boast to someone else "You hear how he stabbed a cyclops in the eye after killing his best friend?" and the God would still come for retribution. It may have taken longer but it would have come. It's also a matter of how the Greeks view death. The Gods are much more Spartan in nature, an honorable death is to be killed by the better man...not be spared and left crippled forever...
One note is that Poseidon asked that Odysseus to apologize for his action or die. In Odysseus' whole spiel there's one thing he didn't do; He didn't apologize. Like Athena he danced around the issue and made excuses for his actions, trying to outwit Poseidon into letting them go without actually apologizing, because Odysseus didn't want to apologize considering the Cyclops killed his best friend. That's what made Poseidon unleash his wrath on them.
I feel like Poseidon was either testing or fucking with Odysseus. Even if he actually apologized it would make no sense for Poseidon to grant him mercy after an apology. His whole song is about how ruthlessness is mercy upon our selves. Even the lyrics "the line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible" is saying Odysseus was being naive in the thinking he would actually grant him mercy.
Ugh this is why I love watching musically trained reactors. I love hearing you gush about the insane vocality of these singers. I am also obsessed with the "I've been so gracious" delivery and I appreciate you giving it its due lol.
It's so refreshing and incredibly validating to see someone else just utterly gobsmacked and amazed by Steven Rodriquez's voice. The way he has all of our hearts, man 😅
I know a couple of people have said this already, but the background vocals for Poseidon(Wet Hades) are the Laestrygonians. The Laestrygoniansare the giants that Aoelus was referring to in Keep Your Friends Close
13:54 stressed_2da_max? Nah, that's my cousin 😅 seriously though, love your reactions, can't wait for you to enter the Circe (which, somewhat counter-intuitively, is pronounced "Sir-see") Saga!
well, as you can see, in the Greek culture of that time, killing someone in a fair fight is much more honorable than leaving them disabled. For Poseidon, if his son died, it would be just a fair fight that he lost, but Cyclops was blinded and left helpless, and also challenged by telling his name to him. This is a huge disrespect that he could not tolerate, since a challenge to the Cyclops is a challenge to Poseidon himself. so he says that murder in this case would be a much better move
The say sorry and then I won't kill you is a bit of a trap Poseidon set for Odysseus. Ody takes the bait, apologizes, and asks for mercy, which only cements for Poseidon that Ody needs to die. Had Ody owned it, said yeah, Polyphemus had it coming, he hurt my men so I hurt him back, THAT at least Poseidon could have respected. This? Nah.
Nah the problem is that he didn’t actually apologize he just give his reasoning for hurting Polyphemus and Poseidon didn’t care about who is to blame or self defense he wanted Odysseus on his knees and promising building him a temple or some type of big sacrifice as a way to appease him.
@@ivysylvanOdysseus did *not* apologize; he minimized and justified. I'm not claiming that an actual apology would have changed anything, but we can't know for sure, because he didn't give one. ETA: he also doesn't ask for mercy, come to think of it.
@@MrSmile078 Jorge actually confirmed this in a video he did re: Ruthlessness, but I can't find it at the moment (at work right now). Either interpretation works, but I go with Jay's.
Steven Rodriguez has the most AMAZING voice. Jeremy Jordan is my favorite male vocalist, but Steven is a VERY close second. His grit just scratches that impossible to reach itch in the back of my brain. Also, I love that you particularly called out the "Worst kind of good" line, because it's one of my favorites. It confuses some people, but the way I interpret it, Odysseus is the worst kind of (moral) good, because he's not (reputation-wise) great. He's a good man, but mediocre, and Poseidon hates that about him. The other best line is "The pack of wolves is swimming with the sharks now." Cause it kinda shows "Hey, I respect that you're a badass king and general, your men are powerful. But you're on my turf now."
in 3:08 you're singing the "danger motif" that is a sign that some sort of danger is nearby, a nature disaster, a monster or in this case, a god. It will pop up a lot more for now
9:04 With the Greek Gods alot of people like to focus on their human qualities but forget that they are like Karmic Forces in the universe, he is also teaching Odysseus a lesson here that sometimes you have to make the ruthless and harsh choice for the greater good and the naive ideals can destroy you just as surely
Loved you calling out Odysseus intellect at the end. The main lesson of the Odyssey is that Odyssey is a man with high hubris/pride so while he may be witty he is not always successfully witty.
Another meaning for the line "ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves" is that his son was better off dead than suffer while being blind for the rest of his life.
Poseidon has such raw lines "The pack of wolves is swimming with the shark now" "You are the worst kind of good, cuz youre not even great" "A greek who reeks of false righteousness"
I’m glad to re discover Epic with your reactions Jen as you make me learn new things I might have not caught the first time I noticed here that you can hear the « Storm » motif near 9:27 for example 😊
I completely understand how much you love Posidon's voice, It's So Good!! Definitely Top 3 for me.😁 Also, love the constant quick piano throughout this song, Athena is represented by the piano, and she told Odysseus not to be merciful (or to be Ruthless) toward the Cylops, it's as if Odysseus has her warnings in the back of his mind while all this is happening, and she's saying, "I told you so." Great Reaction! Can't wait fir the next one!
Just so you know, it is universally agreed upon that in Ruthlessness, Poseidon beats the crap out of and throws Odysseus around as he's singing and lecturing him about ruthlessness.
I can't guess how many times I've listened to this, but your reaction made it new for me: the insights you had into the musical choices & execution and your getting caught up in the music and in the feels. I'm so glad that you reacted to this and that I found it ❤ Looking forward to your take on AnniFlamma's animatic - that's the one I first saw, and it's amazing in its own right. Wishing you a great day, you deserve it!
Hubris is among the greatest of sins in the eyes of the Greek gods, and for a mortal to have the sentiments of superiority when they’re but dust of the earth compared to them is beyond insulting and laughable. The thing I find about Poseidon saying he will be merciless, then offering an option where Odysseus apologizes does feed into two possible outcomes. 1) His reputation as God of the Sea and his merciless streak is preserved through his personal appearance and threats, but his fairness as a god on par with Hades and Zeus is preserved through the acknowledgement of hubris and correcting the offenders who’d likely be forced to sacrifice something for that mercy after. 2) His mercilessness is acknowledged through punishing only Odysseus while the crew bears witness to it so they spread it to others later. He knows that their actions were dictated by their king and captain. By killing the crew, he inflicted pain onto Odysseus to lower him and put him in his place after failing to apologize. So he’s making the Captain who thought he could weasel himself out by logically explaining his actions and to give himself authority to hurt a gods son, despair at his hubris before sending him to the underworld to suffer and lament his final moments. And he accomplishes squashing their story of how they hurt his son from spreading in the process.
I feel like part of the reason why Athena left Oddy after he spared the Cyclops was also because the dummy went and gave him his name, home address, and job title when he left. When Athena and Oddy the first time, they had that moment of coy back and forth asking for each others name and refusing to give it. Now throw in the fact that THIS is how Poseidon reacted... Yeah being Zeus' favourite child probably won't help much here.
so glad i waited long enough to check for an update that you came out with the whole storm saga when i checked back in. I was so excited to see your reaction to Ruthlessness, it would have killed me to have to have to wait in real time.
Yup. Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon and the sea nymph Thoosa. So yeah, Polly just went "Daddy, they bullied me!" Also in mythology Poseidon was pissed a lot so it's a lie that he's rarely angry. He's been causing earthquakes left and right.
I love how much of lyrics you understand fully 😄 So many people disregard ruthless is mercy, the second they hear posideon ask for an appolgy no realising posideon is messing with him. Both the "I am your darkess moment" and "remember me" was what Ody said to the Cyclops xD
a very interesting note about the instrumental motifs here: the melody in STORM featured a trumpet, implying that the storm was sent by Poseidon (which it was in the source material)
12:05 Nah. No, he won't. He just sang an entire song about how one needs to be cold-hearted because that's what spares you the pain down the line. He just wanted to see if Ody understood the entire point. Which he didn't. More than that, Odysseus didn't apologise - he gave an excuse for his action. Naively / Hopefully thinking he could convince Poseidon to spare them.
It's always so fun watching people who have NO idea about the Odyssey watch Epic the Musical It's been so long since I've learned about Odysseus' adventures as a little kid, I can't even remember a time when I didn't know them. So all of these bits that ratchet up the tension, I'm is just, "oh yeah it's about that part of the story"
I'd like to tell you more about Poseidon in greek mythology to help you understand his relationship with the cyclops and his anger. Poseidon, as we know, is the god of the seas, horses, earthquakes, and storms. Anyone who died in his domain of the seas, were never going to encounter Hades, he claims them. So everyone's statement of "Wet Hades" is more fitting than they'd initially think. (For the usual greek mythology, that is.) There's also the fact that Poseidon had multiple children, but one of these are the cyclops themselves. All of them are Poseidon's kids. And back in the Greek times, they have a specific way to live by. Being killed in combat is a great honor, but being left alive was a disgrace and insulting, which is a gist of it. Hence why he says, "You could've prevented all of this by killing my son, but nooo," was a matter of fact that Odysseus didn't care at the time. Because Poseidon had to hear every time his son prayed in shame, since the other cyclops rejected him after he became blind. Your statement of Athena wasn't far off either, but I'd like to add more. She knew what would happen if Odysseus let the cyclops live. Her uncle (Poseidon) would mess him up, that's why she backed off. She could see that he would make too many mistakes, and so she's not going to interfere should anyone try to kill and punish him.
And due to his pride, Odysseus gave excuses to Poseidon rather than apologize, and thus Poseidon resolved to kill em all. Man why is everything about pride
Let's be real, Poseidon was killing them no matter what Odysseus said. His whole song is about not letting yourself being bogged down by mercy when it gets in your way, you think he's gonna let the punk who crippled his son and then had the audacity to make some bullshit apology about it afterwards go?
so the deeper voices that sing "ruthlessness is mercy" in the background is actually supposed to be the Laestrygonian giants which Poseidon had them pelt the ships with boulders (in the recent live stream there was text describing what was happening which was awesome.)
****00:01** - **00:11**:** Intro - Jennifer expresses her stress and excitement as she begins the final song in the Ocean Saga. ****00:12** - **00:33**:** Introduction - Jennifer introduces herself and the song "Ruthlessness" from Epic the Musical. She mentions that she will watch two different animatic videos, with one reaction exclusive to her Patreon. ****00:34** - **01:09**:** Explanation - Jennifer explains that this is a reaction and analysis video, where she will stop and discuss the vocals. She provides links to the original video and animators' channels. ****01:10** - **02:07**:** Starting the Song - The song "Ruthlessness" begins, and Jennifer prepares to dive into the analysis. ****02:08** - **02:46**:** Initial Impressions - Jennifer reacts to Poseidon's smooth vocals and discusses the terrifying effect of the ensemble's singing. She notes the use of staccato strings and organ in the background. ****02:47** - **04:02**:** Vocal Analysis - Jennifer delves into the character of Poseidon, marveling at the vocal delivery and the unexpected revelation that Polyphemus is Poseidon's son. ****04:03** - **06:05**:** Emotional Response - Jennifer is impressed by the singer's performance, particularly the anger and power conveyed in Poseidon's lines. She notes the harshness and punchiness of the vocals. ****06:06** - **07:01**:** Detailed Breakdown - Jennifer discusses the use of sibilance and the rough, distorted quality of the voice. She is captivated by the biting and snappy delivery of the lyrics. ****07:02** - **09:42**:** Continued Analysis - Jennifer continues to explore the vocal techniques used, focusing on the clarity of the lyrics and the emotional intensity of the performance. She compares Poseidon's approach to that of Athena from a previous song. ****09:43** - **12:02**:** Contrast in Vocals - Jennifer highlights the contrast between Poseidon's harsh vocals and the softer, more vulnerable delivery from the other character. She comments on the musical transitions and the interplay of emotions. ****12:03** - **14:27**:** Final Thoughts - Jennifer reflects on the complexity of the song and the characters' motivations. She is struck by the playful yet menacing nature of Poseidon's vocals and the climactic moments in the song. ****14:28** - **15:56**:** Musical References - Jennifer recognizes musical motifs from previous songs and admires the powerful ending of the performance. She is impressed by the emotional depth and vocal execution. ****15:57** - **18:06**:** Conclusion - Jennifer wraps up her analysis, praising the vocals and expressing excitement for the next Saga in Epic the Musical. She encourages viewers to subscribe and check out her Patreon for more content.
Apparently in Ancient Greece it was considered a insult to fight someone and then not kill them it was basically like saying they aren’t strong or important enough to kill or matter, so that’s why Poseidon is mad that Odysseus didn’t kill Polyphemus and he just blinded him instead
Poseidon is one of the more CARING fathers in Greek mythology. He's not the sort of dad who is there for your birthdays, but he's a dad who will come when you call at 2AM and wreck the lives of whoever tried to hurt you. So Poseidon saying Ody could have avoided all this if he was more ruthless can point to two different but similar things: 1) Poseidon very well might have never known who killed his son, and he wasn't the sort to hunt down an unknown assailant. 2) In Greek culture, being disabled by an opponent without being killed was a shameful thing. It's almost like "You're not worth me killing you." So Ody blinding Polyphemus but letting him live was an insult to him... and that shame gets share with Poseidon as well. Like, "You sired a son so weak, his opponent didn't think he was even worth a killing." So this is about his own reputation. He can't let that slide. Poly would call out to his dad, Poseidon always comes to his children's aid, and if Poly knows the name of the man who disabled him, Poseidon has a target. Poseidon in modern stories is portrayed usually as a surfer, cool and chilling out, "duuuuude." In Greek mythology, he was notoriously ruthless. Most gods don't really care about humans beside seeing them as play toys. Some gods will only target the person who wronged them and leave it at that. Poseidon will beat you into a pulp, drown your friends and family right in front of your face, and THEN kill you. Slowly. Ruthlessly. It shows how much the Greeks feared and respected the sea.
So basically a couple of things here... 1. Great reaction! Loved you catching a lot of things. 2. Clarification: Poseidon is the father of Polyphemus, who told his father of Odysseus after being blinded. He was able to tell him BECAUSE instead of "nobody" he heard his actual name during Remember Them where Odysseus spoke his name in a moment of bravado and hubris despite Athena's warning. During the moment in which Poseidon tells him to apologize, its for a couple reasons. One is power, he is trying to force Odysseus to bow. Forcing him to admit his mistakes and apologize for not giving his son an honorable death by leaving the cyclops crippled. Two is that he is trying to see if Odysseus actually took his lesson to heart, if Ruthlessness is mercy on ourselves then Poseidon was never going to let him live. You also have to take account that during Odysseus' part he never actually apologizes, just justifies his actions and makes excuses.
I love how Poseidon's lesson to Odysseus was not so much a punishment for harming his son but for being so careless as to give away his name and endanger his crew. He essentially told him, "You could have avoided ALL OF THIS if you had only been more careful and not let your ego get the better of you. Now, you will pay the price." Even when given the chance to apologize, Odysseus tries to worm his way out by making excuses and saying he took no pleasure in the act. The latter was NOT what Poseidon was angry at him for. And he does all of this to try and outsmart him, something the God of the Sea catches onto. So he effectively tells him, "How stupid do you think I am??" and eliminates all but 43 of his 600 crew as punishment not only for what he did to his son but for daring to be sly with him.
My take on that part where Poseidon says he wants an apology is that all he wants is proper deference and a willingness to see the error of his ways when told. Instead, he tried to justify his choices and didn't even apologise. It mirrors how he treated Athena, who was saying and demanding the same thing.
fantastic reaction and analysis! seeing how interested you can get, and the combination of emotional investment and unique vocal/musical insight makes for really great entertainment and education. your understanding of the narrative is impressive, and i can tell you consistently pay attention and make an effort to engage in the art. it's what i love to see from reaction and analysis content; someone who is genuinely engaged with a piece of work i love, and can give their own interesting insight into that work a round of applause for the excellent work! i would highly suggest you stick with gigi's animatics when possible; their work is stunning. excited to see more reactions to this in the future, if you decide to do them!
"the line between nativity and hopefullness is almost invisible" is poseidons way of rubbing salt water in the wound. He was never going to spare Oddy since hes literally been singing *RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY UPON OURSELVES* the entire time. The fact that Oddy thought excuses counted as saying sorry which he never did ONCE shows that hubris of a man playing games with gods.
The reason I interpreted behind the line "you could have avoided all this, had you just killed my son" is that Posidon will value death over humiliation, which is what he sees as the mutilation of his son.
a lot of people tend to be confused about posiden saying "had you just killed my son" because you need to read/know about Homers "the Odyssey" to understand! cuz in the Odyssey, Odysseus blinded the cyclops and upon leaving he revealed his name and that he was responsible for his blindness. this caused Polythemus to tell his dad about what happened. Hence, when Poseidon says "you couldve avoided all this had you just killed my son" is him basically saying "if you had been ruthless and killed my son, 90% of your fleet wouldnt have drowned; i only found out because you told polythemus who you were"
Poseidon you can say was in storm, we heard brass instruments and one of the lines is " is it nature or devine". So i am certain that the storm is posidon
OOh also if you're impressed by this animatic you should check out the Ruthlessness animatic by Anniflamma which is just as good and is my personal favourite cause it leans more into Poseidon also being the god of horses.
8:55 No mixed messages. IMO Poseidon isn’t upset Polyphemus got hurt, he’s upset that someone thought so little of him as to spare his son. It makes him look bad.
Poseidon is often associated with horses and bulls (Im not sure why, i would guess the greeks likend thier raw strength to that of the waves?) but if you go back to the same videos of the Polyphemus you watched before, his legs are hooved, like a horse, and his "horns" flex like crab legs, and are arranged like a princely crown!
In different stories, cyclops are children of different people. In Homer's version, it's Poseidon and a sea nymph, and in Hesiod's version they're the kids of Uranus and Gaia (Titans, so they're like cousins of the gods) It really depends 🤷
Poseidon summoning a choir just to shout his name for a dramatic entrance will never not be funny to me
He’s such a drama Queen I love it
@@icemagiciangh I'd absolutely do that too if I had that power
Actually, the choir is diegetic in this song, it's formed by the Laestrygonians in the island
Considering how dramatic the ocean can be, its pretty accurate 🤣
@@Ghostinasuit It's not just Poseidon who's a drama queen. That's pretty much characteristic of all the Greek gods.
A round of applause for Wet Hades everyone
Pffft 😂
I don’t get it
@@ismael9619 a reference to a now infamous reaction by CF Entertainment (aka Casper) who, in a hilarious bit of confusion, made the theory that the person who shows up at the end of “Keep Your Friends Close” is Hades, when it’s actually Poseidon. Thus, a lot of Epic fans have taken to calling Poseidon “Wet Hades”
👏 👏 👏
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Odysseus: “I am your darkest moment, I am the infamous Odysseus!”
Poseidon: “I am your darkest moment, the monster who always draws nearer.”
Yeesh, Poseidon is really throwing that right back into Odysseus’ face.
Right??? That is one of my fav moments
Don't forget the "remember me" at the end of Ruthlessness lol.
Like the tide lol
I mean, Odysseus did say that to Polyphemus after BLINDING him so I would throw that back at him too
Dont forget the part, where Poseidon said, ''You totally could have avoided all this if you'd just killed my son, 'But Nooooo'. And then proceeds to drop a baby.. referring to when Odysseus dropped the Troy prince from the walls..
fun fact, when steven rodriguez, who voices poseidon, was recording his parts for this song, he would hold a literal trident while singing in the studio
that's so real of him actually. gotta get into character lmaoo
Method singing
“I’m pausing a lot. I’m just scared.” Girl, with this song, that’s fair
The thing I love about this song is that Poseidon isn’t angry Odysseus blinded his son, he’s angry because Odysseus didn’t finish the job
In ancient Greece, death by battle was considered honorable. Elysium (the best part of the underworld) was reserved for great warriors and kings. So not only did Odysseus blind his kid then dox himself in a fit of hubris, he also denied polyphemus an honorable death.
It's also a bit of an insult to think that, in the world of the mythos, that some random human has the sheer AUDACITY to disfigure and disable a being who is very likely to have at least a celestial patron if not parent, and then LEAVE HIM WITH HIS NAME. In that context, that's not too far from, in gamer terms, "Get wrecked, you suck, should have been better."
Which, considering POSEIDON is Polyphemus' Dad, Oddyseus basically told Poseidon (one of the elder and more powerful of the Gods) that he ain't shit, and to do something about it. Without meaning to, he basically asked for it.
@@zacharyharwell351 while mostly true: Ody isn't some random human. All the gods knew he was Athena's... 'champion' also the widely accepted story is that Ody's great grandfather was Hermes.
I also like to think Poseidon is angry that Odysseus left a witness, and now _he_ has to show up & exact vengeance because he cannot have his enemies think he won't respond. He fought Polyphemus, but how he won was an affront to his authority.
Plus, the whole "false righteousness" must gall him, as a mortal had more moral integrity than himself.
Poseidon: "You hear that? That's what forgiveness sounds like; screaming and then silence."
Caaaaarrrrl! 😂😂😂
Love me a Llamas with Hats reference
Poseidon has TONS of kids, Polyphemus being just one of them. He doesn't really care about him. He is more focused on the fact that someone hurt HIS kid. It's the principle of it.
Poseidon's reputation would suffer if he DIDN'T retaliate. Odysseus could have either killed Polyphemus or kept his mouth shut, and Poseidon would have never known. It would have been the same to him like, 'Oh well.'
Gotcha!☺️
no no Poseidon may has TONS of kids but he care about all of his kid
in greek mythology Poseicdon is a very lovely father who very love and care about his kid
@@supattreewatanawong5025this is true enough in Greek mythology, but I don’t think it’s true for EPIC’s version of Poseidon, at least going by how he talks
@scorpioblueeyes7388 yeah, they're going for a darker take on Poseidon. Not the same as he usually is. Just like how Aoelus is a woman in Epic instead of a man, and that Polites dies to Poluphenus instead of staying alive until... What happened recently
@@scorpioblueeyes7388 but what he talk is to mock Ody he didn't mean he want Ody to kill his son.
"The line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible" was basically Posidon saying "you really thought after my monolog I would let you go like that?" 😂
Honestly, it came across to me more like Odysseus making excuses is naive. Like he's trying to persuade Poseidon instead of actually owning up to the wrong of his actions.
If he had truly apologized, Poseidon may have let the crew live and just killed Ody
@@cdbitesky I had a similar line of thought except I don't for a second think he'd have spared any of them, his whole song is about ruthlessness, leaving anyone alive is inviting some kind of retaliation and would basically be mimicking what Ody did with the cyclops. I think he's saying both that "it's naive of you to think I would actually spare you" and "you call that an apology?"
So, the idea with Poseidon is that, since Polyphemus reached out to him for help and had a name to give, Poseidon had to get involved and take vengeance on Odysseus. He is annoyed and angry with Odysseus because if Ody had killed Polyphemus or just not said his name, Poseidon wouldn't have to get involved. He doesn't actually care about his son.
oh no it not "Poseidon had to" He very willingly do it
in mythology Poseidon is a very lovely father who very love and care about his kid and will protect/revange for them
@@supattreewatanawong5025 EPIC's poseidon is very clearly a different take on the character, though.
@@supattreewatanawong5025 This Poseidon is not as protective of his children.
Honestly he does care, but rather the concept of their morality is different. I mean do you want to see you loved ones suffer in their pain that they will forever to hold in their lives, and living in loathe to the person who did that to him, that's why he Poseidon said in this song he prefer he died than live in pain and suffering that oddyseus give to him.
I do like how this musical shows how powerful the gods are. First, we had Athena freezing time. Then, Aeolus trapping a storm in a bag. Now, we have Posiedon drowning a fleet with one word.
Athena didn't really stop time, she pulled Odysseus into his own mind so everything between them happened in an instant.
@shadowcatX2000 My mistake. In most things, the ticking of a clock implies time shenanigans. So I always assumed Athena was stopping time
Just wait for the 1v1 in 600 strike
@@Definitely_Not_Shakespear She does actually sort of alter time, she can pull people into a separate existence where they can have full mental conversations in an instant without changing the flow of time in the real world. Jorge calls this "Quick-Thought".
@@anvithequarsonist Oh! That's cool!
The part where the crew yells 'Captain' when they're being decimated gives me the chills almost every time.
My favorite part that I realized just this listen is that the crew is also singing their death throes to the danger motif
It started with 600
Polyphemus killed 7 which brings it to 593 men left
Poseidon killed 550 men leaving 43 men left
3:06 danger motif recognized naturally !!
As Casper *_wrongly_* predicted, Wet Hades!
Btw the Posiedons at the start the "sie-don" part of that is a motif known as the danger is nearby motif, which appears throughout the musical in obvious and not so obvious ways
Also some have speculated that Poseidon was never going to accept Ody's apology, no matter what it was as his next line "the line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible" is him saying that Ody was hopeful, to an almost naive degree, that he had a chance of being spared
@@VegaTheLyra could also be read as Poseidon was hopeful that he'd get an actual apology then felt stupid about it given that Odysseus is constitutionally incapable of giving one
@@draeonic ah, that would work, but it seems more like the line is mocking Ody to me
@@draeonicTo be fair, in Ancient Greek culture, that _is_ considered an apology. Especially to a higher power, an apology is either an explanation for why one did something or a sacrifice in their name, and since they didn’t have anything to sacrifice on their ship, Odysseus did the former. Poseidon didn’t care, obviously.
That was how I always read it! I get a little frustrated when people hyper fixate on how what Ody said “wasn’t an apology”, when it didn’t really matter what he said. The whole point of the song was that Poseidon was never going to spare them, because Ruthlessness is mercy.
@@scorpioblueeyes7388 I honestly agree with that more than the other interpretations because it would go against Posiedon's _entire_ philosophy to spare Ody and his crew
Poseidon is more annoyed that he has to do something for his son than if his son died. So petty
Idk, gods tend to take joy out of attacking and tormenting mortals. I think it was more of being insulted that Odysseus had the nerve to think he was above killing one of HIS sons. In Ancient Greece it’s more insulting to leave an enemy injured instead of killing them.
I always love the way Poseidon throws Ody's words back at him with the lines 'I'm your darkest moment' and 'Remember me.'
The wind bag thing is extra tragic when you know that in the original story they were like... An hour or so away from home, they could see the island, and some dumbass opened the bag, sending them away.
You say he got distracted by the love of his life which fair but the poor man had also been awake for 9 days straight so give him some credit
Right? 😂 He did everything he could, it’s his crew’s fault for being dipshits and opening the bag
One thing to keep in mind, we know the Piano is Athena's instrument. If it's in a song she's either present or watching.
Essentially, because Odysseus let the Cycolps live, the latter was able to tell his father who harmed him in such a grievous way. If Ody had killed him, then Poseidon wouldn't have known who done it. Hence he wouldn't have come after Ody the way he did. Odysseus' version of mercy led to his crew having to take on the parental wrath of a god.
Or he could just not have told him his name and then he also would have been left alone. So, killing the Cyclops wasn't the only solution, which I think a lot of people like to overlook.
@Valfara770 True. If Odysseus hadn't given in to his anger and grief, and if Athena hadn't went and prodded the just made wound, he might have just kept quiet and none of this would have happened.
I'm just speculating here, maybe it is also about honour, how Ody's mercy did not let Polyphemus die honourably and instead left him with a life of suffering. This is just speculation
@@Valfara770 well here's the thing, Ody may not have said anything about the cyclops but given how dumb his crew is THEY WOULD. In this and the original story, a lot of the follies are because of the crew. Ithaca is also right next to the ocean so Poseidon would probably hear because of some dumbass on the beach or a boat boast to someone else "You hear how he stabbed a cyclops in the eye after killing his best friend?" and the God would still come for retribution. It may have taken longer but it would have come. It's also a matter of how the Greeks view death. The Gods are much more Spartan in nature, an honorable death is to be killed by the better man...not be spared and left crippled forever...
Every time i hear this song, i get even more hyped for "get in the water" (an unreleased song from the Vengeance saga)
Lol... "Poor Odysseus. A lot went down."
One note is that Poseidon asked that Odysseus to apologize for his action or die. In Odysseus' whole spiel there's one thing he didn't do; He didn't apologize. Like Athena he danced around the issue and made excuses for his actions, trying to outwit Poseidon into letting them go without actually apologizing, because Odysseus didn't want to apologize considering the Cyclops killed his best friend. That's what made Poseidon unleash his wrath on them.
I feel like Poseidon was either testing or fucking with Odysseus. Even if he actually apologized it would make no sense for Poseidon to grant him mercy after an apology. His whole song is about how ruthlessness is mercy upon our selves. Even the lyrics "the line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible" is saying Odysseus was being naive in the thinking he would actually grant him mercy.
BANGERRRRRR (both R/A and song)
🙌🏼🙌🏼😁
Wet Hades :)
Ugh this is why I love watching musically trained reactors. I love hearing you gush about the insane vocality of these singers. I am also obsessed with the "I've been so gracious" delivery and I appreciate you giving it its due lol.
It's so refreshing and incredibly validating to see someone else just utterly gobsmacked and amazed by Steven Rodriquez's voice. The way he has all of our hearts, man 😅
Cringe
I know a couple of people have said this already, but the background vocals for Poseidon(Wet Hades) are the Laestrygonians. The Laestrygoniansare the giants that Aoelus was referring to in Keep Your Friends Close
13:54 stressed_2da_max? Nah, that's my cousin 😅 seriously though, love your reactions, can't wait for you to enter the Circe (which, somewhat counter-intuitively, is pronounced "Sir-see") Saga!
Hahah yes! I know now😂🙈
Need me an entrance soundtrack like that.
Please note that Poseidon asked Odysseus to apologize, but he didn't ever say sorry once, he just tried to explain his actions 😊
well, as you can see, in the Greek culture of that time, killing someone in a fair fight is much more honorable than leaving them disabled. For Poseidon, if his son died, it would be just a fair fight that he lost, but Cyclops was blinded and left helpless, and also challenged by telling his name to him. This is a huge disrespect that he could not tolerate, since a challenge to the Cyclops is a challenge to Poseidon himself. so he says that murder in this case would be a much better move
@@dr.rikkytikkytavy6663 did you mean "more" honorable?
@@draeonic yep sorry, English isn't my language 😅
The say sorry and then I won't kill you is a bit of a trap Poseidon set for Odysseus. Ody takes the bait, apologizes, and asks for mercy, which only cements for Poseidon that Ody needs to die. Had Ody owned it, said yeah, Polyphemus had it coming, he hurt my men so I hurt him back, THAT at least Poseidon could have respected. This? Nah.
Nah the problem is that he didn’t actually apologize he just give his reasoning for hurting Polyphemus and Poseidon didn’t care about who is to blame or self defense he wanted Odysseus on his knees and promising building him a temple or some type of big sacrifice as a way to appease him.
@@ivysylvanOdysseus did *not* apologize; he minimized and justified. I'm not claiming that an actual apology would have changed anything, but we can't know for sure, because he didn't give one.
ETA: he also doesn't ask for mercy, come to think of it.
@@MrSmile078 yup, nothing the gods love more than a good dose of grovelling before their power
@@MrSmile078 Jorge actually confirmed this in a video he did re: Ruthlessness, but I can't find it at the moment (at work right now). Either interpretation works, but I go with Jay's.
Steven Rodriguez has the most AMAZING voice. Jeremy Jordan is my favorite male vocalist, but Steven is a VERY close second. His grit just scratches that impossible to reach itch in the back of my brain.
Also, I love that you particularly called out the "Worst kind of good" line, because it's one of my favorites. It confuses some people, but the way I interpret it, Odysseus is the worst kind of (moral) good, because he's not (reputation-wise) great. He's a good man, but mediocre, and Poseidon hates that about him.
The other best line is "The pack of wolves is swimming with the sharks now." Cause it kinda shows "Hey, I respect that you're a badass king and general, your men are powerful. But you're on my turf now."
in 3:08 you're singing the "danger motif" that is a sign that some sort of danger is nearby, a nature disaster, a monster or in this case, a god. It will pop up a lot more for now
It's been present since song one. It's been in like 5 songs at this point. 😂
@@AquaticDot ik, i mean that will be a lot more common from now, almost all of them
@@matheusedele7551 Fair!
9:04 With the Greek Gods alot of people like to focus on their human qualities but forget that they are like Karmic Forces in the universe, he is also teaching Odysseus a lesson here that sometimes you have to make the ruthless and harsh choice for the greater good and the naive ideals can destroy you just as surely
"ho it's the ending okay. I love how they bring back..." *suspicious look at the screen and then at the camera *
"Who is that? Who are you?" 🤨
😂
Man, Steven Rodriguez is sooooo Good!!! I love his voice, now I can't hear any myth about Poseidon without his voice!!
Loved you calling out Odysseus intellect at the end. The main lesson of the Odyssey is that Odyssey is a man with high hubris/pride so while he may be witty he is not always successfully witty.
Poseidon said "I am your darkest moment" to Odysseus because That's exactly what Odysseus said to polyphemus in remember them
Let’s go Wet hades
Wet hades yeahhhhh
Another meaning for the line "ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves" is that his son was better off dead than suffer while being blind for the rest of his life.
Poseidon has such raw lines
"The pack of wolves is swimming with the shark now"
"You are the worst kind of good, cuz youre not even great"
"A greek who reeks of false righteousness"
9:46 "i'm getting way too involved" GIRL WAS LIVING THE MOMENT😂👏
I’m glad to re discover Epic with your reactions Jen as you make me learn new things I might have not caught the first time
I noticed here that you can hear the « Storm » motif near 9:27 for example 😊
I completely understand how much you love Posidon's voice, It's So Good!! Definitely Top 3 for me.😁
Also, love the constant quick piano throughout this song, Athena is represented by the piano, and she told Odysseus not to be merciful (or to be Ruthless) toward the Cylops, it's as if Odysseus has her warnings in the back of his mind while all this is happening, and she's saying, "I told you so."
Great Reaction! Can't wait fir the next one!
Just so you know, it is universally agreed upon that in Ruthlessness, Poseidon beats the crap out of and throws Odysseus around as he's singing and lecturing him about ruthlessness.
I can't guess how many times I've listened to this, but your reaction made it new for me: the insights you had into the musical choices & execution and your getting caught up in the music and in the feels. I'm so glad that you reacted to this and that I found it ❤ Looking forward to your take on AnniFlamma's animatic - that's the one I first saw, and it's amazing in its own right.
Wishing you a great day, you deserve it!
Thanks so much😁 my R&A on AnniFlamma’s video is on my Patreon now ☺️
Hubris is among the greatest of sins in the eyes of the Greek gods, and for a mortal to have the sentiments of superiority when they’re but dust of the earth compared to them is beyond insulting and laughable. The thing I find about Poseidon saying he will be merciless, then offering an option where Odysseus apologizes does feed into two possible outcomes.
1) His reputation as God of the Sea and his merciless streak is preserved through his personal appearance and threats, but his fairness as a god on par with Hades and Zeus is preserved through the acknowledgement of hubris and correcting the offenders who’d likely be forced to sacrifice something for that mercy after.
2) His mercilessness is acknowledged through punishing only Odysseus while the crew bears witness to it so they spread it to others later. He knows that their actions were dictated by their king and captain.
By killing the crew, he inflicted pain onto Odysseus to lower him and put him in his place after failing to apologize. So he’s making the Captain who thought he could weasel himself out by logically explaining his actions and to give himself authority to hurt a gods son, despair at his hubris before sending him to the underworld to suffer and lament his final moments. And he accomplishes squashing their story of how they hurt his son from spreading in the process.
I like how the melody for "all i gotta do is open this bag" was the same melody from "keep your friends close"
WET HADESSSSSSSSSS
Its because Poseidon knew he couldnt just apologise. He'd explain his way out like always. That's why he doesnt show mercy and kills the crew.
Wet hades reaction!!!
I feel like part of the reason why Athena left Oddy after he spared the Cyclops was also because the dummy went and gave him his name, home address, and job title when he left.
When Athena and Oddy the first time, they had that moment of coy back and forth asking for each others name and refusing to give it.
Now throw in the fact that THIS is how Poseidon reacted... Yeah being Zeus' favourite child probably won't help much here.
Pretty funny how you caught Poseidon's trick before he sprung it! You're the only one who I've seen catch it so far! You're awesome! 😁
My Favourite song!! The voice of Poseidon is Steve Rodriguez. I love his voice too
Girl i am INVESTED in your journey. I CANNOT wait for your reactions/reviews/analyses of the more recent sagas. HURRY AND MAKE THEM!
He was playfull not only because he won, but also because he told Ody the same, what Ody had told to Polyphemus. „I am your darkest moment" etc
so glad i waited long enough to check for an update that you came out with the whole storm saga when i checked back in. I was so excited to see your reaction to Ruthlessness, it would have killed me to have to have to wait in real time.
Yup. Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon and the sea nymph Thoosa. So yeah, Polly just went "Daddy, they bullied me!"
Also in mythology Poseidon was pissed a lot so it's a lie that he's rarely angry. He's been causing earthquakes left and right.
I love how much of lyrics you understand fully 😄
So many people disregard ruthless is mercy, the second they hear posideon ask for an appolgy no realising posideon is messing with him.
Both the "I am your darkess moment" and "remember me" was what Ody said to the Cyclops xD
a very interesting note about the instrumental motifs here: the melody in STORM featured a trumpet, implying that the storm was sent by Poseidon (which it was in the source material)
12:05 Nah. No, he won't. He just sang an entire song about how one needs to be cold-hearted because that's what spares you the pain down the line. He just wanted to see if Ody understood the entire point. Which he didn't. More than that, Odysseus didn't apologise - he gave an excuse for his action. Naively / Hopefully thinking he could convince Poseidon to spare them.
It's always so fun watching people who have NO idea about the Odyssey watch Epic the Musical
It's been so long since I've learned about Odysseus' adventures as a little kid, I can't even remember a time when I didn't know them. So all of these bits that ratchet up the tension, I'm is just, "oh yeah it's about that part of the story"
Steven Rodriguez is the voice of Poseidon, he has his own Spotify and youtube channel and has a good chunk of uhh passion filled songs
And now I just imagine Posiedon singing them.
@WittySomething So honestly if you ignore the fact that he's Poseidon and just listen to his other music, there's major Hades vibes.
I'd like to tell you more about Poseidon in greek mythology to help you understand his relationship with the cyclops and his anger.
Poseidon, as we know, is the god of the seas, horses, earthquakes, and storms. Anyone who died in his domain of the seas, were never going to encounter Hades, he claims them. So everyone's statement of "Wet Hades" is more fitting than they'd initially think. (For the usual greek mythology, that is.)
There's also the fact that Poseidon had multiple children, but one of these are the cyclops themselves. All of them are Poseidon's kids. And back in the Greek times, they have a specific way to live by. Being killed in combat is a great honor, but being left alive was a disgrace and insulting, which is a gist of it. Hence why he says, "You could've prevented all of this by killing my son, but nooo," was a matter of fact that Odysseus didn't care at the time. Because Poseidon had to hear every time his son prayed in shame, since the other cyclops rejected him after he became blind.
Your statement of Athena wasn't far off either, but I'd like to add more. She knew what would happen if Odysseus let the cyclops live. Her uncle (Poseidon) would mess him up, that's why she backed off. She could see that he would make too many mistakes, and so she's not going to interfere should anyone try to kill and punish him.
And due to his pride, Odysseus gave excuses to Poseidon rather than apologize, and thus Poseidon resolved to kill em all.
Man why is everything about pride
Let's be real, Poseidon was killing them no matter what Odysseus said. His whole song is about not letting yourself being bogged down by mercy when it gets in your way, you think he's gonna let the punk who crippled his son and then had the audacity to make some bullshit apology about it afterwards go?
so the deeper voices that sing "ruthlessness is mercy" in the background is actually supposed to be the Laestrygonian giants which Poseidon had them pelt the ships with boulders (in the recent live stream there was text describing what was happening which was awesome.)
> I am your darkest moment
He sings this playfully because it's what Ody says to Polyphemus and he's mocking Ody
****00:01** - **00:11**:** Intro - Jennifer expresses her stress and excitement as she begins the final song in the Ocean Saga.
****00:12** - **00:33**:** Introduction - Jennifer introduces herself and the song "Ruthlessness" from Epic the Musical. She mentions that she will watch two different animatic videos, with one reaction exclusive to her Patreon.
****00:34** - **01:09**:** Explanation - Jennifer explains that this is a reaction and analysis video, where she will stop and discuss the vocals. She provides links to the original video and animators' channels.
****01:10** - **02:07**:** Starting the Song - The song "Ruthlessness" begins, and Jennifer prepares to dive into the analysis.
****02:08** - **02:46**:** Initial Impressions - Jennifer reacts to Poseidon's smooth vocals and discusses the terrifying effect of the ensemble's singing. She notes the use of staccato strings and organ in the background.
****02:47** - **04:02**:** Vocal Analysis - Jennifer delves into the character of Poseidon, marveling at the vocal delivery and the unexpected revelation that Polyphemus is Poseidon's son.
****04:03** - **06:05**:** Emotional Response - Jennifer is impressed by the singer's performance, particularly the anger and power conveyed in Poseidon's lines. She notes the harshness and punchiness of the vocals.
****06:06** - **07:01**:** Detailed Breakdown - Jennifer discusses the use of sibilance and the rough, distorted quality of the voice. She is captivated by the biting and snappy delivery of the lyrics.
****07:02** - **09:42**:** Continued Analysis - Jennifer continues to explore the vocal techniques used, focusing on the clarity of the lyrics and the emotional intensity of the performance. She compares Poseidon's approach to that of Athena from a previous song.
****09:43** - **12:02**:** Contrast in Vocals - Jennifer highlights the contrast between Poseidon's harsh vocals and the softer, more vulnerable delivery from the other character. She comments on the musical transitions and the interplay of emotions.
****12:03** - **14:27**:** Final Thoughts - Jennifer reflects on the complexity of the song and the characters' motivations. She is struck by the playful yet menacing nature of Poseidon's vocals and the climactic moments in the song.
****14:28** - **15:56**:** Musical References - Jennifer recognizes musical motifs from previous songs and admires the powerful ending of the performance. She is impressed by the emotional depth and vocal execution.
****15:57** - **18:06**:** Conclusion - Jennifer wraps up her analysis, praising the vocals and expressing excitement for the next Saga in Epic the Musical. She encourages viewers to subscribe and check out her Patreon for more content.
This was the song that got me into epic originally. It did not disappoint
He didn't get "distracted" he fell asleep after 9 days of guarding the bag, just fyi.
Apparently in Ancient Greece it was considered a insult to fight someone and then not kill them it was basically like saying they aren’t strong or important enough to kill or matter, so that’s why Poseidon is mad that Odysseus didn’t kill Polyphemus and he just blinded him instead
Poseidon is one of the more CARING fathers in Greek mythology. He's not the sort of dad who is there for your birthdays, but he's a dad who will come when you call at 2AM and wreck the lives of whoever tried to hurt you. So Poseidon saying Ody could have avoided all this if he was more ruthless can point to two different but similar things:
1) Poseidon very well might have never known who killed his son, and he wasn't the sort to hunt down an unknown assailant.
2) In Greek culture, being disabled by an opponent without being killed was a shameful thing. It's almost like "You're not worth me killing you." So Ody blinding Polyphemus but letting him live was an insult to him... and that shame gets share with Poseidon as well. Like, "You sired a son so weak, his opponent didn't think he was even worth a killing." So this is about his own reputation. He can't let that slide.
Poly would call out to his dad, Poseidon always comes to his children's aid, and if Poly knows the name of the man who disabled him, Poseidon has a target.
Poseidon in modern stories is portrayed usually as a surfer, cool and chilling out, "duuuuude." In Greek mythology, he was notoriously ruthless. Most gods don't really care about humans beside seeing them as play toys. Some gods will only target the person who wronged them and leave it at that. Poseidon will beat you into a pulp, drown your friends and family right in front of your face, and THEN kill you. Slowly. Ruthlessly.
It shows how much the Greeks feared and respected the sea.
So basically a couple of things here...
1. Great reaction! Loved you catching a lot of things.
2. Clarification: Poseidon is the father of Polyphemus, who told his father of Odysseus after being blinded. He was able to tell him BECAUSE instead of "nobody" he heard his actual name during Remember Them where Odysseus spoke his name in a moment of bravado and hubris despite Athena's warning. During the moment in which Poseidon tells him to apologize, its for a couple reasons. One is power, he is trying to force Odysseus to bow. Forcing him to admit his mistakes and apologize for not giving his son an honorable death by leaving the cyclops crippled. Two is that he is trying to see if Odysseus actually took his lesson to heart, if Ruthlessness is mercy on ourselves then Poseidon was never going to let him live. You also have to take account that during Odysseus' part he never actually apologizes, just justifies his actions and makes excuses.
I love how Poseidon's lesson to Odysseus was not so much a punishment for harming his son but for being so careless as to give away his name and endanger his crew. He essentially told him, "You could have avoided ALL OF THIS if you had only been more careful and not let your ego get the better of you. Now, you will pay the price."
Even when given the chance to apologize, Odysseus tries to worm his way out by making excuses and saying he took no pleasure in the act. The latter was NOT what Poseidon was angry at him for. And he does all of this to try and outsmart him, something the God of the Sea catches onto. So he effectively tells him, "How stupid do you think I am??" and eliminates all but 43 of his 600 crew as punishment not only for what he did to his son but for daring to be sly with him.
My take on that part where Poseidon says he wants an apology is that all he wants is proper deference and a willingness to see the error of his ways when told. Instead, he tried to justify his choices and didn't even apologise.
It mirrors how he treated Athena, who was saying and demanding the same thing.
"It isn't very often that I get pissed off" the biggest lie in the entire musical
Wet Hades has arrived! Loved your reaction - it's really interesting seeing the things different people pick up on. 💖
fantastic reaction and analysis! seeing how interested you can get, and the combination of emotional investment and unique vocal/musical insight makes for really great entertainment and education. your understanding of the narrative is impressive, and i can tell you consistently pay attention and make an effort to engage in the art. it's what i love to see from reaction and analysis content; someone who is genuinely engaged with a piece of work i love, and can give their own interesting insight into that work
a round of applause for the excellent work!
i would highly suggest you stick with gigi's animatics when possible; their work is stunning. excited to see more reactions to this in the future, if you decide to do them!
Love that you pick up and sing a motif and dont know how many times you have heard it.
It was stupid for Odysseus to think Poseidon wants to give him mercy but also disrespect him by not listening to him and being ruthless
Can't wait till you see Scylla, My fav song
It's like Odysseus forgot he had the windbag he could've avoided Poseidon all together
"the line between nativity and hopefullness is almost invisible" is poseidons way of rubbing salt water in the wound. He was never going to spare Oddy since hes literally been singing *RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY UPON OURSELVES* the entire time. The fact that Oddy thought excuses counted as saying sorry which he never did ONCE shows that hubris of a man playing games with gods.
Its almost time for the *woman*
What? -Odysseus
I love Poseidons face when he says, “ then you let him live”?
If you like Steven Rodriguez as Poseidon, you should listen to his song The Devil Wears Lace, it really shows off more of his vocal talent
The reason I interpreted behind the line "you could have avoided all this, had you just killed my son" is that Posidon will value death over humiliation, which is what he sees as the mutilation of his son.
a lot of people tend to be confused about posiden saying "had you just killed my son" because you need to read/know about Homers "the Odyssey" to understand! cuz in the Odyssey, Odysseus blinded the cyclops and upon leaving he revealed his name and that he was responsible for his blindness. this caused Polythemus to tell his dad about what happened.
Hence, when Poseidon says "you couldve avoided all this had you just killed my son" is him basically saying "if you had been ruthless and killed my son, 90% of your fleet wouldnt have drowned; i only found out because you told polythemus who you were"
Poseidon you can say was in storm, we heard brass instruments and one of the lines is " is it nature or devine". So i am certain that the storm is posidon
WET HADES
amazing reaction! ^^
OOh also if you're impressed by this animatic you should check out the Ruthlessness animatic by Anniflamma which is just as good and is my personal favourite cause it leans more into Poseidon also being the god of horses.
It’s over on my Patreon 😁
8:55 No mixed messages. IMO Poseidon isn’t upset Polyphemus got hurt, he’s upset that someone thought so little of him as to spare his son. It makes him look bad.
I am so excited for you to get to the underworld saga
I also recommend Anniflamma's animatic of this!
And worth noting: Odysseus gave plenty of excuses. But he never actually APOLOGIZED.
Poseidon is often associated with horses and bulls (Im not sure why, i would guess the greeks likend thier raw strength to that of the waves?) but if you go back to the same videos of the Polyphemus you watched before, his legs are hooved, like a horse, and his "horns" flex like crab legs, and are arranged like a princely crown!
Also, in addition to what everyone else has said, Odysseus also didn’t even apologize.
In different stories, cyclops are children of different people. In Homer's version, it's Poseidon and a sea nymph, and in Hesiod's version they're the kids of Uranus and Gaia (Titans, so they're like cousins of the gods) It really depends 🤷