Percy Jackson ​on Disney+

BY ANUSHA NAIK '26

As you eagerly flip the pages, a story full of adventure, action, and wonder unfolds. Each joke has you giggling, and each fight scene has you on the edge of your seat. This is exactly how I reacted when reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief for the first time. If you’ve been living under a rock and never read the books, the plot features Percy Jackson, a young demigod who embarks on a quest to save the world with fellow demigod of Annabeth Chase, and satyr friend, Grover Underwood. The series is one of the most successful franchises for young readers, with popularity comparable to even Harry Potter. Naturally, fans started expecting a film adaptation to see everything come to life. In 2010, the movie adaptation of the first book released, followed by a second film in 2013. IMO, the movies failed as full adaptations. One main concerns was that the characters significantly aged up, jumping from twelve to sixteen. Additionally, many major plot points were glazed over or completely cut. Riordan himself said it was like his “life's work going through a meat grinder.”

​In December 19, 2023, the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered on Disney Plus. The eight-episode season covered the first eight chapters of the first book. There was extreme excitement for the new adaptation, and the show had a generally positive reception among audiences. 

I liked many aspects of the show, the biggest being the main trio’s acting. While people were upset that the actors visually differed from their characters (such as Percy's hair and Annabeth’s eyes being the wrong color), I think their appearances aren’t central to the story’s theme. The actors did a great job given their age and the somewhat poor movie script (I’ll elaborate on this later). In cast interviews, their dynamic remind me so much of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover’s. I felt like the characters had jumped out onto my TV. The bond is clearly reflected on screen as well, and it conveys their friendship very well. Walker Scobell, who plays Percy, has the right amount of sarcasm while staying convincing in his heavier scenes, and Aryan Simadhri is great as clumsy and lovable Grover. Leah Sava Jeffries is wonderful as well–her rendition of Annabeth is the perfect balance of stubborn, caring, and intelligent.

Second, I loved how the show is filmed.  From the lighting to the music, the cinematography culminates in the perfect mood for each scene. Since the series heavily involve mythology, capturing attention with awe-inspiring visuals is especially important. During Percy’s first day at camp, the shimmering lake paired with the beautiful fields of Camp Half Blood perfectly convey the feeling I had when reading that scene. In the trio’s encounter with Echidna, the mother of all monsters, the eerie music and dim lighting genuinely make me feel a little uneasy–even though nothing outright scary actually happened. Also, the well-executed set design and the visual effects make scenes like the minotaur fight scene highly convincing.

Despite reservations, I tuned in for another episode every week. Each episode is truly entertaining, and I consistently found myself giving the show my undivided attention despite trying to multitask. The well-timed jokes give a good break from long scenes of conflict or tension. While there are some slow and dialogue heavy scenes, the show redeems itself through entertaining and action-packed fight scenes. For example, even though the fight with Ares is a little more rushed than I would’ve liked, I was still engaged the whole, exciting way through.

My biggest issue with the show is unnecessary plot changes. I understand that Riordan wants to make the show more relevant, but having recently re-read the first book, I feel like the moves are unnecessary. I’m especially upset since Riordan advertised the show as an exact adaptation of the books, when it clearly isn’t.  Most of the changes felt like changes for the sake of being different, without adding anything valuable. For example, the book’s Tunnel of Love scene is exciting and fast paced, but it ends up pretty boring in the show. For those unfamiliar with the book’s version, Aries sends the trio to retrieve his shield from an abandoned waterpark. In the process, they walk into a trap by Haphaestus, becoming entangled in a giant net becoming slowly filled with mechanical spiders. However, the show drastically changes direction and overall wholly disregards the original subject matter. Other examples of plot changes include the passing of the deadline, the scene in the Fields of Asphodel, and four pearls instead of three. All of these changes do not actually improve the plot and eventually resulted in further plot changes to cover up the holes left by the previous ones.

Second, the show’s writing is at times horrible. The show’s writers continuously rob viewers of countless suspenseful moments by having the characters instantly figure everything out. For example, the Lotus Casino scene should be entertaining because the characters have fun and let loose despite immense pressure. However, within the show, the trio immediately know the story behind the casino, what to avoid, and how to act. Not only does this remove the build up of the characters slowly realize something is wrong, but it also takes out one of the most iconic scenes from the book and movie. The writers also have a serious issue of straight up telling instead of demonstrating through action and dialogue. The first interaction between Percy and Luke is a prime example. When Percy asks about Annabeth, Luke simply says something along the lines of, ‘she’s the best fighter at camp…She’s like a little sister to me.’ Yet, the audience doesn’t get to see a fight sequence with Annabeth or the sibling dynamic between the two characters. Had the writers included these elements, the point would have come across smoother and engaging. Or, check out Percy’s encounter with Procrustes. As soon as he steps into the shop, he knows exactly who Procrustes is, and he openly announces how Procrustes killed his victims. The scene could have been much more effective had they shown Procrustes’ attempt to kill the protagonists like Riordan had in the book.

My final issue is the pacing—it felt very rushed. I wasn’t expecting pacing as an issue since shows have much more timing leeway than movies. However, the show both glazes over key aspects from the books and transitions very abruptly between scenes. I will admit that the books themselves are rushed, but the show exceeds even that. In the book, although Percy is thrown into his whirlwind question soon after the Minotaur kills his mom is killed, there is still a big emphasis on him mourning her loss. In the show, Percy is not shown upset or given time to grieve. Rather, action simply moves on, like the loss isn’t a big deal. 

The first seasons for shows can always be a little rocky, so all in all, I have high hopes for the future. The show was recently approved for a second season, and I’m excited to see how the writers utilize criticism to better the show. The Sea of Monsters is a great book, and if the show is faithful to the storyline, I’m sure it’ll be a hit. Despite my complaints, I still loved it overall and will definitely be tuning in for the next season!