Percy Jackson and The Olympians Season One

Percy Jackson and The Olympians is a series that has introduced millions of children to the vast world of reading. Exploring the vast world of gods and monsters from Greek mythology, the series was packed with adventure. It’s only natural that studios would want to get a chance to recreate such a beloved franchise. Though when it was first brought to the big screen, many fans found themselves disappointed. Now more than a decade later, Disney has attempted to create a more faithful adaptation for new and longtime fans.

Synopsis

Season one of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is based off of the first book in the series, The Lighting Thief. Here is where we are introduced to Percy Jackson, a boy who struggles to stay out of trouble in school. He has issues focusing due to his ADHD and even though he has no proof, he feels that all of his teachers are out to get him. Well it turns out Percy was right. After a deadly confrontation with his math teacher, Percy finally learns the truth. He is a demi-god. With a war fast approaching, Percy must quickly adapt to his new life and solve the mystery of the missing master bolt.

The Show

Obviously this show was highly anticipated. Percy Jackson fans have been asking for a solid adaptation to their favorite series ever since the movies did so poorly and in my opinion, they got it. There was a lot of love put into this show not only from the showrunners, but from the Author himself. Rick Riordan worked very closely with the production on this show from the casting to the script and it shows. I will say that while it was a solid adaptation, it wasn’t a totally faithful adaptation like some fans wanted.

The Plot (Spoilers Ahead)

Like I said, this adaptation was not completely faithful, but I don’t think that it was a bad thing. Book to visual translations can be difficult, scenes that were great from the books can be awkward on screen. By having Riordan working on the script though, the changes that were made still remained true to the story he created. We also have to remember as adult fans who read these books as kids that this is a show made for the new generation of fans, not just us. Scenes that were appropriate for children in the novel may have been less appropriate when translated on screen. For example, the end of the novel had Percy almost dying a pretty gruesome death. I don’t think many children would want to watch their hero crawl desperately for his life. The sword fight between Percy and Luke was much more appropriate.

As a big fan of the series myself, I can understand why some fans were frustrated though. It can be hard to see one of your favorite scenes changed or excluded all together. Though I think we need to appreciate this show as a separate piece of media. We can enjoy the books and the contents inside and enjoy the show and all the new content it provides too.

Casting

One of the major highlights in this show for me is the casting. Having Rick Riordan have a hand in the casting himself made a huge difference in my opinion. Walker Scobell may not have had the classic black and green eyes that Percy did in the books, but he really embodied Percy’s personality. He had that rebellious spirit alongside the appropriate seriousness that makes Percy who he is. Leah Jeffries though was by far the best match for the character of Annabeth Chase. As a person who adored Annabeth in the books, she embodied that intelligent and guarded personality perfectly. Watching her on screen was so much fun, you can see the amount of effort that she put into truly embodying Annabeth. Last but not least, Aryan Simhadri played an amazing Grover. The skittish satyr is a character that tends to be pushed to the side a lot, but without him the series would fall apart. Simhardi embodied him really well and really made him stand out in the trio.

Final Thoughts

Was the new Percy Jackson show a perfect book adaptation? No. Though I think that it was a fantastic show that brought a series back to life for a new generation. It had the fun adventure that we loved as kids and the serious moments that we can enjoy as adults.

It has already had a major impact. More kids are wanting to read the next book to know what happens next. Just like what the books did for an older generation, this show can also be a child’s gateway to a love of reading. As of right now it hasn’t been greenlit for season two, but I really hope that it does. I think that the team working on this show really has the ability to bring this whole series to life in a way that will keep making new and old fans coming back for more