Photo: Disney+
Individual reviews:
Fans of American author Rick Riordan’s beloved book series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” have been eagerly awaiting its Disney+ television adaptation since the show was announced in 2020. The book series was made into a movie series in 2010, but was scrapped after the second installment due to poor ratings. Since then, the PJO fan base has been hoping for a do-over that does its source material justice.
The show follows young demigod Percy Jackson as he learns of his godly parentage and embarks on an epic quest to retrieve the King of the Gods Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt. Time is of the essence, and with mythological monsters constantly on his track, Percy must race to return Zeus’s bolt and prevent a war between the gods.
One of the show’s greatest strengths is its casting and acting. Walker Scobell shines as the show’s titular character, bringing to life the witty, sassy, lovable Percy Jackson fans know and adore from the book series. Other key characters are Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries), daughter of Athena and Grover (Aryan Simhadri), Percy’s satyr sidekick. Scobell, Jeffries and Simhadri superbly portray the slow development of the trio’s bond throughout the season and the heroes go from being strangers, to reluctant allies, to best friends.
The show also brilliantly introduces the exciting, dangerous world of Greek mythology and the complex portrayal of Greek gods and monsters. The Greek myths are full of countless gods, monsters, legends and prophecies that could easily overwhelm new fans, but the show delivers information in manageable doses, allowing viewers to learn about this new world alongside Percy. Also, the show offers a very multi-dimensional view of the mythological creatures rather than writing them off as purely good or evil. One example is Medusa, a gorgon cursed by Athena to turn anyone she looks at into stone. As Medusa tells her story, viewers are compelled to feel sympathy for her and question what really makes someone a monster.
Another one of the show’s greatest strengths is how visually stunning it is. From the bleak, gray deserts of the Underworld to the gleaming ancient Greek architecture of Mount Olympus, each set is a thrill to behold. Similarly, Percy’s spectacular aquatic powers are exciting to watch, especially in the series finale, when his powers finally reach their peak in the form of an epic, colossal tsunami.
However, the rushed pacing and lack of suspense take away from the viewing experience. The main advantage of adapting each novel into aTV show season with multiple episodes rather than individual movies is having more time to flesh out the plot. Despite that, the show glosses over each plot point extremely quickly. There isn’t enough build-up and intensity for the story’s critical moments, causing some scenes to feel slightly lackluster. As exciting as it is to see these moments brought to life onscreen, many have unrealized potential to be much more action-packed and suspenseful.
Furthemore, the heroes figure things out unrealistically quickly, cutting off what could’ve been nail-biting action scenes. With every monster they encounter, they already anticipate what their enemy plans to do and quickly take them down. The problems with this pattern are clear: it eliminates all tension in scenes that could have served as opportunities to show the protagonists’ resourcefulness and problem-solving skills. Viewers never have any genuine fear for the characters’ lives since they get out of dangerous situations so easily.
Another big letdown was the show’s choppy, sterile dialogue. For a series that is adored for witty narration and humor, the PJO show is surprisingly lacking. One of the biggest reasons why the book series is so entertaining is because of its constant use of humor, even—no—especially in dire situations. After all, the main characters are kids—of course they’re going to have immature and goofy moments. The show has had some witty moments, but the tone is largely serious. It would benefit greatly from more witty jokes, especially from Percy, who in the books couldn’t go a single page without a witty remark.
Although there is plenty of room for improvement, the first season of the PJO television series is still an enjoyable, nostalgic adventure, earning a solid three out of five stars. Its stellar cast brings Riordan’s characters to life beautifully, and the development of the show’s setting, characters and relationships lays a solid foundation for more adventures to come.
Fans can look forward to reuniting with Percy and his friends in the upcoming second season.
