By Vanessa Zamora
Staff Writer
Attention, all Half-Bloods! The long-awaited Percy Jackson and the Olympians show is finally available on Disney+. This highly anticipated series is based on the best-selling novels by Rick Riordan. The show has a total of eight episodes. It debuted on Dec. 19, 2023. Each episode is approximately 45 minutes long and is based on the first book in the Percy Jackson series: The Lighting Thief.
The show follows the not-so-ordinary middle schooler Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) as he tries to figure out his destiny. He knows he has always been different, but now that he realizes he’s a demigod, he must figure out his role in the plans of the Greek gods. Things are far from easy for Jackson at the start; his world is turned upside down once he learns the identity of his father and the consequences that come with being the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. His mother, Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull), is forced to send him to Camp Half-Blood, a refuge for the children of the gods. However, Jackson’s time at camp is short-lived, as he is accused of stealing Zeus’ master bolt. The young demigod must set out on a quest with his friends to retrieve the bolt, prove his innocence and make his father proud.
Jackson, accompanied by Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena (Leah Jeffries), and satyr Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), has a mere 10 days to complete the quest. If they fail, a war between Poseidon and Zeus will break out. On their journey, the campers encounter several creatures including furies, hellhounds and Medusa. “I really liked the Medusa part,” said senior Lilly Goff. “I think it was very well done, and . . . they didn’t lean too far into the idea that she was a villain; they still humanized her while still getting across that her actions of imprisoning these people and turning them into stone wasn’t right.” Through each challenge, they are able to figure out clever ways to defeat those who stand in their way.
This project began in June of 2022, and it’s the second form of media collaboration between Disney and Rick Riordan. The first was the two films in 2010 and 2013, but the author has made it clear that he’s not a fan of these films and has done everything in his power to make the show different.
There have been mixed reviews of the series, with fans arguing about the accuracy of the series and the actors’ poor portrayal of emotions. There are several changes from the novels to the show, the most notable being Jackson’s failure to complete the quest in time for the Summer solstice. The change that is upsetting most fans is the “Lotus Hotel and Casino” scene. In the book and the movie, this scene is very upbeat and fun; the demigods explore the endless arcade games, losing track of time in the Lotus’ magic. The 2010 film made this scene especially memorable with the infamous “Poker Face” dance scene. The show, however, lacks energy, as it uses dialogue to explain most of the Lotus’ magic away.
My biggest complaint is the amount of reasoning and intelligence these 12-year-old campers have. They seem to figure out every issue in a short amount of time. Even when faced with challenges from the gods, they still manage to come up with solutions in an instant. It feels like the series lacks the youthful feel the books had. After all, this is a show about preteens; they’re not always going to make the right decisions. I was really hoping to see the adventures of the novel brought to life on-screen, especially after learning of the nearly $15-million-per-episode budget. However, there was a lack of creativity in the series in that most scenes are dialogue-heavy rather than action-packed.
However, the vast amount of dialogue is not all negative. The characters still feel very human; despite the unusual circumstances they’re in, they still feel relatable. There are strong themes of friendship, determination and sacrifice. Some audience members are ecstatic about the cast choices and appreciative of the small Easter eggs throughout the series. Scobell is receiving lots of praise for his charismatic take on his character. My favorite part of the series is how they portray Poseidon. Rather than being depicted as an arrogant, selfish and ignorant god, his character is a faithful, sympathetic and understanding father. He cares deeply for his son and Ms. Jackson.
Overall, I’m still extremely impressed by this series and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new show to watch. Although I think some parts from the book are missing, the show is definitely still worth watching. I’m hoping that Disney listens to feedback from its fans and, if it receives a renewal, works toward a more book-accurate second season.
