The highly acclaimed book series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians by Rick Riordan, was adapted into a series and has been released weekly since December 19th, 2023. The series finale was released on January 30th, 2024.
Percy Jackson and The Olympians features countless talented actors. Certain cast members, such as Grover, Sally, Clarisse, and Luke were spot on to what I imagined as an avid Percy Jackson reader. I especially loved Clarisse and Luke’s actors, Dior Goodjohn and Charlie Bushnell, and the character executions are amazing on their parts. The cast being so young is perfect to me, as it gives them time to mesh into their characters and develop their personas better. While their talents as a collective are acknowledged, as well as the fact that they are still developing actors, I have one major concern: Annabeth and Percy. Though the casting for Annabeth and Percy (Leah Jeffries and Walker Scobell, respectively) is absolutely splendid, the acting itself is questionable. I felt that, often, the scenes delivered lacked tension and chemistry. The lines were bland, and Annabeth’s original appeal from the books was greatly diminished. Much of her character development was lost, and this greatly diminished her story and the development of her relationship with Percy. With their relationship development at a standstill for much of the series, the plot line felt incredibly rushed compared to the pace at which the characters progressed.
The show, as a whole, was dragged down by the constant exposition, speeding past critical character points/development, and removing tension and relationships. The show was a little mundane at points due to the aforementioned reasons, and though the show used a majority of its reference material, the few changes they added to the plotline were questionably lacking, to say the least. For example, Grover’s betrayal at the beginning of the show, was unlike himself, even if it was for Percy’s own interest. It changed his resulting character perception quite a bit, and I find it would be hard to create a trusting, unbreakable bond between him and Percy. Thus, the show itself was not memorable, and only nostalgic to fans due to the disappointment from the past adaptation. Though it was better, it was not great.
Overall, the series was a great adaptation that intricately weaved together elements of Greek mythology with contemporary storytelling. For a Percy Jackson fan of almost a decade, who has reread the series and Riordan’s other series countless times, this show was not the huge letdown many (myself included) had expected. Though it failed to delve into the underlying journeys and emotions of characters and had a hard time breaking free of the lackluster dialogue, yet rushed plotline, it was still very nostalgic and enjoyable. The 2nd season was announced a week after the finale, on February 7th, 2024. With only a few kinks left felt through this series, Percy Jackson fans can look forward to a highly anticipated and improved 2nd season!
