(Disney Plus)
Nearly 13 years after the release of the first Percy Jackson movie, fans of the best-selling book series are now treated to a faithful television adaptation of the series.
The show is based on the book series of the same name by Rick Riordan and follows 12-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers Greek mythology is real and very present in his life. .
The first season of the television series follows the first book, The Lightning Thief, in which Percy and his friends are accused of stealing Zeus' lightning and must get it back.
After the series had previously been adapted into two controversial films, fans were excited when Riordan announced that he was developing a TV series for Disney+ as show creator and executive producer.
The highly anticipated show released its first episode on December 19th, titled “I Accidentally Vaporized My Pre-Algebra Teacher.”
In this episode, Percy Jackson, played by Walker Scobell, learns that he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Virginia Calle and Aryan Singhadri play the roles of Sally Jackson and Grover Underwood, Percy's mother and best friend. The two characters reveal the truth about the world of gods and monsters right before Percy's eyes.
Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, a safe camp for demigods seeking to harness their powers, with no monsters nearby.
At camp, Percy is introduced to the season's final three main characters: Annabeth, Luke, and Clarice. Annabeth Chase, played by Leah Sava Jeffries, is the daughter of Athena, and her intelligence makes her the third member to travel across America to clear Jackson's name.
This series does a lot of world-building, so the first few episodes tend to tell the audience more than they show. There's a fair amount of exposition, which slows down the pace and ultimately causes the show to drag. This is a shortcoming of the show, especially considering Riordan's intention to stay as close to the original as possible for fans.
For readers of the books, the show is an homage to all the character details they know and love, such as Chase calling Jackson “seaweed brain” as they grow closer.
The show relies heavily on the performances of young actors, which may be why some scenes in early episodes feel forced and lack natural camaraderie.
Because Riordan is one of the showrunners, he tries to match the dialogue in the book, so some of the dialogue feels stilted because it wasn't originally written for television. As a result, the key emotional moments leading up to the finale felt flat due to the characters' tone and dialogue, which diminished their impact.
This series shines when it completely distances itself from reality. One of the most rewarding scenes of the season is when Jackson visits Mount Olympus to return Zeus' lightning bolt.
The visuals of Mount Olympus are rewarding for viewers as they show the real stakes of the entire season. Because every time Jackson uses his water powers, the show reminds viewers why he's so special to God in the first place.
The final two episodes of the season are the most powerful because they build up Percy, his mother, and Poseidon as an estranged family and the consequences of their actions. These two episodes with her in particular not only add depth to the story, but also give Percy's character some much-needed dimension.
After the release of two films that divided fans in the 2010s, Percy Jackson is the first screen adaptation that fans of the book can be proud of. While staying true to the original, it adds a new twist to captivate viewers.
The entire series is currently available to watch on Disney+.
