‘Percy Jackson And The Olympians’ Review – An Entertaining New Iteration Of A Popular Book Series

When it comes to middle-grade and young-adult book series that rival the popularity of Harry Potter, it doesn’t take long for Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and The Olympians series to come up. The first novel in the series, The Lightning Thief, was published in 2005 to great critical acclaim and commercial success. What began as a bedtime story to entertain Riordan’s oldest son has expanded into a media empire almost two decades later. Riordan has not only written sequels to the original five-book series, like The Heroes Of Olympus and The Trials Of Apollo series’ but he’s also introduced additional mythologies into his growing literary universe with The Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase and The Gods Of Asgard.

The Lightning Thief and its sequel, The Sea Of Monsters, were adapted into ill-received films starring Logan Lerman as the titular character in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Riordan was vocal about his displeasure with films and spent years spearheading a second attempt to adapt the franchise. His efforts have culminated in the new television series debuting on Disney+ later this month.

The debut season of Percy Jackson and The Olympians adapts the first book in the series. The show introduces us to the kind but bullied Percy (Walker Scobell), who has spent his entire life witnessing supernatural phenomena that he can’t explain. His classmates often tease him because of his learning disability, and his only solace is the time he spends with his best friend, Grover (Aryan Simhadri). His young life turns unexpectedly when he unleashes his dormant demi-god powers while standing up to a bully and becomes the target of various monsters straight out of the Greek myths. He’s quickly spirited away to a summer camp where the half-blood children of various Greek deities train to become legendary heroes. It’s also revealed that Grover is a satyr charged with protecting him, and their teacher, Mr. Brunner (Glynn Turman), is actually a centaur. When Percy discovers he is the son of the Greek sea god, Poseidon, and the prime suspect in the theft of Zeus’s master lightning bolt, he sets out on an epic journey to clear his name.

The show’s first two episodes do a great job of introducing this new iteration of the story. Scobell does an excellent job of embodying the bewildered but intrigued Percy, who has just stepped into a world that he’s both excited and terrified to discover exists. Even within the first two episodes, we see Percy’s evolution into a bold hero willing to sacrifice himself to protect those around him. Scobell brings a subtle but loveable charm to the role. Simhadri’s Grover is also a charming character, and his dry humor will endear him to fans of the series. Simhadri’s portrayal is that of a satyr who is young in appearance but wise and possesses a genuine desire to protect those under his care. Early in the series he has to make a tough decision to keep Percy safe, and viewers can sense how tortured he is about it.

Although we don’t get much of the story’s pivotal third character, Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), until the last half of episode 2, what we do see is true to the character from the books. She’s tough and is always thinking ten steps ahead of everyone else. Viewers should expect nothing less from a daughter of Athena, and Jeffries’s portrayal is sure to win even the most reluctant of fans over.

Other standouts in the first two episodes are Virginia Kull as Percy’s loving and fiercely protective mother, Sally. Megan Mullally is the sinister Furie, Alecto, who has a surprisingly expanded role in this incarnation of the story. Dior Goodjohn and Charlie Bushnell are both excellent in their respective roles as Clarisse and Luke. Book fans know how important those characters are to the story later on, so it’s a relief to see that they’ve cast actors who bring the charm and talent needed to expand on those characters in future episodes and seasons.

I’d be remiss if I closed out this review without addressing the elephant in the room. This iteration of the series has made changes to be more inclusive and reflective of our world. Author Rick Riordan, who serves as a writer and executive producer on the show with his wife, Becky, pushed for more diversity. Although many characters, like Grover, Annabeth, and Clarisse, are Caucasian in the books, they’re portrayed in the TV show by people of color. It may be jarring for those who grew up with the books, but viewers will be pleased to discover that the original characterizations remain intact. While Scobell doesn’t have black hair and sea-green eyes like the book’s character, it’s ultimately irrelevant. His portrayal of the character rings true throughout the first two episodes. Hopefully, even the most reluctant fans will see through these physical changes to enjoy what this talented cast brings.

The first two episodes of Percy Jackson and The Olympians are fun, entertaining, and a great set-up for the rest of the season and series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians will debut on Disney+ on December 20, 2023. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHb7au6Gmls]