In December, Disney+ released the first season of Percy Jackson and The Olympians. Coming from someone who has read the Percy Jackson books, the show is great. Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson series, is heavily involved in the making of the show. He didn’t get this chance when the movies came out which just adds to the reasons Riordan doesn’t like the movies. Some scenes aren’t completely the same because Riordan’s writing has changed since 2005. He’s now able to add things he didn’t before.
Episode one, “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher,” starts off going into Percy’s background before showing the present. The way it is narrated in the beginning gives it a sense similar to the books. It explains the way he feels in the books by showing how others actions have affected him. An example would be him being sent to the guidance office because he said he saw something that others couldn’t see. It leads him to not saying anything when something does happen and it shows the reasons on why he feels like his brain is broken, as he would later say. I know some people were upset at how fast the fight between Percy and the fury was considering it’s important, but I like how quick it is. It makes it more confusing for him when people start to say that Mrs. Dodds was never there in the first place. Pacing is something I noticed a lot of people didn’t like since it was fast. it’s something I understand, but thought it could have been done better. In the book the things happening to Percy are confusing, the fast pace plays into that because you can see just how confused he is. No one is explaining anything to him properly, so he rightfully has questions. I like how they used that to convey confusion but someone who hasn’t read the books may see it as info dumping. Even someone who has seen many see it that way as well. They could have put in a montage of the manipulation of no one knowing who Mrs. Dodds was over the months like it was described in the book. I feel like it would add more to the depth of Percy’s struggles rather than how quick it all played out. It was good either way, but I do understand where the complaints are coming from.
Episode two, “I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom,” was also fast paced, but it was more subtle and made sense. I liked the way they showed the camp as well as how the system of glory worked. Everything is new to Percy so he questions it, and what he sees doesn’t appeal to him. The battle between him and the Ares cabin was true to the book and realistic. The way they explained how glory is important in the beginning of the episode sheds light on why Clarisse is acting the way she is. Glory gets your godly parent to acknowledge you in some capacity, which is what most of them strive for. It adds more to her character than it did in the books. The same can be said for Annabeth. In the books, at the very beginning, Annabeth wanted her mother’s’ attention like everyone else. Her drive for her own glory is demonstrated by her eagerness to win capture the flag and waiting for the right person to show up so she would be able to go on a quest. It also subtly shows the distinction between Percy and the rest of the demigod children. While most yearn for their Godly parents’ attention he couldn’t care less. The only reason he went on the quest that Poseidon tasked him with is because he may be able to save his mother. The anger Percy felt at having to go on a quest for his father, who had ignored him and his mother until now, was conveyed in a realistic way. I know a lot of people enjoyed the line, “ I am sally Jackson’s son,” because it established and separated how he feels about both of his parents.
Episode three. “We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium,” was one I thoroughly enjoyed. The internal struggle Percy shows in going on the quest where he knows he will be betrayed is visible. He and Annabeth butt heads because of it. The take on Medusa was also an interesting call back. The first episode shows Sally, Percy’s mother, tell him that not all monsters are monsters, something he applies to Medusa. Her story walks a very thin line between monster and survivor. It subtly incorporates both sides of the myth of Medusa, which was honestly explained so well while still leaving it up for interpretation. Medusa also points out something of a foreshadowing parallel between her and Sally, as well as her and Annabeth. The scene where all four of them talk it out and resolve the tension helped develop an understanding between them. As I am a fan of the books, I was very excited about the “ I am impertinent,” line.
Episode four, “I Plunge to My Death,” felt like it was a good episode for character insight. It added more to Annabeth’s storyline as well as her actions towards Percy and the Gods. Her running away at seven because she was ignored by her father counters Percy’s claim that the Gods should know better, because as she says, Gods aren’t the only ones who do it. She doesn’t complain about the Gods’ neglect because at least she knows the rules. She also gives a flash of what Thalia was like before she was turned into a tree. Percy and Annabeth are at a semi-friendship when it’s made known that the stinger was poisoned, which then leads into the reason the monster can come into a building protected by Athena. Something that the monster wouldn’t normally be able to do. Athena allowed the monster in simply because Annabeth was said to have embarrassed her by allowing Percy to send Medusa’s head to olympus. It sheds light on why she tries so hard to please the gods, in the book and in the show. It also makes the parallels to her and Medusa mentioned in the previous episode glaringly obvious. When Annabeth sticks up for her mother, Medusa makes a comment that she used to be like her, until Athena punished her for being an embarrassment. Punishing her instead of Poseidon, the same way she punishes Annabeth instead of Percy. Although some could say it punished Percy as well since not helping Annabeth is not helping him. The episode ends with it displaying Percy’s loyalty to Annabeth and Grover when he sacrifices himself to the Chimera. Poseidon saving him also shows that he has been watching this whole time.
The first four episodes, in my opinion, are a great adaptation of the Riordan’s first book, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, compared to the movies anyway. It’s not word for word but it does stay true to the original concept while adding certain scenes that add more depth and understanding to characters. The only problems most people have something to say about is the pacing of the story and that the actors can be a bit stiff, something i’m sure will ebb away as they grow older. Even if you haven’t read the books it’s still an enjoyable show so far. There are only 8 episodes that are going to be released, so we’re already halfway through.
Look for another review of episodes 5-8 coming soon.
