This week, I’ll be writing about a slightly more recent show than the others I’ve covered in the past weeks. This Disney+ series just released the final episode of its long-awaited 8-episode series two days ago on Jan. 31. As of Feb. 2, the show has not yet been renewed for a second season.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an adaptation of the beloved young adult fantasy series by Rick Riordan. Unlike many TV adaptations, this show stays mainly true to its source material (according to longtime fans I’ve talked to), making only minor changes so as to translate well on screen.
To begin this review, let’s start off on a positive note. I enjoyed the cinematography; it’s definitely a well thought out show and the visuals really do enhance the plot and the characters. I often talk about liking to watch “pretty” shows or movies, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians definitely falls into that category. I was also very impressed with the acting from most of the cast. Even the younger actors had fantastic performances, and because of that I would say the TV show offers the same relatability that the books do for kids of that age group.
Another thing I really appreciated in this show was the lack of what I call nostalgia-bait. Too often, adaptations of already-beloved works with dedicated fan bases will rely on fans’ memories of the old works, rather than creating new content and opportunities for new memories.
The Percy Jackson TV series does not do that. There are definitely Easter eggs and references throughout the show that are clearly there for fans of the original books, but they never detract from the main point of a scene and they’re easy to miss if you’re new to the Percy Jackson world. As someone who never read the books myself, I only really noticed them when I watched part of the show with someone who had read all the books as a kid.
However, as great as all those things are, there is always another side of the coin. The editing of the series is less than ideal, and long blackouts between almost every scene and weird fight scenes with no music behind them are hard to ignore. In addition to that, a lot of scenes, especially in the first few episodes, get so much exposition thrown into them that I got a little annoyed with the show. There’s definitely a lot more telling than showing here, and that’s not exactly what you want to be seeing in a show with millions being put into each episode.
Overall, I’m a fan of the television adaptation of the Percy Jackson books. Of course, there are some things I wasn’t the biggest fan of, but as a whole the series is fun, magical, and heartwarming, perfect to watch with friends and family. I give the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians four out of five stars.
★★★★☆
