The new Percy Jackson and The Olympians show has exceeded the expectations of many. It is based on the book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which follows the adventures of one Perseus ‘Percy’ Jackson as he discovers his heritage as a Greek demigod and the upcoming war against his grandfather Kronos. Most fans held cautious optimism, due to the inaccuracy of the previous Percy Jackson movies that were released in the early 2010s, but have been more than pleasantly surprised by the show.
Even Logan Lerman, the previous actor for Percy in the movies, wrote the cast a note with a heartfelt message. He mentions Walker Scobell, the new actor for Percy Jackson, by name.
“The show looks amazing. I can’t wait to see you all crush it in your roles. You’re making a lot of people happy bringing these characters to life. I can’t imagine a better fit for Percy Jackson than Walker. You were so brilliant in ‘The Adam Project.’ I hope you like eating blue food in the next few years. I think you have a hit show on your hands,” said Logan.
However, the show is not without its criticisms. Some are displeased with some of the changes. For those who have not caught up with the show or read the books, be warned this will contain minor spoilers for both. One of the biggest issues with the show is how seriously the show is taking itself when compared with the more fun and goofy moments in the book, that were either changed or completely removed.
Another large criticism was the action. Many have found it underwhelming compared to what they imagined when reading the books. They feel that it’s lackluster and missing the graphicness of the novels. For example, in episode seven when Procrustes is tricked and trapped, instead of decapitated by Percy.
However, no change was met with as much distaste and confusion as episode six, which experienced the most important plot-relevant change. After arriving at the Lotus casino to meet Hermes, an encounter that does not happen in the books, they stay until after the summer solstice, the original deadline for the quest, and must hurry to continue their quest.
Originally, the children escape the Lotus casino with one day left and everything is completed by the set time limit for the quest. Additionally, three pearls, items that grant the users safe passage back from the underworld, were granted by Poseidon and not four.
These criticisms have had some book fans complaining about the author, Rick Riordan’s, choices. They would likely have preferred an exact adaptation.
Nevertheless, these changes are arguably better when looked at with a broader lens and make more sense than what Riordan wrote originally.
For one, the show taking itself more seriously allows a larger audience beyond just children and book fans to become invested. Yes, the action is a bit disappointing but one has to take into account the limitations of VFX. Arguably, the way the fights went in the series made more sense. Particularly with how Annabeth relied more on using her invisibility cap to sneak up on enemies and attack them from a closer range.
The children missing the deadline adds more tension and makes the sense of urgency even bigger. This works perfectly for a season finale. Furthermore, of course, Poseidon would give four pearls to save Sally as well. In the books, he offered to build her underwater castles and in the show appeared when she simply lit a match and stuck it in leftover ice cream as an offering, showing his love for her. If anything the fact that he didn’t initially try to save her as well in the books seems more out of character than anything.
We also get to see more of Percy’s childhood and the issues that came with being a demigod much more than we see in the dozens of books Riordan has written. We see how deeply being a half-blood affected Percy and just how different he feels from everyone. This helps the audience further understand why being at Camp Half-Blood, where he’s not the only one who’s different, is such a relief for him.
The changes also make it so the readers of the books don’t know what will happen, and keep them engaged. Take the scene in episode 7, where Annabeth gets trapped in the fields of Asphodel and has to use the pearl to escape the underworld. It was so unexpected but interesting as well.
It’s important to remember that this is an adaptation, not an exact recreation of the books. With the finale releasing this Tuesday, viewers should make an effort to be open-minded about any changes to come. The changes don’t make the show bad, they make it different. As Percy Jackson has taught us, this isn’t always a bad thing.
