Global book series, Percy Jackson wrapped up the first season of their TV series on January 30th, wrapping up the 8-episode series following the events of the first book, The Lightning Thief.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a story about a troubled young boy with ADHD and Dyslexia who finds out his father is a Greek god, making him a demigod. He and his friends are given the task of finding and returning Zeus’s lightning bolt as monsters from the Underworld attempt to stop them. Playing the titular lead is Walker Scobell, known for his previous role in The Adam Project. Other Featured actors and actresses include Adam Copeland, Leah Jeffries, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Aryan Simhadri, Jason Mantzoukas, Dior Goodjohn, and Lance Reddick in one of his final posthumous releases following his death.
The largest highlight of this series was the characterization of Percy and his friends/Co-protagonists, Annabeth and Grover, and the performances of the actors themselves. Scobell portrays the charisma, sassy nature, and impertinence shown in the book. Despite this, he shows a lot of the underlying emotional complexities in a quality performance. Leah Jeffries, who plays the Demigod daughter of Athena, Annabeth aligns with her characterization well with intelligence and wisdom weaved with a bit of pretentiousness and an underlying passion for others. Aryan Simhadri as Grover, Percy’s satyr best friend is the heart of the show. His kindness and selflessness are incredibly in line with his character traits in the book.
The show is also incredibly popular, with its premiere garnering 26.2 million viewers after just three weeks. A lot of the viewers of the show come from right here.
“I heard that the show came out and I just thought back to reading the books in elementary school, so that was definitely my main drive to watch the show,” Senior Luis Nestares said.
For him, the appeal of the show came from the nostalgia factor.
“A lot of the stuff is stuff you would find funny when you’re younger, so I kinda got put into that mindset. I’m enjoying it as my younger self,” Nestares said. “There’s a scene though where he starts flossing on a mountain and I would personally change the dance to something else, like the griddy perchance.”
The way the show is presented is incredibly in line with the books. The comedy and tone are very kid-oriented, but it never is talking down to you. The action is fun and refreshing for a family series, balancing intensity and wonder. The set pieces and general direction of the series are also pretty beautiful, albeit with a few scenes not lighted well enough.
All and all this series is a good start to what could be an iconic and genre-defining show. From the outside looking in, this could renew the young adult fiction book adaptation movement popularized by Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and The Maze Runner. Percy Jackson is rumored to be adapting all five books in the series and is already in production for its second season.
