Percy Jackson And The Olympians Season 1 Review: A Prophecy with Potential

Percy Jackson And The Olympians Season 1 Review: A Prophecy with Potential 

By Dylan Barbee

Courtesy of Disney+

Disney+ Original Series

Released on Dec. 19, 2023 and ended on Jan. 30, 2024

Growing up, Rick Riordan was my favorite author. I was obsessed with the intricate Greek mythological world he built over years of releasing books and saw myself in several of the demigods he had created in both the Percy Jackson and The Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus series. 

The Percy Jackson novels follow a young demigod from New York City who works to fulfill various prophecies as he and his friends attempt to stop Kronos from rising and starting a war against the gods. Throughout the 10 books in both the original and spin-off series, Riordan masterfully world-builds, subverts expectations with twists and turns to the prophecies and establishes Percy as a powerful, morally-driven protagonist worth rooting for as he follows a hero's journey that mirrors famous Greek myths and figures.

When Disney announced that the books would be brought to life in a weekly original series, I was cautiously optimistic. It is Disney+ after all. The streaming service has been on a lackluster run of disappointing original shows and spinoffs, losing viewers and its credibility as a serious hit-maker like other streaming services such as Max and Hulu. However, when I learned Rick Riordan had an immense role in the making of the series such as castings and the writing of episodes, it relieved the anxiety I had of my childhood being tarnished by Disney. 

The first season of Percy Jackson and The Olympians includes eight episodes that are all titled after a few chapters of The Lightning Thief, the first book of the original Percy Jackson series. This immediately sets the tone of authenticity when it comes to staying true to the writing of the books unlike the 2010 movie The Lightning Thief and its laughably awful 2013 sequel Sea of Monsters, which were both distributed by 20th Century Studios. 

The overall castings in the new Disney+ original series were suitable when bringing Riordan’s novels to life. The best castings were the Greek gods like Adam Copeland (WWE rated-R superstar “Edge”) as Ares, the god of war, and Jason Mantzouas as Dionysus, god of wine. I also really enjoyed seeing the casting of Percy’s mother, Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull) as she perfectly encapsulates what a healthy relationship is like between a single mother and her son. However, when it comes to casting the main trio, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. 

Satyr and Percy Jackson’s protector, Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) was perfectly casted, as he gives off the timid demeanor as the half-human-half goat carries within the books. I also respect how Riordan dives deep into Grover’s character lore and foreshadows his quest for Pan, god of the wild. Annabeth, daughter of Athena (Leah Jeffries) could have had a better performance throughout the entirety of the show. Jeffries acting is at times offputting as she tends to awkwardly prolong her words and phrases when following the script. I think she will eventually embody the role perfectly but doesn’t have enough acting experience to yet. The show’s protagonist, Percy (Walker Scobell) does the same but his performance clearly improves as the show moves forward. However, this doesn’t mean that Leah Jeffries was a poor casting choice for Annabeth and Walker Scobell isn’t going to be a great Percy Jackson as the show continues through the next coming years. I just think with more time and practice they will eventually improve as actors and perfectly play their demigod roles. The blueprint for success is certainly there, it just needs a bit of work to be achieved.

Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell) was the most memorable character of all the campers who attended Camp Half-Blood. Bushnell puts on an impressive performance as he goes from a friend whom Percy trusts to a traitor undergoing complex emotional turmoil as he questions his loyalty to the gods. Riordan validates Luke’s pessimistic feelings towards the gods, as the show does a phenomenal job addressing  the theme of removing the Greek gods from the pedestals they’re put on, questioning their overall morality as they are portrayed as parents who have abandoned their children. Many of the Gods have also abandoned their other godly duties and responsibilities. Medusa’s portrayal as a victim of Athena and Poseidon’s ego and power effectively makes this point, although it plays out as an underwhelming adaptation of the high-stakes book arc it's based on.

Many moments in the show were changed from what was originally written in the books such as the Tunnel of Love scene in episode 5 and the memorable episode 6 in The Lotus Casino. The change of events and character outcomes seemed well executed most of the time, but there are changed sequences in the show where Riordan over-directed. This constant sense of Riordan trying to “correct” what he did wrong in the books lingers throughout the series’ entirety, causing the show to dive deep into topics that are not even discussed until the series’ final books. Although many of the arcs and themes the show attempts to dive into are complex and interesting, it takes away from the first novel’s story, which the first season of the show is meant to adapt. Ultimately, these changes make an interesting thematic story overall, but leaves some of the episodes to be filler where nothing significant occurs. 

Luckily, most episodes ended with captivating fight scenes where the half-blood trio had to defend themselves against furies, minotaurs and Greek gods who were on the hunt for Zeus’s lightning bolt under the assumption that Percy stole it. The creative camera angles pursued within these action scenes were impressive for a Disney+ original series especially the sword fights that filled most of this season. 

Although I loved the Percy Jackson novels as a kid, it’s unfortunate that there were not many instances or sparks of nostalgia in this first season that made me feel like that kid again. Unfortunately, Riordan clearly has too much creative control of the show which backfires as there are rarely any suspenseful moments within this season’s eight-episode length. I think the show also struggles to identify its audience: is this for readers of the originals or a new audience altogether? These issues need to be addressed if the show gets a green light for more seasons.

Despite the show’s shortcomings, I can confidently say I will be tuning back in for season 2, if it happens, and see a lot of potential in a The Sea of Monsters adaptation, given the cast and some of the season one’s well-written episodes. Disney+ is giving the new original series $12 to $15 million per episode which should provide enough resources for this show to fulfill this prophecy with potential.

Rating: 6/10