Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023– ) User Reviews

Great potential, great memories (books) but 'sadly' strongly made for kids

[nortava · 6/10 · 10 March 2024]

Having read and loved all the books (and even enjoying the films to some extent), I had high expectations for the new series adaptation.

However, upon finishing the first season, I couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed. There seemed to be so much potential for exciting scenes, thrilling moments, and epic action sequences, yet the entire first season fell short in delivering them. Many fans, myself included, found ourselves eagerly anticipating major developments in several episodes, only to be met with a lack of significant action.

Even the most memorable scenes from the books felt watered down, lacking the challenge and excitement they originally possessed. There were no spectacular moves or thrilling fights to be found.

While I understand that this adaptation is geared towards a younger audience, I still believe there is room for more action and excitement. I urge the creators to follow the books more closely and inject more energy into the series.

As a suggestion, I recommend looking at the new Airbender series, which targets a similar audience but manages to pack more action into its opening scene than the entire first season of Percy Jackson.

I'm hopeful that future episodes and seasons will explore these themes more deeply and deliver the excitement that fans of the books are craving.

Left wanting more.

[rus34 · 7/10 · 31 January 2024]

I have not read the books, My daughters and wife have read them and were anxious for this series.

I really liked the actors and thought they did a decent job. The effects and look of the series were well done.

My problem was the series felt very rushed. After seeing the entire series I feel it could have been 2-5 episodes longer to supply more detail, build the world out, raise the stakes and allow us to get to know what's at stake.

I know books are always better...but remember I have not read the books and I could tell it was rushed.

My wife and daughter overall enjoyed the series, but were let down at how thin it seemed.

I plan to read the series now to see what I missed!

I hoped for better.

[melveenhernandez · 6/10 · 24 March 2024]

I waited a long time for this series. I watched the entire thing and didn't really feel it. I mean the story line is a lot closer to the book that the attempted movie adaptation. But I think the cast is not ready or not directed well. Though the movie lost the original story, the actors and actress did a better job. But I have to put in consideration that the ages of the three protagonists are accurate, I'm afraid they didn't capture the essence of the characters. I didn't feel them. Of course they were very young so I guess I better put that into consideration. I hope they'll do a better job with the Sea of Monsters or the show might not last another season.

Would give a 0 if possible.

[Void_ded · 4 February 2024]

So very far from the mark. I had hope that the film adaptations could redeem themselves, since this was a huge part of many of our childhoods. The script is bad enough, but it is further ruined by pointless story changes, and boring scenes that leave you just wanting it to be over already.

Disney yet again runs out of ideas, even when the source material is right in front of them. Sincerely hoping that the series drops, same as what happened to the movies, to leave room for a possible, successful reboot in the future.

Watching is a waste of time. Read the books and preserve your view of the characters since this isn't them.

If I had a Time Machine...

[sadavis2279 · 8/10 · 21 December 2023]

I was 11 when I first read Percy Jackson and the lighting thief. I was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, and my mother gave me this book because some neighbor said it was good for kids like myself. To this day, one of the most influential books I've read.

I've been waiting for this series for a long time, and man it was worth the wait. 2 episodes in and you can already see the attention to detail they put into this show. The casting choices are so far great, the dialogue is excellent, and the kids they chose for Grover, Annabeth, and Percy have so far nailed their characters. It's obvious they are setting this up to do the entire series (which would be phenomenal) and the pacing is so far pretty good.

If I had a Time Machine, I'd take this show back to 11 year old me to just see the excitement on my face as my favorite character gets an amazing series like this. I'm excited to see where they take the show, and how they introduce new characters through the series like Thalia and Nico. I can only hope that this gets even a quarter of the hype as Harry Potter, but I'm just glad Percy Jackson's finally getting the screen adaptation he deserves.

Pleasantly Surprised

[parismya123 · 9/10 · 20 December 2023]

Initially, I had doubts about the show, especially concerning casting and worries about staying true to the original material after those cringe-worthy movies. But diving into the first two episodes surprised me-it brought back the Percy Jackson vibes, nailing visuals, characters, and the storyline. Despite visual tweaks, the characters' personalities felt spot-on. Percy is undeniably Percy, Annabeth is herself, and Grover has some extra depth. I'm really looking forward to the next episodes! The quality and attention to detail exceeded my expectations, promising an engaging series that captures the essence of the beloved books.

A lot of nitpicks but overall Wish the quality was better

[kwars-20315 · 6/10 · 20 December 2023]

Just off of the first 2 episodes alone, I wish the overall quality was better. I have read the books and I love them and I like that thier keeping more to the sourse material unlike the movies which didnt. The movies weren't that great. But for me the overall quality in the movie that's over 11 years old looks much better than the show. Thiers a lot of weird fade to black scenes that was just random, I wasnt a fan of that. The Minotaur didn't feel threatening at all expessially with Sally playing Luchador with it, the movie version just seemed a lot more threatening. And thier 2-3 minute conversation they had outside of camp basically just waiting for the minotaur to catch up. Instead of actuall metal armour to protect themselves during capture the flag they just wear leather armour to protect themselves from real swords and magic weapons. And Jason Mantzoukas seemed to be the best adult actor out of the entire cast so far. I'm not gonna go on about the child actors since thier still new to acting.

Imperfect but beautiful

[betty-inez · 8/10 · 6 January 2024]

As a long time fan of the books, I think I am willing to forgive more than a casual viewer, however I will try to be as objective as I can be. That being said, based on episode 1-4 I will first list some things that have to improve, and then things that are well done or (at least in my opinion) unfairly criticised.

What's bad:

• Disney needs to allow the makers of the show to either make more episodes, or make the episodes longer. It's ridiculous to have some episodes lasting only 30 minutes but then cut out some scenes in other episodes because there was not enough time for them. I get that the company would not put too much money in a first season not knowing whether the project is going to take off, but on the other hand, for the project to take off you have to invest enough to make it good.

• more time and budget for longer and better action sequences. Often there is a good build-up to the fight, but then the actual fight is won (or lost) in 1 minute, which feels anticlimactic
• overall the editing and/or directing needs to be better. The black screens inbetween scenes are weird and disrupt the experience, and generally the flow of the show just feels a little awkward, not that smooth

What's great:

• the content is very close to what's in the book. Sure, some things are changed up a little, and some things are added, but mostly these changes enrich the story. The show puts more emphasis than the books on how egotistical and how neglectful the gods are of their children, and the effects this has on their children and generally their victims. The show uses the monsters we have seen so far to add more layers to this, and it's simply beautiful to discover parallels between different characters and see how much thought was put into this (for example, how both Medusa and Sally are victims of the same careless god, how Annabeth defends Athena from Medusa's accusations, only to become a victim of Athena's misogyny herself later on, or Echidna's and Sally's commentary on how a good parent helps their child to grow). I think the show does a good job at describing the unfairness of the gods actions, while not being too explicit for young children (for example, when Medusa calls herself a "survivor")
• the tone is a little darker and less silly than in the books, but personally I enjoy that. In fact, it doesn't surpise me too much, since this is a different medium, and when we see things acted out, the graveness of the situation is often perceived as more "grave" than when you read about it. Percy's mom "dies", the kids are all the time in danger, and their godly parents neglect them. If we would see that on screen through a silly sarcastic lense, the modern viewer would wonder why it's not taken as seriously.

Unfair criticism:

Honestly, I get the feeling some people are criticising just for the sake of it. The child actors are doing a great job considering their age while filming. Especially Percy's actor is really good with emotions. It's nice to see their acting and chemnistry get better with each episode. Yes, in some scenes the performances are still a little wooden, but again, that's perfectly fine for the beginning (like in Harry Potter 1). Some reviews blamed the directing and dialogue for this, so maybe that's part of it. But personally I think maybe we are so used to having adult actors play teenagers that we can't cut actors who actually fit their roles agewise a little slack.

As for the characterizations, I'm not sure where the problem is. All 3 main characters are very close to the books. Percy is a little more angry, which goes along with the tone being darker than in the books (which makes it more realistic in my opinion). He's still sassy and funny though. I'm surpised that people find Annabeth too standoffish, when in the first part of the book, she's just the same. The show accurately depicts her as having trouble with coming across as warm and friendly although she is a good person (a little like Hermione in HP 1). She needs some time to warm up to others, which is already happening. I can't wait for episode 5 which will be somewhat of a turning point where Percy and Annabeth will grow closer and learn to trust each other more.

All in all, this adaptation is not perfect but made with a lot of love. It's a good start and I can't wait for the following seasons to build up on it. So @Disney: please renew PJO and give more runtime and budget. For the 2nd season we really need longer or more episodes and better action. Some book readers who are emotionally attached might forgive lack of action because of the characters' relationships and growth, but the casual viewers probably won't.

Great Potential

[dtzqj · 7/10 · 20 December 2023]

As a long time fan of the books and hater of the OG films I came into this with a lot of excitement and anxiety.

Let me say this straight up. If you're a fan of the books, don't be afraid of this show. It's got the solid makings of what we always wanted. Starting with its main three cast members and a strong supporting cast. You can tell the intention from the makers is there too. The world feels tangible and like they're trying to bring what's on the page to the screen in a way that honors Rick's writing and if something's a little different that's ok too, because Uncle Rick is the one who adapted it anyways.

Just like with any show/series there will be growing pains and figuring out what works and what doesn't. So far, after the first two episodes (as that's all that's available) my biggest complaints are the pacing, I wish we could rest in the world a little more at times, editing, there are jump cuts and pacing issues, and directing choices, the actors are not being used to their full potential at moments but get away with raw talent.

All of these things can be easily remedied as the series progresses and matures. All we have to do is put our support behind it.

Disappointing, despite wanting to like it.

[rtgmybxcq · 3/10 · 25 January 2024]

My husband, son, and I read the Percy Jackson books together during those long months home at the start of Covid. So we were excited to watch this series together now, which promised to be an improvement over the movies. We came in with open minds but have been disappointed week after week.

I personally don't mind that the actors don't look the way they're described in the books. If they capture the characters' essence/ personality, I'm open to differences in appearance. Unfortunately, I think the child actors were at the mercy of poor screen writing, poor directing, and really strange choices in editing. As others have mentioned, the writing is stilted and the pacing of the show is uneven and choppy. Boring scenes are dragged out for too long, and what could have been interesting scenes are glossed over too superficially.

I also don't know what to make of the choice to cut to a dark screen whenever there's a significant transition. It reminds me of the jarring way TV shows used to cut to commercial breaks in the 80's. It's hard to understand why professionals at Disney couldn't come up with more sophisticated or creative options.

Finally, for a show that's supposedly sticking to the book (with input from the author), there are some very odd scenes that were either not in the book at all or which deviate drastically for no apparent good reason. Again, I am not a purist and am open to being surprised. But those scenes do very little (or nothing) to enhance the story. Watching a twelve year old struggle to drive a taxi while lurching through a parking lot for what felt like twenty minutes made the Fields of Asphodel seem stimulating. And, speaking of the underworld, how is it possible to make Hades less menacing than a cup of weak tea?!

We still really want to like the show, so we'll keep coming back for a few more weeks. But, at this point, we don't expect much. Sadly, the movies are looking better in comparison.

Not perfect but leagues better than the film

[sayercj · 8/10 · 20 December 2023]

Let me start off by saying that, as a fan of the books, this adaptation pays homage to the book series in just about every possible way.

It's entertaining, funny, and has a phenomenal soundtrack. The minotaur scene and the capture the flag scene in particular were well adapted to the screen.

Walker Scobell was probably the best possible choice to play Percy Jackson. With him as the lead role, it seems more genuine and we get a level of emotion that was distinctly absent from Logan Lerman's portrayal. Seeing such a young kid play Percy really made me realize that I never saw him as a 12-year-old in my mind. It makes me excited to see how Walker and his costars grow up with their roles.

As for the other actors, I think they were casted phenomenally. Diyonisus and Grover in particular are standouts to me. Each actor is great in their own role, but something about them seems off to me. It's almost like their acting is severely restrained, like they weren't allowed to do anything other than what was written for them. The actors themselves seem stiff, but they knew their characters without adding a lot of emotion.

The set pieces and cinematography are beautiful. The atmosphere of Camp Half Blood is wonderful and the implementation of Greek architecture for the cabins looks stunning.

I will update this review as more episodes release and my mind possibly changes.

Is it really better than the movies, tho?

[hanhartlars · 6/10 · 31 January 2024]

The characters know every upcoming trap before they even arrive, and so dodge every single one. It's like playing a video game for the first time, but someone is standing right behind you and keeps telling you, "Wait! There's a trap right there; make sure to walk around it." It ruins the whole experience.

Also, the fights only last 5 seconds, and Percy doesn't even struggle a bit; not in his first fight against Mrs. Dodds and neither in the fight against the literal God Ares. Where's the tension in that?

Yes, the movies weren't really an adaptation of the books, but at least they had actual action and some degree of tension in them.

The first season could well have used more and longer episodes!

Where is the budget??

[hsrrnhtyt · 3/10 · 4 February 2024]

The way they intentionally cut scenes and animations to avoid showing them. The episodes feel unfulfilled, underdeveloped, and lazy. I wanted to like this show so bad, as I recently read the book, but all I can think of is WHERE DID THE BUDGET GO?? 15 million per episode, but I have seen fan made YouTube films that are way better and feel like a higher budget than this show. It seems lazy, the episodes are short. The whole point of this show was to correct the mistakes made by the movie and I would rather watch the movie than this show which is so disappointing. The characters lines are cheap and disingenuous.

Dream come true!!

[micaelaleegreen · 8/10 · 9 January 2024]

This show is heading in a wonderful direction. I've only seen the first few episodes and I'm already hooked. There are a few differences, I can see character wise, but I'm assuming this is for character development. Such as Percy not being sure of himself.

The small things make me happy, blue food, Annabeths fathers college ring on her necklace, Clarisse and the bathroom scene, percies sword being a ball cap pen and not a click pen, and there are many more that I could list.

Other than that, the visuals are great. The storyline is there which is excellent, very big difference from the movies, which is what I like to see. I like that we see a bit more of Percies mom and their relationship.

I honestly can't wait for every Tuesday to come around.

High hopes squashed

[joannadajnowska · 6/10 · 21 December 2023]

Super disappointed. I was so excited to see the Percy Jackson series get another shot. I thought "finally, they'll do it justice." Somehow they screwed it up twice. The acting is bland, I don't feel any emotion coming off of the kid who plays Percy or any other charchter in this adaptation except for the mom. At least Logan Lermans version was funny. Several things cut out, or info dumped, and everything felt rushed. The whole Ms Dodds thing was a blip, they changed Gabe's character to be less hateable, Percy getting the pen felt not important. Events kept happening but no drama or build up actually happened. The scene with capture the flag was also interestingly done, and I don't mean that in a good way. The one good thing is the theme song and the soundtrack. Otherwise...as someone who grew up with these books when they first originally came out, I'm upset. With Rick being onboard, I had hope, safe to say that's gone.

Love it

[krissyw-08470 · 8/10 · 20 December 2023]

I really enjoyed the first 2 episode's. Tv is my escape from reality so having a show to grasp you and not let go is really hard to find anymore. I loved the books I loved the movies. I'm cool with them going away from the book alittle bit. I feel like sometimes that cld be a good thing. I enjoyed the fact they started the journey from the beginning. The acting isn't bad they are actually doing a great job on that end. The quality is great the scenes and the special effects are awesome. I'll say we're off to a great start. I think this is going to be a great show. Hopefully this show will get a real chance and be able to thrive.

I'm sad :(

[RougePeen · 6/10 · 20 December 2023]

As a childhood fan of the original book series and disappointed viewer of the 2010s movies, I was excited to see Percy Jackson finally get the live action it deserved. Did this Disney+ series do it? Well...not exactly.

The show did a lot of things right, at least on paper. The characters acted like themselves, which is a lot more than I can say about the movies, and most major plot points were hit. We also got a good Camp Halfblood and some convincing casting for most of the main characters. The main cast did a good job as far as child acting goes and I'm excited to see them develop later on if we get a season two. Charlie Bushnell did a pretty great job as Luke, especially in the final episode. Adam Copeland was also great as Aries. Nevertheless, a lot of the line delivery was a bit clanky, which I think has more to do with the script than the actual actors. I didn't feel a lot of energy coming through the screen, which made it difficult to keep my attention on the story.

In terms of the viewing experience itself, this show was incredibly lack luster. The effects were rushed and the cinematography itself was wooden. Also, what were those long, black pauses every five minutes? Were there supposed to be ad breaks? It was so jarring. Everything felt like it had been through a corporate dry cleaner, including, unfortunately, some of the story. Gabe got scrubbed of a lot of his more undesirable traits, turning into more of a disgruntled washup than a straight up abuser. Annabeth didn't talk about her backstory very much and her fear of spiders goes all but unmentioned until a throwaway line in the final episode. The most criminal aspect of this is that we lost the Zebra express heart to heart that Annabeth and Percy have in the books. A lot of character building moments got changed!

Speaking of changes, there was a lot of shuffling, cutting, and rewriting going on in this show, some of which was welcome, but others were not. A welcome change was the addition of Hera's chair in the Waterland episode, which gave a good character moment for Percy. Another was the addition of Hermes at the Lotus Casino to better set up the final plot twist. Yet another was Percy genuinely failing the quest and Poseidon having to surrender to Zeus to stop him from murdering Percy. Great changes. Some unwelcome changes were making all the characters know everything before it happens. Part of the charm of the original book is that Percy is learning. Sure, he knows some stuff from his Mom, but he shouldn't immediately know who Crusty is. I also didn't like Annabeth getting warped out of the Underworld early or Grover's pearl being lost because of Cerberus. Annabeth also doesn't like architecture in this? What? Grover doesn't eat trash? Percy's sword isn't called Riptide!?! I feel like the show was rushing from plot point to plot point, and, combining that with a poor script, you get a hollow show.

I've been pretty harsh in this review, but only because I know how much better the show could have been. Again, there were some strengths, but there were also a lot of weaknesses. When you make a tv show, you should get editors who know more than cut-to-black. You should get a soundtrack that has at least one memorable song. You should get a cinematographer who knows more than making sure a character is on screen when they're talking. If I had my way, I probably wouldn't have even gone with a live action adaptation for Percy Jackson. An animated show would work perfectly for the story's larger than life characters so you can get Percy besting Aries without motion blur and a shoddy CGI wave. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that the show runners can take this constructive criticism to heart and make a better season two, because ultimately I want to see this story told in full. It's a 6/10 for me for now. Maybe if there is a season two, that score will go up. But right now, I am disappointed.

Not the same as the books, really?

[rigger-87556 · 9/10 · 10 January 2024]

As someone who has not read the novels, I find it hard to fathom why critics rate shows based solely on accuracy. I cannot remember the movies which means I most likely did not find them memorable but this show seems to be a bit of a Disney standout.

The cimematography and score have been excellent so far and the CGI is very good for a TV budget, at least better than aquaman anyway.

The introduction of new chacters has kept the show interesting and the overall pace has been better than expected.

The acting has been very good with Walker Scobell especially. He seems to pick up the emotions for his parts with ease. I also liked the scattered humour within the show such as the introduction of Jason Mantzoukas in Ep 2.

Only reason this is not a 10 is because of the stereotypical bullying towards the lead character which seems to be a staple for any show containing teenager groups.

So far after 3 episodes, I think it's a delightful, interesting show with enough intrigue to keep keep me fixed.

Remember, it's not a show trying to imitate a novel, it's a show "based" off a novel.

Could be better

[sapatwalamurtaza · 6/10 · 20 December 2023]

I mean, no. The first episode was a disaster. Things picked up in the 2nd episode especially with the entry of annabeth and luke. Both of them played their roles wonderfully. But the acting of percy seems very forced and the whole mrs dodds scene in the first episode was so rushed. Why is Percy not more confused about all that was happening? Also, gabe was supposed to be scarier and wtf was that scene with sally showing the red jacket to the minotaur.

Didn't like percy's acting at all till now, it just doesn't feel like Percy, he seems more like Jason Grace now idk if that's because of his hair or his seriousness, but maybe things will pickup from the 3rd episode.

Wanted to like it

[Wikineon · 3/10 · 30 December 2023]

The first episode seemed promising. I actually enjoy young Percy and think the kid can act. However, towards the end of episode one something seemed off and I couldn't put my finger on it. The next episode started out ok, but when it came to the capture the flag scenes it fell flat on its face. I do not mind if they change the adaptation from the source material, but do it in a tasteful fashion. The actress who plays Annabeth is hard to watch and with her bad dialogue she becomes impossible to watch. Finally, in the third episode when they meet Medusa it becomes apparent what is wrong with this show. There really is no suspense or build up. Every episode leaves you wanting to feel something, but the way this show is written an edited makes it hard to truly engage. I am not holding my breathe that things will get better.

Terrible Desecration of the Story

[ksskuxfm · 8 February 2024]

Wow, this adaptation is surprisingly terrible. In particular, the writing and dialogue feel far too generic, and the story reveals everything way too quickly. The first episode is a great example of this: the omission of the Three Fates and the way in which the show rushes through Ms. Dodds's transformation entirely removes the sense of mystery and foreboding. I'm shocked that the author of the books himself churned out this garbage writing.

Also, many of the characters are severely miscast, especially Percy and Annabeth. Both actors (but especially Annabeth's actor) give wooden deliveries that do a disservice to their respective characters. You could argue that I'm expecting too much from child actors, but Disney's masterful adaptation of The Mysterious Benedict Society shows that it's definitely possible. Some actors, though, like Chiron's, do a great job at embodying their characters.

FAITHFUL TO THE BOOKS, FUNNY AND FAST PACED

[markjohnaguirre17 · 10/10 · 20 December 2023]

This is what happens when you involve the creator of the books in making of a show. The show is updated, funny, fast paced and emotional. I love what they did with Gabe, to highlight Sally's character. The minotaur scene is exceptional, I love the locations and the dialogues. Walker is so funny and on point as Percy. His chemistry with his costars are on the roof. You will really root for hin as the lead. I love how they're also fleshing out Grover and his dynamics with Percy. I want to say, Percy and Annabeth's chemistry is so good. Leah Jeffries nails her every line delivery. The music, Bear Mcreary is a genius, I love the main theme and the score. Can't wait for the next episodes.

Disney fails - AGAIN

[rdamian1963 · 3/10 · 16 January 2024]

Ah, so many times Disney tries, and tries but continues to fail. From the previews I expected much more from this series. Unfortunately it doesn't even stand up to the previous movies, let alone the book series. Acting is lacking, as is directing in this series. The script is mediocre at best. Disney strays from the books. Why? Who knows, but in doing so upsets fans of the books and disorients those who go in to read the books. Not that the movies were fantastic, but they were reasonably well done. When redoing decent works, whether as a new series, or movie reboot, you have to at least achieve results as good as what you are remaking. Disney fails at this as they have failed in most of their newer series and movie reboots.

A non-book reader's review of PJO season 1

[elinaitugot · 8/10 · 20 December 2023]

Here is a full review now that I finished season 1 (you can still find my past review of ep 1 & 2 below)

Casting/Directing: The cast is phenomenal and the trio is noticeably improving as time goes by! Unfortunately, Jeffries, Simhadri, and especially Bushnell, were robbed of valuable screen time by having them deliver pure exposition (or as I like to call "explainers") in the early episodes. These 2-4 minutes of talking heads are unsurprisingly impersonal and contribute very little to the characterization of their roles. Clearly, this is a product of Riordan's inexperience with screenwriting, but I am hopeful this will no longer pose an issue next season. Now that the trio's friendship is established and Annabeth gets to experience being a kid, I hope Scobell's, Simhadri's, and Jeffries' performances next season, particularly their dialogue and mannerisms, appear more natural and reflective of a typical child of their generation.

Screenwriting/Theme: The visual medium is different from the written word. In particular, silence and non-verbal action are two powerful tools that a confident filmmaker uses to support the story beat, develop tension, create personality for a character, and/or help with world building. Consider the target audience of the TV series. How do you think most ADHDers and dyslexic kids would prefer to experience the story? How can they learn about the rules of this world and retain that information and remain interested in the story? As a 23 year old ADHDer, I had to rewind and carefully read the subtitles when Luke, Chiron, and Grover were explaining away the first two episodes. As the credits creeped up, I felt overstimulated and overwhelmed, wondering if I should continue watching the show if the other episodes would use the same formula. I can only wonder how my child self would have reacted.

VFX / Lighting / Background: The creatures are wonderfully rendered but a lot of details were lost due to poor lighting and desaturated color grading (i.e. Minotaur, Medusa's head, Cereberus). If they can pull off the Chimera, basking its colorful reptilian scales in the broad daylight, the others should be showcased with the same respect. Also, the Underworld would look better with rich blues and greens. It's full of the dead but that doesn't mean Hades would let it look so boring.

Camera / Video editing: Scene transitions are very jarring. I was often confused with the location changes and felt a bit claustrophobic. Overall, I struggled to immerse myself in the world because the sets seemed, well, like sets instead of actual buildings in the real world (I would liken this to how the interiors of houses/apartments in sit-coms appear very artificial and the views outside their windows are clearly backdrops). Including more establishing shots and wide shots, especially at the start of each scene would have easily solved this issue.

Sound: The sound of the buzzing master bolt and how it crackles when Zeus takes it! Masterful sound design!

In conclusion, the PJO series has a lot of potential and a lot of room for improvement. I wouldn't consider rewatching it except for some of the kids' banter and the stunts. I have a lot of respect for the production team and cast members and I hope they can come together again and make an even better season 2.

P. S. It would be nice to see more of how the learning differences affect the demigods, especially since they're growing up and learning to become more independent.

____________________________________________________________________

A non-book reader's impressions of ep 1 & 2:

I think there was so much focus in getting the rising action started (Percy going on the quest) that they forgot to flesh out the characters and ground the world building. See lengthy explanation below.

1) Characters - Percy & Grover:

I'm not convinced that Percy and Grover are best friends and genuinely have love for one another. I guess maybe Grover's age would make the relationship seem predatory 💀 but I think Grover's "betrayals" (when he got Percy kicked out of school and when he left Sally with the minotaur) would have a better dramatic impact if it was successfully established beforehand that Grover and Percy have a strong bond. I think the episodes really could have used more angst and should have focused more on showing the rift and broken trust in their friendship. It also would've made the end of episode 2 such a good payoff for their arc because it presents as an opportunity for Grover to regain Percy's trust and restore their friendship.

2) Character: Percy's mental health and bullies

I LOVE that scene when Percy confides in his mom at the cabin and tells her that he's scared that something is wrong with his brain. It was very relatable and in a dark humor kind of way made me laugh when his mom tells him that he's a demi-god and then Percy gets taken aback at his mom sounding crazier than him 😭 I think it's really nice that his struggle as a demi-god who perceives the world differently can be related to neurodivergent kids' struggles in real life.

I also like that scene where Percy tries to make sense of Nancy's bullying and has empathy for her possibly unfortunate home life. It shows that Percy has compassion to the people who hurt him, but he is also courageous enough to defend himself when he's had enough. I wish, however, that Nancy was the only bully in the school. I couldn't really make sense of everyone else bullying Percy, much less Grover. Instead of the physical bullying and insulting remarks, I think it would've been a more fitting portrayal if the other kids were more avoidant of Percy and would whisper hurtful rumors or silently judge him with their eyes. I think this better complements Percy's feeling of isolation and low self-esteem.

3) Dialogue - Percy's humor, Luke & Chiron as talking heads

I really enjoyed Walker Scobell's performace in the Adam Project and was hoping to see a bit of that sass in the series, but I felt many of his character's jokes were unsuccessful. To be honest, the thing that made me like Percy's character the most was the non-dialogue scene in which Percy is left by Annabeth alone in the woods, and we see him play with a leaf, a lizard, and whistle a melody while peeing on a log. I think Scobell's talent shined in this scene because he probably had more freedom to improvise in it. I'm assuming his other performances in the series seem so stiff and rigid because of poor direction and another bad case of making the actor say each line word for word.

Another example that supports my assumption is the excessive use of "narration"--I am putting them in quotes because "explainer" is a more accurate term. We see this a bit with Mr. Brunner/Chiron's character, but most especially with Charles Bushnell's performance as Luke, who is supposed to look like a mentor figure for Percy but functioned more as a lazy way of explaining the world building of the story to the audience. This is a bit understandable since Rick Riordan, the book's author, played a big role as the series pilot's co-writer. Considering his background as an author, it then comes as no surprise that he made use of so much "explainers," and struggled to make his expertise in the written word translate well into the visual medium.

Although it is important to collaborate with the book author when making a live-action iteration of a story, it is just as important to recognize the author's inexperience in screenwriting, which in this case, presents a threat to the actors' performance and the series' reception by its audience.

Not perfect, but close enough to reminisce on the books

[jorgegutierrez-93067 · 6/10 · 26 January 2024]

Is the show perfect? Absolutely not. The CGI isn't great and the pacing Is very fast. However, as someone who loved reading the series when I was in middle school, I love how much this reminds me of the books.

At first I wasn't sure about the casting choices, but after watching the show for a few episodes, I really think the actors do an excellent job of portraying their roles. The kid that plays the younger version of Ryan Reynolds is charismatic as hell on the screen and he and the girl who play Annabeth have great chemistry. Definitely above average performances for young actors in my opinion.

I am looking forward to see how they continue to expand the show into the following books because I'll never forget how disappointed I was at how inaccurate the Sea of Monsters movie adaptation. By the looks of this first season so far, I think we are going to get something a lot more accurate to the books. Not perfect, but definitely good enough to sit and watch for 40 minutes.