There’s nothing like seeing your favorite childhood book series turned into a well-done TV series. For fans of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” by Rick Riordan, our dreams have come true. And yes, there was the “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief” movie from 2010, but it was so inaccurate to the book that many fans see it as its own movie, not an adaptation.
Since 2005, kids and teens have had a special connection with Riordan’s series about a dyslexic boy with ADHD named Percy Jackson, played in the series by Walker Scobell. The series follows Percy after abruptly finding out he is a demigod — half-human and half-god — in his quest to return the Greek god Zeus’ master lightning bolt.
The series begins with Percy traveling to Camp Half-Blood after being expelled, losing his mother, Sally (Virginia Kull), in the process. His best friend and satyr protector, Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), introduces Percy to the camp. Once Percy settles into Camp, he is claimed as Poseidon’s son after a game of capture the flag. Almost immediately, Percy, Grover and Annabeth Chase (daughter of Athena, played by Leah Sava Jeffries) are sent on a quest to find Zeus’ bolt.
Right away, Scobell steps effortlessly into the role of Percy Jackson. He brings boyish humor to the character while giving Percy excellent character depth, ensuring both Percy’s charm and troubled feelings are highlighted. At first, many book fans were skeptical about Scobell’s casting, as he has blonde hair instead of book Percy’s jet black hair. Now, viewers can’t wait to see him back for season two.
Many fans share this thought on social media: “It’s like the casting director shook the book really hard, and Scobell, Jeffries and Simhadri fell out.” Though Jeffries and Simhadri have a few flat scenes, they ran with their script, fleshing out their characters more than the past adaption. For instance, Jeffries brings another element into the character when dealing with racism from a train conductor, reflecting the struggles she herself continues to deal with after being cast into the role of an originally white character.
A proper adaptation has been a long time coming, and something must be said about the effort put into the set and design of the series. Careful thought and attention to detail were put into each episode, from the life-like statues in Medusa’s garden to Hades’ palace in the underworld. My favorite set was Camp Half-Blood; as a kid, I dreamed of playing capture the flag with other campers, wearing a bright orange t-shirt while carrying a heavy metal sword and shield. The creators of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” set out to make many kids’ dreams tangible and succeeded without a doubt.
This is not to say the series does not have its faults. The most significant complaint from viewers was that the overall pacing seemed rushed. Conversations between Percy and his mother presented a sense of urgency, but Percy, Annabeth and Grover seemed to take their time completing the quest in moments when they should have been in a hurry. Fans also disliked the Lotus Casino scene. Riordan knew this was coming, putting out a statement in preparation for impending backlash. While I can agree that the movie was extraordinarily inaccurate, not hearing “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga, which the movie iconically had in that scene, was disheartening.
Besides the rushed pacing of the series, I enjoyed “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” and can’t wait for the second season. This first season is a charming adaptation that viewers can quickly sink into, full of heartfelt moments and thrilling action sequences. Hopefully, Scobell and his castmates will come back better than ever in their new quest to save the camp by braving the Sea of Monsters.
