January 25, 2024 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | By Zoe Smith
Over the last month, I have felt a wave of joy and nostalgia. “Percy Jackson and The Olympians,” the original young adult book series, written by author Rick Riordan, has sold millions of copies worldwide since its release in the mid-2000s. When I first heard the news about the new television series, I could feel my inner child bursting at the seams with excitement at the thought that my favorite book series from when I was young would have another shot at the big screen.
The story centers around the sarcastic adolescent Percy Jackson, who discovered a world where Greek mythology is not just stories, forcing him to navigate his newfound identity as a demigod and son of Poseidon. Throughout five books (and one recently released sixth book), the readers dive into Jackson’s world as we follow him and his two best friends Annabeth and Grover, in the battle to stop the Titans from overthrowing the gods and taking over the world.
When it was first announced years ago that there would be a television adaptation of Percy Jackson, I was swarmed with mixed emotions. I couldn’t be more excited, but I couldn’t deny that I was nervous. When it comes to adaptations of novels into films or television, it can very much be a hit or miss. With many failed movies and television series including: “Divergent,” “Shadowhunters,” “The Fifth Wave” and even the original Percy Jackson films released in the early 2010s became nothing but a box office blunder. As for Percy Jackson films specifically, production was canceled after the second movie, “The Sea of Monsters.”
With all these canceled or failed attempts of bringing novels to the big screens, I was afraid to have any high expectations of this new attempt. The Percy Jackson series was my favorite book series growing up. The covers of my copies were worn down, curled at the edges, and the spine was cracked from how often I found myself returning to the world Riordan created. It wasn’t until Riordan announced himself as one of the executive producers of the new show that I felt my hopes begin to rise. Even though I knew the story like the back of my hand, when it was time for the show to finally hit streaming services, I wasn’t prepared for what was coming.
Along with the powerful and charming trio at the center of the story, the show is packed to the brim with a star-studded cast including Lin Manuel Miranda who takes the stage as Hermes, Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus (or Mr. D as the Percy Jackson world knows him), and professional wrestler Adam Copeland who packs a punch as the god of war, Ares.
The show starts with the episode titled “I accidentally vaporize my Pre-Algebra Teacher,” following the name of the first chapter in the book. We see Jackson as he struggles to fit in with his peers until he must face the reality that he comes from a different world. He eventually comes close to death as he travels to Camp Half-Blood, the only safe place for demigods to live without being bombarded by mythological monsters. The following episodes focus on the trio as they travel across the country on a quest to find and return the master lightning bolt to Zeus. Each episode takes us to a different corner of the country, and we watch them battle different beasts before moving on.
But even with a smash hit the show has become, comes reviews and critiques of the show. One was about how few fans of the previous movie were extremely hopeful that certain scenes would be the same as the movies from over a decade prior. One scene that many wanted to see recreated was when the three kids go to a Las Vegas casino.
The conversation sparked Riordan to release a statement on Instagram, sharing that the new television series is aiming to set itself apart from the movies that came out a decade prior. Riordan makes himself clear stating, “If you seriously think I’d allow any backs to certain movies, you haven’t been paying attention for the last decade. The show is its own thing and, in my opinion, is so much better!”
Riordan seems to have taken his own words to heart, prioritizing creating a new identity for the show, and that comes with specific changes. At first, I couldn’t understand why he would want to change any aspect, but as more episodes were released each week, I realized that Riordan knew that for the show to make its mark on television, there would need to be changes. Some things that made sense in the books just wouldn’t make sense in a 30-minute episode.
Although there are critiques people have so far about the show, I would argue that for its first season, “Percy Jackson and The Olympians” have done incredible work so far. One critique that I have seen mentioned often on social media is the pacing of the show, saying it feels rushed. Although I agree that the show seems to be fast-paced, I would go against the grain and say that it doesn’t feel rushed at all. I may be coming from the position of someone who read the books, but the novel itself was fast, overflowing with intensity as we read about characters who have only days to travel from New York to L.A. to confront Hades, god of the underworld, who Jackson believes to be the true thief of the master listening bolt. If I had that kind of deadline, while also having to fight monsters daily, I would no doubt be feeling rushed. Adding that level of fast-paced action allows the watchers to feel and understand the pressure Jackson faces.
The revival of the Percy Jackson universe nearly 20 years after the original release of “The Lightning Thief” has sparked a resurgence of the beloved series. As someone who read the books when I was 11 years old, it brings me such happiness that the new television adaptation is bringing in fans of all different generations. Young fans have been drawn in by the dazzling new series while older fans, like me, finally get the adaptation we have been waiting years for. Although season two has not been confirmed yet, I have no doubt that it will soon, especially with one of the biggest opening streams of 2023. I can’t wait to watch the actors grow with their characters over the next four seasons.December 14, 2023 | OPINION | By Zoraiz Zafar