Myth and magic collide as Disney delivers an enchanting mix of Greek mythology and modern pop culture in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” based on the best-selling series of the same name by Rick Riordan.  

The series follows the adventures of the eponymous hero Percy (Walker Scobell) as he is thrust into a world of gods and monsters. 

The show’s first season is based on Book 1 of the series, “The Lightning Thief,”  which was first published in 2005. 

Being based on a popular book series from nearly 20 years ago gives the show an air of nostalgia – I remember being 13 years old when I first read “The Lightning Thief.” The book was prominently displayed in my school’s library, and I remember my friends and I thinking it was so cool to read about Greek heroes and mythology.  

Like the book, the show follows Percy as he struggles to adjust to his new reality, shifting from a normal pre-teen to a Greek hero as he discovers that his father is a Greek god. 

This idea of having a Greek god as a parent makes the franchise engaging as there are online quizzes such as seeing who your godly parent is. When my friends and I took the quiz I got Athena, the goddess of wisdom.  

Scobell’s interpretation is slightly different from the book’s characterization of Percy. 

In the books, the character is portrayed more as a troubled youth in the beginning of the series and in the TV show, he is more like an angsty teenager. 

However, this does seem to make the character feel more real and relatable to the audience. 

The changes were more likely made because the source material is almost 20 years old, so the show is more likely geared towards the younger generation of today.  

This series is the second attempt at a live-action adaptation of the book series, and so far, it is looking much better than its predecessor. 

One of the biggest complaints of the original adaptation was the age of the main cast. 

In the books, the characters are around 12 years old, while in the film, they were aged up to anywhere from 16 to early 20s. Considering how the main plot of the books led to a hero of a prophecy reaching 16, aging the characters changed the whole dynamic of the story.  

With this new Disney+ series, Riordan is directly involved since he was not very happy with how the film series turned out. 

That being said, the fresh young stars are the highlight of the show. Not only are they age-appropriate for the narrative, but the characters feel like real young adults trying to navigate their way in a world where monsters are very much real. 

For one thing, this gives a slightly lighter atmosphere to some of the characters and situations.

In the book, it felt like the monsters were really trying to kill Percy and his friends, their actions had more consequences and it felt like they actually were fighting for their lives. The show doesn’t really feel that way and instead focuses more on the characters’ feelings. 

This can be seen in the scene on the train in Episode 4 where Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Percy have a heart-to-heart about their journey. While there are moments like this in the book, the show focuses much more on these topics.  

Another instance of the show being less intense can be seen in the portrayal of Percy’s stepfather Gabe (Timm Sharp). 

In the show Gabe likes playing online poker and bumming around the house. He appears more like an annoying roommate than a defined character. 

In the book Gabe is portrayed as an atrocious individual. He throws garbage and dirty laundry on the floor. He would be smoking and drinking heavily while playing poker with his buddies. Gabe was also known to hit Sally Jackson, Percy’s mother, when he was displeased.  

In the books and in the show Sally (Virginia Kull) explained she only stayed with Gabe because his foul odor and presence helped keep the monster away from Percy. While in the book this seemed more heart wrenching, without the additional characterization it feels less meaningful in the Disney+ adaptation.  

While overall the show is a step-up from the previous live-action adaptation, especially in regard to the show’s casting and plot aligning more with the books, the show still leaves a lot to be desired. 

The show has its merits with the young actors, but the adult’s performances feel flat, especially Chiron (Glynn Turman) whose acting feels wooden and robotic. 

Despite its flaws, the show is still charming enough to watch. 

There will be 8 episodes for the first season. New episodes drop every Tuesday on Disney+ until January 30.