In a place where myth and magic exist side-by-side with the modern world, nothing is what it seems.
This is the world of the hit Disney+ TV series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” which just wrapped its second season on Jan. 21.
The series follows the adventures of Perseus “Percy” Jackson (Walker Scobell) and his friends as they navigate teenagehood and try to survive in a world where the Greek gods, often referred to as the Olympians, and Greek mythology are real.
To help themselves survive, Greek demigods attend a summer camp called Camp Half-Blood. The camp is both a resource hub and training grounds.
Percy is the son of a mortal woman, Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull), and the Greek god Poseidon (Toby Stephens). Percy is what the series calls a demigod, or half-blood, because he is half mortal and half god. This makes his life complicated to say the least.
Season 2 is based on the 2006 book “Sea of Monsters,” the second book in the eponymous book series in which the show is based, written by Rick Riordan.
Season 2 of the show follows the main plot of the book. However, while there are a couple different underlying story lines, the main one is the poisoning of the tree that protects the Border of Camp Half-Blood, which contains the spirit of a young demigod, Thalia Grace (Tamara Smart), daughter of Zeus.
To save her, Percy and his friends must embark on a quest to find the Golden Fleece, a relic from Greek mythology said to be able to heal any wound. In order to find the fleece, Percy and his friends must travel through the Sea of Monsters.
The sea is said to be extremely deadly and infested with monsters, few who go there have returned.
While the main overarching plot may be similar, the book and show do not reach the conclusion in the same way.
Part of the reason for the differences is the way in which the different mediums handle modernization. The original book came out about 20 years ago, and the show was released in 2023.
This difference is made more apparent because Riordan did not have a set year for when the book took place. He did this because he wanted it to feel grounded and timeless. Therefore, the cultural references and events that took place in the book would seem less relevant today.
That is one of the reasons why the show runners decided to make certain changes because the audience has changed since 2006, bringing a refreshing new energy to the franchise.
One such switch was the addition of Clarisse’s (Dior Goodjohn) perspective to the story, as the books typically follow the story from Percy’s perspective.
In the books, Clarisse is a daughter of the Greek god Aries and has somewhat of a rivalry with Percy.
By giving Clarisse decent screen time and emotional context, the show reframes moments like her rivalry with Percy and her determination to complete the quest as character-driven rather than purely antagonistic. This dynamic really strengthens the character and adds to the overall story.
While most of these changes make sense, such as updated phones and cultural references like songs, these additions don’t change the overall story. A few changes however are puzzling and upsetting, especially to longtime fans.
One of the most controversial changes in the show is Thalia’s origin story. In the books, Thalia’s transformation into a pine tree happens after she sacrifices herself in battle against the Furies. However, in the show it’s revealed that Zeus himself is directly responsible for turning Thalia into the tree after she defies him, rather than protecting her friends on her own terms.
This isn’t a small act; it fundamentally alters Thalia’s agency and her relationship with the Olympians, especially her father. In the show this change risks transforming Thalia into a grudge-bearing symbol rather than a selfless hero — a shift that rewires the emotional resonance of her character arc.
By making Zeus the explicit agent of Thalia’s fate, the adaptation moves the mythos toward a more cynical take on divinity — and while that can create compelling drama, it can also skew the original symbolic weight of the scene from the book.
Furthermore, another questionable change was to the character Chris Rodriguez (Kevin Chacon). This by far was the show’s most egregious decision. While Thalia’s change can still create a compelling story, the show completely ruined the story of Chris.
Chris’ blatant betrayal during the show’s season finale is completely different from what the book shows, with Chris barely being acknowledged in TV adaptation. This change is puzzling as his character has an important role in future books, in particular as an important character in Clarrise’s story.
Additionally, the ending of the season featured a siege on Camp Half-blood. Some viewers — myself included — found this finale clunky in execution, as it felt like the show leans too heavily into spectacle at the expense of coherence with earlier episodes.
Despite these flaws, the strength of the show and the book is the interactions between the characters. In particular the characters Percy Jackson, Anabeth (Leah Jeffries), Clarisse and Luke (Charlie Bushnell).
The young actors really bring the characters to life, with emotionally compelling performances and believable interactions. Their performances truly test the measure of friendship, rivalry and betrayal.
Only time will tell if the show’s narrative choices will pay off. Season 3 has been announced and is slated for a 2026 release, although the specific date has not yet been revealed.
Seasons 1 and 2 are currently available on Disney + and have eight episodes each.
