Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review
Percy Jackson and the olympians: a review
Hannah Langley '25
Opinion Content Editor
The “Percy Jackson” book series by Rick Riordan is a childhood favorite of many. Now, with the new Disney+ television series, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” fans can watch weekly episodes every Tuesday. The differences between the book and the show have not affected any major plot pieces so far, which is always a relief for veteran fans of the book series. However, this would not be a television adaption if it did not tweak some things in the name of cinema.
A major spoiler warning ahead for those who have not read the books or seen the show!
Episode one starts off strong with the infamous field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with Grover, Mr. Brunner, Nancy Bobofit and Mrs. Dodds. The iconic fountain scene was a good start to the series, presented as realistically as it could have been. Mrs. Dodds is portrayed pretty accurately, although the scene where she reveals her true form was a little underwhelming.
The fight scene in the book between Percy and Mrs. Dodds is the start of Percy’s self discovery, which is kind of disappointing considering they did not include the whole scene from the book, but understandable because there is only so much CGI and editing can do.
Percy gets expelled and heads back to his mom’s apartment with his stinky stepdad. His mom, Sally Jackson, took him to the Montauk beach cottage where Sally finally reveals the truth about what he really is: a demigod. Grover shows up and they rush to camp while getting chased by the Minotaur in underpants, a real nice touch.
From left to right; Zoe Windu '27, Bella Fabian '25, Natalya Sarac '27 and Kaelie Messen '27 of the book club during their Percy Jackson themed meeting
I think the whole Minotaur battle was very accurate, especially Sally’s “death” and it is what most fans had imagined, which is always a plus. Overall, it was an accurate adaptation of chapters one and two, but it really makes you appreciate the books for the descriptive writing in it.
Episode five was extremely plot heavy, from Percy and Annabeth’s friendship progressing, to meeting Ares, a whole lot happened. Percy and Annabeth go to Hapheastus’s amusement park and the Thrill Ride O’ Love was highly anticipated, but this whole sequence was very different than in the book. There was actual water and Hera’s throne being the trap was such a complex way of showing how selfless Percy is and how much he trusted Annabeth. Annabeth’s monologue to Hephaestus was very much needed to show how demigods truly feel about their parents since you cannot really read into their minds like in the book. The conversation between Gorver and Ares was interesting as well because you got to see Grover’s unique skills as a character.
These changes were so important and well thought out. They may have delivered the plot differently, but it was certainly improved.
Fans are no longer anxious about changes made in the show, but instead they are eagerly anticipating them. The kids who read the books have now grown into teens and young adults, and the series changed with them.. The adolescent bookshelf staple has created a new perspective on the characters. The book and television series are so well written and the show really goes back to the main reason why the books were written, to show the hardships of adolescence, especially when you are different from other kids.
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” truly transcends all expectations by modernizing the script while simultaneously finding new ways to build the plot in ways no one had thought of before.