The long-awaited show, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, released its first episode on December 19 with ongoing episode drops weekly.
The family-friendly show drew in an audience of die-hard fans and newcomers alike.
With high expectations to live up to, the show effectively translated numerous features onto the screen..
The show’s stars seemed to have been shaken right out of the books.
Walker Scobell, who played Percy Jackson, carried over the character’s classic attitude while also adding a new emotional depth that previous adaptations lacked.
The budding romance between Percy and Annabeth, played by Leah Jeffries, was the slow-burn that fans were hoping for and a perfect representation of the classic friends to lovers trope.
The last of the main trio, Aryan Simhadri played the loveable Grover who was given more scenes to show off the cunning side of him.
Many people had reservations about the characters not looking entirely book accurate; however, Scobell, Jeffries, and Simhadri proved that the focus on core-characterization and connection was all that was needed to maintain the essence of originals.
The show also provided a very nuanced representation of the Greek gods which garnered the support of many fans.
The story of Medusa was told by Percy’s mother which portrayed Medusa as a victim of Athena’s wrath which paralleled in Annabeth’s experiences.
The new dialogue revealed how the demigods are truly victims of their parents’ indifference, and there is a strong emphasis on the neglect that the kids experienced.
Despite these effective deviations from the original books, there are some aspects of the show that have fell flat.
Many of the battle scenes felt slightly lackluster with plenty of build-up only to have little actual
action.
Those pivotal points in the novels felt rushed and inconsequential in the show.
Scenes like Percy’s fight with the Minotaur were far too short for it being the first major turning point in his life and the story.
For an inexperienced 12 year old facing such a monstrous creature, the battle should have lasted longer with more struggle.
A drawn out battle would have made Percy losing his mother, all the more emotional instead of feeling so abrupt.
The show also lacks tension.
With 30-40 minute episodes, there’s too little time for the amount of plot they needed to include.
The main trio always seemed to be aware of the perils in the current situation before anything actually occurred.
In episode 6, the anticipated Lotus Casino, the characters were already aware of the perils of the casino from the moment they step foot inside.
In comparison, their book counterparts were drawn in by the excitement and temptations they were offered before revealing the haunting truth of the casino.
Hastily represented scenes disappointed many fans with insistence on lengthening future episodes and seasons to allow for more content.
The show also struggles with telling rather than showing.
Meaning that instead of including scenes that are visually representative of ideas, the characters simply discussed it.
It correlates to the previous issue where instead of experiencing dangers, the characters were aware of the solution from the very beginning.
Aspects of the story are simply told through dialogue instead of shown through scenes.
Annabeth has a close relationship with another character, Luke Castellan.
With Annabeth and Luke’s dynamic, Luke stated in passing that they have a close sibling bond but there was very little of that dynamic actually shown on screen.
Without the audience experiencing the moments that are discussed, it created a very superficial connection to those relationships and stories.
While the first season is still figuring out these snags in these early episodes, the show is definitely worth the watch.
Viewers shouldn’t expect an exact replication of the book but the show is an extremely charming adaptation regardless.
People from all ages and experiences with the series previously will have a great time with Percy Jackson and the Olympians.