Every book lover knows the feeling of one of their favorite books getting turned into a movie or a show, and the most beloved, heartfelt scenes either scraped altogether or dialed down to 30 seconds of screen time. Enter: heartbreak, hopes dashed, dreams squashed.
Luckily, for me, and hopefully for you, that was not the case for Disney+’s new series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Based on Rick Riordan’s book series of the same title; the series follows 12-year-old Percy and his friends on a quest to restore order to Olympus. Along the way, he encounters several setbacks, including some very close calls.
In this 8-episode series, Disney does a great job of diving into the details readers loved about Riordan’s strong imagery and translating those scenes beautifully on screen. For example, when we first see Percy and Annabeth together, you can instantly see the chemistry between the two, even when they don’t seem to be the best of friends. Additionally, the series does a great job of showcasing the strong connection that the main character, Percy has with his mother. In the books, Riordan makes clear that although Percy grew up not knowing the full truth about his heritage, it was obvious that his mother did everything she could to leave an impression even unbeknownst to Percy. This is shown by the numerous callback dream-like scenes of the main character and his mother sharing some wisdom about the Gods that, at the time, had no real significance, but during Percy’s present journey, provides clutch insight.
One thing that emphasizes the emotional depth of the characters is the fantastic casting. Walker Scobell, who plays Percy Jackson, does a beautiful job of personifying the newly-found hero. His delivery and the way he embodies the impertinence and bravery of the literary character make Percy easy to love. Leah Sava Jefferies plays the witty and wise Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Leah does a remarkable job at delivering her quick-witted lines and showing her characters’ ideals change as the story moves forward. Grover Underwood, the peace-making satyr played by Aryan Simhadri does a wonderful job of completing the trio of heroes while also showing his character’s struggles throughout the quest. This group of young actors is simply phenomenal when on-screen together, the way you can the strong friendship between their characters, through your TV screen makes this show very binge-worthy.
Is this series worth your time? The series does a great job of translating what I loved the most about the book series but also giving me some new perspectives. Even the casual viewer who is not already familiar with the story or the original Greek Mythology can enjoy this series. Disney’s adaptation provides background information so you’re not lost and gives you characters you can root for. The loveable heroes hook you in and keep you viewing long into season 2, which has just been announced!
This series is currently streaming all 8 episodes on Disney+
