by Abigail Fletcher
Percy Jackson and the Olympians first premiered on Disney+ in December 2023, arriving with a level of anticipation rarely seen for a large fan base in recent years. Based on the novels by Rick Riordan, the series promised not just a retelling of The Lightning Thief after more than a decade of fans waiting for the “perfect adaptation,” but also an opportunity to bring Greek mythology to a new audience through the increasingly popular streaming medium. Its faithfulness to the books reassured longtime readers, making the story feel more emotional and relevant. After two seasons—or the first two book adaptations—it’s time to assess whether that promise was fully realized.
Season 1: The Lightning Thief
Season 1 adapts The Lightning Thief and follows Percy Jackson, played by the young Walker Scobell, a modern teen who discovers he is the demigod son of Poseidon and is thrust into a perilous quest across the United States to prevent a war among the gods. Alongside Annabeth Chase, played by Leah Jeffries, and Grover Underwood, played by Aryan Simhadri, Percy battles monsters, navigates friendships, and slowly learns the powers and responsibilities that come with being Poseidon’s son.
Critically, Season 1 was generally well-received, scoring 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 73 on Metacritic, signaling positive response from viewers. One critic summarized it as “a faithful adaptation … a lovingly realized odyssey through adolescence and myth.”
Not all responses were glowing. Some reviewers pointed to pacing issues, dialogue that leaned heavily on exposition, and the absence of the book’s distinctive narrative voice. As one Season 2 review noted, the show sometimes felt “too afraid to treat its audience as mature enough to see what they read as kids,” toning down more difficult emotional content in an effort to appeal across age groups.
Season 2: The Sea of Monsters
Season 2, adapting The Sea of Monsters, raises the stakes and expands the scenery. After Camp Half-Blood’s protective borders fall, Percy and his friends journey into what humans know as the Bermuda Triangle, but demigods call the Sea of Monsters. Their mission: recover the Golden Fleece and save the camp. Themes of family, loyalty, identity, and courage grow even stronger, echoing the emotional arcs from the books, including the budding relationship between Percy and Annabeth.
Critics embraced Season 2 even more enthusiastically than the first. Forbes reported a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, surpassing Season 1. Reviews highlighted the larger production scale, deeper character development, and more confident storytelling.
Social media also reflected fan excitement, praising the second season for amplifying the strengths of the first: cast chemistry, fast-paced sequences like the chariot race, and a tone that balances action and emotion. One viewer summed up the enthusiasm: “Everything that made S1 special is amplified tenfold … writing’s funny & heartfelt — feels just like the book.”
Some viewers, however, noted deviations in character moments or scenes that felt less faithful to Riordan’s original vision. Others argued that using child actors limited the show’s emotional range, or that exposition occasionally interrupted narrative momentum.
Themes and Cultural Relevance
At its core, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a coming-of-age story with themes that resonate today. Identity and belonging are central: Percy’s struggle with being a “half-blood” mirrors the universal adolescent challenge of fitting in. In a more academic frame, this recalls German American psychoanalyst Erik Erikson’s theory of identity formation: “Adolescents are faced with the task of forming a sense of identity while managing roles,” especially in a world that demands both conformity and self-discovery. Percy’s journey dramatizes this tension through myth.
Season 2 introduces Percy’s Cyclops half-brother Tyson, prompting reflections on family beyond traditional definitions. This aligns with contemporary discussions about blended families, chosen families, and loyalty to those we care about. The gods, often inconsistent and authoritarian, mirror real-world institutions, while Percy emerges as a mediator between humans and gods, showing that true leadership requires questioning authority rather than blindly following it.
These themes demonstrate why mythology remains relevant: it is not merely adventure, but a lens through which audiences can explore moral and emotional questions. Co-creator Jon Steinberg emphasized that the goal was “to tell this story … universal in its themes … and in its emotional impact.” Critics have noted the series’ ability to address fear, loyalty, belonging, and responsibility—issues relevant to today’s youth.
The show has also sparked renewed fandom engagement. On TikTok, Percy Jackson content amassed over 1 billion views in the first month of Season 1, showing its appeal to younger audiences and its influence in reigniting interest in Riordan’s work. Media theorist Linda Hutcheon reminds us that adaptations are “both repetition and creation,” and in that sense, Percy Jackson and the Olympians should be evaluated as a reinterpretation that stands on its own merits, rather than a literal reproduction of the books.
Conclusion
After two seasons, Percy Jackson and the Olympians has proven itself as more than a nostalgia-driven revival. It has grown in confidence, narrative ambition, and thematic depth. Critics hail it as one of the stronger YA adaptations on television, and fans remain engaged—even those who were previously skeptical.
The show taps into a larger tradition of using myth to understand human struggle, courage, and the messy realities of growing up. Percy’s story, both in the books and on screen, blends humor, heartbreak, and heroism. Viewed as an adaptation, a companion to the novels, or a standalone fantasy series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians remains culturally relevant and widely discussed today.
