A group of friends relax on the couch and snack on buttery popcorn as their eyes light up with excitement when their favorite book series comes to life. Mythical monsters and favorite characters used to live on pages but are now vivid and alive in the show adaptation, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” The Disney+ show, adapted from Rick Riordan’s bestselling book series, captures the novels’ fantastical elements but fails to develop the characters and plot effectively, resulting in each episode losing the books’ humorous soul.
The book series centers around Percy Jackson, a teenage boy who has been expelled from many schools due to his accidents from unmanaged ADHD and dyslexia. Soon, Percy learns that he’s a demigod (someone who is half-human, half-god), as well as the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of water. He arrives at Camp Halfblood, a place for demigods in danger where he becomes close friends with Annabeth, demigod daughter of Athena, and Grover, a satyr, a woodland creature who is half-man and half goat. With his friends, they embark on perilous quests to fight legendary beasts while finding their own place in the world.
Both the book and TV series weave in wonderful fantasy and action components as readers learn about Greek mythology and are quickly engrossed by the trio’s adventurous quests. In both, the characters are relatable and genuine. Despite the fantastical elements, there is a sense of realism, since the characters are like real teenagers figuring out their lives.
The show premiered its first two seasons on Disney+ in 2023 and in 2025. Percy Jackson is played by Walker Scobell, alongside Annabeth, played by Leah Sava Jeffries and Grover portrayed by Aryan Simhadri. The chemistry between Percy, Annabeth and Grover mirrors the loyalty and humorous friendship in the book.
One of my favorite moments in the show is in Season 1, episode three, when Grover sang the “Consensus Song.” In the scene, Annabeth and Percy fight about the leadership imbalance in their quest. Grover starts singing to assuage the conflict between his friends. Though it was an awkward moment for the trio, it made me laugh and it accurately displayed their friendship in the beginning of the series. Though this scene isn’t in the books, it is able to open a lighthearted and humorous moment between the trio. It allows that bud of friendship to grow, and highlights Grover’s mediator personality.
As a whole, the show’s beautiful visual sets are accurate to the texts. In Season 2, episode two, the Circus Maximus was grand and gleaming with colorful flags dancing in the wind, which mirrors the books’ setting. The campers’ cheers filled the air as each chariot emerged, each representing their godly parent. Poseidon’s chariot is a dark sea blue with silver waves on the edges and on the face of the vehicle with a silver trident in the middle of the chariot, to represent Poseidon’s signature weapon. All of the details in the set pieces are just how many readers imagined them in the books.
However, no adaptation is perfect. Parts of the characters’ development in the show progress too fast, and the humor slowly fades away in each episode. In Season 2, episode five, Percy discovers his fatal flaw to be his devoted loyalty to his friends and his willingness to sacrifice anything for them. He tells Annabeth, “So if I had to choose between saving you or saving Olympus… Annabeth, I’d burn it all down.” The line expresses his loyalty, but it feels unrealistic and too early in the character development. In addition, the line was never mentioned in the books, which is why it feels inaccurate and unfamiliar to the novel’s original tone.
There is some great humor in season one, which is closer to the tone of the text, but the jokes are less present in season two. The challenges each character faces in the books are accompanied by jokes and humor from beginning to end. This constantly woven humor is the heart of the books, which is a big part of why readers love the series. Without the humorous soul, the show feels empty.
Overall, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians adaptation captures the books’ aesthetics and characters’ chemistry, but is lacking in the ways relationships should slowly build with lots of laughs along the way. Despite the flaws, both the show and the books are highly recommended for all bookworms and binge watchers who love some mythological fantasy mixed with realistic teen drama.
