After years of waiting, millions of nerdy middle school kids have finally received the adaptation they’ve been pining for “Percy Jackson and the Olympian.” After the movie adaptations proved to be a flop, viewers were hesitant about Disney’s second try, but they drew hope from writer Rick Riordan’s constant and deep involvement within the TV franchise. In the beginning, there had been a lot of disputes among fans about Rick Riordan’s casting choices, particularly about Annabeth Chase actress Leah Jeffries, but once the show aired, many people took back their statements, saying they understood why she was chosen for the part. Despite all the original speculation, many people have gone out to talk about the show and how they loved it, describing their favorite “book accurate scenes” and fawning over the different characters. “My favorite book accurate scene in this series was the Met museum scene with Mrs. Dodds when she turned into her monstrous furry self, which is completely accurate to the book compared to what the movie did,” said senior Caitie Zilka.
Although the Percy Jackson universe already had a well established fandom, the introduction of the TV show brought on a new wave of fans who found comfort in the TV show. Unlike many of the book readers, they had no idea what to expect and followed it through with open eyes and many hypotheticals. As the finale came near, many people started to throw out their guesses for which of Percy’s friends would turn out to be the one who betrayed him, posting TikToks and Instagram reels which went into deep detail on the subject. As the finale aired, many people were on the edge of their seats waiting to see who would truly betray him and many were shocked to see the answer. “I really wasn’t expecting Luke to be the one to betray him. I had a feeling it would be someone else, but when it turned out to be Luke, it was definitely a shocker,” said freshman Roger Taveras.
Old and new fans alike have shown their love and appreciation for the show, however not all people feel the same with some going on to talk about how they thought the show was “boring” and “too slow.” “I think that they censored the show too much and the characters didn’t play the parts that they needed to,” said senior Katelyn San Marco. The Percy Jackson franchise is no stranger to negative feedback, especially after the movie’s original release which received a lot of criticism due to its lack of accuracy to the books and casting choices. The franchise continued on releasing a second movie which tried to adjust itself to correct its previous mistakes, but it didn’t prove to be enough. After the cancellation, many people gave up hope that they would ever be able to see Percy Jackson on the screen, however, they were happy to be proved wrong.
Although the books have been an overall great success, the show has helped give the people a way to see the world they grew up reading about. While many people have said they find flaws in the show, many others think of it as a reincarnation of their childhood, a way to remember the world they lived in their youth. “I’ve always preferred the books to the movies, but Percy Jackson did it in a way that when you watch the show, it seriously feels like deja vu when reading the book. It’s exactly how I pictured it in my head,” said senior Sophia Kaklias. The show has given the audience a chance to embrace their past and gives them hope that they will see more of Percy Jackson in the future.
