If the first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 are any indication of the show’s future, then a new generation will have a brilliant storm of well-written adventures in store for them. It’s for the kids who grew up with the books, the ones who’ll discover a world of demigods after watching the show, and a whole new generation who will get an origin story that’s thoroughly engaging from the start.
Part of the reason why Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 works so well is because the cast is already doing everything in their power to make this show memorable. Walker Scobell is excellent as the titular character and a worthy successor to everything Logan Lerman briefly did with the films. It’s not hard to care about Percy Jackson as a character in the books, but Scobell makes it even more effortless with a heartbreaking innocence that’s suited tremendously well for a character whose legacy is as massive. The series focuses largely on his story, and the show makes sure that’s what’s happening here, too.
At the same time, while the first two episodes are a bit slower, the markings are all there to tell an epic tale that Disney will hopefully keep around for a long time. The stories might be muted, but the pacing is riveting, no less. The introductions with characters like Aryan Simhadri’s Grover Underwood and Leah Jeffries’ Annabeth Chase will allow those acquainted with the story to feel all the feels while those unfamiliar will have their curiosities piqued in intriguing fashion. Charlie Bushnell is also fantastic as Luke Castellan and Jason Mantzoukas makes a surprisingly great Dionysus thus far.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 is thus far doing a fine job of establishing familiar lore while still making it feel refreshing in the places where the show is doing its own thing. While the special effects and CGI are a bit hard to decipher with screeners and a small screen, they seem riveting enough that I’d personally love to rewatch when the show is on air. It’s certainly not perfect, but it scratches the itch for fantasy, and it does so with minimal effort.
Genuinely charming shows with thoughtful casting and careful storytelling are indeed rare in our industry, even when the stories are adapted from beloved books. If the upkeep that goes into it isn’t fully there, then the story fumbles, but when it’s apparent right from the start that the themes, narratives, and adventures are all thought out, we can be confident that we have something great in store. It’s why a film like Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret feels so intrinsically nuanced and special, becoming an instant classic. Percy Jackson and the Olympians already feels the same, and this is only the beginning.
It’s hard to pinpoint precisely what fans will be drawn to when the series makes its way onto our screens, but I can say with complete confidence that the heart of the show is going to be at the top of many lists. There’s a warmth to Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 that the Willow series also had—a warmth often lacking in the media we consume because live-action films and TV shows aren’t always made with kids and adults in mind. And where the series goes will ultimately determine more, but thus far, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an undeniably charming epic adventure. It’s wholesome, and it’s warm, and it’s full of action-packed moments that’ll have viewers on the edges of their seats, waiting for the next episode to come as quickly as possible.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episodes 1 and 2 will begin streaming on Disney+ on December 20.