'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Is a Gift from the Television Gods

Rick Riordan is a national treasure. A former high school teacher whose 2005 novel, The Lightning Thief, led to an expanded mythological universe of Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyption gods, Riordan also started a Disney-Hyperion Imprint, “Rick Riordan Presents,” that publishes works from under-represented writers about diverse mythologies and cultures. He’s basically the anti-Rowling, talented and humble enough to find continued success without turning into a self-victimized, transphobic caricature of his former self. The Lightning Thief and its sequel, Sea of Monsters were the basis for movies from 20th Century Fox and, well, they suck. A great cast, including Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, and Alexandria Daddario, couldn’t outweigh the Chris Columbus of it all. After their disappointing releases, Riordan swore not to bring Percy Jackson back to the screen without the artistic freedom to do it right. Disney+ gave him that chance and, if the first two episodes are any indication, it’s a massive success.

It’s probably not necessary to recap the basic plot of a popular YA novel published 18 years ago, but in case you’ve been under a rock: Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell, The Adam Project) is a bullied, unpopular 12yr old from NYC with ADHD and dyslexia lost in daydreams when he should be paying attention in class. He’s being raised by his amazing mother, Sally (Virginia Kull, Big Little Lies) and ugly step-father, with no clue his real father is the Greek sea god, Poseidon. Percy learns the truth when he’s accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt and sent to Camp Half-Blood where, with the help of satyr Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri, Cheaper by the Dozen) and Athena’s demigod daughter, Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries, Beast). They’ll fight monsters, outwit gods, and face betrayal from friends, and in the process discover a dark plot from something even more powerful than a Grecian deity.

When it comes to adapting source material to the TV screen, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an unqualified success. Condensed and occasionally rushed, the story nevertheless hits all the key points with plenty of Easter eggs and, more importantly, emotional and character development that The Lightning Thief novel lacked. It’s a wonderful book but designed to be an easy read for new or reluctant readers. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is more nuanced in its depiction of characters and monsters. It’s also wonderfully cast. Scobel is age-appropriate for the role and expressive in his uncertainty and simmering anger, and (so far) the most professional of the show’s child actors. Simhadri hasn’t been given a lot to do yet apart from looking scared and serving as comic relief, but he does both admirably. And in the latest example of why racist chuds are always wrong, Leah Jeffries is the cool, calculated Annabeth fans hoped for. She’s only just been introduced, but I’m confident she’s up to the challenge.

The supporting cast is just as good, though so far, only Virginia Kull has had the chance to shine. And shine she does; her Sally Jackson is wonderfully warm with a quiet strength and devotion to her son that feels very real. She punctures her unpleasant husband’s (Timm Sharp at his most comedically unpleasant) bluster with ease and New Yorker attitude. My daughter, a Percy Jackson devotee, asked almost immediately if Sally could be her second mom and I’m all for it. My wife was less onboard but still agreed that Kull was one of the show’s many highlights. The condensed story means the rest of the supporting cast are mostly relegated to exposition devices, but even they’re well suited for their roles. Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell), head of the Hermes camp, is a big brother figure to Percy, and it’s easy to understand why. Glynn Turman demonstrates why he’s such a popular character actor as he plays Chiron, the immortal centaur in charge of training future heroes. And can you really get better than Jason Mantzoukas to play camp director Dionysus, god of wine and madness? You can’t, though perhaps they should have given him a bit more free rein to stretch his legs; he’s disappointingly restrained in his distaste for the camp demigods. But he’s still the Zouk and the show maintains the book’s comedic edge, exploding toilets and all.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is beautifully shot, with great use of light, shadow, and water that brings the New York shoreline and Camp Half-Blood to life. There’s a sense of cinematic scale here missing from the films. Many scenes involving the secret, Mist-shrouded demigod world are shot with such a shallow depth of field that there’s a dream-like quality to the proceedings, which feels appropriate for a reality full of gods and monsters. There’s a sense of magic and potential in the camp’s golden glow, the only place demigods can feel truly safe. The camp is alive with activity and as crowded and chaotic as any summer camp full of hormonal teens. Percy’s dream sequences are more sharply defined, an interesting choice. The CGI is good, if not perfect. Monsters like the Minotaur and Megan Mullally’s Alecto have weight and move well. The worst effect so far has to be Chiron’s movement and horse half. Poor Glynn Turman lurches to a stop like he’s being carted around on a hand truck. But these are minor complaints and don’t detract from all the ways the show is a triumph. Rarely has a pilot been so satisfying to diehard fans.

Percy Jackson doesn’t feel like a Disney+ series, which is partly why it’s so good. It does feel a little Marvelized, particularly in the credits, but only a little. Composer Bear McCreary of God of War fame delivers a beautiful soundtrack that supports the material without distracting. Director James Bobin delivers the same sense of heart and humor he brought to The Muppets and Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and with Riordan’s name first among the show’s writers, I’m confident the show’s quality will continue. It might be a little scary for littles, but anyone 8-and-up is almost certain to be entertained. Longtime readers will find little to complain about, and Disney might have a riot on their hands if they pull this off the air prematurely. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an almost perfect adaptation of a beloved story, and deserves your entire family’s attention.