Celebrated by many, the “Percy Jackson” book series is well-known throughout the world. This award-winning, action-packed adventure series follows a seemingly ordinary, 12-year-old boy as he finds out that he is a demigod. Recently, Disney has remade this popular book into a TV show, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”.
From school libraries to bedtime stories, the “Percy Jackson” books can appropriately be described as a continuation of ancient Greek mythology with a hilarious modern twist. Throughout the book, the main character Percy goes on a quest to find the symbol of Zeus’s power, a master lightning bolt that has been stolen. He brings with him two friends and quite a bit of drama ensues. This book perfectly illustrates what it would be like to wake up one day thinking you are a normal kid only to find out that you are half god. The question is: will the TV series do the same?
The Disney remake of this book was first released on Dec. 19 and a new episode has been released each Tuesday since. This show stars Walker Scobell as Percy accompanied by Leah Jeffies and Aryan Simhadri as Annabeth and Grover, respectively.
The show starts almost exactly the same as the book with the same opening monologue and backstory. Although the number of discrepancies from the book does increase significantly as the series progresses, the overall themes of the show are very similar to the book. This likeness to the book may have resulted from Rick Riordan (the author of the “Percy Jackson” series) helping to write the script for the show, unlike the movie adaptations.
One remarkable aspect of the book that the TV show was able to replicate was the intricate personalities of the characters. Each of the characters in this show acted the same way as they are described in the book. Even the smaller characters such as Percy Jackson’s notoriously unbearable stepfather Gabe Ugliano were depicted exactly as they are in the book, with the exception of Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes who many would agree was made too “hardcore” in comparison to the book. This made the show much more interesting and provided exceptional comic relief.
Another part of the book that successfully made it into the TV series was the relationships between the characters. An interesting feature of the “Percy Jackson” books is that the characters are never completely sure who they can trust. Even the Greek gods and goddesses usually have ulterior motives that drive them to interfere with the lives of the main characters. This inability to trust most acquaintances makes the relationships that are founded on trust very important and valued. This can be seen between the main characters and it is why “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is a great TV show to watch with people of all ages. The show is rated 9+ on Common Sense media. The TV series does a fantastic job of depicting the importance of truthful relationships.
Overall, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” will be an enjoyable watch for anyone who likes the books or wants to try something new. This TV show fantastically recaptures the books through both the characters and their relationships with one another. This is the perfect show for anyone who likes action, adventure or comedic relief. Just remember to read the book first!
