‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians’ Season 1: A Faithful Adaptation
There was a lot riding on Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1, and not just because it’s based on one of the most beloved YA fantasy series of the last twenty years. This show wasn’t merely adapting a book — it was correcting a narrative. After the misfire of the film adaptations, fans wanted redemption. Author Rick Riordan wanted vindication. Disney wanted a franchise.
In many ways, Season 1 succeeds. In others, it plays things so safe that it forgets the spark that made Percy Jackson feel dangerous, funny, and thrilling in the first place.
[Warning: spoilers from Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Season 1 are below!]
This is the Percy Jackson fans asked for — mostly
Let’s start with the obvious win: this is finally a faithful adaptation. The bones of The Lightning Thief are here, intact and respected. The mythology is cleaner, the rules clearer, and the emotional logic of the story makes sense in a way the films never bothered with. You can feel Riordan’s hand in the storytelling — particularly in how Percy’s ADHD and dyslexia are reframed as strengths rather than quirks, and how the gods are positioned not as cool mentors but as deeply flawed, emotionally negligent parents.
For longtime readers, there’s relief in seeing scenes play out as remembered. Camp Half-Blood feels right. The quest structure holds. The central mystery is coherent. On a structural level, this is Percy Jackson done correctly. But correctness isn’t the same as magic.
Walker Scobell is undeniably Percy Jackson. He has the sarcasm, the vulnerability, and the slightly off-kilter energy that makes Percy feel like a kid constantly bracing for impact. When the show lets him react — especially in moments of confusion or frustration — he shines.
The problem is that the show doesn’t always trust him enough to carry discovery. Too often, the script explains what Percy is about to experience before he experiences it. Emotional beats are telegraphed. Mythological reveals are spoon-fed. Scobell is at his best when he’s allowed to stumble into danger, not when he’s prepped for it like a study guide.
Smart choices, uneven payoff in Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1
Leah Sava Jeffries’ Annabeth is one of Season 1’s most interesting reinterpretations. This Annabeth is sharper, more guarded, and emotionally distant in ways that feel intentional rather than cold. She’s clearly been surviving on intelligence alone for a long time. When the show gives her space, her performance adds depth to a character who’s often flattened in adaptations.
Aryan Simhadri’s Grover, meanwhile, leans more anxious and earnest than comic relief — a smart tonal choice — but the show sometimes sidelines him emotionally. His loyalty is unquestionable, but his internal conflict rarely gets the focus it deserves.
The trio works. The chemistry is there. But the show rarely lets them sit in moments long enough for that chemistry to fully land.
Season 1 is at its strongest whenever the gods appear. Jason Mantzoukas’ Dionysus is exactly the kind of petty menace he should be. Megan Mullally’s Alecto and the portrayal of figures like Hades and Ares understand something crucial: gods should be unsettling, not aspirational.
What’s missing is escalation. Many confrontations feel emotionally muted. The danger is implied rather than felt. The show is so determined to keep things accessible that it sands down the awe and terror that should come with encountering immortals who see humans as disposable. This is mythology without enough mythic weight.
Here’s where my criticism sharpens: Percy Jackson Season 1 often feels afraid of momentum. Episodes are short, but they’re packed with exposition. Action scenes resolve quickly. Mysteries are solved almost as soon as they’re introduced.
There’s a noticeable lack of suspense. The show tells you what’s happening rather than letting you worry about it. This choice may make the series easier for younger viewers to follow, but it also robs it of tension. Fantasy thrives on uncertainty. This season rarely lets the audience feel lost — and that’s not always a compliment.
The verdict: A strong foundation, not yet a great series
I liked Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1. I respected it. I appreciated its care, its inclusivity, and its commitment to doing right by the source material. But I didn’t love it.
It feels like a first season designed to earn trust rather than spark obsession. The heart is there. The cast is right. The world is ready. What’s missing is boldness — the willingness to let things get messy, scary, and a little out of control.
If Season 2 loosens its grip, trusts its characters, and lets the danger breathe, this series could become something special. For now, Season 1 is a careful, competent opening chapter — a prophecy fulfilled, perhaps, but not yet a legend written.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, season one, is streaming on Disney+! What did you think of the first season? Let us know @BoxSeatBabes on all social media platforms!
Book Review: Fairest of All by Serena Valentino
