Rebuilding Rob

I’ve been waiting for this show since author Rick Riordan announced it on social media nearly 4 years ago: Disney’s adaptation of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians novels.

I only read The Lightning Thief for the first time 4 years ago as I was teaching it to my sixth graders. The only knowledge I had of the world of Percy Jackson at that point was : “it’s like Harry Potter, except with Greek mythology“. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with this series.

This Disney+ show is different from the previous movie adaptations of The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters. While both of those shows were modest hits in the box office, many fans complained because they felt that the movies stray too far from the source material. It’s a common problem when your adapting a book into a two hour movie: some stuff just has to get cut out.

Evidently, author Rick Riordan wasn’t a big fan of the movies either. He is credited as a producer on the Disney+ series. Clearly, he has a lot more direct influence on the show. A limited series seems like a much more logical choice for adapting a novel to the screen, big or small. As it stands, the plan for the series is to spend one season adapting each of the existing Percy Jackson novels. To that end, season 1 adapts The Lightning Thief.

For those who aren’t familiar with the novels, season one of the show begins very much like the typical hero’s quest story. middle schooler Percy Jackson doesn’t seem to belong anywhere. His grades are bad and he’s been deemed in corrigible by school authority types. As season one unfolds, Percy realizes why he doesn’t fit in, the truth about his past, and the unique destiny that awaits him

With two episodes left in season one, thus far Percy Jackson is hitting all the main story beats of The Lightning Thief. In fact, the series has added a few story elements that both the runtime for the show, and the story itself. For instance, in this week’s episode seven “we find out the truth, sort of” the heroes journey into the underworld is intercut with flashbacks of Percy’s early life with his mother. This segment is not included in the original novel; but goes a great way to show the enormous role that Sally Jackson plays in Percy’s story. The strongest selling point of this series is the fact that Disney is giving this story the time, and the space, to breathe.

So far, I’m enjoying the three actors playing, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. By all accounts, all three actors are fans of the books, which I think is important in any adaptation such as this.

The problem with a series or movies that are supposed to span a characters adolescence is that the actors age faster than the content can be released. By the end, you have actors in their early 20s trying to pass themselves as 17 or 18-year-olds, with mixed results. That being said, this is usually less of a problem in a television series than it is with feature length movies. Still, I’m crossing my fingers that all three main actors have good genes.

As for the story itself, I feel like I’m missing exactly how the three characters bonded. And the novels, Grover is originally seen as a wimpy kid who Percy feels obligated to protect. As the book goes on, readers learn that Grover wasn’t fat to put in place to watch over Percy. The series has rejected the whole wimpy kid aspect of Grover; instead, hinting earlier, in the story that he serves a larger purpose. I have never really bought the whole bond that form between Annabeth and Percy; be in the novels, the movies or the current TV series. I get what Riordan’s intent was: two characters who don’t initially trust each other, but then form a bond through their experiences. As a reader and a viewer, I have just never bought into it. This, however, is more of the problem with the source material than with this adaptation.

As a teacher, the Percy Jackson series is right in my wheelhouse. When I was teaching this novel – and the hero’s quest story – to sixth graders, my students were able to make connections to Harry Potter, Star Wars, the Marvel movies, even the Disney princesses! Before they knew it, they were analyzing literature. I had them!

FINAL TAKE: I would absolutely recommend this series! If you enjoy the heroes journey (and who doesn’t?) you’re in for a treat. It’s educational, as it serves as a gateway to understanding Greek mythology. If you’ve read the novels, or seen the movies, you absolutely deserve to give this adaptation of the story a try. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re looking for strong, characterization, or even representation without pandering, then you’ve come to the right place. If you want a faithful adaptation of a popular book series, you found it.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier related posts:

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• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

The article “Rob Reviews… Percy Jackson & the Olympians“ originally appeared on Rebuilding Rob.