WARNING: This article contains spoilers for all seasons and books of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”
On Jan. 21, the second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians was fully released on Disney+. Two of our staff members, A&E Editor Dhanya Rajendiran and Staff Writer Winslow Davis, sat down to discuss how the new season felt.
D.R: After two years since the first season was released, the second season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” (PJO) is finally out. After being a fan of the series, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” by Rick Riordan, I was so excited for this show to come out and I did enjoy the first season. But for me, this second season didn’t quite hit the mark.
W.D: I agree.While many fans were disappointed and frustrated they didn’t keep it as close to the original, but I liked the fact that they changed some of the details. I know that the siren scene was anticipated by fans and then it didn’t quite go the way they wanted it to, but I thought there could’ve been more depth to it but overall it was okay. What I was really mad about was that characters like Rainbow and Blackjack, who had a bigger role in the books, weren’t properly introduced and were barely mentioned in the shows in either season.
D.R: I was also annoyed that we didn’t get to Blackjack’s inner monologue. That was one of my favorite parts of the books because it was hilarious. I feel like this also connects to how boring the show was. It just didn’t have the same charisma that the books did. In the books, we get Percy’s perspective and we actually get to see his personality. The show made everyone really bland and serious.
W.D: The show took away the whimsy! The episodes were only around 40 minutes long and there were only eight episodes. It felt very rushed and they could’ve elaborated more on the characters and actually dug into the whole lore a little more. There were so many unanswered questions and plot holes. The addition of new characters like Allison had no impact and were not memorable, while including details from the books would have had this impact for book readers. But, I liked Clarisse’s (Dior Goodjohn) character this season, because she just had such a confident aura and I’m glad she got more screentime.
D.R: Yes! While other characters were not that interesting, her character was so engaging and I also liked Luke’s (Charlie Bushnell) character this season. I think Bushnell did really well as a villain and personally I adore Luke’s whole character arc. But, the main trio just did not work out. They didn’t have any chemistry and I honestly think it got worse as the season progressed.
W.D: I really enjoyed Grover’s (Aryan Simhadri) character last season, but this season he just wasn’t doing much and felt insignificant. The entire plot was essentially about him until it wasn’t. He was barely there for the finale. Speaking of the finale, I disliked the battle. If we kept focusing only on Percy and Luke, there was no point for anyone else to be there. It was just anticlimactic.
D.R: The finale was quite disappointing. I think that Thalia’s introduction was horrible. I enjoyed the flashbacks but I don’t think that they captured the whole family essence of Luke, Thalia (Tamara Smart), and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries). They have such a deep connection in the books and I don’t think that was explored as much as it needed to be. To be honest, I just didn’t like Thalia overall. She didn’t seem cool enough for Annabeth to look up to her. I absolutely hated the change made with the reason why she was turned into a tree. In the show, it shows how Zeus was a bad person, which he is, but in the books it highlights how important and brave Thalia was. Her character was one of my favorites but she just feels insignificant and totally different than she did in the books.
W.D: Because we’ve read the books, We know about the prophecy of the Big Three. But it just wasn’t properly explained. I’m even a little confused and I can’t imagine how confused non-book readers must feel. The end was very rushed and they didn’t talk about crucial details that will eventually lead to the other seasons.
D.R: Yet another aspect of the show that they rushed was Percy and Annabeth’s relationship. THEY ARE THIRTEEN YEARS OLD. They’re best friends at most. But, the way they acted and were portrayed was a little intense for it being this early in the show. Don’t get me wrong, Percy and Annabeth are one of my favorite couples of all time, but they are slow burn. That is explicitly mentioned in the books and it is also a key part of how FRIENDSHIP affected their lives. Yes, yes, Scobell and Jeffries have great chemistry but we really shouldn’t be seeing this until next season and even that’s a bit too soon.
W.D: There were definitely some problems in the various relationships shown but one I enjoyed was Percy and Tyson’s (Daniel Diemer) relationship. I loved the addition of Tyson. He was so sweet and he made me happy. They showed a lot of his talent for machinery. I also really liked how they showed him and Percy’s brotherly bond.
D.R: Other than a couple things, this season was increasingly bland and it was just so plain. PJO was such a big part of my childhood and I was looking forward to this season. Even if you disregard the inaccuracy of the books, it’s still not an engaging show. If I’m being completely honest, the only reason I finished it was because I wanted to write this article.
W.D: Overall, I think this season definitely needed more to it, but I’m still excited to watch the next one. I understand the anger towards it not being too book accurate, but I’m glad they have Riordan working on it.
D.R: I think it’s really important that he stays a part of the show because after this season, the story gets a little more serious. I’m hoping that the season does get better as they progress. I am also so excited for the next season as the books after this are some of my favorites. This season was just not quite accurate or worth it in general.
