On the surface, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” isn’t much different from many young adult novels released in the wake of the global phenomenon “Harry Potter,” which follows a child who discovers he is destined for greatness, comes from a powerful lineage, finds his place where he belongs in a magical-leaning environment and becomes the subject of a prophesied battle against evil. What makes this Disney+ series, and the Rick Riordan book series that the series adapts, so great is the way it integrates Greek mythology into its modern story about 21st-century children who happen to be the offspring of the Olympian gods, serving as a good introduction to this world for newcomers but also a clever remix for those who are more familiar with the references.
With the world already established in the first season and the big bad Kronos (Nick Boraine), King of the Titans, already introduced, season 2 takes a more personal approach to the story. This time around, Percy (Walker Scobell) sets out on a quest in the Sea of Monsters to rescue his best friend Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and find the legendary Golden Fleece that can heal the magical protection field around Camp Half-Blood from the forces of Kronos and the traitorous demigod, Luke (Charlie Bushnell). In the first four episodes available for review, the overall plot of Kronos wanting to destroy Olympus takes a bit of a backseat, with the only real consequence of Percy informing the Olympian gods of Kronos’ threat being a change in camp director.
Instead, the first half of the season mostly feels like a side quest, a more personal story about the characters discovering themselves rather than discovering the world.
Not that this is a small-scale season, quite the contrary. Taking much of its inspiration from “The Odyssey” (watch out, Christopher Nolan!), this season of “Percy Jackson” takes fans to new places filled with danger, adventure and plenty of fights. This is this season’s biggest improvement over the first, as the visuals look more polished and the scope of the world expands. There’s a nice mix of practical sets and StageCraft technology like that used in “The Mandalorian,” with a tank racing sequence in Episode 2 being a season highlight for its thrilling stunts and kinetic camera movements. Even more VFX-heavy aspects of the season, such as having a Cyclops as the main character, each episode is well-realized, while a large seaside battle against the sea monsters Charybdis and Scylla (a giant whirlpool kraken and six-headed monster) looks quite impressive.
Much of the first half of “Percy Jackson” Season 2 deals with the deepening relationships between characters, including Percy and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), as well as that of Percy and Tyson (Daniel Diemer), a cyclops staying with Percy and his mother. Even if the overall plot doesn’t seem as urgent, the more personal issues help flesh out the characters. Likewise, with our heroes now fully aware of Kronos’ plan, the season digs deeper into the villains by showing Luke actively trying to recruit the heroes to his side – with compelling arguments. Much of the first season was the gods’ poor treatment of their demigod offspring, and season 2 doubles down on showing the messiness of the Olympians, arguing that there might be a better solution, even if it comes from an unlikely source.
But “Percy Jackson” season 2 has some glaring problems. The dialogue in particular relies too much on exposition and often feels unnatural. The tone also doesn’t seem to match the dialogue. Overall, the series takes a darker, more serious approach than the source material, which conflicts with the characters’ constant banter and banter. Additionally, this season continues a bad trend from Season 1 of simplifying the more mature topics of the source material almost as if afraid of disturbing children – such as severely toning down the paternal violence in the first season, or diminishing Percy’s resentment and treatment of Tyson. These add up to the tonal mismatch of the series, which simultaneously opts for a more mature tone while seemingly being too afraid to treat its audience as mature enough to see what they read as children.
As the story progresses (Season 3 is already confirmed) and the characters continue to grow, we hope that “Percy Jackson” will allow the story to grow as well.
Season 2 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” premieres Wednesday, December 10 on Disney+.
