Season 2 Makes Waves: A Review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Ep 1-2

As the highly anticipated second season for “Percy Jackson and The Olympians” starring Walker Scobell, Leah Jefferies, and Daniel Diemer releases on December 10^th. I have seen the season and we’re glad to report that season 2 proves that the book franchise couldn't have asked for a more faithful yet fearless adaption. This season follows Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and their new found friend Tyson (Daniel Diemer) as they must follow the deadly journey to face the dangers of Kronos while saving their satyr friend, Grover, but in order to do so they must go through the sea of monsters.

The first 2 episodes immediately gives you a splash of action in the first 10 minutes but also makes you feel how good it is to have this adventure back on our screens. Percy truly is the son of Poseidon making us as an audience feel so connected to this protagonist as our emotions grow bigger for him since the first season. Percy isn’t the only character who has something to offer this season as Annabeth truly takes over this season and has us hooked as she shows Percy how much she truly cares for him and this quest.

This season focuses heavily on each character’s story and given characters like Clarisse (Dior Goodjohn) who I would call the second highlight of the show some time to shine. Camp half blood also has some new faces as we are now introduced to Tantalus (Timothy Simons) who is this in charge but a very detached counselor at camp who adds some light into the show. Speaking of light we are introduced to the one-eyed ray of sunshine Tyson who serves as the heart of the group and gives such emotion that ties into Percy’s overall narrative. And for those who are asking, Tyson's eye does look better this time around.

I personally love how they have shown such respect to the books, even if there are certain things that could have been kept out. What I will say is that this season so far misses the mark on how they want to tackle the multiple storylines. I haven’t mentioned Grover (Aryan Simhadri) yet, as in this season he unfortunately follows the same flaw as the book, where it feels like his storyline really doesn’t matter. This season also struggles with some of the dialogue between characters, especially in episode 2, where they really want to emphasize how these characters feel, but it still ends up missing a certain spark. This season also leaves out some of the coolest scenes in the first chapter, I was quite disappointed that the show just completely removed them, which can ruin some of the magic for others.

As these episodes get better and bigger, they have shown why we must respect book-to-show formats, and the team behind this season clearly shows the same love that fans have always wanted. It's rare for an adaptation, especially a book that feels so alive, to be this emotionally precise and respectful of its audience. The series is showing the balance between a mythical scale and human vulnerability, something the show is on the way to mastering. I would definitely recommend this season to fans new and old, as this is the true adaptation that we have been looking for.