Percy Jackson and the Olympians proves to be a faithful adaptation

Percy Jackson and the Olympians will premiere on Disney+ on December 20, and we can finally talk about the whirlwind press tour and our spoiler-free reactions to the first two episodes.

After four years in the making, the Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is within reach. I struggle to find the words to describe exactly how I feel in this moment. It’s a mixture of anticipation and fear, excitement and foreboding, euphoria and a touch of anxiety. While this series is already a global phenomenon, it will take on a new life now that Disney has given it an official adaptation. Like with most major franchises, that comes with its own set of perils.

I’ve been a fan of Percy Jackson for about fifteen years at this point, and so it’s difficult to view this production without bias. (One listen to my Percy Jackson podcast Prophecy Radio will do nothing to disprove this.) There is no separating the journalist from the fan here, but I’ve found that I don’t really want to. While the team behind this series made it for an audience of all ages and with varying degrees of familiarity with the books, it’s become clear that they knew the die-hard fans like myself would be eager to finally get our hands on a faithful adaptation. I can only imagine the amount of pressure they felt bringing this story to life.

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians press tour kicked off last week, putting many members of the cast and crew in front of the camera to talk about their experiences adapting The Lightning Thief for the show’s first season. I attended several of the press conferences, which included showrunners Jonathan Steinberg and Dan Shotz, Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase), Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood), Jeff White (VFX supervisor), Dan Henna (production designer), Tish Monaghan (costume designer), and executive producers Rick and Becky Riordan, as well as viewed the first two episodes of the series.

An incredible array of information came out of this press tour, but my overall impression was that every single person felt reverence for the source material. As a fan of the books, that’s all I can ask for. The act of adapting a book to the screen requires changes to be made, but as long as those changes are logical and reflect the core message of the story, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t work flawlessly. And after viewing the first two episodes, I can assure you that we having nothing to worry about. This is truly Percy Jackson come to life.

On adapting ‘Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief’ for Disney+

Time and time again, everyone involved in the show talked about how the book created the foundation for what they were trying to achieve. “It’s a little more art than science,” Jon Steinberg says of the adaptation process. “As you’re reading the book, it starts in terms of trying to form a sense of what really is contributing to the sense of the journey, to the important moments, to the stuff you remember a couple of days later. I think that conversation became much more detailed and much more substantive once you’re in conversation with Rick and with Becky about the things that they have those feelings about, the things they feel like this wouldn’t be a Percy Jackson story or Percy Jackson journey without. And then from there, you just start planting flags and feeling like, if this wasn’t in the show, I think as a fan, I’d be disappointed, so that’s got to be in there, and trying to figure out how to stitch everything together in a way where nothing feels extra. Nothing feels like it’s there just because we wanted it to be there. It all has to be part of a story that functions organically and that makes you feel like it was always built this way even though it’s in the middle of a pretty serious adaptation.”

But while it’s important to hit those milestones, there’s a lot of nuance to creating a faithful book-to-screen adaptation. This book means so much to so many people, and it’s clear that the showrunners felt an obligation not only to the fans, but to the Riordans as well. Steinberg says, “I think you have to be extremely respectful of [the source material]. I think you also, at the same time, have to not be afraid of it. I think you commit to telling a story about this kid, and trying to figure out how he and his friends are going to get through this and making the story work on its own two feet. And then trying to figure out how to make sure that it is also doing all of the things that the book wants. It’s a constant balancing act between a real sense of reverence for the material and a willingness to try stuff. And I think having Rick and Becky on board makes that process possible. I think the ability to pitch something new and then look at their faces and see if it’s working is invaluable. So I think you kind of have to be able to walk both sides of that line at all times.”

Dan Shotz adds, “And there’s no one closer to this book series than the Riordans. And what was so impressive about them was they were open to looking at it themselves. You know, Rick wrote this 20 years ago, and he had some distance from it. So it was exciting to hear what things he wanted to do with it, how he wanted to explore different themes and ideas and dig deeper into all of it. So it was just kind of amazing to watch, and they were insanely collaborative for us all to bring what we brought to it. So it was a special relationship.”

Fans will be relieved to hear how involved Rick and Becky were in this adaptation, as well as how collaborative the entire team was with each other. Rick has been particularly vocal about his experience with the film adaptations, and so his willingness to return to Hollywood and help create a new adaptation was not only a huge undertaking, but a show of commitment to his fans. Time and time again, he has talked about wanting to create an on-screen adaptation worthy of the kids (and adults!) who have been fans of his for years.

Not all authors are as involved in their book-to-screen adaptations. Novel writing and screenwriting are two different beasts, and talent in one area does not always translate to talent in another. However, for an author, one of the most important skills to have is the ability to understand that film and television have different requirements than books and therefore will demand a different approach.

It is not always easy for an author to watch as others pick apart a story they spent years writing, twisting and changing it for a new medium. For his part, however, Rick seems excited to dive back in. “Going back to the Lightning Thief was a chance to refresh the story and do things maybe I wished I would have done the first time around,” he says. “So it was really an incredible opportunity.”

As exciting as it has been to have Rick involved in the adaptation process, it’s been especially rewarding to see Becky step into the spotlight as an executive producer. As a long time fan, I was unaware of how involved she was in Rick’s worlds until the Sun and the Star book tour, in which both Rick and his co-author Mark Oshiro praised her for the various insights she had into fan-favorite characters Nico di Angelo and Will Solace.

“It takes a lot for people to understand that this is our story versus Rick’s story,” Becky says. “So I have an opportunity to talk about that. So that’s been nice.”

“We’re very in tune with each other in terms of process, in terms of what is going to work for us, what probably isn’t going to work for us,” Rick says. “I think my biggest revelation and delight was just how great it is to get Becky out into the world as an executive producer, and to sort of let everybody appreciate just how integral [she is] to everything Percy Jackson. Because none of this would’ve happened without [her]. And to see [her] step into that role and be so good at it was really amazing to me.”

Other adaptations can—and certainly will—learn from what Percy Jackson and the Olympians has done. Being faithful to the source material is the best way to bring in a pre-existing audience, as well as help lay the foundation for a story that appeals to people of all ages and walks of life, generating new viewers who simply want to escape from the world for an hour or two each week.

Bringing the world of ‘Percy Jackson’ to life

While Steinberg, Shotz, and the Riordans are at the helm of this massive ship, it takes a village to bring a show like Percy Jackson and the Olympians to life. The foundation starts with the scripts, but then it’s up to the visual effects, production design, costume design, and various other departments to create this world down to every last detail. I was particularly interested in what Jeff White (VFX supervisor), Dan Henna (production design), and Tish Monaghan (costume design) had to say about their process because the choices they make will become the face of this series, not only for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1, but for all possible future seasons.

Monaghan says the constant mantra on set was “go back to the book,” and this was repeated time and time again from the development team. As the visual effects supervisor, White and his team had a massive undertaking in bringing the mythological world to life. During the press conference, he emphasized that they constantly consulted Rick while making decisions about the show’s visuals. What did he imagine in his head? What unique aspects of the characters could they bring to the table? With the amount of variety they planned to show on screen, it was important that these larger-than-life creatures look natural.

“At each step, we tried to look at: How do we make these creatures unique, something you haven’t seen before, but also feel very realistic and natural?” White says. “And for us, that was also making sure that we weren’t referencing a lot of other properties that have done this, but actually going back to sources directly in nature for that inspiration.”

In particular, White talks about Medusa’s portrayal, which was spoken about quite often during the various press conferences. “A lot of the representations of Medusa have the snakes as very active, almost like actors on their own,” he continues. “In our particular case, we were just essentially building a hair of snakes, really leaning into that idea of it being a curse, and letting those snakes be very natural and realistic. So they do get more agitated over the course of the sequence, but that’s only reflected in playing off of Jessica’s incredible performance.”

But it’s not just Medusa’s visual effects that will bring this character to life. Jessica Parker Kennedy’s performance is equally as important, and so is her costuming. “When I first had my initial discussions about Medusa,” Monaghan says, “our two executive creative producers really wanted her to appear sympathetic. They wanted her to have a beautiful hat that could be on a slant that could cover her hair, her snakes, so that it didn’t have to be the kind of reveal that was stated in the books. So her wearing a hat then dictated a certain kind of garment, as well as thinking about the kind of empathy that they wanted the audience to have. I also was trying to think of the statues that were going to be surrounding her when she reveals herself to the kids. So I kept thinking of, ‘Okay, this is like a human statue walking through these statues that she’s surrounded by.’ So that’s specifically why I wanted to create a garment that had a lot of tiny narrow pleats that, again, were a little reminiscent of Greek antiquity and the statues, and then decided to replicate it in a dress that was almost like a 1920s/1930s style but would harken back to imagery that you can look at from Ancient Greek clothing.”

Depicting Medusa as a sympathetic character is certainly a deviation from the source material, as well as what was shown in the film adaptation. It’s obvious that this is one of the areas where Rick was more than happy to bring a new perspective to a scene that he’d written 20 years ago. Given the current discourse surrounding Medusa’s tale, I’m particularly interested to see how she will be portrayed on screen and what choices the team have made that will show her in a new light. Far and away, the Medusa sequence is one of my most-anticipated moments from the show.

Despite having snakes for hair and the ability to turn people to stone, however, Medusa still largely looks like a human woman. What about elements that are a bit more otherworldly?

“We always started with a description from a book,” White repeats. “That was fantastic. But again, in the book, it’ll often say, ‘The pen turns into Riptide.’ And it’s like, well, what does that actually look like? And I think that was a lot of what we had to figure out to make sure that all the effects that people had imagined while reading the stories felt authentically represented in the series. So, again, what was nice is, as we started trying to puzzle through what does this look like, we would do art concepts, we would do really fast mockups of the effects, and we would show it to Jon and Dan—and Rick, especially—and just make sure this felt like it was in the right tone for the story and for what it needed to accomplish. And what Rick imagined while he was writing it. We had incredible freedom to design the very best thing, but I would say we always started with how it was described in the book as a good reference.”

Not only did they lean on the book to inform their decisions, but they also referenced the ancient world. It’s not easy to modernize Ancient Greece, but as Monaghan says, the book did a lot of the heavy lifting for them. “When you see all the relevant research that we do, there is so much available out there,” she adds. “There is a wealth of visual imagery to draw from. And I just rejoiced in the fact that that was available for us. And then you have to distill it into what feels right for you, present those images, and then chat with the other departments and make sure it’s all going to work together.”

You may think that the visual effects department and the costume department are worlds apart, but the fact of the matter is that they must work in tandem to create a final product. Monaghan speaks of Mrs. Dodd’s transformation from Percy’s surly Yancy Academy teacher into her true form, that of Alecto the fury. The visual effects team wanted the act of the Mist falling away to feel elegant, and that started with Megan Mulally’s costuming. After Monaghan saw the preliminary illustrations of Alecto’s design, she intentionally made the ruffles of her shirt look more like the scales found around the creature’s neck. Everything from the style of the clothes to the colors represented would allow for a seamless transition from one version of the character into the other.

Thousands of decisions like this had to be made throughout the eight-episode season, and it wasn’t always a simple process. “I think that’s what was so fun and so challenging about this one,” White says. “I think each effect we came up with had that same pressure of, ‘Okay, how are we gonna make sure the fans are happy with this?’ So when we were designing VFX for the master bolt, what does that look like? How does that interact with the characters? How do portals look in the Percy Jackson world?”

“It is not an easy thing to figure out how to turn a ballpoint pen into a full-sized sword without it looking… strange,” White muses, noting that they didn’t want it to look like a lightsaber. And it’s true—in my head, I have a rough idea of what that looks like, but seeing it depicted on screen is a totally different beast. It must look both realistic and otherworldly at the same time. The production needed to feel grounded in the everyday world, but, as Dan Henna states, this world shows us “normality being tweaked a little bit.”

It will please some fans to know that not all of the effects were high-tech marvels. “One of my favorites was actually the scene where Annabeth and Percy are using the Iris Messaging to talk to Luke,” White says. “We had to design an entire new look for that. It was a combination of a lot of traditional flares and lighting elements that our associate supervisor shot by shining an iPhone light through a bottle of Listerine and filming that. So even though we do a lot in computer graphics, and we do a lot of effect simulation, we cut every corner we can and shoot as much as we can as well.”

That being said, according to Variety, Disney spared no expense, with a reported budget of roughly $12-15 million per episode. That’s roughly what The Mandalorian got, which tells me that Disney has faith in this adaptation and knew that if they invested their money wisely, they’d see it returned tenfold.

The production team can thank The Volume for making their life a little easier. With LED panels that cover a full 360 degrees, this studio played a major part in bringing the world of Percy Jackson to life. As White says, it’s not the perfect tool for every situation, but considering the show filmed in Vancouver but the story takes place across the Unites States, it allowed for them to virtually travel to various locations. While blue screens have transformed the industry, White explains, they are not a perfect solution. Viewers can sometimes tell they’re not looking at a real backdrop, and you often lose some details in the process.

With The Volume, however, you’re filming the final image in-camera. In this sense, it moves some of the post-production work into the shoot, allowing for the visual and practical effects departments to work together for a more seamless product. In fact, the benefits of The Volume are practically endless. Instead of having actors imagine the world around them, they’ll be able to see it on screen, making their performances more authentic. Shooting during specific weather conditions, like a cloudy day, or at certain times of night, like at dusk, have become so much easier now that they can maintain those atmospheric effects for as long as is necessary to film a scene. Working around the children’s schedules can be tough—you must accommodate both their limited hours and their schooling—but now, thanks to The Volume, they can shoot night scenes during the day.

The Volume also assists the camera operators, who now have a better idea of how to frame their shots because they can see the visuals right in front of them. White speaks to the evolution of the filming process, saying that as comfort levels with The Volume increased throughout the season, they started doing more with the technology. For example, the Tunnel of Love scene was shot with a 60-foot tank inside the stage while the LED screens showcased hand-drawn 2D animation playing across the virtual walls around them. This allowed for the actors to react emotionally to the visuals, but it also gave the camera operators the freedom to move around and test out different shots.

White describes a moment where one of the operators chose to film from a high angle, which captured the (virtual) walls reflected in the (practical) water of the tank. The visual effects supervisor insists that they never would’ve thought to do such a shot had they been working with blue screen.

The Volume stage is not the only area in which innovation took place. White also talks about developing the look of Chiron, an immortal centaur as played by Glynn Turman. In the past, they would’ve had the actor walk across a set of boxes to achieve the correct height of the character, and then they would attach the body of the horse to them in post-production. While this can achieve the desired results, it never looks quite as natural as one would hope.

For Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they decided to have Turman ride a real horse for all of his scenes. Not every actor would be equipped for such a change in approach, but it turns out that Glynn was more than prepared for his role. Rick and Becky talked about how they didn’t go into casting with any preconceived ideas about who should play the gods and various immortals seen throughout the series. They simply wanted actors who embodied these characters, and Turman had a wise, warm, and welcoming aura about him that reflected Chiron’s role as a mentor. It was only later that they found out he was an award-winning rodeo cowboy who also happens to run a summer camp for kids.

In that sense, Turman had no issue being atop a horse for hours on end, and in fact picked out the horse that he would be working with, ensuring that it was able to remain calm in a busy and demanding environment. For his part, White and his team then painted out the head of the horse and moved Glynn’s torso forward to fuse it with the rest of the animal’s body. While this presented its own set of challenges, the final result was worth it. Not only was the lighting always consistent, but the motion of the horse was more realistic and Glynn’s movement was always tied to the animal’s.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. With monsters like the minotaur, the chimera, and Cerberus to bring to life, the team behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians had its hands full. “Everybody was really on board with having the mythology be authentic and true to itself,” Becky states. And considering this series has created a lifelong passion with regards to mythology for many of its readers, we can’t ask for anything more than just that.

Welcome to Camp Half-Blood

There are several major benchmarks for Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, not just in terms of plot points but also in creating this world. Camp Half-Blood’s depiction is, undoubtedly, one of the most important aspects of this series, but rest assured that it was handled with care. Not only was it portrayed in a way that was true to the book, but the creative team added their own spin to make it unlike anything else we’ve seen on screen.

“We weren’t prescriptive,” Becky Riordan states. “That’s a word you’re going to hear a lot. But we did talk a lot about the Big House and what it should look like because that’s sort of like a touchstone for readers. And so it had to look enough like the books and be similar enough to the books. And then everything else, I think, they just went wild.”

“They looked at maps,” Rick continues. “They looked at a lot of inspirational concept art. They looked at things we’ve done in publishing, different ways Camp Half-Blood has been imagined over the years. And then they took all of that and they said, ‘All right, this is all great. What can we do to turn the expectations on their heads? Do something that is new—that is faithful to the material, but also gives you something that you weren’t expecting. That’s fresh and majestic. And amazing.’”

Camp Half-Blood is both sprawling and cozy in its size. The wide-open fields allow for the demigods to practice their archery and sword fighting, while the dense forest hides the cabins dedicated to the campers’ godly parents. It feels lived-in because the bulk of Camp Half-Blood, including the cabins, is a practical set. This allowed them to film what had been built and then feed it into The Volume, providing them with the ability to seamlessly transition between the practical outdoor sets and the virtual indoor ones.

Surprisingly, the Riordans didn’t visit Camp Half-Blood until it was finished because they didn’t want their own vision to influence the creative team. I can only imagine what a surprise this was for both Becky and Rick, to finally have the chance to walk across the grounds and visit their beloved characters’ summer home.

But it wasn’t just Rick and Becky who got to experience the awe-inspiring revelation of visiting Camp Half-Blood during the filming process. Many of the extras were long-time fans of the Percy Jackson books, and none of them, it seemed, took their parts for granted. “Because all the kids that were at the camp were so connected to the books themselves,” Dan Shotz explains, “them being able to put these orange shirts on and honor this book and play these roles, it was overwhelming, just seeing the excitement from everybody who was there. It was a really powerful, powerful moment.”

And in case you were worried about the main cast, rest assured that the trio were all fans of the books prior to landing their roles on the show. After prodding from one of the showrunners, Walker Scobell quietly announces that he’s read the books about seven times now, well before he even conceived the idea of taking on the titular role. Leah Sava Jeffries was writing an essay on the book for school when she found out she got the part. And Aryan Simhadri was also a fan well before the show was greenlit by Disney. “So getting to play such an iconic character has been amazing,” he finishes.

In the same way everyone applauded and valued Rick and Becky’s contribution to the adaptation process, the entire team gushed about the young cast’s talent and dedication to bringing these characters to life. “Everybody was such a pro,” Steinberg says. “And not just showing up for work and not just working hard, but handling really complex emotional stuff.”

“You guys were such pros the entire time,” Dan Shotz agrees. “They just brought such a joy to the making of it, to the set. Being silly, having a good time, coming with the greatest energy every day that it was contagious. And the entire crew just felt it and just was having a ball the entire time we were making it.” He finishes by telling the main trio, “And that’s a tribute to you guys.”

“I don’t know if Walker talks about this,” Becky says during their press conference on a different day, “but I remember this so distinctly when we did the chemistry read, talking to his dad. And his dad wanted to help him find acting roles, and he said, ‘What kind of roles do you want to play, Walker?’ and Walker looked at him and said, ‘I want to be Percy Jackson.’ And he is Percy Jackson.”

“He is,” Rick agrees. “It’s the focus. It’s the dedication and the belief in the role.”

The same can be said for Leah Jeffries as Annabeth. The unfortunate backlash to her casting had Rick doubling down on their decision to choose her for the role. Upon seeing her in the adaptation, it was immediately obvious why she landed the role—but more on that later.

Aryan Simhadri was also praised for his portrayal of Grover. “With Aryan, he really brought Grover to life for the entire show,” Jeff White explains. “Now, for a good portion of the show, we had to essentially replace his legs with goat legs, and that meant that you can’t just walk like a normal human or it just looks very wrong. The mechanics don’t work right. So, we brought in a motion coach that worked with him in pre-production for a couple weeks. And a lot of times you have to remind actors—maybe they get lost in the scene and they sort of fall back into the way they’re used to moving. He never did. We never had to remind him at all. He would walk onto set, get in position, and then immediately go into a pose that was up on his toes so that he had all the right cadence and movement. And he wore a special set of shorts that was designed by the costumes department that would maintain all of the volume that you would have if you did have a goat leg for your upper thigh. But then all of the goat legs we did in post production through CG.”

From the page to the screen and beyond

In The Lightning Thief alone there are so many iconic moments that fans will get to see come to life on the screen. Knowing how faithful the show will be to the source material means that we’ll get to see most—if not all—of our favorites, even if it’s hard to choose which ones top the list.

But if the trio and the showrunners had to pick a favorite? It would be the Ares fight. “It turned out so well,” Aryan says of the moment where a twelve-year-old Percy Jackson decides to cross swords with the god of war. Given the small snippets we’ve seen in the trailers thus far, I’m not surprised to learn that this one stood out in everyone’s minds.

“I think one of my favorite moments is in the Tunnel of Love,” Walker adds. “Kind of a basic answer, but I think it really kind of sets up the relationship [between Percy and Annabeth] for the rest of the series.”

“Definitely,” Leah agrees. “At first, Annabeth and Percy were enemies almost to each other. Like, one is being jokey, and the other is like, ‘Stop doing that, please.’ That’s really built the character and stuff. So I do agree, when it was in the Tunnel of Love, that’s what made them realize, ‘Oh, this person is not so bad.’”

And considering where Percy and Annabeth’s relationship is headed by the time we reach Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian (and, hopefully, season 5 of the show), this will prove to be a pivotal moment for the characters, the season, and the series at large.

“Also, the Council of Cloven Elders scene was really fun,” Aryan adds. “I’m not sure if it made it to the final cut or not, but it was just this day of everyone dressed like me, and everyone was bleating. No one talked with words except for me, and by the end of the day, I could understand word by word what everything meant. It was so much fun.”

Dan Shotz has a soft spot for those scenes that we haven’t seen on screen up until this point. “For me, it was the chimera fight between Percy at the top of the [St. Louis] Arch,” he explains. “It’s just pretty epic, and Walker is amazing in it, and I’m excited for everyone to see that one.” This once again proves the show’s dedication to the source material, considering the film famously replaced this moment with a fight against a hydra because the chimera was not as recognizable to audiences.

Fans will surely be clamoring to see the Lotus Hotel and Casino as well, which is not only an important part of the Lightning Thief book but plays a pivotal role in the life of one Nico di Angelo, whom we will meet if and when Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3 gets the official green light.

Dan Henna and his team turned a disused mall into the famous hotel, building part of a casino inside and using LED screens to give the illusion of depth. He talks of splitting the Lotus Hotel into sections, with areas for modern gameplay (such as virtual reality), old slot machines, and even more sophisticated gambling and high-roller tables.

In conjunction, Tish Monaghan created boards from every decade they wanted to include within the Lotus Hotel and Casino, specifically gathering images of people traveling to Las Vegas from the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s, and beyond. As the hotel traps people within its walls and makes them forget how long they’ve been inside, it’s important to get a sense of how long some of the guests have been missing from the real world. And in order to ensure the audience didn’t miss the strangeness of the background characters, they decided all of the characters from the same decade would travel around in groups so that decade would be recognizable at a quick glimpse.

But when it comes to sets, Henna has another one that he returns to as his favorite. “I keep going back to the Underworld, to Hades’ palace,” he explains. “It’s really all of Hades’ palace, but it culminates in his little private lounge behind the throne room, where we put the Hieronymus Bosch painting, The Garden of Earthly Delights, on the wall behind him, so it had a sort of poignant poetry to it. But just the variance of being in an intimate space in such a vast, vast environment—the two things together work very well. And the environment is vast and surreal, so that in itself was pretty cool for me.”

Tish Monaghan paints a more naturalistic picture of her favorite moment from the series. “My favorite costume to design, because it was so rewarding, was the costume of Helena,” she says. “She was a tree dryad. Because it was so complicated to make. It was based on an actual tree that the locations department—I guess, you, Dan, had a hand in choosing—and we photographed it. We reproduced the bark. We reproduced the moss that was on the ground. We reproduced the look of the tree roots. And we, in combination with special effects makeup, transformed an actress into a tree. And I didn’t want her—and, like, no diss—I didn’t want her to be like Groot. I wanted her to be elegant. I wanted her to be completely believable. I wanted her to be of that tree world. I wanted it to be a complete revelation when you first see her move, that, ‘Oh my god, that’s a woman.’ And I couldn’t have been any happier with the result.”

This is, far and away, one of my favorite moments from the second episode because it created this exact reaction in me, which is even more rewarding now that I know how much effort was put into this scene. “I was there when they filmed Helena up against the actual tree in the forest,” Tish continues. “And the director was getting ready to say action, and I was like, ‘Halt! You have to have her stand so that the lines of her dress follow the lines of the tree.’ So, I said, ‘She has to tilt forward a little bit. Her hand has to be extended in such a way in order for that magical transformation to be able to work.’ And then when I saw it on camera, I was like, ‘This is so awesome.’”

But there’s more to this story than what was found within the pages of The Lightning Thief. Rick and Becky both talk of scenes that were added to the series in order to expand the world and the backstories of some fan-favorite characters.

Particularly, Becky mentions a scene between Grover and Ares that can’t be found in the book. Rick laughs and says, “The god of war and a nature spirit—it sounds like a joke—they walk into a burger joint. Hilarity ensues. But it really is an amazing scene to see them together.”

Perhaps even more exciting is the promise of scenes depicting Sally Jackson’s relationship with Poseidon prior to Percy’s birth. “It’s going to make them feel so seen and so warm to see some of the interaction with Sally and Poseidon,” Rick explains, hinting at the fact that fans have been clamoring for more of their story for years.

Becky agrees: “I’ve been mentioning a lot how I expect the fans are going to be stopping their TV and just staring—or their laptop or whatever they’re watching on—and just staring at all the details, and trying to figure out what is what and where everything is. People are gonna have to watch it again because they’re gonna have been stopping it and starting it and stopping it and starting it.”

“Absolutely,” Rick says with conviction. “I anticipate a lot of rewatching of the series.”

Final thoughts on the ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ premiere episodes

It’s difficult to describe the excitement I felt as I sat down to watch the first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher” and “I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom.” After waiting for so long, there was a sense of trepidation—what if it didn’t live up to my expectations?

I really should’ve known better.

If the various comments from the cast and crew have taught you anything, it’s to trust that the people behind Percy Jackson and the Olympians have worked hard to bring us the very best adaptation of The Lightning Thief they possibly could. Not only do they have a passion for the source material, but they have a real understanding of what makes an adaptation successful. It’s not just about translating the page to the screen to create an understandable story for those who have not read the books; it’s also about expanding the world and providing long-time fans with material that sticks to canon but expands the world beyond the borders set about by the series.

Watching Percy Jackson and the Olympians is like experiencing the book all over again for the first time.

The quality of this show is top-tier. From the set design to the costuming to the visual effects, there is nothing that leaves you wanting. Camp Half-Blood is sprawling and colorful, at once a place of magic and danger while also providing Percy with a sense of belonging that he’s never felt before. The Big House and the cabins are majestic and full of life, and each camper feels like an individual with their own intimate backstory.

Without a doubt, fans of the series will be wondering about the faithfulness of the Percy Jackson adaptation. All of the major moments from the book can be found on screen, from the inciting incident with Nancy Bobofit to the fight with the minotaur, and then the arrival to Camp Half-Blood, the exploding toilets, Capture the Flag, and the claiming.

There are a few moments that got a bit streamlined, but it works to keep the pacing on track for this adaptation. The story is always pushing forward, and yet there is plenty of time for the emotional beats that matter. Soft and quiet interactions between Percy and Sally. A true sense of Percy’s loneliness and desperation. Grover’s agony over betraying his friend’s trust. The exposition necessary to creating the foundation of this story is delivered amidst moments of action or emotional turmoil, which serves to keep the viewer as entertained as they are informed.

Even more exciting are the moments added to the adaptation which did not appear in the books. A few flashbacks with Young Percy establish how the magical world is hidden in plain sight, if only you could see through the Mist, and how he’s been surrounded by monsters his whole life. We also get a few moments with Grover on his own, expanding upon his role as a protector and showcasing the anxiety he feels over Percy’s wellbeing. I felt like I stepped into Rick Riordan’s mind and got to explore corners of the Percy Jackson universe previously undiscovered. As a fan, it’s a dream come true.

But all of the set dressing and costumes are mere backdrops to the performances on screen. Walker Scobell is Percy Jackson personified. As a character known for his sass and sarcasm, it was important to find someone who could handle Percy’s comedic timing, and Walker was born for this kind of role. Beyond that, however, is his ability to lean into Percy’s other traits—his anger and rebelliousness, his love for his mother and the vulnerability he feels when she’s gone, his loyalty and determination. To balance the sharp edges of Percy’s humor with the soft curves of his emotions takes a great actor, and yet the young Walker Scobell achieves this seemingly with ease. Each facet of this character’s personality shines through the performance, whether he’s tossing a one-liner at a god or sharing a quiet smile with his mom.

Leah Sava Jeffries stuns as Annabeth Chase, and I found myself drawn to her quiet strength. The way she hangs back and observes everyone around her speaks volumes, and her silence as a character tells me so much more than if she had a dozen monologues. Leah has the incredible ability to show you what she’s thinking through the tilt of her head, the narrowing of her eyes, and the crossing of her arms across her chest. You can see the cogs of her mind turning, analyzing her environment, drawing conclusions, and adjusting her strategy as she gains new insights and information. It is a subtle performance, and to realize this is coming from such a young actor who will continue to grow and hone her talent makes me ecstatic to realize that what we’re seeing is only the beginning.

Rounding out the trio is Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. His chemistry with Walker Scobell elevates their individual performances and the series as a whole. Those who were disappointed by the film’s portrayal of this character will be happy to learn that not only is this the Grover from the books, but that his characterization has been expanded for the show. Grover is interesting in that he holds much of the knowledge Percy needs to survive in this world and yet—perhaps because of this—he is the most hesitant to push back against the gods and immortals around him. Even over the course of these two episodes, however, we see Grover grow and emerge into a stronger, braver version of himself. Aryan brings a warmth and gentleness to the role that speaks to his maturity and the depth to which he’s thought about his character. I can’t wait to see more of his arc over the next six episodes.

It is worth stating here that while Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an action-packed series perfect for the entire family, it retains much of the silly humor from the books. In one moment, we may be shedding tears with Sally or rearing back to punch Dionysus in the face, and in the next, we’re doubled over with laugher at a brilliant one-liner. While many of these come from Percy, Grover has a few hilarious moments that attests to Aryan’s own comedic talent.

Speaking of Sally Jackson, I would be remiss to mention that she is, undoubtedly, the MVP of this series so far. Virginia Kull’s portrayal of Percy’s mother went above and beyond anything I could’ve imagined. As a beloved character from the books, I knew we were going to fall in love with her on-screen counterpart, but I had no idea of the depth of strength and vulnerability that this actress would bring to the role. I feel as though they have elevated her character, providing her with even more opportunities to showcase her strength as a mother as she stands up for herself against Gabe, while also giving us moments where we see the deep bond that has forged between her and her son. I simply cannot wait to experience those moments between Sally and Poseidon in future episodes. I know Virginia Kull is only going to continue to impress.

I’ll admit that Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue was not my first choice. I’ve always wanted a plus-sized version of this character, someone who is physically imposing in every capacity. However, Dior has won me over through her sheer ferocity. The series’ version of Clarisse is bold and even charismatic at times. There is a fervor inside her that draws you in, and you can feel that she is constantly standing on a ledge, ready to leap at a second’s notice. There was never any doubt in my mind that she is a daughter of Ares, and as one of my favorite characters from the books, I cannot wait to see how she transforms over the course of the series. Here’s to hoping we’ll get all five seasons.

Both Glynn Turman and Jason Mantzoukas embody their characters with ease. It is not difficult to feel warm and protected when in Chiron’s vicinity, both when he’s acting as Mr. Brunner and when he reveals himself to be the immortal centaur. There are moments where he holds back from telling Percy the whole truth of his situation, and yet it’s not difficult to sympathize with this decision. Chiron simply wants to protect this young child from the horrors of this new world, and though it’s not always the best choice, it is one made with sympathy and compassion.

No one will be surprised that Mantzoukas’ portrayal of Dionysus adds as much levity to the show as Percy’s sarcasm. Before he was cast in the role, Mantzoukas was a fan-favorite choice for this character, and I’m so glad the show went in this direction. He delivers his lines with a humor akin to the driest of wines, and the tension building between him and Percy provides a sweet sort of satisfaction for those of us who know how their relationship evolves over the years. That said, you never forget that Mr. D is a god, and I was impressed by the dangerous authority Jason brought to his portrayal of this character. Dionysus is a Greek god, larger than life, and just because he wears a funny shirt and cradles a can of Diet Coke like it’s his last salvation doesn’t mean he won’t smite you where you stand.

The other depiction I found particularly interesting was that of Timm Sharp as Gabe Ugliano. My memories of the book (and, if I’m being honest, the film) paint him as a verbally abusive spouse who makes both Percy and Sally’s lives miserable. The comeuppance he receives at the end of the book is not without warrant, as harsh and final as it is. That said, Timm Sharp’s Gabe is not as disgusting or disdainful. He is still the same character who provides the same purpose to the story, though he didn’t make as big of an impact on me as he did in the books. This is hardly a criticism, however, as I enjoyed the way they downplayed his cruelty in lieu of showcasing Sally’s strength and independence. I’m more than happy to see Gabe shoved further into the background in order to shine a brighter light on Sally.

If you made it through this entire article, I commend you for your dedication to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, especially because I know there are dozens of other outlets and podcasts who have put out their own spoiler-free reviews. The overwhelmingly positive reaction to the first two episodes has me feeling lighter than air. Knowing there are so many others out there who feel as strongly about these books and this adaptation makes me believe that there’s more than a small possibility we could someday see Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 5.

Until then…

Hold fast. Brave the storm.