by Rebekah Sherman
With easy access to television shows through streaming applications like Netflix and Disney +, the decision of selecting one show over another may seem difficult. If you have access to Disney +, you may want to try watching the new television show “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”. I rate “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” a nine out of ten based on character analysis, the actors’ performances, the plot, and themes.
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” television series is based on Rick Riordan’s novel,”Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”, and is based on Greek mythology. The television show centers around the twelve-year-old character, Perseus (Percy) Jackson, who discovers he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. The television series focuses on Percy’s journey as he embarks on a quest across America with his friends Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood to save his mom, Sally Jackson, and to find Zeus’ missing lightning bolt to stop a war between Zeus, the god of the sky, and Poseidon. Also, Zeus believes that Percy is the lightning thief. On their adventure, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover encounter fighting monsters and meet Greek gods as they find the lightning bolt in an unlikely place and realize the unexpected identity of the lightning thief.
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” television series consists of eight episodes, which are approximately a half-hour to forty minutes in length. The first two episodes, titled “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher” and “I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom,” premiered on Disney + on December 19, 2023. The other six episodes were released on Tuesdays at 9 P.M. Eastern Time from December 26 to January 30. The six-episode titles are in chronological order: “We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium,” “I Plunge to My Death,” “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers,” “We Take a Zebra to Vegas,” “We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of,” and “The Prophecy Comes True.” Interestingly, the titles of the episodes reflect Rick Riordan’s chapter titles in his original novel, starting with the first episode, which is Riordan’s first chapter title.
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” television series is rated TV-PG and is categorized as a Family, Fantasy, and Action-Adventure television series. The television series was written by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg and directed by James Bobin and Anders Engström. The executive producers of the television series include Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Jonathan E. Steinberg, and James Bobin.
Important cast members of the television series include Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Azriel Dalman as Young Percy, Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood, Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes, Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson, Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan, Glynn Truman as Chiron, the Camp Half-blood director and centaur, and the recently deceased actor Lance Riddick as Zeus. I felt that the actors, especially Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, and Leah Jeffries, excellently portrayed their characters and represented a diversity of heroes as role models for all generations.
Personally, I enjoyed diving into the life of Percy Jackson, observing how he was able to overcome various challenges, and watching how Percy’s friendship with Grover and Annabeth strengthened over time. Although Grover is a satyr, which is a mythical creature that is half human and half goat in appearance, I liked that Grover is a relatable character. Grover comes off as a nervous and anxious character, but Grover is also observant, intelligent, and brave. I liked how Annabeth represents a strong, clever, loyal young girl whom viewers may admire and hope to be like. In my opinion, the eight episodes are as exciting and intriguing as the titles suggest.
I enjoyed watching the performances of Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, and Leah Jeffries, including their reactions, voice fluctuations, body language, and facial expressions. Aryan Simhadri blinks several times in rapid succession throughout the series, which adds to Simhadri’s authentic portrayal of Grover’s innocence and gentle nature as a satyr. In “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers,” I liked how Leah Jeffries portrays Annabeth as a loyal friend to Percy, especially during her passionate speech to Hephestus, the god of blacksmiths and craftsmen, where Annabeth chooses friendship over glory. After watching the entire series, I thought that Leah Jeffries’ and Aryan Simhadri’s performances were exceptional, especially because they represented minorities and defied racial stereotypes and injustice.
In “We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of,” I liked how the episode includes flashbacks to Percy’s childhood during the process of Sally Jackson enrolling Percy in a private school. I thought that Azriel Dalman did an excellent and realistic performance of a young child who is unhappy to leave his mother. However, my critique is that the character Sally Jackson seemed to be impatient with young Percy and cared less about Percy’s feelings and more concerned about her own. I would have liked to have seen Sally Jackson have more compassion and affection towards Percy as a mother figure.
Another critique I have concerning the show: I felt that some of the fighting scenes were rushed, specifically with Percy’s first battle scene in “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher” and Percy’s fight with a god in “The Prophecy Comes True.” I would have liked to have seen more realistic fighting where the battle lasted longer, especially because Percy is an inexperienced fighter who is up against professionals. Having longer fighting sequences in these two episodes would help show the realistic struggle of overcoming a difficult and experienced fighter.
The television series includes themes like diversity, strong female characters, and complicated family dynamics, especially involving the concept of good and bad parenting. The theme of physically and mentally strong female characters is represented by the character Annabeth, who heroically braves monsters alongside her fellow quest mates, Clarise, Camp Half-blood’s bully, and other female characters like the monster Medusa. I feel that in today’s modern American society, many different children and adults may connect to the characters represented in the series who have complicated family dynamics. Two examples include Percy’s father being absent during Percy’s childhood, while the character Luke Castellan detests his father, Hermes, although Hermes loves Luke. My critique of the series is that the theme of complicated family dynamics may be too complex of an idea for younger children and might take away from the enjoyment of the series, as in “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers,” which addresses the story of the Greek god Hephestus who experiences rejection from his mother and wife. I would recommend this show for preteens, teens, and adults.
However, as a caution, if you have photosensitivity, watching the episodes might give you a headache because of the flashing light sequences.
Whether you live stream all eight episodes in one sitting or watch one episode during your spare time, the action-packed episodes are a refreshing break from reality. Overall, I rate”Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” television series a nine out of ten.
