Although the correct title is “demigod,” Percy Jackson makes for a perfect Disney prince. Author Rick Riordan’s series, a modern-day, YA twist on Greek mythology, as written for kids, has maintained Disney-like heights of popularity with young readers for nearly 20 years. Although its fanbase has aged up since the first novel’s 2005 release, The Olympians books still exposes kids to fantasy at a young age.
It’s fitting, then, that the new Disney+ series—entitled Percy Jackson and the Olympians (premiering Dec. 20 with its first two episodes, before debuting new chapters weekly)—is perfectly suited to welcome youngsters into the realm of fantasy television. Enjoyable for not only established fans and young newcomers, but also folks of all ages, the series is a wonderful feat of adaptation and genre storytelling.
We first meet Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) years before the series’ present-day storyline begins, back in second grade. Even as a young boy, Percy, we learn, has been burdened by the recurring thought that he’s not an average kid: Words don’t make sense on paper; he’s frequently distracted by larger-than-life daydreams; and he’s bullied at school. His mother, Sally (Virginia Kull), has spent most of her adult life trying to make Percy’s life a little easier by telling him it’s okay to be a little different. His friend Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) helps to make him feel less alone too.
Then, jumping forward to the show’s present day, 12-year-old Percy still finds his mind wandering, resulting in a climactic event during a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Percy suspects something is up, feeling his spidey (demigodly?) senses tingle with some sort of danger on the way. Turns out one of his teachers (Megan Mullaly) is actually a winged monster. Amidst the chaos, Percy suddenly uses something like the Force (but more godly) to push the biggest bully into the fountain outside the Met. Usual middle school antics, right? Maybe not. Percy finds himself expelled from school, and soon, he is surrounded by other gods, setting up our world—even Grover is goat-legged. Percy’s mom Sally (Virginia Kull) rushes the boys off to Camp Half Blood, where Percy will learn how to be a demigod with kids just like him, with one human parent and one god parent. For once in his life, Percy isn’t an outcast—he’s just like everyone else.
It’s hard not to root for this doe-eyed kid the minute we lay eyes on him; Percy is an impeccable, adorable protagonist. It can be tricky to find a great child star—not too young, talented, and looks the part—but a sweetly naive Scobell fits the bill with ease. Leah Sava Jeffries and Simhadri are equally delightful as new besties (slash love interest?) Annabeth Chase and Grover, a hilarious combination of spunky stubbornness and wise level-headedness, respectively; between them, an unforgettable trio is born. These three have what it takes to become big names one day; by making an army of Percy Jackson fans fall in love with them, though, they may have already done the trick.
The fantastical elements live up to the energy the kids bring to the show. The show pits the kids up against an array of beasts, from Medusa to a minotaur. These beasts are impressive, but never too scary, fit for kids and older viewers alike. Equally, the magical world of Camp Half Blood serves as an enviable getaway from city life—each cabin is dedicated to a different god, with Percy’s Poseidon lair serving as an aquatic piece of artistry. Percy Jackson’s world-building and magical elements create Disney+’s finest visual TV work since WandaVision.
As soon as Percy Jackson sets its lead out on his monomyth, the series takes its time to develop the story. It slowly unravels characters’ interpersonal relationships while moving Percy and his pals’ journey to fix a quarrel between the gods forward. This isn’t a movie, which might be confined to a set run time. The characters spend a much-needed day of relaxing at camp while figuring out what’s going on around the cabins, allowing the viewers to get to know them better. We’re not rushing through each new monster. The original Lightning Thief novel is fairly long for a YA book, so an elongated series format is the ideal method.
What makes Percy Jackson and the Olympians work so well is that it is, first and foremost, a show for a tween and teen audience. Unlike the original movie adaptations of the first and second book, released in 2010 and 2013—which saw teenagers playing aged-up versions of characters originally written as 12-year-olds—the show hews more closely to its source material’s premise, which was aimed at younger kids. By being for and about kids, Percy Jackson is unburdened by the pressure to be a show that pleases the behemoth preexisting fanbase that’s been waiting for a Riordan-backed adaptation since 2005.
But if I had to guess? Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be exactly what fans have been waiting for, too. The series toes the line between fun nostalgia for older fans and a freshening up the franchise nearly two decades after it began.
