Since Disney announced the production of a Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV Show series, the Percy Jackson fandom has been in a state of wild excitement about pretty much any and all news we get.
There was some controversy at the beginning, but the closer it got into the release of this adaptation, the more fans accepted the show as their own and settled down about minor spats with casting and plot changes.
Despite some naysayers who still hate-watch it just to rant, most of the fandom is in agreement: the show is the greatest adaptation we have ever seen before, trumping both the two attempted movies (which really is setting the bar low) and even the widely beloved musical. New and old fans alike fell in love with the beautiful setting, the incredible actors, and even the slight deviations from the original books.
After the release of the first season, which rightly impressed everyone in both the book and movie industry, everyone waited with bated breath for the highly anticipated second season, clinging to the smallest teasers from Instagram posts and little behind-the-scenes clips taken by bystanders. The fandom entered December in a state of exultation, and exploded when the first two episodes dropped on the 10th. Just as expected, the two-episode premiere was phenomenal, with many critics calling it even better than the first and winning a wide range of awards for acting, visuals, and animation.
The acting crew, for one, absolutely blew it out of the water with a highly respectable cast, including well-known actors such as Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes, Adam Copeland as Ares, and Jason Mantzoukas as Mr. D, as returning fan-favorites from season one. Major new faces in Season 2 include Daniel Deimer, playing Percy’s little brother Tyson, Tamara Smart as Thalia Grace, Andra Day as Athena, Timothy Simons as Tantalus, Rosemarie DeWitt as Circe, and Beatrice Kitsos as Alison Simms. Two characters have been recast, the most notable of which is Courtney B. Vance taking over the role of Zeus following the tragic and unexpected passing of the beloved actor Lance Reddick. Vance is doing a fantastic job taking over the role of Zeus and finishing Reddick’s last work. The second, and less important, recast is Chris. The original actor was Andrew Alvarez, and since the character was a minor one in season one, Riordan has said that they did not thoroughly think through his character arc. For Chris’s new importance in the second season, the producers thought it wise to recast Kevin Chacon to fit the role better, and Alvarez was recast as a minor character named Theo.
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Season Two seems to be facing a more practical mindset than the first season, in regard to sets and effects. Although CGI is often used for different monsters and creatures, much of the show was filmed on site in Canada and various other locations for more authenticity, shying away from the more CGI and visual effects aspect of the first season. Much of the props and prosthetics to make small details such as Grovers horns, and the giant Polyphemus, were completely practical, and it looks fantastic. All that not to say that the CGI team didn’t do well- the special effects were really well done as well. Percy Jackson and the Olympians was actually the very first TV show to use ILM’s Canada-based volume. All VFX and CGI was done by the Industrial Light and Magic team in Canada, the effects company started by George Lucas in California for the creation of Star Wars, which went on to be a trailblazer in the special effects industry, working on blockbusters such as Indiana Jones, E.T., all of Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Polterguist, and much, much more. In fact, ILM was the one to suggest stepping away from visual effects- they don’t only do CGI, after all. As ILM is aware, no movie or show should be all computer-generated effects- the CGI should complement the practical effects and stagecraft to make it as effective and seamless as possible.
Plot changes in all forms of media have been highly debated and extremely controversial for years, but Percy Jackson’s writing team seems to be on the right track. The story is consistent, engaging, and calling back to the first season. Although the plot has not stayed exactly the same, with new characters, small details audited, or plot changes, the soul of Percy Jackson has never left, giving fans the same feeling as they got from the book. One of the biggest plot deviations this season is the introduction of a new character, Alison Simms, a rebel demigod fighting with Luke Castellan (one of the main villains). Alison’s character added a lot of great diversity to the plot, making Luke seem a bit less of a villain and more conflicted, which many Luke fans really enjoyed.
All in all, the newest season of Percy Jackson has done absolutely terrific in all aspects of filming, production, and story and makes those waiting for Season 3 to be excited to see where the show goes.
