u/AlmightyZ19

Earlier this year, I finally decided to watch the show. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. When I read the books in middle school, like many of you I'm sure, I fell in love with them. So I'm so surprised how much this shows fails- not just as an adaptation, but as a standalone television series.

I think season 1 laid a horrible foundation for this show. And I believe the biggest fault was how it handled our characters, which lead to them losing much of their depth and affects long term character arcs. For some examples:

• Grover's motivation for joining the quest doesn't come from a need to prove his bravery to the council and makeup for failing Thalia. And his goal to find Pan feels like an afterthought. It's introduced in episode 4, then just happens to get his license by the end of the season.
• Annabeth is stiff and unable to adjust handling the real world, with her sole identity is being a demigod. Yet going back to living with her dad after 5 years is treated so casually and undermines the emotional weight of her arc.
• Chiron isn't a close mentor to Percy and loses so much agency in the story. Most of the myths Percy learns comes from Sally, and he wants to keep the info about Sally being alive away from Percy because "the truth can be very dangerous, if it isn't handled carefully."

Curious to hear how others feel about these specific character changes looking back on Season 1 now? Do you think there was a bigger issues from Season 1? Do you think these writing choices made it harder to build up the team dynamics for Season 2 and upcoming 3?

Hello,

I just finished my first long-form video essay focusing on the first season of Disney's Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Having loved the books since middle school, I was severely disappointed with how the show handled the material as both an adaptation and a standalone TV series.

In the essay, I do an episode-by-episode breakdown examining key issues. Which includes:

• Watered-down characters: How major character arcs and dynamics were stripped of their depth.
• Adaptation choices: Changes that break long-term story setups and lore/worldbuilding.
• Dialogue & Pacing: The reliance on constant exposition rather than visual storytelling and subtlety in the dialogue.

If you enjoy long-form media analysis and book-to-screen adaptation breakdowns, I’d love to hear your thoughts! I plan to do a series with Season 2 next and Season 3 when it releases.