'Percy Jackson And The Olympians' Season 2 Episodes 1 & 2 Review
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Percy Jackson & The Olympians has kicked off its second season. The two-episode premiere started right in the action with Grover searching for Pan. Things escalate rather quickly, and he ends up captured by a sea monster. Then, the show cuts to Percy falling out of bed, which so far is on track to happen at least once per episode. Walker Scobell (Percy) perfectly captures the awkward teen in a fun getting ready montage that sets up the tone as a well-balanced mix of humor, action, and drama. We are introduced to a new character, Tyson, a cyclops, as Percy recounts his summer. Due to the dangers involved with demigods and cell phones, the series can recreate the trope of classmates changing over the summer.
Annabeth shows up in a taxi driven by the Gray Sisters, and the pair quickly catch up, leading to a very confused Tyson. In this dynamic, Tyson serves as the audience surrogate, catching up viewers with the events of season one. Disney also released a rather comprehensive Phineas and Ferb short recapping season one for fans who want a refresher without binging all of the first season again. Tyson’s monster status sets up the beginning of the conflict between Annabeth and Percy, although Annabeth shows enough trust in Percy to let Tyson enter the camp.
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Image Source: Disney+
Coming back to Camp Half-Blood feels like a homecoming, but the warm feelings are quickly shut down, with monsters attacking and breaking through the barrier. Percy learns that Chiron is gone and Tantalus is the new camp director, so right away, the danger is amplified and home is no longer a safe place, setting up higher stakes for the season. Then, they find Luke poisoning Thalia’s tree, further weakening the protective barrier.
The new camp director, played by Tim Simmons, brings a hilarious deadpan that offers humor to the role without diminishing his intimidating presence. His first great idea is a chariot race that pits the campers against each other and sets up a new conflict between Percy and Annabeth. While Percy and Annabeth are growing distant, Grover and Percy have never been closer. The show wastes no time establishing the empathy link between them and bringing in the oft-talked-about wedding dress scene. The empathy link allows the pair to enter each other’s dreams, see each other’s surroundings, and somehow inexplicably switch clothes.
Image Source: Disney+
Grover reveals he’s been captured by the cyclops Polyphemus and is pretending to be a girl, hence the wedding dress. When Percy and Grover end up in the same dream, Grover is wearing Percy’s camp t-shirt, and Percy is in his wedding dress. At the end of the dream, Grover asks Percy how he looks, and his response, “Beautiful,” further establishes the best friend dynamic.
Feeling all alone and betrayed by Annabeth with the pressing need to rescue Grover, Percy decides to set off on his own. He seeks Poseidon’s blessing but is disappointed when Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda) shows up instead. The two share a tense but tender moment where they unload their hurt on each other. Percy just wants his dad to notice him, and Hermes wants to save his son. Percy calls out Luke’s intentions, and Hermes just repeats with a stern and emphatic, “He’s my son.” This scene also sets up another foil where Percy is pitted against his dad as he sees a god make time for a son who is actively trying to end the legacy of all the Olympians. The next threat, Tantalus, shows up and threatens Percy with a lethal crossbow. Annabeth and Tyson show up, and the trio escape on an inflatable boat heading toward a cruise ship, thus beginning their quest.
Image Source: Disney+
Some of the strongest scenes are where the gods lower their defense and expose their vulnerabilities, making them seem more human and less like divine bureaucrats managing their kids’ affairs, often poorly, from afar. The usual pitfall of premieres is the constant need for exposition, and setting up the stakes has to come before the stakes. Percy Jackson had the advantage of being in its second season, and the new character, Tyson, gives cause for a quick recap.
The show has already cashed in a few of the threats it set up, like Luke poisoning the tree, Tantalus attacking the demigods, Grover’s captivity, and multiple monster attacks. The pacing is even and never feels like it leans too much in any one direction. Since Clarisse is now a leader of the quest, it will be interesting to see if she gets more screentime as the season progresses. Overall, it was a solid start with a good mix of established and new characters. As the season kicks off, fans of the books will want to tune in and see how this cast brings the characters to life in a faithful yet fresh way. It helps that the author Rick Riordan is heavily involved in the series, so even changes in the story or to the characters feel faithful to Percy’s world.
Rating: 9/10
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Source(s): Disney Plus
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