Yesterday, technically the day before, Percy Jackson came out on Disney+. Well, the first two episodes of Percy Jackson did, and that of course begs the question if it’s good or not. At least with what we’ve seen thus far. Obviously, two episodes in isn’t that far in. But it can at least answer the question, is this a series that you should even consider starting?

Quick Intro to Percy Jackson

It’s a good spot to start, what do you need to know getting into Percy Jackson. It’s a story of a boy who is in between two worlds. His mother is a human and his father, whoever that might be, is a god. As his powers start to manifest his human life is turned on it’s head. Monsters come after him and strange visions occur that make him feel separate. Until he finds out the truth of who he is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHb7au6Gmls&ab_channel=DisneyPlus

Initial Impressions

I’m impressed by this show and the storytelling thus far. I won’t say “thus far” all the time, as it is only two episodes in. But the show is off to a great start. The acting is good, the storytelling, like I said, is very good. I think that this will surprise a lot of people.

I know that the original movie around the books was not considered good. That isn’t something something that should worry people if they are thinking about jumping into this show. What is on Disney+ thus far is a lot more fun than that sounded. And while I need to read the books still, my wife who has, says this is much closer to that.

What Hasn’t Worked?

But that isn’t to say that this is a perfect show. I think that it’s very good and I’ll go into a lot of those details down below. A few times I think that the CGI hasn’t been quite where I want it to be. Now, that is very limited. Percy Jackson is a show with a lot of money put into it, and you can tell very quickly that the CGI is going to be solid. Once or twice I feel like I wanted it to shine more. That is a small amount when you think about some Disney+ shows recently which are rougher.

What Works?

But that is it for negative for me, I think that a lot more works than doesn’t work. And a lot of that starts with the actor they got to play Percy. It is very hard to get kid actors who do an amazing job. Walter Scobell is fun to watch in the role and provides the emotion that you want to see. And supporting characters also work really well. Like most pilots, it isn’t perfect at the start, but the actors feel like they grow into their roles even across two episodes.

I also like how this doesn’t try to be something that it’s not. This is not a YA show, this is not a show that is mainly focused on having an adult audience. This is an adventure show for middle grade readers or people who grew up loving the series. Now, that is not to say that Percy Jackson is too dumb of childish. It just means that the show is going to paced in a particular way where it moves quickly. And that a lot of the dialog that you might expect from fantasy show targeted at adults isn’t there. It is more about showing, which is good and works very well.

Speaking of that, the final thing is that I think Percy Jackson really does evoke that sense of adventure. It jumps into the story and doesn’t really stop. There are some moments of humor to it, and some where there is depth. But so much of it just feels like an adventure. If you want more than that, there are plenty of big heavy fantasy shows with dialog or fantasy comedies. But Percy Jackson is not trying to be the next Game of Thrones, nor is it extending itself out like The Hobbit did.

Who Is Percy Jackson For?

First off, I think it’s simple to say, this is for middle grade readers and those who have read Percy Jackson. But I don’t think that is where it stops. This is a show for people who want to have a light fun adventure in the middle of the winter. Percy Jackson is going to deliver that in spades as I keep on driving home.

On the flip side, I don’t know how this has happened, but a lot of reviews seem to be disappointed in that it’s a show that is like that books. If you want the next big epic fantasy series to go along with Game of Thrones and House of Dragons, I don’t know what to tell you. Percy Jackson is not going to be for you. Or if you want something with more character development and depth, probably, again, not the ideal one for you. It is what it is and that’s a good thing. If it tries to be everything for everyone, it would fail.

Final Thoughts

I’m excited to watch more. Percy Jackson definitely caught my attention watching the first two episodes. I think there is room for continued growth and improvement of the show. But for the most part, it is a show that hit the mark for me. And something like a little bit less than idea CGI is not going to bother me.

I also want to know where the story is going. Yes, I expect it to be a simple story and I expect to enjoy that story. Percy Jackson is comfort food, the story is familiar, but it still tastes good. And around winter and around the holidays when things aren’t always the most relaxing, it is nice to sit back and enjoy something like Percy Jackson.

What do you think of the first two episodes of Percy Jackson? What might you want to see more of from the show?

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