In December of 2025, Disney released the second season of the popular “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” TV series. Based on the even more popular book of the same name, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” follows the adventures of Percy Jackson, a teen demigod on a quest to find the magical Golden Fleece, hidden in the cave of an age-old Cyclops Polyphemus

In my opinion, the first season followed the book much better than the second. They’re both incredible, with all the young talent. Walker Scobell resumes his role as Percy, with his friends Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth and Aryan Simhadri as his satyr sidekick, Grover. The chemistry between the three friends helped transfer their own character’s close friendship through the screen. There’s a new member of their group this season, a Cyclops named Tyson. I loved Daniel Diemer as Tyson.. They casted him perfectly and made him as lovable as he is in the books.

Fans loyal to the books have a few things to say, however, about the on-screen adaption. As a “Percy Jackson” fan myself, I thought the changes just simply sped the story along, helping the second season end in eight episodes. Therefore, making the pacing just enough. Something always happens, leaving little room for boredom. For those who have made the mistake of watching the movies from 2010, the TV show is nearly perfect.

The second season is split into eight episodes, sharing the name of a few chapter titles straight from Rick Riordan’s book (“I Play Dodgeball With Cannibals”, “Demon Pigeon Attacks”, “We Board the ‘Princess Andromeda’”, “Clarisse Blows Everything Up”, “We Check In to C.C.’s Spa & Resort”, “Nobody Gets the Fleece”, “I Go Down with the Ship”, and “The Fleece Works It’s Magic Too Well”). Personally, I really love that effect, since Rick Riordan’s titles are iconic and humorous. However, I don’t exactly like how they built Percy in the show, at least in this season. In the book, he’s witty, and for lack of a better word, whimsical. On screen, Percy is serious, leaving his quips all behind. Many readers enjoyed that side of Percy, finding a laugh in most situations. It’s sad to see that all gone

However, there are a few moments that made me chuckle. Grover Underwood, the second comical relief, swoops in a few times to give some laughs. Speaking of dialogue, I felt like it was too dramatic. Granted, it is a Disney show and Disney is known for dramatics, but it felt unnatural.

The soundtrack is beautiful. The end credit song is epic and adventurous, a perfect representation of the vibe of the series. Each instrumental piece sits directly into the emotion of the scene. Bear McCreary wrote the music, and worked on the music for “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” television series as well.

The cinematography of it all was also on point. The lighting for each scene reflected exactly that emotion. During the Circe scenes, it’s really bright and innocent looking. The complete opposite is the Scylla’s scene. The lights are all dark and the camera angles are equally dramatic, focusing on the crashing waves and the damage done on the ship Percy uses for his journey into the Sea of Monsters. Scylla is the sea beast of six heads, for those unaware. Every time a crew passes through her lands, she takes six people as a sacrifice.

The special effects may have been one of my favorite behind-the-scenes parts of it all. There are numerous fight scenes in the second season, each one bloodier than the last. The faux blood, more than anything, was scarily realistic. The makeup artists went above and beyond with this, and it made the experience of watching the show all the more entertaining. 

I would recommend this show not only to loyal lovers of the original book series, but to those who love adventures and betrayals. “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is the right amount of adventure. Tensions are always high and something is always bound to happen. “Percy Jackson” is worth the wait, and won’t leave you disappointed in the end.

Season three, titled “The Titan’s Curse”, has already been cleared and teased by the official social media accounts of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”. Fans won’t have to wait long, as season three is to be released this year. The quest to the Golden Fleece might be over, but Percy’s journey is just getting started. Audiences would be wise to follow along.

4/5 stars