I’m beginning to get very annoyed at all the changes that are happening in the PJO show.

I get that adaption changes need to be made, but there have been so many of them big and small that they are beginning to really annoy me as they pile up.

For example, it really annoys me that they sought the Lotus Casino out. The whole point of it is that it’s a trap that lures unsuspecting people in.

It’s suppose to be a mistake they make that Percy has to use his street smarts to realise is a trap and get them out of, the Lotus Casino is supposed to show the ways that Percy is smart and perceptive that Annabeth with her book smarts is not.

Instead the way they did it in the show strips agency from these characters.

Now instead of making a mistake they are tricked by Ares into going into a time trap to delay them stopping the war.

Instead of Percy being smart and getting them out, Hermes gives them the answers.

It feels much less a story about the demigods and more a story about the Gods themselves.

It was the same last episode. While I liked Percy sacrificing himself, it became a story where the demigods need to be saved by the Gods.

Instead of Percy, Annabeth and Grover working together to save themselves from Hephaestus trap, Percy gets stuck in it and Annabeth has to plead to Hephaestus to save them.

I want to watch my favourite books - where the demigods overcome the odds often despite the help of the Gods.

I don’t want to watch whatever this is - where the demigods get themselves stuck and then have to rely on the capricious Gods to save them.

Percy Jackson spoilers and criticism below.

I see people complain about how the show just has the characters figuring out things way too quickly (I completely agree with this.) Then I see people complaining about that criticism saying things like “Oh it makes sense! They would know that because Annabeth’s been at camp, Grover is a satyr, and Percy’s mom taught him about the myths!” However, there is a difference between them knowing about the stories and them IMMEDIATELY figuring each potential trap/situation out and zapping the energy from the scenes.

These same instances in the book usually involve a feeling of unease, something feels off, things seem kind of familiar, and it slowly dawns on them what they are dealing with OR they are escaping one situation to be thrust into another and don’t have time to think about it at all. There’s tension, there’s drama. I’m here for it. The show on the other hand? Oof.

Also the circumstances in which they encounter these situations in the book greatly influence how things go. They are human(ish) after all and them getting into these messes makes them easier to connect to as characters. Let’s break it down a little more there.

- With Medusa they were lost in the woods and hungry. The smell of food lured them in. They were hungry children dang it! From the circus lol (Honestly, this instance didn’t bother me too much in the show when I first watched it because it was early on before the knowing things too soon became an ongoing theme.)

- With the Lotus Hotel and Casino they were tired and feeling grimy, having just traveled in the back of a truck with a bunch of animals in horrible conditions. It was scorching hot outside. They were absolutely exhausted and wound up there where a doorman invited them in and it was a relief to have somewhere to take a break, recoup and figure out their next move. Once inside they had access to a shower! There were snacks. Plus the place was incredible. It also showed their interests with Annabeth being drawn in to trivia and city building games, Percy liked the bungee jumping! Grover played a reverse hunting game! Percy figured out the trap by asking a guy using 70s slang and dressed to match, what year it was. He kept asking and getting different answers. Then he was able to snap Annabeth out of it by describing spiders, which he knew she had a fear of from the Tunnel of Love ride. (This whole scene in the show was such a let down, so was the Tunnel of Love scene but I’ll leave that alone for now.)

- With Crusty they were on the run and dashed into the store. This encounter is one of my favorite moments of Percy’s quick thinking in the books btw. Also his absolute lack of hesitation to slice someone’s head if they mess with his friends. Percy is smart. He’s very street smart actually. In the book this scene shows that really well. (The way I paused the show in frustration and almost turned it off when the episode started already at Crusty’s with the line “I know who you are.” Like of course. That’s just how we’re telling this story now. Check. They met Crusty. And he doesn’t feel like a threat at all. But they met him I guess.)

The exhaustion and the circumstances in these instances in the book and getting into these traps aren’t the trio being “stupid.” They were moments that set up the situation to feel more relatable, alive, tense, and interesting. The show’s changes have taken away most of the tension from these scenes. Them knowing and catching on to things so quickly is lazy and it is incredibly boring. It just feels like they are checking off a list of places from the books they wanted in the show, while losing the entire energy and impact of those locations and scenes.

To me everything in this show feels like it’s at 20%. The humor, the stakes, the tension, the personality, the freaking lighting (why is so much of this show so hard to even see?), the whimsy, the magic, the charm. It’s all so dialed back and watered down. The book is a roller coaster of making you laugh and putting you on the edge of your seat with the tension and situations these kids get into. It’s campy, it’s intense, it’s crazy, and so energetic. The show feels bland in comparison. Idk how you manage to make Percy Jackson feel boring but they did it.

I’m not asking for it to be an exact copy of the book. I’m just disappointed with how dull it is. When it’s boring and it’s a scene that was the furthest thing from that in the original version then YES I’m going to compare it and wonder why there were changes to make it less interesting. In fact, my favorite scene in the show so far is actually the taxi in the parking garage scene. It captured the energy and vibe of Percy Jackson really well and it’s a scene not in the books at all. The energy is important and this show is lacking severely most of the time. It has some really good moments (back to that 20% thing) but overall it’s such a let down.

We have one episode left of the season and I don’t exactly have high hopes of it making things better. It just makes me sad because I wanted to love this series. The incredibly talented cast, a major studio behind it, passionate people being involved including the author, amazing source material… I look at all of the ingredients and it should be amazing. But I’m pretty disappointed right now.

Where is the lie.

soooooo many of the pjotv problems would be solved if they had more time per episode. they’re trying to fit in all the major plot points from the books but bc the season is so short all of them are rushed. like the kids knowing each monster before being attacked, the plot holes, etc. bring back 22 episode tv shows.

Percy Jackson Tv Show: Failing to meet expectations

I just think Rick Riordan should have been more honest from the start that it wouldn’t be a page for page adaption. Because that was not the vibes he was giving in the past, he always made it seem like it would be a faithful adaptation. And sure it’s loyal to the book but a faithful adaptation?

No, instead almost everything is changed, and sure we end up with the same result in the end but I understand why people are disappointed about it not being like in the books. Especially when that’s what you expected.

I just think he should have been more clear on the fact that its a new spin on the book we all know and love, and yet still keeps its core values

( this has nothing To Do with the actors, They are doing the best They can with the material they’ve been given)

On a blog post back in april in 2022 he wrote this

And sure it might just be because I’m older and seeing it from another perspective. But I honestly think the show lacks depth. And instead of getting trio content, we get so much Percabeth, and yes I love Percabeth but they are a trio and yet it just feels like Percabeth plus Grover.

why was every other shot the trio explaining something. why cant you just SHOW us 😭

I love the new Percy Jackson show but if you don’t, that is fine! We don’t have to agree to be fandommates. HOWEVER if your issue with the show is that it doesn’t match the book as well as you’d like, I’d suggest checking out the Percy Jackson musical: it’s as close as they can get it in 19 songs and I absolutely adore it!

listen like. people are totally entitled to their opinions and criticisms of the pjo show but. sometimes it’s just hard to hear/read. I know the show isn’t perfect but seeing the cast & producers talk about it and seeing the level of love and excitement theyve put into the work, idk, I feel for them having people tear it to shreds. criticising the author himself for not adapting it well when he’s doing something different with a new medium, saying they’re sorry for the kids who love the books but have to act in this “terrible” show as if these kids aren’t THRILLED by the opportunity and just so committed to giving the show their best.

(watch the behind the scenes documentary. seriously.)

again totally valid criticisms & opinions!! but you win some and lose some in an adaptation. eg. trying to expand on themes, keep a consistent tone, appeal to a broader audience (including those of us who loved the books as kids but are now!!! adults!!!), keep within budget, etc etc all these things involve some trade offs. sure some of the humour and goofiness has been lost but we also get amazing beautifully acted scenes that really expand on core themes of family or who is a monster etc etc.

speaking on a personal level I have had a hard time these past few months and this show became a genuine escape, a way for me to connect with my sister watching the episodes together, a rediscovery of my inner 12 year old who waited so long for this. and I know there are people who are like me and they had certain expectations and that’s why they’re disappointed and that’s so valid, but it’s a lot of negativity sometimes, & I just wish we could give a little grace bc making a creative thing is hard, and pleasing everyone with that creative thing is impossible, and most of all, maybe we could revel a little bit more in this unique complex piece of work that lots of people poured their hearts into with nothing but the best of intentions.

I absolutely love the new Percy Jackson show and everything but gods will I forever have a bone to pick with Rick for the way he made tons of people think Ares is a shit dad.

No, Ares freaking loves his kids, he cares for them in ways that were looked down upon.

Like that is one of the few things we actually see (consistently) in his myths, which there aren’t a lot, and it’s that he actually cares a lot about his kids. He cries when they die, he wants revenge against their killers, he is protective of them.

I was hoping the new writing team would do some more research, but they have just double down-ed on this, which I guess makes sense given how Ares is seen in modern culture, but gods does it hurt to see. No hate to the actor by the way, he did an incredible job with what he was given.

TL;DR: I hate how modern media presents Ares as an uncaring father, something that goes against one of his few mythological traits.

Pros of this Episode:

Annabeth ripping into Procrustes every time he speaks by threatening to cut off his head. She is Done TM and I am so proud of her

Percy being a New Yorker once again, lying through his teeth, and calling them suckers. Also RIP to “it was a big bathtub” but “I mean…we’re all dying…to some extent” SLAPS

Grover and Percy looking at each other after finding the Master Bolt like “oh shit oh fuck oh shit oh fuck” I felt that

Hades and his Fruity Little Vibe, being so flamboyant and over-the-top but also still nice in his own way, You go Glen Coco

Sally. Everything with Her, Sally and Percy, Sally and Poseidon, Sally and the bitchass principal, Sally. Sally Jackson. End of story.

Cons of this Episode:

So I’m not a fan of- *gunshot, I am killed instantly*

I just don’t understand how some people will sit here and nitpick these shows. Because of course I want it to be accurate, but more than anything I want it to have the same heart as the original. I want to be able to immerse myself in that world, not criticize every single thing that might not be the same. I want to experience my childhood again, and this show did that. Regardless of any differences, it had the essence of the book, so who cares about the details? This is what I waited years for, and it’s finally here and god damn it I’m gonna enjoy every second and experience the warm fuzzies again.

pjo doodles/memes lol

While I’m really enjoying a lot of things with the Percy Jackson show and I think the kids in particular are doing a great job, I can’t help but feel a slight dissapointment about it overall. I really want to like it more than I actually do.

It feels kind of watered down. The action. The intensity. The humor. The sass. The stakes.

Let the show feel stressful more often. Let it be intense for more than a few seconds. Let Percy be the little turd that he is. (Walker can absolutely pull it off, we’ve seen some great moments, but give him more to work with!) Let it be sillier. Let it be over the top when it needs to be.

Idk it just feels like someone higher up is out there asking for everything to be dialed back and it’s making the show kind of boring. Which is something I do not associate with Percy Jackson. I’m rereading The Lightning Thief currently and there are several scenes where I just WISH they would have let them have it in the show. I know Walker, Leah and Aryan would have absolutely nailed them! But I’m not the one deciding what is or isn’t in the show lol

It’s not bad. There are times where it is super charming and amazing and I ADORE those moments and fan girl about them and such lol But overall I’m hoping it gets better as it goes. I see people praising it as perfection and then a few who absolutely hate it so I just thought I’d share my opinion that is somewhere in the middle. It’s not perfect, it’s not bad, it’s just not as good as I was hoping, at least so far.

"If you want the show to be exactly like the book how about you go read the book-"

No.

How about if you want a different story told them you go watch a different show with different characters, different personalities and different storyline??

look obviously i don’t know the guy but i feel like 2009 rick riordan would fist fight 2024 rick riordan

The Percy Jackson tv show: Audience treatment

First and foremost I like the show, and I’m well aware that I’m not the target audience anymore but it really feels like the creator’s don't trust their audience at all. 

They don’t seem to trust that the audience can understand what’s happening unless they are spoon fed everything. And yes the show is for kids, but I was 12 when I first read the book and I had no problem understanding what was happening despite not being told outright at times. 

Have kids today completely lost the ability to understand any media unless they are told what's happening? Just because it’s a kids show doesn’t mean there can’t be any tension. But for some reason they have entirely removed all the tension, and I have no idea if it’s because of Disney’s involvement or just because of Rick Riordan. But there is no tension in the show, everything is just being told to the audience. The trio aren’t allowed to be kids and fall into traps anymore, instead they immediately know everything, and it just makes it so boring. It’s like creators had a bullet list of things to add and just took the bare minimum and went that’s good enough.

One of the first you learn both in school as a writer, is the quote “ show not tell”. And yet the show is only doing the tell part. It was the most obvious at first during episode 2, for example when Chris says Luke is the greatest sword fighter in 100 years at camp, and yet we barely see him fight, except for a few seconds in Capture the Flag. I’m still disappointed they took away Percy’s first sword lesson because I just think that’s an important scene to have, in order to show why Percy can fight so well later in Capture the flag. 

I just wish they would show more things. For example Lotus hotel in the book, Percy notes how Annabeth plays an architect game, you could easily show something like that in the show, and make people understand oh Annabeth likes to build things.