tek's rating:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, on Disney+
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Caution: spoilers

This is based on the book series of the same name, by Rick Riordan, who was also involved in making this show. I haven't read those books, but I have seen a couple of movies that were based on the same books. Apparently, most fans of the books didn't like the movies, and I think they generally think this series is better than the movies. I'm afraid I found the movies more entertaining than this series, and I feel bad about that. Maybe if I had read the books I'd like the show more. I do like the show, but I feel like I'm being a bit generous by rating it two smileys rather than, like, one and three quarters. At any rate, I'm glad I watched the series.

Season One
So, there's this 12-year-old kid named Percy Jackson, who learns that he is a demigod. His mother, Sally, takes him to Camp Half-Blood, which is a safe haven for the illegitimate offspring of gods and humans, like Percy. There he learns that his friend Grover Underwood is actually a satyr. He befriends a counselor named Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell, whom I knew from Diary of a Future President). Luke is the son of Hermes. Percy gets on the bad side of the daughter of Athena, Annabeth Chase, who is like the best fighter at the camp. By the end of the second episode, Percy learns that his father is Poseidon. He also learns that Zeus (Lance Reddick) has accused him of stealing the Master Bolt, and he must return it in order to avert a war between Zeus and Poseidon. Of course, Percy hadn't stolen it, so he sets out on a quest, accompanied by Grover and Annabeth, to find the Bolt and return it to Zeus. Also, just before arriving at Camp Half-Blood, Percy's mother was seemingly killed by a Minotaur, but Percy learns she's actually still alive, being held in the Underworld by Hades. So he also plans on rescuing her.

Along the way, the three of them have various adventures, and meet various gods and monsters. I don't want to spoil any details of that, except to say that Percy and Annabeth become friends. And despite failing to meet the deadline for returning the Master Bolt, Percy does manage to avert war, with the help of his father, who surrenders to Zeus before the war could start. And there's a mid-credits scene involving Percy's stepfather, Gabe, which was kind of cool. (He deserved what happens to him.)

Anyway... I don't know why I didn't care for the series more than I did. I thought the story was fine, the acting was fine, everything about it was fine. I have no actual complaints about it. Maybe the pacing was a bit too slow for my liking, but there were interesting things happening in every episode. So I just don't know. But I am looking forward to season two. I'll also say I liked some of the guest stars. Camp Half-Blood's director is Dionysus (Jason Mantzoukas, whom I know from other things). Hephaestus was played by Timothy Omundson. Hermes was played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Procrustes was played by Julian Richings. And there were probably other familiar faces I didn't notice.


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