After nearly two years of filming and production, all the episodes of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” season two are available for fans to stream on Disney+.
The new season follows the second book in the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series, titled “Sea of Monsters.” In this season, demigods Percy and Annabeth and cyclops Tyson go on a quest to find satyr Grover and the Golden Fleece, ultimately saving Camp Half-Blood.
“The second season of Percy Jackson is a continuation of the story from the first season, with more emphasis on building up the plot with Kronos coming back to life,” art teacher Dani Perry said. “Morals and ethics are tested for each character, and we can see each character’s priorities.”
According to IMDB, members of the first season’s cast, such as Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood, Charlie Bushnell as Luke Castellan, and Dior Goodjohn as Clarisse La Rue, have all returned for the second season.
“The people who have read the books, they know, but I feel like even people who have read the books are seeing a little bit different side of Annabeth than the first season,” Jeffries said in an interview with TVInsider. “Playing that part and then being able to play a completely different person in Season 2 was a switch.”
However, there were also new additions, such as Tamara Smart, who plays Zeus’s daughter, Thalia Grace, and Daniel Diemer, who plays Percy’s half-brother, Tyson.
“I don’t know that I had a visual image for what Tyson would look like in the season, but now, it’s definitely Daniel Diemer because he embodies the character,” author Rick Riordan said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “He’s got this fantastic mix of sweetness and vulnerability, but he’s also this really big guy, and you can see that he’s got a lot of strength. He makes you fall in love with Tyson.”
While the cast brings their roles to life, it’s the characters themselves that continue to capture the audience’s attention. Perry’s favorite character is Percy’s mother, Sally Jackson.
“I think that she is such an underrated character,” Perry said. “Sally never tried to alienate Percy from his father and was always looking out for Percy. In season 2, she took in Tyson after finding him on the street. Her love is so strong, something I admire most about her.”
Like most book-to-screen adaptations, creators of the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series adjusted the plot, taking it in a slightly different direction than the original books. This can often prove difficult for creators, especially when much of the audience has read and loved the books.
“I did read the books when I was in elementary school,” Perry said. “I think that the show does a great job of keeping the important moments from the book.”
Overall, the newest season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” was met with positive feedback. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show received a 100% on the “Tomatometer” from critics and a 86% on the “Popcornmeter” from audiences.
The “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series was renewed for a third season before season two had even premiered. Filming is currently ongoing for the next season, based on the third book, “The Titan’s Curse.”
“I’m really excited for the next season,” senior Lillian Hawley said. “I hope they continue to make seasons for the rest of the books in the series and maybe even expand to the other series Rick Riordan has written.”
