Welcome, demigods, another year for the Camp Half-Blood! The gods watch you with interest as we enter the second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympianswhich will officially launch on Disney+ in just a few days.
Rick Riordan continues to remove the bad taste from the films that tried to bring his acclaimed saga of young adult fantasy and classic mythology to the big screen through the series in which he has most of the creative control.
1st season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians It has already become clear that many of the changes left by the films are not being repeated in the series, remaining as faithful as possible to the pentalogy novels.
So let’s go. In HobbyCinema we could see the first four episodes of season two of Percy Jackson and the Olympiansbut I will focus the criticism mainly on the first two, which are the ones that arrive December 10thalthough I will give you a more general impression.
WARNING: The review will contain spoilers for season 1 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If you’re not up to date with the series, I recommend continuing after watching the first eight episodes.
Another mission the whole world depends on
If you read the Camp Half-Blood Chroniclesyou will know very well what this second season is about. Just in case, here’s a quick reminder. These eight new episodes will be adapted The sea of monstersthe second novel, where Percy will receive a new mission.
Part of the premise of this edition was established at the end of the 1st season: on the one hand we have the Luke Castellan’s betrayal (Charlie Bushnell) and his alliance with Kronos in his attempt to return to destroy Olympus. Then we have the different individual stories of the protagonists, where I prefer not to delve too much into depth.
Camp Half-Blood will be in grave danger at the start of this season, but things have changed a lot and Percy’s allies are becoming increasingly scarce. And in case it wasn’t clear in Season 1, Dionísio, aka “Mr. D.” (Jason Mantzoukas) is not a guy you can trust very much, even when sober.
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Percy’s objective will be revealed: the Golden Fleece It’s the key to saving the camp and, in the long run, Olympus. Of course, the rules of this mythological world in which Percy was born make it difficult for everything to be as simple as simply embarking on the adventure.
Season 2 will again feature episodes that They are around the 40-45 minute rangesome a little shorter. Just don’t make them too heavy without losing your rhythm, very good in that regard.
New characters to enrich the world of Percy Jackson
Although Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) continues to be the star of the adventure, this second season diversifies much more than the first, for better or for worse. Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava’ Jeffries) gains a little more prominence, while Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), despite being important in the story, will appear much less. If you’ve read the book, you’ll know where I’m going.
The aforementioned Luke takes center stage, who presents himself as the antagonist, but also Clarisse La Rue (Dior Goodjohn), the rude daughter of Ares, who goes from being a one-off secondary to having her own plot in the season.
And we also have the addition of Tyson (Daniel Diemer), who takes on the character quickly and becomes an invaluable traveling companion for Percy, but also a point of contention in the adventure.
Although all this generates greater variety in episodesdo the the rhythm is more irregular than in the 1st season. Percy Jackson and the Olympians You’ll make good use of the interruptions and they all contribute little by little to the story, but I can’t help but have that feeling between the characters’ jumps.
The story loses one of the best aspects of season 1
There is one negative aspect that I knew I would have to include in the review, but that is unavoidable in terms of fidelity to Rick Riordan’s novel. Season 1 is a kind of road movie with many contemporary locations linked to gods and mythology.
In season 2 this will change, although in the first episodes you will notice it less. Percy’s adventure takes the protagonists, as the novel highlights, into the sea of monsters. This implies that there are fewer opportunities to have features like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis or a casino in Las Vegas.
Riordan managed to play with this as much as he could, but some of the charm that Season 1 exuded is inevitably lost in the development of the adventure. We content ourselves with those few moments in which we can connect the two worlds.
I also don’t think it’s an exaggerated level of violence to have to increase the age rating, at least compared to the 1st season. There is something, but not enough to raise your hand. Anyway, stuff about rating agencies…
In short, I think Percy Jackson and the Olympians maintains the level of its first season. It’s not perfect, but it’s a teen series with good production quality (some CGI creaks a bit) and a cast deliveredwhich is already more than some series offer today.
Next stop: The Titan’s Curse. The third season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is already in productionso the adventure continues on Disney+.
Assessment
Observation 75
The series continues in the 2nd season, although it suffers a slightly slower pace due to interruptions in the incorporation of more characters. It’s fun and snappy overall, hitting its target audience well.
The best
The new characters, and those who gain notoriety, give their all. There is a good level of CGI in general.
Worse
The rhythm is more irregular than in the first season as it has to diversify between different plots.