Review: ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Season 2 Premiere
It’s been two years since the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series debuted on Disney+. Now the season 2 premiere episodes have thrown us right back into this world, and from the first minutes, it looks like we’re in for another great adaptation of the books.
The first season was all about Percy (Walker Scobell) discovering the truth that he was a demigod, facing monsters, forming long-lasting friendships, and finding out that Fate and Prophecy weren’t just stories. Season 2 does something bigger and much more courageous compared to the previous season.
Now that Percy knows who he is, he has to look for another quest to fight and prove he is worthy of being Poseidon’s (Toby Stephens) son. These first two episodes really feel like they are a worthy start to the new season. The pacing, the visuals, and especially the emotional moments are better than the first.
[Warning: Spoilers from seasons 1 and 2 are discussed below!]
The story in season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The plot of the two premiere episodes moves fast, but it doesn’t feel chaotic. What it does best is throw Percy and his friends into a world they know has changed in the last year. Camp Half-Blood isn’t the safe haven it once was.
We soon learn that Thalia’s tree has been poisoned by Luke (Charlie Bushnell) to weaken the camp’s defenses. That tree isn’t just a simple scenery. It’s an important part of the magical boundary that protects the entire camp. With it dying, the camp’s defenses are failing, and monsters now test those defenses like never before.
When Percy, Annabeth (Leah Sava’ Jeffries), and a new character, Tyson (Daniel Diemer), make it to Camp Half-Blood, it isn’t a safe and peaceful return. Instead, they walk into a situation where authority has changed and all decisions are questionable.
Chiron (Glynn Turman) is gone, replaced by Tantalus (Timothy Simons) as the acting leader. This causes a lot of tension about how to handle newcomers, especially someone like Tyson, who looks like a monster to everyone except those who truly know him.
The first two episodes also delve into exploring Grover’s (Aryan Simhadri) absence in an interesting way. Instead of sidelining his narrative completely, the show uses Percy’s dreams as an emotional connection to his best friend to both save him and find the Golden Fleece, which can cure the Thalia’s Tree. Through these visions, Percy learns Grover has been lured and captured by the cyclops Polyphemus, who is exploiting satyrs with the Golden Fleece.
That Golden Fleece becomes the catalyst for everything that follows. When Percy realizes the Fleece could heal Thalia’s tree and save Camp Half-Blood’s defenses, the plot shifts quickly. But nobody in authority initially wants to authorize this mission. That forces Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson to go on a rogue quest alone. With the help of Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda), they’ll get to the Sea of Monsters and will have gadgets to help them.
Character evolution for Percy, Annabeth and others
One of the most important things about these episodes and this new season is how much growth there is in the characters. Especially given that Percy’s story is still in its early stages compared to the books that have come out recently.
Percy himself is now a more grounded and better tactical thinker. In the first season, he was reacting to the new reality that he was in. Learning the truth about monsters, gods, betrayal, true myths, and all of that was just too much for him. Now he’s reacting with more understanding and not with that huge amount of panic.
He’s aware that his choices matter not just to him but to everyone around him. He carries the weight of that responsibility, and Percy is braver, but he’s also more thoughtful. When he makes decisions now, you can feel the hesitation and calculation behind them, not just impulsiveness. The stakes are personal, and his reactions reflect that.
Annabeth has always been a clever and strong character, but this season her role gets even deeper. She’s not just another brilliant strategist in the group. She’s someone who carries her own doubts and fears with the events that are about to come. Furthermore, she has her own internal conflicts about leadership, about how much to risk for her friends, her feelings for Percy, and about her place in this growing chaos.
Grover, while absent from the group, is still a part of Percy’s journey. Thanks to those short scenes, they keep the emotional bond alive while giving the rest of the characters moments to grow without him.
Then there’s Tyson. A character introduced in the first episode of this season in a way that could have easily felt clumsy but is much better than in the books. This version of Tyson is more than just “the cyclops.” We see early on that he’s been bullied, isolated, and looking for a place to belong.
The show gives him a lot of space to shine and adds some emotional depth, showing not just his physical strength but his vulnerability, his loyalty, and his kindness. His bond with Percy isn’t instant, but it’s growing when they both learn that Tyson is another of Poseidon’s sons.
Notable differences between season 2’s story and Rick Riordan’s books
As an adaptation of The Sea of Monsters, this season takes what is one of the most beloved early books in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series and makes some changes in an intriguing way. Fans who read the book will recognize core aspects of the story that were present, like Thalia’s tree, the Golden Fleece, Tyson’s existence, Grover in danger, and more. But the show isn’t afraid to jump between those arcs and slightly change them to match the show. And it really works.
For instance, in the books, Percy doesn’t immediately know Tyson is a cyclops. The show reveals his existence in the first minutes of episode 1, making him more central to the plot right away. This helps to deepen Percy’s emotional journey when he learns Tyson is his half brother.
The scene with Luke poisoning Talia’s tree was also added. As in the book, it’s revealed much later that he did this. It’s not known immediately. The creators proved with season 1 that some changes were for the better, and at least for me, none (so far) were for the worse.
The season 2 premiere episodes bring hope for a good adaptation of The Sea of Monsters
By the end of the second episode, it’s clear that Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 brings a lot of promise that the second book in the series will get a worthy adaptation. The storytelling so far respects the source material’s core while making bold choices to change pacing, character focus, and narrative structure.
The stakes are higher, the tone more serious, and the mythology feels more vibrant than ever. It all adds up to a season opener that satisfies fans of the books and builds a foundation with more depth, heart, and love for the character.
Also check out Guide to the World of Percy Jackson
