What ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Was Missing: Percy Isn’t Percy Without the Signature Humor

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is a story of mythic proportions. In a comical mishmash of idiosyncratic Greek gods, terrifying monsters, and absolutely ordinary dams, a teenage demigod navigates the challenges of the American education system — such as a demonic winged pre-algebra teacher — while waging war against all-powerful, primordial beings. Percy Jackson has no problem finding extracurricular activities, but whether he’ll survive past his teenage years is uncertain.

Much like Percy’s father, a book-to-small screen adaptation of the acclaimed novels has been absent for many years. After eons of slow torment and tantalizing teaser trailers, the premiere of the Disney+ show was released on Dec. 19, 2023. Many of its lines were lifted directly from the source material, and author Rick Riordan himself was an executive producer on the show.

However, even with a budget of $12–15 million per episode and successful visuals, music, and casting, many viewers still came away feeling like something was missing. Perhaps childhood nostalgia had blinded audiences to the merits of new media, or expectations were unrealistically high. Still, a question lurks in the back of one’s mind even as Walker Scobell, who plays Percy Jackson, swipes at a chimera with his sword Riptide and runs from Medusa in a dark cavern full of petrified hikers.

Why did watching the Percy Jackson TV show feel so different from the experience of reading the books?

The answer lies in narrative voice. After all, what draws readers into the book series is Rick Riordan’s distinctive style, where every page brims with sarcastic quips and hilarious asides, even as Furies pursue Percy with flaming whips or Procrustes attempts to stretch him to death on a waterbed. The irony of Percy’s nonchalance and irreverent attitude in a story where gods walk the earth has given rise to many memes, including the infamous “Persassy.” His personality infuses every line of the books, leading to a reading experience that is uniquely Riordan.

This unique narrative voice could have been incorporated into the TV show in two main ways. The first would have been to increase the presence of active narration through voice-overs. Disney+’s adaptation mirrors the book’s iconic opening lines, an excellent choice that immediately allows Scobell to assume Percy’s persona. This well-known passage from the book culminates with the line, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Paired with the sound of rolling thunder and Bear McCreary’s superb score, it is easily one of the most epic openings to a young adult TV show in decades. If the show had continued with Scobell’s voice-overs during battle sequences or the many scenes of walking, the somewhat gloomy and slow-paced TV adaptation could have retained the books’ excitement and humor.

In addition to voice-overs, incorporating Percy’s thoughts into the dialogue would have been an easy way to fluidly blend the protagonist’s internal observations and mental state with the show’s narrative structure. Dull characters like Aryan Simhadri’s Grover could have been revitalized with Percy’s quippy observations, lightening the tone and cutting excessive exposition.

Finally, Disney+ shouldn’t have shied away from making some characters ridiculous. Integrating humor into the characters’ personalities makes for a more entertaining and well-paced show. Ares, played by Adam Copeland, is an excellent example of a relatively minor character whose flaws and eccentricities are maximized to contribute to the show’s overall humorous tone. If more minor characters were allowed to be ridiculous, the books’ humor and vivacity would have translated better to the TV show.

Disney+’s version of Percy Jackson is far darker than its book counterpart, emphasizing the gods’ neglect and hypocrisy at every turn. This attempt at a more mature storyline is belied by the occasional attempt at humor that falls flatter than Sisyphus after being crushed by his rock. Especially in “The Lightning Thief,” the world’s wonder and excitement should outweigh its darker aspects. What better way to do that than with Percy’s signature humor?