On December 19, 2023, Percy Jackson and the Olympians stormed onto Disney Plus, turning Rick Riordan’s iconic book series to life! Walker Scobell perfectly encompassed Percy’s sass and bravery, Leah Jeffries nailed it as the sharp and witty Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood is the comedic relief. Immediately, fans were hooked, and the numbers proved it! Within the first six days, 13.3 million viewers tuned in to the season premiere, making it the top 5 of the most watched premieres of 2023! But it doesn’t stop there; three weeks later, viewership doubled to a staggering 26.2 million watchers, securing its place as one of the most must-watch TV shows (flyersnews.com). But the excitement doesn’t end there; producers for this beloved show shared a first look for season 2, which is set to debut in 2025!
The teaser cuts to a montage of key events in season one, including Percy finding out who his father is, Mrs. Dodds (the substitute teacher) attacking him, Ares (god of war) preparing to duel Percy, and more. As these scenes play out, the audience hears an older Percy narrating, “My name is Percy Jackson; I am a demigod. Monsters come at me, and so do the gods. Last year, I had to stop a war…but that is just the beginning.” But as he says in the last part, the audience can glimpse what looks to be a chariot across the screen. The teaser then closes with an intense close-up of Percy, with determination and seriousness written on his face, and he looks like he is anticipating this race.
Fans can barely contain their excitement for season 2, especially with the introduction of classic and beloved characters like Tyson, Percy’s lovable half-brother, and the deep development of existing ones, such as Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares. However, not all the news has the fans celebrating. There is a completely new character who isn’t part of Rick Riodan’s original books. Her name is Allison, and avid readers/fans aren’t too happy about it. While the creators have been praised for staying on track with the book, this addition has made many fans apprehensive. Questions about Alison’s role and how she’ll fit into the Percy-verse confused fans. Ishan Jain (10) agrees with this, saying, “I don’t understand why they don’t follow the books. It would make way more sense than trying to create something new that may not even fit into the storyline.”
