Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ season 1 finale features a reunion between Sally and Percy, a scene which hides a subtle insult to the 2010 movie adaptation of the book. As of Percy Jackson season 1’s ending, many would agree that the show fixed several issues found in the original movie adaptation starring Logan Lerman: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. For several reasons, the Percy Jackson movies had plenty of issues that caused fans of the book to clamor for a more faithful adaptation of Rick Riordan’s source material.
Each of Percy Jackson‘s season 1 episodes fixed these various issues, marking an adaptation much more beloved overall than the prior attempts. Even Riordan himself has shared his distaste for the 2010 movie and its sequel, explaining why the author of the books played such an integral role in crafting the Disney+ show. Interestingly, Riordan’s active role in the Disney+ show may be responsible for a subtle jab toward the 2010 movie found in Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ season 1 finale.
68 Biggest Changes Disney’s Percy Jackson Show Makes To The Books
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is being praised for its fidelity to the source material, though that does not mean there are no changes to the books.
Percy’s Words To Sally Seemingly Poke Fun At The 2010 Movie
At the end of Percy Jackson‘s season 1 finale, the titular hero reunites with his mother after the latter is released from the Underworld. Sally asks Percy what happened, stating she cannot remember anything after the events of the premiere episode. Percy replies “It’s a long story, but a good one.”
Herein lies the potentially playful jab toward the 2010 movie. The reference to Percy’s journey as a long one could be a nod to Percy Jackson and the Olympians being a longer-form story on TV rather than the original adaptation being a somewhat rushed movie. Similarly, Percy’s words that the story is a good one could reflect the 2010 movie being poorly received not only by fans but Riordan himself.
Was The Percy Jackson TV Show Better Than The Film?
This begs the question of whether the Percy Jackson TV show is right to poke fun at the film, and whether it is a better adaptation. Overall, it is clear that Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1 is a much stronger adaptation than the 2010 movie. The aspects that were removed from the book for Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief were found in the Disney+ show, marking a much more faithful adaptation of the source material as a whole. Moreover, the cast of the TV show is much more age-appropriate to the book characters than the movies.
While many would agree there are some elements the movie did better, such as the Lotus Hotel scene, the more obvious faithfulness to the book found in Percy Jackson season 1 allows it to stand clear of its predecessor. This is likely to continue into Percy Jackson season 2 – should it be renewed – with Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters from 2013 being somehow more devoid of book elements. As such, Percy Jackson and the Olympians remains a better adaptation than the 2010 movie, a reality many familiar with the books were hopeful for.
