I don't understand why Disney has buried Percy Jackson into the midst of Avatar-mania without much fanfare or excitement. In its second season, this adaptation of Rick Riordan's terrific book series is far superior to its easiest comparison – the Harry Potter series – and the definitive Young Adult adventure show people should watch.
Set a year after the events of the first season, Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) returns to Camp Half-Blood after ominous dreams of his friend Grover (Aryan Simhadri) attacked during his quest to find Pan. He reunites with Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), who finds herself torn between loyalty to her friends and the perceived obligations to her mother, Athena. Also with them is Tyson (Daniel Diemer), Percy's adopted brother who happens to be a cyclops.
As with the books, the second season takes a moment to get going. There's a lot of exposition and reminders to returning viewers on who did what and where, even with the recap montage at the top of the season. It's the nature of these stories that works better in books than it does in serials. Especially as Disney still insists on pacing shows as if they were movies, and movies as if they were shows.
The two-year break and only eight episodes per season only highlights the issue. At this point I'd much rather Disney pick a lane with a full 12 to 20 episode season or just make these into full-length features. Even if they have cold feet after the disastrous adaptations from 15 years ago.
But once the necessities are out of the way, Percy Jackson is quick to remind why it's such an endearing story to begin with. The characters feel fully developed, the world itself is exciting, and there's a constant sense of forward momentum that doesn't feel rushed or haphazard.
For fans of the books, it's rewarding to see that Season 2 is just as faithful to the source material as the first one, with only minor deviations and cut corners to fit the narrative into an eight-episode arc. It helps that Riordan's prose is hugely efficient and wrapped around easily understood McGuffin's, like the Golden Fleece seen in this season.
If there is something to complain about, it's that once again Percy Jackson feels like an afterthought in terms of production quality. Effects are inconsistent and some sequences feel like they've had a bit more post-production panic-editing than others. One can only imagine what this series could be if it had the same budget and time given to it as a certain other Warner Bros. property.
And yet, I doubt fans like myself will ultimately care too much about the what-ifs and should-have-beens. We have another season of Percy Jackson, and it is as good as the first one. That alone is worth celebrating. After all, it's a new opportunity for more viewers to discover the joys of Riordan's rich and welcoming world.
Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians streams weekly on Disney+ starting December 10th, 2025.
