Two years after its premiere, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” returns with a powerful second season, as outstanding as the first. The first season followed the sarcastic and precocious demigod Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), who discovers his lineage as the son of Poseidon (Toby Stephens) and embarks on a quest with his best friends, Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri), to restore Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt (Courtney B. Vance replaces the late Lance Riddick in the second season). In a darker second season, with much more at stake for the trio, Rick Riordan’s vast world becomes ever more rich and complex.
The eight-episode season (four of which have been reviewed by critics) begins a year after the events of the first season finale. It’s the last day of school, and Percy is eager to return to Camp Half-Blood, but this time things are a little more complicated. His mother, Sally (Virginia Kull), has started fostering a cyclops named Tyson (Daniel Diemer), and he's nervous because he hasn't heard from Grover or Annabeth all year. Although Percy has eagerly written to his friends to stay in touch, they haven't responded.
Creators: Rick Riordan, Jonathan E. Steinberg
Stars: Walker Scobell, Leah Sava' Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri
For Percy, returning to Camp Half-Blood isn't exactly the magical reunion he'd hoped for. Not only is Tyson still lurking, but Grover has disappeared and is apparently in grave danger. Meanwhile, Annabeth is acting strangely and distantly, and Chiron (Glynn Turman) has gone on vacation, leaving the camp in the inept hands of Mr. D (Jason Mantzoukas) and the villainous Tantalus (Timothy Simons). Although the Half-Blood camp is clearly under attack from Kronos's (Nick Boraine) forces, the two men ignore the threat and are instead focused on a ludicrous chariot race. The race is the least of Percy's worries. Instead, he's determined to embark on an unauthorized mission to the Sea of Monsters to save Grover and retrieve the Golden Fleece.
However, this is no easy adventure. Marvel and "Star Wars" series aside on Disney+, "Percy Jackson" remains its flagship show, especially for tweens and teens. Unlike the film adaptations of the books, which were widely panned, this version of Riordan's universe works because it started with a younger cast, allowing them to grow and develop on screen (Scobell has literally grown 12 inches since we last saw him).
Notably, it showcases a multicultural world (Simhadri and Jeffries are Native American and Black, respectively), giving a new generation of young viewers the chance to see themselves represented on screen. (When the cast was announced, the racist vitriol was so virulent that Riordan publicly denounced it.) In case there was any doubt, the emotional depth and vigor displayed by the entire cast prove that they were always the perfect actors for their roles.
Just like the first season, "Percy Jackson" remains action-packed, now with even greater intensity. The second season unfolds primarily on the high seas, featuring terrifying creatures and an impending war between the gods and Kronos's army. The characters' friendships, feelings, and perspectives mature, and the series highlights these early issues. With Grover out of the picture, Annabeth and Percy must mend the fractures in their friendship and find ways to be responsible to one another, despite their differing worldviews, in order to move forward.
Friendship and the desire for belonging remain at the heart of the series, anchored in the lore and history of the capricious Greek gods and the brilliant performances of the main characters. Above all, "Percy Jackson" remains a series about the courage to stand up for yourself and your loved ones, amidst the horror and beauty of growing up.
The first two episodes of the second season of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" premiere on December 10 on Disney+, with new episodes every Wednesday.
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