I'm really interested in seeing, in like 10 years, or after both shows are finished, how the actors felt about it.
Because obviously, a lot of the cast for Percy Jackson and Avatar: The Last Airbender, have said they were huge fans of the show, and while a lot of ppl enjoyed the shows , a majority feel it isn't really that representative of either of the source materials.
I'm especially curious for the main groups; ( Percy, Annabeth, Grover ; Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko + the other kid actors )
Right now they're probably not gonna say as much , but still I wonder for the future, especially since I've seen that a lot of people think the behind the scenes / cast videos fit the characters vibes better
(like Aang + Percy being way more serious in the show)
I wonder if anything will change for Season 2 , and if the directors will take in the feedback , though it is too late to do certain things
Percy: bet 20 drachma I can hit your papa in the face with an arrow
Jason: but.. we’re in CHB?
*2 minutes later*
*vague sound of a lightning strike and thunder*
Thoughts on the Percy Jackson Annabeth casting....
Seems like there is a lot of uproar about the casting Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase. Firstly, its frankly quite disgusting that anyone stoops low enough to start bullying a 12 year old girl for a job that she has earned and its quite right that Rick Riordan has publicly reprimanded those engaging in that. In the end, it doesn't matter whether she is white, black, brown, blonde, ginger etc... as long as Leah embodies the character correctly. Having read the books, there is nothing about her characterization that screams she has to be one race or another. That being said, I don't think its fundamentally wrong for people to want an accurate casting based on the books. Annabeth is very clearly described as white and blonde and I do understand that people reading the books while growing up, want to see what they read accurately visualized on screen. I also wonder about Walter Scobell, who is a talented actor, but looks nothing like how Percy Jackson is described, making me curious if they will dye his hair, because Percy is very much described as black haired and with green eyes. Scobell looks more like Jason than Percy. As long as the fundamental reason is not inherently racist, I don't think its wrong to want an accurate casting. Unfortunately its a thin line these days and a lot of people hide their racism behind the shroud of wanting accuracy. In any case, Leah seems to be handling things like a champ and I'm glad Rick has been upfront in confronting the bullies because it is completely uncalled for. Can't wait for the series.
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Season One of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is FINE
All and all, I'd say it's a fine adaptation of the first book.
The spirit is very much in place. The story's sense of humor and light drama is present and well balanced through the show. One moment you have a gripping discussion of Sally explaining she fell in love with a god, and it's followed by Percy asking if she found Jesus. It's a funny line that doesn't undercut the drama because that's exactly what a kid like Percy would ask. Even some bits that WEREN'T in the book that very well could have been, like Mr. D lying to Percy about being his father for some cheap booze or the gosh dang Consensus Song. Moments like that show me that the people behind this show are HUGE FANS of the books and wanted to make something that's faithful but still provides something new to enjoy.
And there are SOME changes to the story, a lot of them I don't really mind. I like that they made Sally more sassy and Grover more proactive. I like that Medusa's made more as a tragic villain instead of a monstrous one. I REALLY like that we got to see Poseidon early. That last one takes the punch out of the dramatic weight of seeing him in Book Four, but seeing him now really helps cement the idea that this version DOES love Percy and Sally, something that I didn't really get in the books. Which might have been the intention, but the show is trying to be something different, and I respect it for it.
When it comes to the action, it's pretty good. Stuff like the Minotaur fight and the battle with Ares wasn't as long or epic as it was mapped out in my head, but I can understand it. These are big fights involving little kids and CGI is expensive (Even though you wouldn't have this problem if the show was ANIMATED, but I digress). Despite the limitations, the show did will and provided some kickass moments.
As for the actors, frickin' round of applause across the board. Nearly everyone they got does GREAT in their role, fitting the changes the show is going for and the spirit of the book everything is based on. Some particular standouts for me are Adam Copeland as the perfect D-Bag that is Ares and Walter Scobell who IS Percy Jackson. It's the kid especially that impressed me the most, as he nails the sarcastic, angry, endearing, idiotic, and loyal to a fault hero that makes Percy the best. If there's any actor who I think is struggling it's probably Leah Jeffries as Annabeth, who seems a bit too standoffish and closed off, as if she's holding back a lot of personality that the character has. However, to be fair...
A. Annabeth was more or less the same in the first book, so I'll allow it. Just as long as she has more of a wit to match Percy's. It's what made Percabeth amazing.
B. This is a child actor we're talking about. Even Walter, who is PITCH PERFECT casting, manages to have some awkwardness and stiffness to his performance at times too. I'm sure that as more time goes on, these kids will get better and better each season.
And, yeah, I'd say that this is enough to make Percy Jackson and the Olympians a FINE TV show...But there's some things that hold it back from being good or even GREAT.
Firstly, there's the pacing. The pacing in this show is off a lot of the time, and this is mainly a problem with most straight to streaming shows nowadays. We can have long, extensive TV shows anymore as networks and services are demanding shorter and shorter seasons, to the point where its less of a season of television and more of a long movie. It's no different here as we're forced to fly by past plot point after plot point, all while trying to be more episodic AND while setting up future stuff. It makes you appreciate the moments when the show DOES slow down and let moments settle, but there's not enough of that.
Then there's the way moments are told out of order or are condensed. Like how Percy and Annabeth have their heart-to-heart on the train instead of on the animal truck. Or how Annabeth starts calling Percy Seaweed Brain when the journey's almost over instead of doing it right away. Or how Luke sparred with Percy near the END of the season, not the beginning. I'm not exactly an accuracy purist. I find changes are fine as long as the spirit is in tact, which it very much is. And if I wanted the story told exactly as it was, I would have just read the book. But changes like that make me feel like they're missing the point. Like, that zoo truck wasn't great, but it will be a happy memory between Percy and Annabeth as a time when they REALLY talked. Annabeth calling Percy Seaweed Brain was a straight up insult that Percy hated but grew to accept as something only SHE can call him as it later turns into a sort of petname for him. And interrupting Percy's battle with Ares with Percy sparring with Luke spoonfeeds us information, when showing them do that in the beginning would have benefited in making that scene act as a set up with a pay off. Besides, we spend so little time with Luke anyway that when we get to that BIG REVEAL, it's not as impactful because he was barely a character. Again, I don't mind changes, but if you're going to do them, make sure the story doesn't suffer.
But while we're on the topic of changes, let's talk about the ones that REALLY bother me.
I don't like that some other gods are introduced too early. It takes the impact out of Ares and Hades being big, intimidating figures when there are other gods that the characters can just chat and reason with.
I don't like that Annabeth's fear of spiders is just glossed over. Not only does it SHOW US (instead of telling us) that a strong-willed character like Annabeth can be emotionally shaken by something as small as a spider, but leads to a sense of tragedy of her past and her being a child of Athena. To gloss over it is a huge disservice to Annabeth as a character and it doesn't feel right.
And I REALLY don't like that the movie did the Lotus Casino better than the show. Because if the movie that the author loves to shit on managed to be more faithful than the SHOW...it messed up.
So...the show is a mess at times. I still enjoyed it and I hope we get a season two. But if this series wants to get past The Sea of Monsters, it'll need to focus on what makes it GREAT instead of using more of what holds it back as just FINE.