Based on the best-selling book series by award-winning author Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson is on a dangerous quest. Outrunning monsters and outwitting gods, he must journey across America to return Zeus’ master bolt and stop an all-out war. A television series by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, starring Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Charlie Bushnell, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jason Mantzoukas, Adam Copeland, Toby Stephens, and Lance Reddick.

Since his childhood, Percy Jackson (Azriel Dalman) has seen fantastical creatures that nobody else could. But when he described them to a counselor, the counselor dismissed his experiences as imagination. Since then, Percy never shares what he has witnessed, keeping his secret world hidden deep within. Then everything shifted when Percy met Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), a boy with whom he shared much in common, and they quickly became best friends.

At The Metropolitan Museum of Art, on a field trip, 12-year-old Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), unaware of his demigod status, receives a strange gift from Mr. Brunner (Glynn Turman): a ballpoint pen. The teacher’s parting words, “hang onto it, Percy, it’s a mighty instrument,” leaving Percy confused but ultimately dismissive. He saw no literal power in the pen, attributing the comment to Mr. Brunner’s cryptic pronouncement.

Sitting outside by the fountain, Nancy Bobofit (Olivea Morton) throws a piece of ham at Grover, infuriating Percy. In a flash of rage, Percy accidentally unleashes his power, sending Nancy flying into the water fountain without actually touching her. Mrs. Dodds (Megan Mullally) witnesses everything, instantly transforming into a Fury and threatening Percy. But before she can attack, a sword appears in Percy’s hand, piercing Mrs. Dodds. He realizes with a jolt that the sword is the pen Mr. Brunner gave him earlier, somehow transformed.

Percy and Grover are summoned to the school headmaster’s office, where Percy denies the allegation of pushing Nancy. However, Percy is expelled after Grover lies to the headmaster that he saw Percy push Nancy. Percy returns home and tells his mother Sally (Virginia Kull), that something strange is happening to him. Nancy quickly decides to take Percy to the cabin on Montauk.

At the cabin, Sally drops a bombshell: the stories of gods and monsters she spun were true. But before she can delve deeper, Glover arrives, interrupting their conversation with a stern reminder – it’s time to take Percy to the camp. As they drive away, their car is ambushed by a monstrous Minotaur. Sally, with selfless courage, sacrifices herself to buy them time. Witnessing his mother dissolve into thin air, Percy erupts in a fury, channeling his grief into raw power. He confronts the Minotaur, and with a vengeance fueled by loss, slays the beast alone.

Waking up in Camp Half-Blood, Percy meets Dionysus (Jason Mantzoukas), the camp director, who initially pretends to be his father. He discovers that Mr. Brunner is a Centaur whose real name is Chiron, and Chiron shows him twelve cabins, each dedicated to a different Olympian God and housing the children that God has claimed. Since Percy has not been claimed, he must stay at the Hermes cabin for the time.

In Hermes cabin, Percy meets Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell). Later, Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries) recruits Percy to join her team of Capture the Flag. At the end of the game, Annabeth pushes Percy into the water. To his surprise, his wounds are healed, marking him as Poseidon’s son, the sea god.

After Percy is claimed, he moves into Poseidon Cabin. Chiron and Dionysus inform him that Zeus’s master bolt has been stolen, and the thief is suspected to be a forbidden child, possibly claimed by a jealous brother (implying Poseidon or Hades). Since Percy is Poseidon’s son, he becomes the prime suspect. Zeus delivers an ultimatum: the master bolt must be returned by the summer solstice, only a week away, or war will come.

Though Chiron believes Hades stole the master bolt, he tasks Percy with a mission to retrieve it from the Underworld. Despite Dionysus’s attempts to threaten him, Percy initially refuses to take part in the mission. However, his resolve changes when Grover reveals that Percy’s mother Sally is alive and believed to be captured by Hades.

ERCY JACKSON and the Olympians thunders onto Disney+ as a faithful adaptation of Rick Riordan’s beloved book series. Riordan himself, a titan of the fantasy genre, weaves magic both behind and in front of the camera, serving as co-creator and executive producer. His creative touch extends even to the scripts, where he co-penned several episodes, ensuring the essence of the books shines through on screen.

The young cast channels the spirit of demigods perfectly, with ages mirroring those in the source material. Season one kicks off with “The Lightning Thief,” plunging viewers into a whirlwind adventure as Percy grapples with his newfound identity and a quest that could spark a celestial war.

While certain CGI and VFX lack the immersive touch, hinting at room for polish, some supporting characters linger on monotonous notes or lack substantial involvement in the narrative, causing moments of uneven pacing. Nevertheless, the show’s intricate plot remains undeniably captivating, effortlessly drawing viewers into a world brimming with gods and monsters.

PERCY JACKSON and the Olympians premiered on 19 December 2023, on Disney+, with the first season consisting of eight episodes.