The Disney+ hit new series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” has come to an end, at least for now. Season two has not been confirmed nor denied, yet fans are begging for more of the show. The series did a great job of staying true to the theme of the books while still adding some unique elements.

The series follows Percy Jackson, a demigod son of Poseidon, along with his two friends Grover and Annabeth. Annabeth is the half-blood daughter of Athena, and Grover is a satyr serving as Percy’s protector.  They are on a mission to prevent the outbreak of a world war by finding and returning Zeus’ lightning bolt before the solstice.

Throughout eight eventful episodes, the kids fight hoards of monsters, meet many other gods and mystical creatures and even discover their own powers. The show focused on friendship, family and staying true to oneself in adversity.

The young actors did an excellent job embodying the characters and truly bringing out their individual personalities. Walker Scobell perfectly portrayed Percy’s sassy attitude while still maintaining his shock accepting the realities of mythology. His character is persistent in being loyal and trustworthy despite feeling like his father abandoned him. Leah Jeffries plays Annabeth, striking the perfect balance between a fearless leader and a nervous, conflicted preteen. 

At only 17, Aryan Simhadri had a difficult role to play as an on-screen adult. His character Grover was supposed to be a Satyr in his mid-twenties who ages slower than humans. He gave Grover that mature feeling while still allowing him to relate to his younger friends.

 While the actors shined as teenage demigods, parts of the show lacked emotional depth. Percy appeared to get over his mother’s disappearance. Annabeth often shut down emotionally about things she was ashamed of but then would decide to share all the details moments later. Although it was a short series, I would have liked to see more heart surrounding the deeper scenes.

Overall, Percy Jackson was an exciting and funny book adaptation with excellent casting. It will be interesting to see how the storyline and characters develop if given a much-anticipated second season.