This will be full of spoilers; please don't read this until you've caught up through season two.
I'm sick of people complaining about this show because it's "nothing like the book." First of all, yes it is, you just don't like change. When adapting something from paper and ink to film and screen, things will have to change. Moments that work well when read don't always translate well to script and vice versa. I think Rick Riordan has done an excellent job determining what of his material should and shouldn't be changed when it comes to his Disney+ TV show. It is, after all, his material, and we could all stand to remember that he knows better than all of us what's best for his work.
The first season was remarkable and definitely left me wanting for more, which the second season is delivering on spectacularly. From Walker Scobell's portrayal of Percy to the faster pacing and even to the new design of the monsters, Riordan has outdone himself once again. The Sea of Monsters is one of my favorite books from the original PJO series, and seeing it done such justice warms my heart.
I also want to address the thing the internet has been all over from day one; the slowburn. Spoiler warning for a two-decade-old story. Annabeth and Percy feel so inevitable and it's clear in every way that they're made for each other. I remember reading the series for the first time and banging my head on my Kindle every night for five straight books about this, and seeing now, so many years later, I find myself banging my head on my TV with the same delighted frustration. Every "wise girl" and "seaweed brain" takes me back to when I had to wonder if the two of them would ever get together. It's splendid.
As for Clarisse, I find her infinitely more likable in the show than I did in the books. Dior Goodjohn is one of the best actors in the show and plays her character in such a compelling way that I actually cheer her on when she bests Percy. Not to mention her incredible chemistry with the other actors shines in every scene. She's an absolute professional and delights me to no end.
The twist of Polyphemus being intelligent worked so well, too. I know he's a bit of a dummy in the Greek canon, but I truly love how it highlights just how much demigods underestimate and look down on monsters. It makes Tyson's story all the more compelling and is a great way to "show, don't tell" for the screen since we can't see into Percy's mind in this version of the story.
Leah Jeffries might be my favorite portrayal of Annabeth to date. She's fierce, cunning, emotional, and tactical all at once. Plus, she's just gorgeous! I can see why Percy thought she was a princess or an angel when they first met. I'm terribly excited to see her give us the performance of a lifetime when adapting The Titan's Curse. I can already feel the goosebumps.
Truthfully, one of the best parts about this show is how it makes me feel like a kid again. I burrow into my big How To Train Your Dragon blanket (the very same one I slept with when I first read these books all those years ago) and get to scream about a ship I've clung to for a decade all over again. The nostalgia is a compelling factor to keep coming back every Wednesday for more, more, more.
Still, it's ultimately the quality that has me hooked. It's evident in every way that Riordan (and everyone else who works on this show) loves this product. From the script to the sets, everything is made with such love and care that it bleeds off the screen and right into my heart.
Now, the finale. This requires its own paragraph (or two). My first compliment is the show's willingness to actually portray the stakes. Main characters are hurt and fatally wounded, characters die or betray others, and that makes me feel like there are real stakes in the conflict. This is especially true in the finale. Every main character is injured in some way, with Percy's beating from Luke by far the most brutal. There's actual spilled blood along with incredible fight choreography that just elevates the scene's tension immensely.
Along with that, the finale sets up Thalia and Percy's conflict perfectly. I can already see their strange relationship forming. On one hand, they're both children of a looming prophecy who are the only ones that understand what the other is feeling, while on the other they both have different goals and are willing to destroy the other to avoid the prophecy and avoid hurting Annabeth. Their conflict will be electrifying.
With season three not only confirmed but guaranteed to release later this year, I find myself on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to see how feral Percy goes when Annabeth