Released on 19 December, 2023, the highly anticipated Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians is receiving positive reactions. The reaction is unlike the failed film adaptations. With the involvement of author Rick Riordan this time, the series aims to honor the books through a second-chance adaptation.
In Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians book, Percy Jackson faces Medusa—a Gorgon with snake hair and a gaze that turns people to stone. He defeats her by cutting off her head and later uses her cursed, dead eyeballs to turn another enemy into stone. But the series on Disney+ adds a new twist to Medusa’s storyline, which is a non-book change.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV Adaptation Followed a Non-Book Change For Medusa
In the original myth, Medusa is a human woman who “takes a vow of celibacy out of devotion to Athena, the goddess of wisdom.”
In some versions of the myth, Medusa enters into a s*xual relationship with the sea god Poseidon. But many interpretations posit that the encounter, which took place in Athena’s temple, was nonconsensual and that Poseidon r*ped Medusa.
Athena punishes Medusa, turning her into a Gorgon with a gaze that turns people to stone. The story ends with Percy Jackson cutting Medusa’s head and gifting her to Athena.
The 2005 novel was written for a middle school audience, and for obvious reasons, it didn’t delve into that backstory. Percy Jackson and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) join him. So, given the mythological connections, their lineage in the presence of Medusa brings a layer of tension. And, in this Disney+ series, the relationships with the kids’ parents are unpacked.
Rebecca Riordan (the executive producer of the show and wife of Rick) said on Variety, “The only reason Medusa is not more fleshed out in the books was that it was Percy’s narrative, and we don’t have her perspective,” as the books are written in first-person.
“As a 12-year-old boy in 2005, I don’t think he had the bandwidth for deconstructing the patriarchy,” adds Rick. “He was looking at it as ‘This is a scary woman who’s trying to turn me into stone. But that changed upon entering a TV writers’ room, where other perspectives become essential. “It was one of the first things we talked about, how to not have a patriarchal lens,” Rebecca says.
The limited perspective in the book is narrated by Percy, which hinders a deeper exploration of Medusa’s character. In adapting for TV, the writers aim to avoid a patriarchal lens and bring more complexity to Medusa beyond a portrayal as a scary threat to Percy.
Also read: “Way higher than I thought it was gonna be”: Percy Jackson Early Reviews Have the Fans Hyped
Is Percy Jackson and the Olympians Different Than the Novels?
Yes, the series deviates from the source material. But the main arc of the series remains the same. It follows the exciting story of a 12-year-old ordinary boy named Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) who discovers his true identity as a demigod—the son of a human woman and a Greek god.
The series offers more insight into Percy’s childhood, which is not fleshed out in the original book. There are other things that are also missing in the series. For instance, Percy’s trip to the museum is shortened. His fate is foreshadowed in the book but not in the series. Percy’s hyperactivity and learning disorders are also missing.
Another good example is Percy’s life at Yancy Academy, which is not as highlighted as it is in the books. Then, his father is not shown as abusive in the TV series, whereas in books, his father, Gabe, is more of a cruel father. Even the central duo, Annabeth & Percy’s relationship, is somewhat altered in the show.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is available to watch on Disney+.
