Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 is finally here, and its opening proves the strength of season 1 wasn't just a fluke. The latest outing of the Disney+ adaptation is taking on The Sea of Monsters, and it wastes no time throwing viewers into the events of Rick Riordan's second book. It does immediately make a few small changes to the source material, but "I Play Dodgeball With Cannibals" proves once again that the series knows what to alter and when. It's a skill so many adaptations never master, but this one has gotten it right from the start.
That's not all the premiere nails; it does a great job of laying the groundwork for season 2's main quest while keeping its eye on the larger threat of Kronos. Both will converge later, and thanks to chapters like "I Play Dodgeball With Cannibals," it will feel natural when they do. It also fills us in on what our favorite characters have been up to since Percy Jackson season 1's ending — and, of course, throws them into more trouble, as there's never a dull moment in the life of a demigod.
FULL SPOILERS ahead for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 Episode 1.
Prophetic dreams & the Gray Sisters
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is all about prophecy, so it's fitting that season 2 opens with a prophetic dream — well, three of them, actually. The first is Percy's (Walker Scobell), though this isn't clear until he falls out of bed after the opening scene. During it, Grover (Aryan Simhadri) is searching for Pan near the Sea of Monsters. He has a run-in with some of Luke's (Charlie Bushnell) followers, revealing that more campers have switched to Kronos' side. And when Grover runs from them, he finds himself in bigger trouble: a huge tentacle emerges from the sea and pulls him away.
It's an intense way to kick off the season, but it sets the stakes — and Percy's not the only one having nightmares. Sally (Virginia Kull) tells him she dreamt of "a Golden drachma spinning in a void, on one side a trident on the other a scythe." There are several ways to interpret this, but there are more pressing matters throughout the premiere.
Annabeth also shows up at the beginning of the episode, hilariously drawing a blade as soon as she sees Percy's new cyclops companion, Tyson (Daniel Diemer). (More on him later.) When she questions if Percy had "the dream," too, she's not talking about Grover's perilous situation; she's referring to her own nightmare, in which Camp Half-Blood is burning.
That vision spurs the group to action, and they decide to check on the camp themselves. They take a taxi there, which, as it turns out, is driven by the Gray Sisters. The eccentric ladies make a lot of comments about Annabeth's love life — this season is really highlighting the tensions between Annabeth and Percy — but they also repeat a series of numbers that proves important later on.
Percy Jackson season 2 introduces its best new character...
Percy Jackson season 2's premiere also introduces the series' best new character in Tyson, who is kinder and more charming than you'd expect — and gets in a few great one-liners throughout Episode 1. The show alters the book's introduction slightly, crediting Sally with finding him and cutting the scenes at his and Percy's school. It moves the important bits to the border of Camp Half-Blood, which works, narratively speaking. It speeds up the story and gets right to the fantastical elements.
Speaking of which, Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson are greeted by Laistrygonians (the cannibals the title references) when they arrive at Camp Half-Blood. They throw fireballs at the demigods and cyclops, and it's only thanks to Tyson that Percy isn't burnt to ash. (Cyclops, we're told, are impervious to fire.) This convinces Annabeth to invite him into the camp, but it hardly matters. The defenses drop, allowing the Laistrygonians over the border and forcing Clarice (Dior Goodjohn) to intervene. If there's one takeaway here, it's this: Percy can never make a quiet entrance to Camp Half-Blood.
After the cannibals are dealt with, Annabeth realizes they're a distraction. The real target is Thalia's tree, the main defense standing between Camp Half-Blood and the monsters outside it. The group rushes there, where they find Luke thrusting a poisoned knife into it. The Disney+ show plays up the dramatics here, and while some of the acting feels a little forced, it does a good job of highlighting Annabeth's grief. Her history with Luke looks to be a major part of her arc this season, and if done well, it could improve upon that subplot from the books.
...and its worst
Once Luke flies off on his Pegasus, the worst new character of Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 shows up: Tantalus (Timothy Simons). It's a testament to Simons' performance that Tantalus is immediately so unlikable. He's obnoxious right off the bat, though his line delivery is excellent. His sarcastic response to Percy's observation that he's "the guy who can't touch food no matter how hungry he gets" had me cackling.
Tantalus makes a fuss about Tyson being a cyclops, giving the demigods an order to kill him. Then a trident appears above Tyson's head, revealing that he's another one of Poseidon's kids. The gods really are breaking that Pact of the Big Three left and right. Mr. D (Jason Mantzoukas) probably puts it best: "He never could keep his trident to himself.” (Seriously, give the person who cast Mantzoukas as Dionysus a raise.)
A meeting with Tantalus and Dionysus reveals that the former has replaced Chiron (Glynn Turman) as camp director at the behest of Zeus, as Chiron is a son of Kronos. That spells all kinds of trouble, especially as Tantalus is more focused on the chariot race he's planning than restoring the camp's defenses. The meeting wraps with Percy on house arrest and the group no closer to saving Grover or Thalia's tree. Fortunately, another dream provides some insight about what they need to do.
The Golden Fleece
While most of Percy Jackson season 2's premiere focuses on getting Percy and his friends to camp, its final sequence brings us back to the looming quest. Percy has another dream about Grover, revealing that they have a telepathic connection only possible because they're a satyr and a demigod
— and best friends. (Why yes, I did mentally quote Step Brothers here.)
Grover is trapped in a cave thanks to Polyphemus, but he has a realization during his discussion with Percy: Luke's friends found him because they're searching for the Golden Fleece, which the giant is using to lure satyrs because its scent resembles Pan's. Grover also gives Percy his coordinates before the dream ends: the same numbers the Gray Sisters kept repeating. Before the credits roll, Percy finds Annabeth and tells her, "I know how to save camp." Cue a new quest to track down the Golden Fleece, assuming Tantalus actually approves it.
Verdict
While there are a few awkward lines (I personally could've lived without hearing a Laistrygonian use the word "ya'll") and bits of exposition throughout "I Play Dodgeball With Cannibals," the premiere is otherwise solid. It's exactly what you want from an adaptation: it alters the story as necessary but never loses the heart of it. Like season 1, season 2 maintains the excellent balance of high stakes and humor that defines Percy Jackson & the Olympians, both on the page and on-screen.
The actors fall back into their roles seamlessly, and their chemistry with one another is even better this time around. Perhaps it's because they've done this before, but they're able to reach new depths and play off one another impressively. Episode 1 does an excellent job of making us care more than we already did, and that's saying something. The teenage drama and obstacles at Camp Half-Blood also keep the story grounded in its middle-grade roots, even as Percy faces Earth-shattering problems.
And Percy's final line leaves things on a high note, with everything from his newfound confidence to the intense music begging viewers to hit play on episode 2. It's a good thing it's also available as of December 10. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait for Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2's weekly drops for the rest.