Every episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, ranked worst to best
The first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+ has surpassed expectations. Based on Rick Riordan’s best-selling novels about a young boy who discovers he's the son of the ancient Greek god Poseidon, the series is a near-perfect adaptation of the acclaimed source material that a generation has grown up with.
The TV show, created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Rick Riordan, has been praised by critics and fans of the books alike. It has incredible production values and earnestly tells a story about a teenager with the fate on the world on his shoulders, all without taking itself too seriously.
After comparing each episode with the book and analyzing all the differences, today we are ranking all episodes from fine (there really wasn’t a bad one) to perfect. And because it’s unfair to pit these episodes against each other, I will mention my favorite bit for each episode.
Now, ranking these episodes was no easy feat, because I think all episodes in the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians were amazing. None deserves to dwell in Tartarus, not even in Fields of Punishment nor Damnation. Let’s start midway, on THE FIELDS OF ASPHODEL:
Least favorite: Episode 7, “We Find Out The Truth, Sort Of”
The reason why Episode 7 was my least favorite of the season is that it doesn’t stand on its own narratively. Structurally, something is off; not much of what happens in the first half of the episode is substantial. The flashbacks to a younger Percy with his mother, albeit beautiful, slow down the pace and delay what needs to happen.
It’s as if when the writers’ room decided how to break down the plot of the book in eight episodes, they knew exactly how they wanted to start and to end the penultimate episode, but not what to put in between. One thing I didn’t appreciate was how, possibly to add more conflict, Annabeth abruptly left the Underworld, where she, Percy and Grover were currently exploring hoping to find Zeus' stolen master bolt. There was little explanation and no consequences, creating a small plot hole. Was the regret that rooted her in the Fields of Asphodel triggered by Cerberus reminding her of her father? If so, I’m not sure viewers were equipped to clasp the subtlety of that reasoning, especially those who haven’t read the book. And what exactly did Annabeth do as she waited for Percy and Grover to come back?
While the episode could have functioned without it, I did love the final flashback where Percy’s parents share a moment of quiet frustration. In a moment of weakness, Sally Jackson summons Poseidon who appears not as an almighty god, but as a man helpless to support his family. I found this introduction to Poseidon quite refreshing, and a lovely way to subvert expectations.
We're not done with the fields of Asphodel. Click the button below for the rest of the rankings: