A Gen Z Odyssey: Bengalureans rejoice as season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians hits OTT
Percy Jackson was a regular 12 year old boy trying to make it through a school for troubled kids, while dealing with the strange incidents that kept happening around him until one such incident changed everything his math teacher turned into a winged monster and attacked him. This was the story that had Gen Z hooked, as Percy Jackson and the Olympians went on to lead Percy to Camp Half Blood, discover he was the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and embark on several adventures to save the world from destruction. Twenty years later, as author Rick Riordan continues to add to his world of Greek gods, monsters and demigods on quests to vanquish them, the first book (The Lightning Thief) got a much-loved onscreen adaptation to the screen on JioHotstar in 2023. With the second season having released on Wednesday, young Bengalureans are excited to see if it can manage to match the scale, imagination and heart of the original book The Sea of Monsters. Grover Stories that shaped childhoods If you were growing up in the late 2000s or early 2010s, you probably remember seeing your classmates pass around the same beaten up copy of The Lightning Thief, or read it furtively under the desk during class, escaping into a world where mythological creatures exist in our world. I was a huge mythology nerd because of video games and I loved how the books incorporated mythological characters into everyday settings. I reread them so many times that I dont remember how many, says Abishek Ram Prabhakar, a web designer. Seeing Percy and his demigod friends have ADHD and dyslexia, reframed in the series as a strength to stay alert in battle and read ancient Greek, was meaningful to neurodivergent kids, points out counselling psychologist Ananya Samantha. A lot of us felt so seen reading those books there was this sense of not being alone in this magical world thats not neuro-normative, says the 24-year-old. Percy and Annabeth Great Expectations Season 1 was a huge success, with many enamored with the casting of Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries and Aryan Sumhadri as the Percy, Annabeth, and Grover trio, despite initial skepticism. Especially with the two film adaptations which came out in 2010 and 2013, being critically received for deviating drastically from the books, fans were apprehensive about the series. But it does not seem to have disappointed, as software engineer Viswambhari Anandan (23) notes, Annabeth isnt blonde and white, Zeus too was portrayed by a black actor, but I did not mind that. As kids watch as well, having so many ethnicities to look up to is great. Sudheeksha Easwar, a masters student, adds Initially, I was skeptical but as soon as I heard Walker Scobell speak, I knew that was Percy! They got the characters and personalities right even if their physical descriptions didnt match exactly and thats what matters. In season 2, as Percy and Annabeth go looking for a missing grover, traversing the dangerous sea of monsters, fans are waiting to see action-filled moments. There is a moment in the book where there is a complicated battle with Scylla, a legendary sea monster. Im keen to see how they recreate it, says Prabhakar. The trailer too teased a moment that could be this one with a short glimpse of an imposing sea monsters tail. Funny but tense moments teased during promotions, including Percy being turned into a hamster by the sorceress Circe, and Grover being held captive by a blind cyclops who thinks the former is his bride, are moments fans are looking forward to the most. Easwar also points to the budding crush between Percy and Annabeth, saying, Im waiting to see their slow romance evolve theyve always been the OG couple for me. With the wait finally over, its time to gather your demigod friends, whip up some blue pop corn in Percys honour, and settle in.
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