10 Things ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Season 2 Needs To Get Right

Warning: Spoilers for Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters novel ahead!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians has left a considerable impact on Disney+, becoming one of the platform’s biggest non-Marvel or Star Wars franchises. With Season 2 now in production, many fans hope it will live up to the amazing run Season 1 had.

While the first season focused on Rick Riordan’s first book, The Lightning Thief, this next season focuses on its sequel, The Sea of Monsters. Now, Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and Clarisse (Dior Goodjohn) must save Grover (Aryan Simhadri) from Polyphemus and find the Golden Fleece to save Camp Half-Blood.

There are so many iconic aspects from the sequel that fans are excited to see adapted on screen. So, here are the things from The Sea of Monsters that Percy Jackson’s second season needs to get right!

10. Tantalus and His Half-Blood Deception

While Tantalus may only be present in The Sea of Monsters, the character is an essential obstacle for Percy to face.

With Timothy Simons’s recent casting as Tantalus, it looks like Percy Jackson and the Olympians is already going in the right direction with the character.

As one of the secondary antagonists of Season 2, Tantalus’s extremely cunning behavior makes the character somewhat frightening in the novels. By serving as that counteracting personality to Chiron (Glynn Turmann), Tantalus perfectly challenges Chiron’s helpfulness from Season 1.

Season 2 has to make Tantalus an entertaining character early on by highlighting the character’s sadism through dark comedy. Otherwise, Tantalus may become a forgettable supporting character rather than a formative enemy present in the one space deemed a “safe” space for these demi-gods.

9. The Hydra and the Monster Donut Shop

Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson’s journey to the Monster Donut shop during Season 2 could help forge the brotherly connections between Percy and Tyson even deeper.

In the Monster Donut chapter, Tyson tries to help out Percy and Annabeth by finding some food, resulting in him finding a mythological donut shop that runs on the life force of the Hydra. Even though this monstrous run-in gets action-oriented later, it’s the conversation between Percy and Annabeth about Tyson’s nature that the show needs to highlight on screen.

Annabeth’s fear of Cyclopes is revealed during this stop on the quest, which helps viewers sympathize with Tyson, who wants to be accepted by Annabeth for his helpfulness despite her reservations. This part of the novel shows that despite Tyson’s early naivete, he truly wants the best for the group, which will make for some important character development for the new addition.

Touching on that conversation will also resonate with viewers who, like Tyson, want to find their place in society and change other’s perspectives of them by helping in any way they can.

8. Thalia’s Past and Resurrection 

Thalia is an important character who earned a brief but impactful name-drop during Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1. However, Season 2 must continue establishing her role in the show’s grand scheme.

While the character has not been cast yet, Thalia’s role later in the series will be extremely important.

The film adaptation of Riordan’s novel seemed to show segments of her impact on Annabeth, Luke, and Camp Half-Blood, but the series can do more by fully presenting this sequence without giving away who’s playing Thalia. Furthermore, Thalia’s resurrection is narratively important in transitioning events.

With a new child of the Big Three in play, Thalia’s return must be given the same, if not higher, gravitas and brevity as Season 1’s finale. Otherwise, it risks having less of an impact, similar to the film adaptation’s introduction to this demi-god who can rival Percy’s power.

7. Percy and Grover’s Empathy Link

A rolling element of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, the empathy link between Percy and Grover serves to increase the timeliness of the quest while adding some comedic charm. While the empathy link can be the same in the show, it could also lend a few unexpected twists to the novel’s events.

Percy and Grover were together for most of Season 1. However, this season will see them truly apart for the first time as Grover is kidnapped.

In a way, the empathy link lives up to its namesake by allowing its two users to communicate with each other in sleep. If one dies, so does the other. By emphasizing this narrative element with Percy and Grover’s interactions, it reinforces the much-needed friendship the two had last season while still giving ample space where it feels like Grover’s still part of the team.

However, Season 2 will need to use this sparingly to avoid overwhelming the narrative or potentially sidelining Grover.

6. Percy and Annabeth’s Encounter on Circe’s Island

An important section of The Book of Monsters occurs when Percy and Annabeth find themselves trapped on Circe’s Island, where Annabeth’s flaw is truly tested.

Here, Circe tricks Percy and turns him into a guinea pig, leaving Annabeth to try to outsmart the goddess.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 has the potential to connect this scene to Annabeth’s pridefulness since her actions can have lasting impacts on the series. Even though she outsmarts Circe, her hubris begins to show, and she inevitably causes two characters from Riordan’s sequel series, Heroes of Olympus, to go down separate paths — Reyna and her sister Hylla.

While having those narrative connections later in the show is essential, it is also vital to show Annabeth’s insecurities early on and how her hubris could lead to potential consequences for the larger quest.

As such, Annabeth and Circe need to be the focus of an episode, similar to the show’s approach on Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 3, “We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium.” Otherwise, the show’s need to adhere closely to the material may undermine its personalization.

5. Percy and Tyson’s Bonds of Brotherhood

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 is already introducing significant characters, such as Percy’s Cyclops brother Tyson (Daniel Diemer). Tyson’s role further builds on the books and the show’s thematic idea of acceptance.

Throughout the novel, Tyson is constantly bullied not just by those at Camp Half-Blood but also by Percy. As the odd one out, Percy disregards Tyson because of his outward nature. However, after Tyson proves himself by saving Percy and Annabeth, he grows to accept Tyson as his half-brother.

Percy and Tyson’s brotherhood represents what the franchise is all about thematically. Riordan writes Tyson to closely reflect Percy’s experience in Season 1, and, as such, Percy and Tyson’s connection is one of the most captivating aspects of The Sea of Monsters.

However, if Tyson follows too closely in Percy’s footsteps, Season 2 could feel like a narrative retread of Season 1.

4. Percy Confronting Luke on the Princess Andromeda

Season 2 will have some very narrative-heavy and emotionally stirring scenes, especially regarding Percy and his confrontations with Luke (Charlie Bushnell) on the demi-god’s vessel, Princess Andromeda.

In the novels, Percy learns more about Luke’s troubled past and his loyalties to Kronos as tension rises between the two sides.

Since Hermes essentially abandoned Luke, he sees Kronos as the one to fill that empty void in his life, thus influencing him to enact Kronos’s world-ending plans. However, Percy still knows that there’s good in him.

This characterized breakdown between Percy and Luke helps push Season 2’s compelling narrative forward. Both characters have matured since their initial fight on Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 8, “The Prophecy Comes True”.

Here, they have the chance to really show how they’ve changed since being accepted — by god or by Titan.

However, the focus may shift more to the action to adjust and keep casual viewers reeled in the overarching quest. Should this happen, the show could miss out on showcasing Luke’s anti-hero potential and how his inner motives drive the conflict.

3. Percy and Hermes’s Beach Conversation

When Hermes (Lin-Manuel Miranda) meets with Percy in the second novel, he gives the demi-god more than an important lesson about dedication and family.

Hermes’s storytelling about how he invented Apollo’s lyre influences Percy to embark on the quest even though he isn’t assigned it.

The god knows what Percy’s flaws are and the good that can come out of it by going on this quest and saving Grover. However, he also knows of the risks that come with such loyalty. In its own way, this moment establishes the foundation for Percy’s fatal flaw.

While the fight against Kronos is the overarching problem, Percy’s selflessness is an inner problem that continually holds him back.

Furthermore, it also a trait that Hermes wants to let go of. He was too involved with Luke’s early childhood to the point where, as Luke grew up, he essentially dissociated himself with his children. By being selfless, Hermes incidentally caused Luke to grow up with a broken family life, which was hinted on Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 6, “We Take a Zebra to Vegas”.

As such, this conversation is crucial in further shaping Percy and Hermes (and the gods) as flawed individuals. If Percy Jackson and the Olympians plays too much into the lightheartedness of the series, it may lose out on this valuable emotional push.

2. Ares and Clarisse’s Complicated Relationship

One of the foundational themes of The Sea of Monsters, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians, is finding your familial spot. In the novel, this is seen to great length between Ares and his demi-godly daughter, Clarisse.

Ares briefly explains on Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 5, “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers,” that he was never fond of his children due to their overconfident natures. However, this seems to change when Clarisse is given the quest to retrieve the Fleece.

Throughout the first season, Clarisse is shown to have this prideful behavior, but it is only because she does not want to disappoint her father. As she is the first girl from Ares’s bloodline to do something extraordinary, she has a lot to live up to.

By showing that relationship and the pep talk the two share in detail, the show not only gives viewers a reason to sympathize with Clarisse but also helps those, especially girls under the same pressures, resonate deeply with the show’s “found family” ideas.

Should the show keep these scenes brief, it would remove the much-needed development Clarisse needs while also undercutting the importance of why these demigods are here in the first place: to live up to the potential the gods have given them.

1. Annabeth Saving Percy From the Sirens

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is ripe with the potential to explore further the ever-so-exciting dynamic between Percy and Annabeth, which will continue to be build this season.

More than a few “Percabeth” scenes in The Sea of Monsters stand out, but the most impactful one comes when Percy has to save Annabeth from the Sirens’ call.

This moment in the book not only helps permeate Percy and Annabeth’s compassion for each other but also fully showcases their biggest flaws. Percy’s unwavering loyalty to his friends and Annabeth’s personal arrogance are ultimately revealed to flesh out their gradual transformation throughout the series while driving emotional tension.

Furthermore, this revelation also gives more depth to Annabeth’s troubled past.

Should Season 2 try to undercut this moment, it will miss the opportunity to develop Annabeth as a compelling character and decrease the impact of the narrative stakes once the duo escape Circe’s Island. 

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 is now streaming on Disney+, and Season 2 is currently in production.

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