The Disney+ original series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, starring Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jefferies, and Aryan Simhadri, has returned to the streaming service with a new season, Sea of Monsters, which premiered on December 10, 2025.
Based off of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, written by Rick Riordan, the series follows thirteen-year-old protagonist Percy Jackson as he navigates life as a demi-god. The series features action-packed scenes, complex friendships and relationships, as well as Greek mythology. Season two is a book-to-series adaptation of the Sea of Monsters, the second book in the Percy Jackson series.
In eight episodes, viewers follow the characters Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson the friendly cyclops on their quest to find the Golden Fleece that will save Camp Half-Blood from destruction from Kronos while simultaneously saving Grover from trouble. Percy and his crew must complete this quest to prevent Kronos, the Titan, from coming back from the dead to destroy Olympus. However, Percy must go against corrupted demi-gods, like Luke Castellan, who are working with Kronos, who also seek the Golden Fleece. One of the best parts of this recent season is the character development of Annabeth and Percy.
Percy himself, played by actor Walker Scobell, gains remarkable character development throughout the course of season two. Percy faced challenges with accepting Tyson as his brother because he is a cyclops. Having to share the same father, Poseideon, was new to Percy and something he wasn’t comfortable with. The show does a great job of showcasing how in the beginning of the season, it seemed that Percy resented Tyson. As the show progressed, the bond between the two brothers grew, leading to Percy’s greatest internal conflict: his unyielding loyalty to his friends. Percy would do anything to help his friends, which is depicted in Episode 5, “We Check In to C.C. ‘s Spa and Resort.” In this episode, Percy states, “If I had to choose between saving you, or saving Olympus… Annabeth, I’d burn it all down.” While this is only one example of many, Percy learns that being so devoted to people can eventually become a weakness.
Annabeth Chase, played by actress Leah Sava Jefferies, is learning about experiencing life-altering news while also processing the betrayal of Luke Castellan, played by Charlie Bushnell, from season one. Sea of Monsters features many scenes from Annabeth’s past with Luke and Thalia, another friend, that helps the audience understand Annabeth’s closed-off personality. Annabeth experiences grief from Luke’s betrayal, blaming herself for everything that is going on in the series. The progress Annabeth makes from episode one to eight, with understanding her pent up emotions, connects to many audience members. Annabeth becomes more vulnerable as the episodes progress, showing the audience that opening up when facing grief helps heal wounds created by others. Scobell and Jefferies did exceptional work bringing the emotions of these beloved book characters to life through their facial expressions and line delivery.
The themes of the second season felt more mature and complex than the themes of season one of Percy Jackson. Major themes such as identity, belonging, loyalty, and founded family are found all throughout the show. One great example of a found family that is seen this season was Percy and Clarisse accepting each other as friends. In the second part of the season, Clarisse combines her quest with Percy and his crew. Clarisse and Percy were enemies before hand, but by the end of the season, they have formed a friendship of trust and respect.
Overall, season two of Percy Jackson and the Olympian series was a major success. With a higher production value, the special effects for creatures were more realistic. The plot of season two had better pacing than season one, matching the intense tone of this season. Already renewed and filming for season three, these characters will be back on our screens by the end of the year.
