ALREADY BETTER THAN THE MOVIE!!! Percy Jackson And The Olympians: Episode 2 | Reaction

[@benspiller]

Let me know what you guys think of this show so far!

[@lomieyy]

Don't try to be too distracted by comparing everything with the books with how accurate it is...like rick has mention a book and a tv show can't be the same they're a different medium let's appreciate what we have right now its an amazing 2 episodes so far🎉

[@benspiller]

I know I need to try to compare them less it's just gonna be so hard 😂😂 whenever I read the book it was like playing a little movie in my mind so seeing it now is so surreal but also amazing. Think it will be easier though with season 3 cause I won't even have the actual movies to compare it to then!

[@falsenostalgia-shannon]

I’m really surprised by how in the few book-reader reactions I’ve seen, like this, they’re so focused on “there are so many changes” when I watched it with the opposite reaction 😆 I couldn’t believe how close it is to the books! Usually, shows/movies based on books are radically different. Just this year, my favorite book series of all time was finally released as a show (on AppleTV+). It’s pretty drastically different from the books, but I’m used to that so I expected it ;)

[@bagel5056]

@@falsenostalgia-shannonI also watched with the same kind of reaction as you! While there are different things, it’s keeping the soul of the story and its characters which is the most important to a good adaptation ^^

[@brendanheald8467]

Way more accurate than the movies, finding out his dad is much more impactful wish it didn’t feel a little rushed but I get it

[@famedset1162]

Yeah, these 2 episodes could have been at least 10 minutes longer each, but the first 4 chapters were pretty much just exposition anyways, but they got the important plot points down, just wish the Dodds fight was a little more longer, but we’ll see them again probably next episode

[@benspiller]

Yeah the episodes could have been a little longer to make it feel less rushed, hoping the run time increases as this goes on but so far loving the accuracy, details and surprisingly some of the changes.

[@resolutionblaze363]

I do kinda like that Annabeth isn't the one info-dumping on Percy. Its sorta her whole thing in the first book that she's a bit stand-offish and prefers to observe from afar. And she isn't particularly friendly to Percy the first time Percy is there. So Luke being the one to show him the ropes I think suits both characters better. Plus, as you said, they'll have plenty of time to develop Annabeth throughout the rest of the show.

[@benspiller]

It's growing on me more now, in later chapters Annabeth is basically emulating Athena and Poseidon rivalry so it makes more sense that she's more standoffish at first.

[@archiegrant2063]

Loving this tv show. I hope we get the rest of the book series. And Walker as Percy the best choice.

[@benspiller]

Agree, loving Walker's performance and so hoping they make more seasons cause then we'd just get to see more of him in the role!

[@bluflavouredpudding]

I do understand why they cut certain things The budget for this show was huge, but every minute you add is more expensive, and specially adding the hellhound sequence would have just pulled too much of the budget that they wanted to use for more critical sequences I can see they prioritized quality over quantity

[@benspiller]

Yeah it's a shame they can't include everything but I'm so happy with the quality of what we have gotten to see, almost makes me hope that Disney will see the success of this show, increase the budget and let them do even more while keeping this level of quality.

[@rileyburnett720]

I think the hellhound was cut because it’s PG and the scene in the book is gory (Percy almost gets mauled to death). A ripped open bleeding chest is probably not PG appropriate, even if it’s book accurate.

[@JJ_6036]

It's confusing to me how the #1 biggest entertainment company doesn't have the budget for a standard 43 minute episode 🤔. It's standard across the board for everyone else, even a massive show like One Piece with practical sets did it. I'd understand if it was a startup company, but this is a company raking in billions passively from stuff made 20 years ago and have absorbed dozens of studios to make money for them. I just don't understand why a high-profile adaptation would feel the affects of budget cuts. what is happening, I know not 🫠🫠

[@bluflavouredpudding]

@@JJ_6036 Disney is famously greedy with their money, there's not one series in their streaming platform with longer episode format, they just think in numbers idk

[@Sam-fp2qh]

I think a good way to show what happened to Thalia is to have Annabeth hug or touch her tree and say something along the lines of, 'Goodbye, Thalia. Thank you.' Percy sees this and asks, "What are you doing? We gotta go!" and she says something like, "Shut up Seeweed Brian."

[@benspiller]

Yes!! I loved this so much, Luke and Annabeth must know what happened to Thalia so I can't imagine her walking past the tree and saying nothing.

[@lucilebyrd8152]

I love your knowledge and love of these books, it makes your reactions so much more enjoyable. It is odd that you dont remember the voice in his dreams is Kronos.

[@matte5705]

I think they moved some things off from anabeth because they have the whole season to develop her whereas we have to get to know luke,clarisse and chiron in basically a single episode

[@benspiller]

Yeah thinking the same thing, hoping they really go all out on her development cause for me that was her introduction in the book so to take that away must mean they've got something else big in store for her.

[@nicoleterego]

I LOVE IT SO FAR. But my only problem really is the ending of 2nd episode feels so rushed. I would've loved if they showed the campers kneeling and then have longer conversation about the lightning bolt fiasco.

[@benspiller]

Yeah these two episodes covered 4 chapters so the pacing was definitely rushed, hopefully, the next episodes will pace better now the main introduction to the story is out of the way. I would have loved to see the kneeling as it would have added to how everyone sees a child of the big three here it just felt like the same staring that he got when he entered the Hermes cabin. Also hoping for a longer chat about the bolt before he goes to see the Oracle.

[@craig725]

I’ll join your journey to 1000. I was a non-reader, non-movie watcher but knew this series existed and what it was about. 2 eps in and I’m hooked. Between this and One Piece I can’t wait for more

[@benspiller]

Thanks man!! Can't believe we actually made it to 1000 already 🤯 Loving this show too, love that you going into this completely new, wish I could do the same cause you're in for a wild ride!! Hopefully, I don't ruin anything for you when I mention future stuff 😬

[@KatiE-yp8hb]

I have enjoyed the show!! Btw we will see the fates as they were shown in a teaser !! Also about none of them realizing poseidon being his dad isn't that bad bc there are so many minor water gods and goddesses (and the pact of the big three still holds) also from what I remember the hellhound didn't make them think hades was involved. Chiron already suspected hades and the hellhound made him realize percy had to go and that he wasn't safe at camp(someone inside camp called the hellhound). I think we wil see SOMUCH annabeth on the quest so I don't care that Luke got to show him around camp. Otherwise I agree and I would have liked to see the hellhound too

[@benspiller]

YES! Can't wait to see the fates, so glad they weren't ignored! Yeah I know there are like loads of different sea Gods but the timing always seemed obvious to me and I think it would have helped if they actually stated the other sea gods instead of only focusing on Poseidon to create some ambiguity. Ah yeah you're right, it proved that Percy wasn't safe and had to leave on the quest so I guess they changed that with Sally being his motivation to go, so no longer fear from never being safe to hope that he can save his Mum. Can't wait to see the quest begin cause I have to see more of what Annabeth and Percy's relationship is like, his and Grover's are already great so I can't wait to see what it's like when they all come together.

[@vultar9999]

Personally, I don't care for how Mr. D's being portrayed. He's toothless. Dionysus is a dangerous god. He's the god of wine, theater and madness. This is the guy with the naked cannibal followers, but here he feels tame and kind of silly. He's a little sarcastic, but there's absoultely zero threat from him. Like I don't think Percy is at any point one sass mouth comment away from being a dolphin. I do like the 'go get wine for daddy' joke though. I don't get the 'your lying about killing the minotaur' from Clarisse either. Everybody in camp knows what happened. As you said, Percy should have the horn. It feels like they wanted a motivation for her bullying other than just being a jerk. I do think the actress is doing a good job though. I'm pretty sure the voice he's hearing is Kronos. I'm not sure I like line delivery. I feels a bit much to me, but that's not a major issue at all. I do think it's a good idea to have Luke do Anabeth's part here. It gives Luke and Percy more time together, and it also does do some character development for Anabeth. She's hanging back and studying him, like a good strageist. I wonder if they're going to amp up Percy's sympathy for Luke's cause. It seems like we're getting a lot of anger towards Posiden that's not really there in the book.

[@QuibbleTrouble]

I'm pretty sure Clarisse thought Percy was a fraud in the book too, it was a bit different, but not that different.

[@benspiller]

I get where you're coming from with Dionysus, I still think his line delivery at the end was quite threatening but in the books, he basically went into Percy's head to show off his powers or made a drink appear in his hand so I think the lack of visual power is what's making him seem weaker here, hopefully, that can be fixed with another scene where we actually get to some of his power. Yeah Clarisse's motivation seemed a little odd when they literally have the horn and by nature she's just a bully so they probably just added that to make her relate to the trope of bullies being jealous rather than her always looking for a fight. I like the idea of that voice being Kronos cause I just couldn't place who that could be, visually I think of Charon the boatman, especially with the line of 'I left you here' as Percy's in a desert almost like being left on the banks of the underworld, but Kronos needs set up especially in season 1 so if Percy is the only one seeing him this creates a much more personal connection between the two. Luke definitely needed these scenes since Percy's probably setting out on the quest in the next episode which gives plenty of time for him and Annabeth. The anger Percy felt toward Posiden has to have some implications cause originally he thought he was dead and lost at sea but here it seems he knows him as an absent Father which relates much more with Luke so it seems like something to easily build the connection between these two and make the betrayal worse.

[@nicoleterego]

I agree with you with how they portrayed Dionysus. I don't hate it though, just hope he feels more threatening. In the context of "glory", I guess Clarisse does not actually doubt that he killed the minotaur. She justs wants him to tell the people that he was a fraud so that Percy does not claim the glory of killing the minotaur. She's insecure and jealous of Percy because she wants her Dad to notice her. I think it's an okay motivation than just being a bully for no reason. I liked the Kronos voice. It's always how I imagined it to sound. Ominous and scary.

[@ashy3364]

I think we are actually going to see the fates because there was an image filtraded about them with the blue thread, so maybe while in the quiet they are gonna appear.

[@benspiller]

I hope so, that scene was so unsettling and I’d love it to be included even if they add it in a different order.

[@falsenostalgia-shannon]

18:57 They did?? Lol, I haven’t seen the movie since it was released in theaters and I successfully purged it from my brain.

[@benspiller]

yeah they cut it and it still pains me 😂 just had him heal himself with water then everyone assumed he was the son of Poseidon, with no trident or anything and it was actually said by Percy in his cabin, not Chiron declaring it. Wish I could purge it from my mind but it's pretty much seared in there now, just happy that we've actually gotten this scene after all this time 😂

[@AlexsTheWizard]

Pretty sure the dreams are about Kronos not Hades

[@benspiller]

Yeah forgot about that 😂 The visual just through me as that cloak aesthetic just makes me think of guys like Charon or Hades.

[@karldarwin1253]

wheres the HELLHOUND!? and no kneeling?

[@benspiller]

Feel the same way!! Wish those were included but hopefully, the Hellhound was only a budget issue so if that gets increased that should be fixed, as for the kneeling, it definitely should have been included, without it, it just feels the same as when Percy walked into the Hermes Cabin.

[@archiegrant2063]

I am alittle annoyed they did not include the hell hound attack.

[@QuibbleTrouble]

It would have eaten a huge amount of budget for a 30 second scene, and would have taken away from the Clarisse fight.

[@benspiller]

That's what I thought too, the didn't even mention how the woods are full of monsters either because that whole moment was to show Percy still wasn't safe at camp and needed to go on the quest to solve this problem.

[@archiegrant2063]

@@QuibbleTrouble oh true true.

[@LadyyKyle]

Ok... ngl.. you comparing every single second of every single scene to the books is getting old really fast. As a book fan i understand but every single scene youre going "in the book this, in the book that" it really gets irritating. You should try commenting on the show instead of comparing every second to the books

[@benspiller]

Hi there! Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts on the video. I appreciate your perspective as a fellow book fan, and I totally understand that the constant comparisons can be a bit much for some. I'll definitely take that into consideration for future content. It's essential for me to strike the right balance and provide commentary that's enjoyable for everyone. I hope you continue to enjoy the videos, and if you have any specific suggestions on what you'd like to see more of, feel free to let me know! Cheers! 😁