I also really liked the choice that the statues outside were all of "evil" looking creatures, which highlighted Medusa's statement that she only targets bullies. Yet when they get to the basement, they find more "innocent" looking victims, like uncle Ferdinand, making clear that Medusa is not as good as she would like others to think
That also puts her innocence into question. I think in some versions of the myth, it may have been consensual. If I'm not wrong, some say the goal here was to make her background a bit ambiguous.
My favorite part of Annabeth in the store scene is that she was overthinking and trying to understand what Percy and Grover want and when we see her struggling to pick out candy it goes to show that she wanted to befriend them with a sweet gesture of candy. That is why later on in the episode when Percy said that he and Annabeth could never be friends. You could see her heart drop. Because I’m her own way she is trying. Remember she was in camp with older people around her since the age of seven. She doesn’t know how to interact with people her own age and that is what truly makes her arc so unique. So I don’t get the people that dislike her character choice’s earlier on as a 12 year old that struggles with social interactions and focus’s on the problem in front of herself as a true daughter of Athena. Thank you for reading my little rant :)
It was so cute seeing her act like a 12 year old and get a bunch of junk food to eat with her friends. I love the way Leah is portraying Annabeth, she seems super independent and strong but has a soft side when you actually pay attention to her actions.
I loved this moment so much 🥹 Leah has been doing such an amazing job with her portrayal of Annabeth, the way she can convey so much story with just her facial expressions is amazing 👏🏼
Oh this is such a good point! I always suspected that was a part of her struggles, and as someone who also was bad at interacting with people my own age I _want_ that to be her 💖💖💖
They made such smart choices with the portrayal of Medusa in this version. That one word "survivor" conveys so much about what happened to her without getting graphic. It throws the right kind of shade on Poseidon - and Athena - and makes a sympathetic "monster" who is still definitely a villain. It was a thin, thin line to toe, and they did it perfectly.
@@magicbymikaila I really really really want to know if you have read Heroes of Olympus and maybe Trials of Apollo. If not please do. They are so great and I NEED to know your opinions and jokes about them.
The scene with Medusa (05:39) where she goes "I embarrassed her, and I had to be punished. Not him. Me" is such a cool setup for what happened in Episode 4! Spoiler alert - - - - But the fact that Percy sends Medusa's head to Olympus and Athena punishes Annabeth for being impertinent... Mannnnnn! This is such a good show~
Honestly, the third episode completely changed my mind about the first two episodes. One, Percy’s reasoning to pick Annabeth and Grover because he thinks they might betray him is VERY different. And spicy! Two, they explain how monsters don’t just overpower you in strength. They play mind tricks and can pull on different strings within people. Three, Annabeth found the monster BEFORE the monster found them! And interrogated her to get info! Four, the monsters perfectly pull on strings that make Annabeth and Percy tick. Of course Percy could be convinced to give Medusa the benefit of the doubt because of his mother! His mother was the only person he could even trust. Five, the change to reveal Medusa was a bold one and I was worried. But it serves this story better! It’s not her hair that makes her scary. It’s her ability to point out the hypocrisy of the gods and convince them to turn. Six, because of Medusa’s story, she is the perfect monster to SHOW Percy the hypocrisy of the gods and how terrible they need to change. Which is the whole goal of Percy’s story!
The monsters in the series remind me more of Heroes of Olympus. Actually, even in the second PJO book, Rick started writing his villains to be more psychological, having them pick their heroes apart mentally rather than just trying to kill them. I really like that approach, and I think it works great here too :D
This is a great show and this episode was amazing. Since Rick Riordan is running this show, it isn't just someone adapting the books and making changes with his support, but rather it's like he's updating the story the way he would want to write it with nearly twenty more years of experience and more thoughts on the matter of character development and themes. I really liked how Medusa was handled here. Having them realize who she was sooner allowed the episode to develop her further, explore Percy and Annabeth's feelings regarding their godly parents and other views in relation to her, and establish her as a clear threat by having Alecto be afraid of her, while maintaining the tension but in a different way (approaching danger and growing revelation of something not being right in the book, Alone With The Psycho in the show). Everyone so far has been perfectly cast in their roles. Walker, Leah, and Aryan as the main trio; Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus; Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa. They're all just great. I enjoyed seeing your reaction.
Mantzoukaz is the god of playing the surprisingly likeable d-bag in productions.I mean really,he always plays the character who’s an asshole to the main character(s) and acts arrogant towards others (e.g trying to trick Percy into getting him a drink by saying he’s his father). The only other actor who you mentioned that I recognised was Jessica Parker Kennedy because I saw her in CW’s The Flash;she played Flash’s daughter from the future who didn’t act like Medusa as she was overexcitable and childlike.
@@darknorman2914 Yeah, I know her from that as well, and it took me a bit to remember that it was her. She did not act or even sound the same as she did as Nora, so I was surprised when it clicked.
@@WilyGryphon Yeah when I read the cast before watching the show I recognised the name (but I forgot),I didn’t recognise her even unmasked;must’ve been because I forgot it was her,because knowing it’s her,I do recognise her.
@@Krakayoa They cast based on the actors' ability to play the characters, not if they looked exactly like the books' descriptions of them. And the actors play them incredibly well.
I also like the Medusa change better than the book! It gives them more time to give her a personality as a monster and not just a random person who ends up as a monster. That one of my favorite parts of this episode, is that they gave the monsters personality instead of making them things in the trios way during the quest!
One thing I really, really love about the scene where Annabeth buys those candies, is that it's one of, if not the first moment where we ever see Annabeth being unsure of something. Up until that point she's been viewed as this confident individual, but for that moment she sort of lets down her guard. Leah did an amazing job in that moment
As someone who got interested in writing and reading via Percy Jackson, I'm enjoying this adaptation soooooo much (and already lowkey dying for when they start exploring the other books like the Heroes of Olympus and hopefully, maybe also keep the Malta scenes since I'd love more of Percy Jackson exploring my country's ties to Greek Myth)
Too many changes ? By the way, despite not having red the books, I am a bit underwhelmed by the show, and the little things I do learn of the books are not exactly helping in that feeling: -Such as downgrading Gabe's feelings, which takes away some of Percy's character, believe it or not; -I hear that Medusa's food actually had something on it to make the kids dumber and more vulnerable. It's a shame that wasn't used again, since she's a predator; -What's that with giving Grover his horns right away ? -Well, Annabeth's race isn't exactly an issue, but her representation against the dumb blond trope would have been nice. We whites have our issues too (again, this one isn't really a problem, the actress portrays Athena's heritage in Annabeth pretty well). At least the monsters are a bit more nuanced now. But other than that, the content feels a bit like a mediocre fanfic of Greek mythology. If anyone wants to change my opinion or convince me to read the books though, feel free. I feel like I need to get back to lighter stuff. And this saga might be what I need.
@@JabamiLain -Gabe adds very little to Percy's character, what we got in the show is fine -That was never confirmed in the books, it seems like Medusa had some kind of charm power, but the kids were also just naive -Grover always had his horns, they're a natural part of his body, not some gift. That was a dumb change from the movie -The dumb blonde trope is never mentioned in the book, not once. If people saw that story playing out with her, that's fine. But it does not seem like it was Rick's intention at all
@@mlgnerd13 I have to disagree with you on the Gabe part. Do you remember how Sally said Percy will be a hero not through great feats, but through what's inside his heart ? Well, from what little info I have from the books, which includes the line "She sees all the good in me, without any of the bad.", and his sadness and shock in seeing Sally cower before Gabe, I always interpreted this journey as more than a rescue mission, but as a self imposed redemption too. Percy's arc in becoming a hero doesn't come simply from wanting to protect people from monsters, it comes from him wanting to protect them from the world's evil in general, like he wished he could have done for her. Sure, you could argue Grover's bully fills that role too, but I disagree: -A bully, all you have to do to get rid of them is by standing up to them, and maybe even denounce them to the police (bullying IS punishable by law). -But there's actually a system that forces people to be with someone in order to make it easier to pay the bills and care for your kin, making it harder for single people in return. It makes divorces harder, even if you want to do them. That's part of the reason why toxic marriages exist. In other words, Gabe adds to Percy's character, in the sense he wants to improve both in brain and brawn, to make sure what happened to his mom can't happen again, be it by confronting a monster, or a human. Also, last time I red comments, they were saying Annabeth actually took a while to figure Medusa out in the books ?
As someone who got into Percy Jackson before Heroes of Olympus started, I also think the change in Madusa is better than in the book. Percy using his mom and her stories as a reason not to automatically think of Madusa as a monster was so clever, and a great setup for when he does meet Tyson (and thus explaining why Annabeth has a hard time trusting him when the last time Percy talked like that they all nearly turned to stone). In addition, one minor critique I have of the books is how every monster just always seemed downright evil. Madusa's portrayal here makes her more three-dimensional. You empathize with her because she got punished by Athena when she did nothing wrong. This explains why she might side with Chronos and already shows that the gods aren't the all good deities they appear to be. (Also, Jessica Parker Kennedy killed it as Madusa. I've had a celeb crush on her since she was Barry's daughter on The Flash and am happy she got to be in this, and thus I cannot wait to see Edge as Ares)
Not even in th books are all monsters, including medusa, downright evil.. i mean, look at chiron, grover n th other satyrs, blackjack n th other pegasus of th camp, crest etc.. most of them are archetypes born frm chaos n barbarisms that alw exists beneath western civilization, yes, but not all of them. Also in th books as in th show th relationship btw poseidon n medusa was consensual, w/ her hating th god cause he didn't lift a finger to save her frm athena after telling her he loved her
I feel like it also reflects the style Rick adopted further down the line with the way he approached monsters in hoo. I feel like a lot of the big ones at least get far more nuanced in hoo so it kind of makes sense that he'd want to write them that way for the adaptation. It's been so long since the first book and he's had so much time to grow and change his outlook on his story, and I feel the adaptation is a good example of that.
@@jigglypuff52What do you mean by “current culture of Medusa sympathizers”? In most versions of the (Roman) myth, Medusa was a victim of both Poseidon’s lust and then Athena’s rage, pride and general fickleness. Even in versions where their “relationship” was consensual, her punishment was always framed as unfair, showing how unjust and flawed the gods were. She has always been a character readers could sympathize with to a certain point, it’s not really a recent development.
I originally didn't like some of the changes that were made in the series, but after hearing about them from Mikaila's perspective I'm starting to appreciate them more. Thanks for the amazing video!
@@Leeknowsnothingandeverthing One change I din't like was when Grover told the principal in the first episode that Percy pushed Nancy into the fountain because it painted Grover in a bad light and made it look like he betrayed Percy. Mikaila pointed out how it showed the viewers who hadn't read the book how strong their friendship is when Percy chose Grover to go on the quest with him.
@@suememina I see, I think they did that because didn't have much time to be spent in yancy academy, in the books grover lies to percy for the rest of the time there, so instead of that they made him betray percy. In this version we also see how much it hurts and bothers percy when someone betray him yk
i loveee how they made Medusa more of a victim and how they really showcased the fact that she’s a monster because she hurts people, not because she has snakes for hair. love it!! also percy even LOOKS down bad for annabeth 😂
I mean, even if her encounter with Poseidon was fully consensual, he was still a dick for knowingly desecrate Athena's temple and Athena was a dick for punishing her since she couldn't hurt Poseidon.
As someone who read the books a long time ago and has since re-read them because of this show, I agree with you that the changes they are making are a good way to adapt the book into a show. It makes more sense and translates better that Annabeth is aware of who Medusa is right away and how abrupt she can be sometimes, or that Grover keeps getting caught in the middle and is trying to mediate but ultimately stands up for himself and gets Percy to open up about his struggles. Also, I found the way in which Percy chose his companions to be quite logical and forward thinking. Definitely different than the book where Grover and Annabeth both volunteer for the job. He chose them based on what he thought would benefit him in the long term, like who he thought he could trust and who he didn't think he could become friends with, therefore adhering to the prophecy. Of course these choices end up making him feel alone but that is what contributes to bringing the group together when this all comes out in the open. Which the viewer really needs to see. All the changes really help shape each character and lets the audience understand their personalities better seeing as there isn't an internal monologue to follow like the book has. I think they're doing a really great job so far! I'm super excited for more. I hope you'll keep making videos as each episode comes out. It would be fun to hear all your thoughts after seeing the newest episode. I like seeing people geek out about the show like me! ❤❤
I agree with you so much on this. The show is doing a phenomenal job of showing the characters personality through actions and the changes. I love it so much.
I really like the changes they made for Medusa. The cinematography parallel from the first episode too, where we see Sally and Percy looking at the statue but we don't see Sally's head! Just some really good visual storytelling, the comparison of how similar and different Medusa and Sally's interactions were with Poseidon. I think they also did a really good job of telling a very serious and sad story and keeping it child friendly but not dumbing it down. A kid watching can think 'Poseidon was mean or lied to Medusa and then Athena was unfair' and someone older can pick up on the nuances of assault and victim blaming. I think it really keeps to the spirit of the books, especially as they progressed to put that layer of meaning and nuance in the story.
"i chose annabeth because i never thought that we would be friends" percabeth shippers: 😭 "i chopped off her head" "i am impertanent" percy. right. there.
I really liked this episode too! And clearly the real reason Percy was so bold with Medusa is because it was his namesake that slew her in legends and he was just following in his footsteps! 😀 lol I love these videos, and as someone who hasn't read any of the books for this or when you did Harry Potter too that you provide some valuable insights about the differences allowing me to learn about them too and enjoy them with you! Plus you do so in such fun and funny ways! ❤
Personally i loved the change they made with Medusa, because her story means a lot to some people it just would have been a tiny bit sad seeing her portrayed as a "standard villain", nothing wrong with that, but I think this is way better. Also Grover is amazing I love him too much!!!
It's time to say it: I started reading this books because... you did. I had been hearing about them for a long time but it was when I saw you had made a video about them that I finally decided to read them. And I'm soooooo glad I did. Also I can't wait till you react to ep. 4 cause it was my personal favourite
Hey I just wanted to tell you that I LOVE how articulate and how well developed all your opinions are! You just explain everything so beautifully and I also agree with everything you said. I'd say I'm a long time fan and I still do love the changes in this episode especially because you can clearly see each character's.. well, character. And I think displaying the reason behind Medusa's hatred for the Gods also will help later in the series too! I'm just so excited and glad that you read this series finally! I love your videos ❤
I LOVED this episode so much! The first two episodes was really really good, they set up the premise of what you need to know about the characters and the world, and I didn't think about it, but I agree with you about it being a lot of people explaining things. But this episode? Just outstanding! You can tell that Rick had been very involved in this adaptation, and I remember him writing about people being upset that Annabeth isn't white and blonde and saying "this girl IS Annabeth", qnd I don't care what the characters look like at all, but he's so right. The casting is overall great, but OH MY GOD THESE THREE KIDS HAVE THE BEST CHEMISTRY! And rhe way they each both manage to be the character, as well as show the relationship with the other two in every scene, I just can't 😭😭😭 ❤️❤️❤️ I also agree with you about all of the changes so far, they make sense, I see why they've done it, and I LIKE them! (Except for Grover betraying Percy, I think it was a good change story-wise, but that one hurt 😭). I read the books for the first time 7-8 years ago, as an adult, but I have re-read them several times since, and I have a lot of feelings about them. The movies was a crappy adaptation, but this is made with so much respect for the source material understanding of what PJ is about. ❤️
Also, please keep doing these if you want to talk about the show, I enjoyed it!! (The light sabers are really cool, I'm not saying you *should*, but you COULD film just the background with them on, and then edit them into the video, without the sound. But that would probably be a lot of work, hahah 😅 (in case it isn't clear, because people misunderstand me a lot, this is not serious))
I was so surprised about auntie ems and how Annabeth immediately knew. “That wasn’t in the books but they play the characters so well that I don’t care” is what I said. Just found this video and your explanation is so much better than any other that I’ve seen. You have single-handedly made me switch sides. Very persuasive Edit: I JUST WATCHED THE 4TH EPISODE HILY MOLY IM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT ONE ITS THTE LOVE BOAT SCENE AAAAA
The Medusa scene was also really clever on Annabeth's part. It took away Medusa's danger so that Percy could attack safely. Also, I would love a weekly reaction from you! It was delightful.
YES! I love how they are like emphasizing how Percy and the demigod antagonist are similar in order to emphasize the difference in their ultimate choices! And establishing that the gods are NOT just bumbling incompetent parents, but abusive in their choices and their willful ignorance and arbitrary actions helps with both understanding the antagonist's motivations and the ultimatum Percy gives them in the end! I am so loving the direction it seems they are going because u think it only gives the books MORE depth.
I saw a thing on instagram about Medusa's story from that perspective and I was so upset when I went to Rome the next month and saw the statute of Perseus holding her head. She was just trying to live her life devoted to Athena when that happened and she got punished 😭😭
It depends on th version of th myth. In th riordanverse th relationship btw her n poseidon was consensual, both on th show n in th books as told in 'pj n th greek gods', w/ medusa feeling honored to have attracted th attentions of a man like poseidon. Th version in which she was raped by th god was written by th roman poet ovid in his 'metamorphoses'; it's therefore more roman mythology than greek
“Don’t forget… I am impertinent” should be your outro for Percy videos! 😂 and I completely agree the show isn’t word for word like the books but the changes it’s making is true to the characters and spirit of the books!
As someone who grew up reading the books I gotta say that I’m loving the show so far. And since I’ve used Percy Jackson as a springboard into reading more mythology, I agree that changing Medusa was fantastic. It’s such a joy to see others loving the stories that meant so much to me, so thank you for embracing it the way you have. If you haven’t already, I really recommend reading the Heroes of Olympus books, they act as a sequel to the PJ series and they’re just as chaotic and heartfelt.
3:55 ok but you can tell she wanted them to like her more bc she is trying so hard to pick out the best ones bc she said and I quote “oookay so chips and soda good then?” And she’s getting them candy and trying to pick out the best and since she hasn’t been out of camp in so long she doesn’t know what’s the best thing to get for them!
Dam that was a good outro! I can't wait to see what you have to say about episode 4!! I just watched it before watching your video and just seeing how well things connect makes me soo happy! The writers are keeping the story tight and pulling on fascinating themes. Thanks for making these vids Mikaila, my teenaged self is screaming with happiness that you're so excited, especially as a new fan.💙
I agree with the Annabeth statement. In the beginning of the books she was basically annoyed with Percy most of the time, especially with his lack of knowledge and it’s portrayed very well in this series
i absolutely love and appreciate your perspective and understanding and logical well thought out explanations of everything. 100/10 also 12 year old me is thriving rn
I also like the elevator music they chose. "Arthur's Theme" subtlety gets across Percy's personality. Arthur, he does as he pleases All of his life, his master's toys Deep in his heart, he's just, he's just a boy Living his life one day at a time And showing himself a pretty good time Laughing about the way they want him to be
Thank you so much for your perspective on the series! I read the books growing up and they are very dear to me so I am a bit reserved when it comes to changing parts of the story but your commentary really helps me enjoy this more :) (Just for clarification: I am really excited for this adaptation and think they did great with the cast and the overall feeling so far; I just wasn't to sure about changing some of the scenes for eg. Medusas story in the books vs. series)
I’m enjoying this reaction and analysis series. Loved this episode and the characterization. I did laugh when the body stayed invisible after the head was removed but also understood why they went that way. I would want to keep my house safe, too. 🙂
Thank you thank you thank you for watching along with us and posting! I really enjoy this so far as someone who was introduced to the series as a whole yesterday. Love your work❤️
Hey so I'm officially a huge fan of you and this channel! I completely agree this episode was a masterful adaptation and did such a great job with giving us a better look at our trio. I loved all the changes and Medusa was both tragic and utterly captivating (wait a sec...) Dam good video!
Thank you for another wonderful reaction video for this series! Loved how you highlighted the fact that some of the writing choices have to be different in a show bc viewers cannot access the internal narration of a character in a show like they can in a book, not without copious amounts of narration. Super important for fans to understand and hopefully helps ppl appreciate the creativity and difficult choices needing to be made behind the scenes!! The bit about how-to-decapitate-Medusa-in-a-PG-rated-show really helped get this idea across!! Also loved loved loved how by the end of this episode, the trio really feels like they’re learning to be friends with each other. Aryan’s acting in particular, especially after the discovering Uncle Ferdinand scene really helped this friendship btwn the trio grow naturally and realistically.
i loved your reaction so much!! i'm definitely liking a lot of the changes in the show as well, its all been adding a lot of depth that could have gone missing without the internal monologue of the books :) loved this video 🥰
As someone who's read and reread Percy Jackson many times, i have been loving all of the changes. I really think they are all servicing the story beautifully.
Oh damn, girl; you just made me realize I read that book almost 20 years ago. Rude. As someone who initially saw the casting and was upset, watching this I am delighted. Rick had so much input with how it worked out and these kids are perfection. Percy flossing had me waking up my kids I was laughing so hard. I will say, not a fan of Lin Manual as Hermes, he just isn't this hot dude who gets around like I imaged; everyone else is flawless at this point. Grover's song is a total bop and I'm using it for conflict resolution in my house going forward.
this reactions series is the first one i've watched from this channel, but these are really great reactions with commentary, like clearly analyzing and understanding a show/characters and how things come together. I really appreciate this! also i totally agree about your point on them going with Medusa despite knowing its a trap. it was a very interesting scene
I really loved your thoughts and intelligent conveyance. My sister read the first book to me when I was five years old and now almost twenty years later this world and its' characters have shaped my life and thirst for adventure. It is cool to see so many new fans enjoying what has created my favorite moments in life.
ep 4 spoilers ‼️ this made me realise: medusa’s line, “i embarrassed her and i needed to be punished,” feels like a DIRECT parallel to annabeth’s line in ep 4 saying how she embarrassed athena and now she won’t help them. surely that’s not a coincidence. i do love how they’re already showing the moral ambiguity of both the gods and monsters and its effects on the kids. it’ll definitely make luke’s betrayal hit even harder, and nicely sets up for the parallel between him and percy ‘turns down immortality to make the gods pay their child support’ jackson
I just watched all the current episodes last night and I'm glad I saw your video of the other episodes first. Because otherwise I would have been up in arms about how they dud the Medusa encounter. But I had your voice echoing in the back of my head telling me to keep chill it doesn't have to go 100% accurate to the books 😂
I like how you were talking about how they showed how different the protagonists personalities are without making own just ‘dumb’ and then showed Ron Weasley… that still hurts me until now. I absolutely love Grover in this, all of the trios interactions are great! I’m very new to the fandom, I’ve tried to read the first book multiple times and would stop randomly for some reason and I just finished the first book finally before the 4th episode came out so I’m very new but it’s so exciting being this fresh and seeing the show at the same time! Like you said, I don’t have the same long term attachment to the books like longtime fans are so I’m loving a lot of the changes in these newer episodes so far
god i love the overwhelming support for the change in medusa's character so much. i was re-reading the books earlier last year to prepare for the show, and i remember reading medusa's scene and feeling distinctly aware how dated it was and how shallow of an interpretation her story was. loved the update and seeing how uncle rick has developed as a writer over all
The change to Medusa is brilliant from a storytelling perspective because in a way it directly foreshadows what's going to occur between Luke and Percy at the end. There's an even clearer understanding of how the demigods, like Medusa, often feel wronged and neglected by the gods and harbor resentment towards them because of it. That resentment can grow strong enough for people to harm others who have similar experiences but don't immediately join their side, feeling betrayed by those they expect immediate solidarity with (even if that solidarity has to be bought with the price of others' lives). This is exactly what happens between Percy and Medusa and it's what eventually happens between him and Luke. Despite the fact that Percy understands and sympathizes with Medusa's situation, he chooses a different path because he's unwilling to justify sacrificing his friends. I'm expecting his confrontation with Luke to bring that same thing full circle in the finale - they both know what it's like to feel neglected by their fathers but Percy's going to choose a different path again, because it's still not worth throwing his friends under the bus. It also sends the same great message to younger viewers that A Series of Unfortunate Events did about not using your trauma as an excuse to continue the cycle and hurt more people. ASOUE at its core is about the devastating effects of unresolved generational trauma, and at the end of the series the Baudelaires have to grapple with the question of how to respond to Count Olaf's abuse: do they walk the same path he did, retaliating as a result of pain that was unfairly given to him, or do they do the hard thing and choose to be better than him even though they will never get their parents back and he never once apologizes for hurting them? PJO took a similar route with the show by putting Percy in the Baudelaires' position - he has every right to follow in Medusa's footsteps because of Poseidon's absence in his life, but does that necessarily make it the right thing to do, especially if doing so will get his friends killed? We take a lesson like that for granted as adults but kids this age are just starting to wrestle with these kinds of moral dilemmas and I think it's great when stories choose to focus on them.
I'm a lifelong fan, i've read the Lightning Thief six times and... i love the changes so much!!! I'm not saying i prefer the scenes going that way but i went into the show with an open mind, knowing that every change was done or approved by Uncle Rick and that's good. So i just think of both ways as two different ways to convey the story and both are so so cool and fit for their own medium. So I think that for a disney series with eight episodes, everything is done well! Yes for the screen you need to change some stuff, the narrative is different, we're not having inner monologues. And the times have changed. Every little change is so fun and interesting and understandable. This is a great series.
I think you perfectly explained the changes from book to screen & how they serve both characterization & plot. I completely agree with your assessment of this episode.
As a person who fell in love with reading because of Percy Jackson I like watching newer fans reaction because it opens up my perspective more that even tho I got cons this is the best thing ever
4:23 IS SO ME WATCHING EP 3&4. I _really_ REALLY love the changes. It EXPANDS on the narrative and I think they're what rick would've done if given the chance to rewrite the books, you get me? Like the "you burn what you'll miss the most" and "glory" added facts to the rules of greek myth (or maybe i just don't remember they said that in the books lol), making medusa a sympathetic character, making _Grover_ be a mediator more than he was in the books, making the situation with medusa and the fury a situation between a hard place and immovable object, having the strain between Percy and Annabeth make sense of both sides and not just Annabeth being rude and Percy being dumb, making the trip to the arc more than just Annabeth liking architecture but also intertwining it with the plot to move it along, making it so the purpose of them being there is challenged by the consequence of their "impertinent behavior", having Annabeth sacrifice herself to prove another layer of her character, and the situation just felt heavier bc Percy didn't just get left behind and now to add to that he's injured, Percy also talked about what he thinks about his dad with Annabeth and that was paid off at the end. Y-you know? YOU KNOW??! SO GOOD
Episode 4 is going to be out tmr! You did an amazing job on your videos. I really enjoy watching them and I can’t wait to watch you reacting to the other episodes.
I liked the changes they made for Medusa. Her story has multiple variations and interpretations in Greek Mythology. She was not a monster but a victim 🥲
I am a long time Percy Jackson fan and this show is the love letter to all fans new and old. Uncle Rick and everyone involved should be very very proud. The changes in show have all been crafted well and done with love to the heart of what make these characters special. I am so glad that Percy's story is being told in a way that truly shows love.
As a mid-term fan (I've been in the fandom for almost three years) this series is being incredible. Because they are doing different things and that keeps you hooked and you want to keep watching, to see how they will do this or how they will do that. But suddenly they give you something exactly as it is in the book and you get excited because although things are changing it is still the same story, the one that is already part of you. It is... perfect. (I don't know if this makes much sense, but whatever)
5:04 to actually speak about this scene in the episode where Annabeth just figures out that auntie em is Medusa immediately. The reason that are still book accurate is because 90% of the time in between when they get to auntie Em’s garden gnome Emporium, and when they get like to actually meeting Medusa is very short, it’s just seems longer because of how much dialogue of Percy’s brain we’re getting so if you cut all of that inner dialogue out, it’s actually roughly a little bit more than the time I think in the show but almost the same. It’s just we don’t realise that because we are reading so much of Percy’s dialogue.
I love how already they are adding so much more nuance to the gods and monsters in this show! One of my favorite parts was the LMM/Hermes cameo where I think they are already hinting that he is NOT 100% a good guy with that inverted Kubrick stare! Also, to Mikaila's point, a lot of us who read these books many years ago are old now, and PJ got us into Greek myths, so we learned the "true" stories like what happened to Medusa and how messed up Zeus is and that comes out in later books as well so I'm glad the show is catering to old and new fans by making changes that will be appreciated so far down the line!
So, I already watched the fourth episode, but I loved re-watching this with you, and when Medusa says "I embarrassed her and I needed to be punished," and it's such a good parallel to the fourth episode when they are at the St. Louis arch, and the monsters are let in because Athena let them into the temple because Annabeth embarrassed Athena by allowing Percy to send Medusa's head. And it's such a tiny moment where Annabeth can now connect to Medusa's story because it wasn't her fault that Percy sent the head, yet she got punished for it (like Poseidon pursuing Medusa and her getting punished for it)
Hey og fan here, and I do like the mudesa change, what we've grown to learn about the medusa myth (a lot of different interpretations) uncle Rick adapting it and her saying she's a survivor just really struck a cord. Even Sally's comments about her in the first episode saying she might not be what she appears. But I would love to see you react to each episode.
First full video I’ve watched of yours: bro just earned herself a subscription because her reasonings were so in-depth, the editing was so funny, and KSBCJABBDKSBD
Episode 4 was perfect and i loved the little changes where percy and the team go up the arch together instead of with echidna and the chimera and how Annabeth was going to sacrifice herself for the other's like how Thalia did on the camp halfblood hill and honestly I'm glad percy was like" haha sike! This is my sword " and fought the chimera instead, i also love the "just breath " from the flash back and the river scene, and I'm glad that percy lost against the chimera because that's exactly how i imagined it going down in my head , 10/10 Episode
As someone who's been a PJO fan for a rather long time, I've come away from every single episode very impressed by the changes they made. It seems to me like in the show, we're getting to see a later (better?) draft of the series, and I love it so much. None of the changes they made have hindered, in my opinion, anything in the series, but rather made it even better.
You are one of two reactions I’m watching for the show because i love you and your mind is amazing. As an og fan of the books, i find your new reader insights 🌟 and have made me your fan. Eagerly looking forward to more
Episode 3 was a fun watch!! I loved all the scenes with the trio, especially the ones where they actually bonded. It’s so sweet to see that on screen! Episode 4 was also really good imo, can’t wait for the lotus hotel! P.S: I still say “this song was a bop!” and I’m a “fellow kid” so I’d say that expression still works
I read these books when I was a kid and have re-read them quite a few times. I've learned adaptation after adaptation that translation POV books just isn't the easiest because we're obviously not in these characters' heads. It's something a lot of people seem to forget about when movies or series aren't word for word what the book was. I don't think I'd ever want a 1-on-1 copy, even of something I love. All this to say that because Rick Riordan is so closely involved and knows how it can go wrong, I trust any changes the series makes. So far they've either been logical changes for a tv adaption or a more nuanced version since Rick has also learned a lot since he wrote this book 20 ish years ago.
as an absolute percy jackson fan I totally encourage you to read the entire universe!!! It's so detailed and so fun, I'm sure you'll have as much fun as I did reading heroes of olympus, magnus chase, kane chronicles, trials of apollo (apollo's character development was crazy) and all the side books. They're so fun and I hope you read all of them!
I also really liked the choice that the statues outside were all of "evil" looking creatures, which highlighted Medusa's statement that she only targets bullies. Yet when they get to the basement, they find more "innocent" looking victims, like uncle Ferdinand, making clear that Medusa is not as good as she would like others to think
That also puts her innocence into question. I think in some versions of the myth, it may have been consensual.
If I'm not wrong, some say the goal here was to make her background a bit ambiguous.
@@JabamiLainIn the one ancient source (Ovid) for Medusa being born human, it wasn’t. The others had her born as a monster.
My favorite part of Annabeth in the store scene is that she was overthinking and trying to understand what Percy and Grover want and when we see her struggling to pick out candy it goes to show that she wanted to befriend them with a sweet gesture of candy. That is why later on in the episode when Percy said that he and Annabeth could never be friends. You could see her heart drop. Because I’m her own way she is trying. Remember she was in camp with older people around her since the age of seven. She doesn’t know how to interact with people her own age and that is what truly makes her arc so unique. So I don’t get the people that dislike her character choice’s earlier on as a 12 year old that struggles with social interactions and focus’s on the problem in front of herself as a true daughter of Athena.
Thank you for reading my little rant :)
It was so cute seeing her act like a 12 year old and get a bunch of junk food to eat with her friends. I love the way Leah is portraying Annabeth, she seems super independent and strong but has a soft side when you actually pay attention to her actions.
I loved this moment so much 🥹 Leah has been doing such an amazing job with her portrayal of Annabeth, the way she can convey so much story with just her facial expressions is amazing 👏🏼
Oh this is such a good point! I always suspected that was a part of her struggles, and as someone who also was bad at interacting with people my own age I _want_ that to be her 💖💖💖
Literally exactly this
All of this! They gave Emmy level performances in this series, there is soo much nuance
"She met a pinecone's fate" I died at that line💀
Same! Also you know Thalia would have beat him up for that 🤣
This reminded of "bring it on, pinecone face!" 🤣
Best line so far
@@lucygarrett9785she’s gonna kill him in 2 seasons
Couldn't help but love the audacity of it 😂
They made such smart choices with the portrayal of Medusa in this version. That one word "survivor" conveys so much about what happened to her without getting graphic. It throws the right kind of shade on Poseidon - and Athena - and makes a sympathetic "monster" who is still definitely a villain. It was a thin, thin line to toe, and they did it perfectly.
so well said!! 👏🏼👏🏼
I loved that change too.
@@magicbymikaila I really really really want to know if you have read Heroes of Olympus and maybe Trials of Apollo. If not please do. They are so great and I NEED to know your opinions and jokes about them.
I ain’t reading allat
@@MrSirSir your lose and it isn’t even all that much.
The Percabeth shippers had a fun time with this episode 😁
“I killed her sister”
“I chopped off her head”
Their already killing for each other 🥹
That was such a great scene.
yesss also annabeth looking at percy when percy kills alecto 😭😭
looking at the spoilers for episode five im actually gonna die 😭😭
@@bekajean_ wait where I the spoilers posted. I need to know.
@@Anvi.di.Angelo10there’s a spoiler at the end of every episode if you’re watching on Disney +
"she met a pinecone's fate"
annabeth: SIDE EYE
The way that line captured Percy’s voice PERFECTLY 😂
@SophiaPaley-rm1tp and the LOOK on her face when Percy said it was sooo very Annabeth
i honestly love grover's song, it's my favorite part of the show since percy's archery disaster
SAME. I loved Grover in this episode.
The scene with Medusa (05:39) where she goes "I embarrassed her, and I had to be punished. Not him. Me" is such a cool setup for what happened in Episode 4!
Spoiler alert -
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But the fact that Percy sends Medusa's head to Olympus and Athena punishes Annabeth for being impertinent... Mannnnnn! This is such a good show~
Righttt?? They are SO masterful with these episode-to-episode setups and payoffs! It's just so goood!
I love how Hermes thought it was funny, I’m so excited to meet the others
I loved the way they characterized Medusa in the show it’s amazing. Jessica Parker Kennedy did really well as her!
Yes! And her outfit was gorgeous, the hat, the dress the SLEEVES, the shoes! Beautiful!
Honestly, the third episode completely changed my mind about the first two episodes.
One, Percy’s reasoning to pick Annabeth and Grover because he thinks they might betray him is VERY different. And spicy!
Two, they explain how monsters don’t just overpower you in strength. They play mind tricks and can pull on different strings within people.
Three, Annabeth found the monster BEFORE the monster found them! And interrogated her to get info!
Four, the monsters perfectly pull on strings that make Annabeth and Percy tick. Of course Percy could be convinced to give Medusa the benefit of the doubt because of his mother! His mother was the only person he could even trust.
Five, the change to reveal Medusa was a bold one and I was worried. But it serves this story better! It’s not her hair that makes her scary. It’s her ability to point out the hypocrisy of the gods and convince them to turn.
Six, because of Medusa’s story, she is the perfect monster to SHOW Percy the hypocrisy of the gods and how terrible they need to change. Which is the whole goal of Percy’s story!
You are so right
Yesss all of this! 👏🏼
The monsters in the series remind me more of Heroes of Olympus. Actually, even in the second PJO book, Rick started writing his villains to be more psychological, having them pick their heroes apart mentally rather than just trying to kill them. I really like that approach, and I think it works great here too :D
The Grover signing is a great foreshadowing to his magic! The fact people who are complaining aren’t realizing that is baffling to me
Wait, satires can do magic ?
Thanks for the spoiler 👍
@@54MU What did you expect man?
Spoiler alert
I honestly forgot about his magic reed pipes. Nice catch.
@@54MUdont read comments abt a show whos ful series is already out
This is a great show and this episode was amazing. Since Rick Riordan is running this show, it isn't just someone adapting the books and making changes with his support, but rather it's like he's updating the story the way he would want to write it with nearly twenty more years of experience and more thoughts on the matter of character development and themes.
I really liked how Medusa was handled here. Having them realize who she was sooner allowed the episode to develop her further, explore Percy and Annabeth's feelings regarding their godly parents and other views in relation to her, and establish her as a clear threat by having Alecto be afraid of her, while maintaining the tension but in a different way (approaching danger and growing revelation of something not being right in the book, Alone With The Psycho in the show).
Everyone so far has been perfectly cast in their roles. Walker, Leah, and Aryan as the main trio; Jason Mantzoukas as Dionysus; Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa. They're all just great.
I enjoyed seeing your reaction.
Mantzoukaz is the god of playing the surprisingly likeable d-bag in productions.I mean really,he always plays the character who’s an asshole to the main character(s) and acts arrogant towards others (e.g trying to trick Percy into getting him a drink by saying he’s his father).
The only other actor who you mentioned that I recognised was Jessica Parker Kennedy because I saw her in CW’s The Flash;she played Flash’s daughter from the future who didn’t act like Medusa as she was overexcitable and childlike.
@@darknorman2914 Yeah, I know her from that as well, and it took me a bit to remember that it was her. She did not act or even sound the same as she did as Nora, so I was surprised when it clicked.
@@WilyGryphon Yeah when I read the cast before watching the show I recognised the name (but I forgot),I didn’t recognise her even unmasked;must’ve been because I forgot it was her,because knowing it’s her,I do recognise her.
“Perfectly casted” lmfao some characters look absolutely nothing like the books.
And we know this only goes one way
@@Krakayoa They cast based on the actors' ability to play the characters, not if they looked exactly like the books' descriptions of them. And the actors play them incredibly well.
I also like the Medusa change better than the book! It gives them more time to give her a personality as a monster and not just a random person who ends up as a monster. That one of my favorite parts of this episode, is that they gave the monsters personality instead of making them things in the trios way during the quest!
SAME. Loved the change so much.
But they still basically just barged into her home and killed her. Seems like they could have found a better way.
Long time book fan here, I loooove the changes! I'm so here for a more nuanced Medusa and for the beginning of Grovers singing career
One thing I really, really love about the scene where Annabeth buys those candies, is that it's one of, if not the first moment where we ever see Annabeth being unsure of something. Up until that point she's been viewed as this confident individual, but for that moment she sort of lets down her guard. Leah did an amazing job in that moment
As someone who got interested in writing and reading via Percy Jackson, I'm enjoying this adaptation soooooo much (and already lowkey dying for when they start exploring the other books like the Heroes of Olympus and hopefully, maybe also keep the Malta scenes since I'd love more of Percy Jackson exploring my country's ties to Greek Myth)
Too many changes ? By the way, despite not having red the books, I am a bit underwhelmed by the show, and the little things I do learn of the books are not exactly helping in that feeling:
-Such as downgrading Gabe's feelings, which takes away some of Percy's character, believe it or not;
-I hear that Medusa's food actually had something on it to make the kids dumber and more vulnerable. It's a shame that wasn't used again, since she's a predator;
-What's that with giving Grover his horns right away ?
-Well, Annabeth's race isn't exactly an issue, but her representation against the dumb blond trope would have been nice. We whites have our issues too (again, this one isn't really a problem, the actress portrays Athena's heritage in Annabeth pretty well).
At least the monsters are a bit more nuanced now. But other than that, the content feels a bit like a mediocre fanfic of Greek mythology.
If anyone wants to change my opinion or convince me to read the books though, feel free. I feel like I need to get back to lighter stuff. And this saga might be what I need.
@@JabamiLain
-Gabe adds very little to Percy's character, what we got in the show is fine
-That was never confirmed in the books, it seems like Medusa had some kind of charm power, but the kids were also just naive
-Grover always had his horns, they're a natural part of his body, not some gift. That was a dumb change from the movie
-The dumb blonde trope is never mentioned in the book, not once. If people saw that story playing out with her, that's fine. But it does not seem like it was Rick's intention at all
@@JabamiLain Okay, bro, go read the books first. You kinda aren't sure what you're talking about since you haven't read the books yet.
Technically the ‘dumb blonde’ trope was mentioned by Annabeth in her POVs in Heroes of Olympus, Mark of Athena I believe.
@@mlgnerd13 I have to disagree with you on the Gabe part.
Do you remember how Sally said Percy will be a hero not through great feats, but through what's inside his heart ? Well, from what little info I have from the books, which includes the line "She sees all the good in me, without any of the bad.", and his sadness and shock in seeing Sally cower before Gabe, I always interpreted this journey as more than a rescue mission, but as a self imposed redemption too.
Percy's arc in becoming a hero doesn't come simply from wanting to protect people from monsters, it comes from him wanting to protect them from the world's evil in general, like he wished he could have done for her. Sure, you could argue Grover's bully fills that role too, but I disagree:
-A bully, all you have to do to get rid of them is by standing up to them, and maybe even denounce them to the police (bullying IS punishable by law).
-But there's actually a system that forces people to be with someone in order to make it easier to pay the bills and care for your kin, making it harder for single people in return. It makes divorces harder, even if you want to do them. That's part of the reason why toxic marriages exist.
In other words, Gabe adds to Percy's character, in the sense he wants to improve both in brain and brawn, to make sure what happened to his mom can't happen again, be it by confronting a monster, or a human.
Also, last time I red comments, they were saying Annabeth actually took a while to figure Medusa out in the books ?
As someone who got into Percy Jackson before Heroes of Olympus started, I also think the change in Madusa is better than in the book. Percy using his mom and her stories as a reason not to automatically think of Madusa as a monster was so clever, and a great setup for when he does meet Tyson (and thus explaining why Annabeth has a hard time trusting him when the last time Percy talked like that they all nearly turned to stone). In addition, one minor critique I have of the books is how every monster just always seemed downright evil. Madusa's portrayal here makes her more three-dimensional. You empathize with her because she got punished by Athena when she did nothing wrong. This explains why she might side with Chronos and already shows that the gods aren't the all good deities they appear to be. (Also, Jessica Parker Kennedy killed it as Madusa. I've had a celeb crush on her since she was Barry's daughter on The Flash and am happy she got to be in this, and thus I cannot wait to see Edge as Ares)
Not even in th books are all monsters, including medusa, downright evil.. i mean, look at chiron, grover n th other satyrs, blackjack n th other pegasus of th camp, crest etc.. most of them are archetypes born frm chaos n barbarisms that alw exists beneath western civilization, yes, but not all of them. Also in th books as in th show th relationship btw poseidon n medusa was consensual, w/ her hating th god cause he didn't lift a finger to save her frm athena after telling her he loved her
I feel like it also reflects the style Rick adopted further down the line with the way he approached monsters in hoo. I feel like a lot of the big ones at least get far more nuanced in hoo so it kind of makes sense that he'd want to write them that way for the adaptation. It's been so long since the first book and he's had so much time to grow and change his outlook on his story, and I feel the adaptation is a good example of that.
I'm iffy on this one. I think it was done to appeal to the current culture of Medusa sympathizers.
@@jigglypuff52What do you mean by “current culture of Medusa sympathizers”? In most versions of the (Roman) myth, Medusa was a victim of both Poseidon’s lust and then Athena’s rage, pride and general fickleness. Even in versions where their “relationship” was consensual, her punishment was always framed as unfair, showing how unjust and flawed the gods were. She has always been a character readers could sympathize with to a certain point, it’s not really a recent development.
I originally didn't like some of the changes that were made in the series, but after hearing about them from Mikaila's perspective I'm starting to appreciate them more. Thanks for the amazing video!
Same
Just out of curiosity, what were some of the changes that you didn't like orignally??
@@Leeknowsnothingandeverthing One change I din't like was when Grover told the principal in the first episode that Percy pushed Nancy into the fountain because it painted Grover in a bad light and made it look like he betrayed Percy. Mikaila pointed out how it showed the viewers who hadn't read the book how strong their friendship is when Percy chose Grover to go on the quest with him.
@@suememina I see, I think they did that because didn't have much time to be spent in yancy academy, in the books grover lies to percy for the rest of the time there, so instead of that they made him betray percy. In this version we also see how much it hurts and bothers percy when someone betray him yk
Percy actually ditches Grover in the book. Because he was acting odd. And not telling Percy the full truth.
My mum, sister and I cracked up laughing at the 2 song scenes. Also I would love to watch you review this series every week.
yes we need a review for every episode!!
i loveee how they made Medusa more of a victim and how they really showcased the fact that she’s a monster because she hurts people, not because she has snakes for hair. love it!!
also percy even LOOKS down bad for annabeth 😂
I mean, even if her encounter with Poseidon was fully consensual, he was still a dick for knowingly desecrate Athena's temple and Athena was a dick for punishing her since she couldn't hurt Poseidon.
Please do one for every episode! You're always such a delight to watch :D Your videos are always so insightful, well worded, and enthusiastic!
As someone who read the books a long time ago and has since re-read them because of this show, I agree with you that the changes they are making are a good way to adapt the book into a show. It makes more sense and translates better that Annabeth is aware of who Medusa is right away and how abrupt she can be sometimes, or that Grover keeps getting caught in the middle and is trying to mediate but ultimately stands up for himself and gets Percy to open up about his struggles. Also, I found the way in which Percy chose his companions to be quite logical and forward thinking. Definitely different than the book where Grover and Annabeth both volunteer for the job. He chose them based on what he thought would benefit him in the long term, like who he thought he could trust and who he didn't think he could become friends with, therefore adhering to the prophecy. Of course these choices end up making him feel alone but that is what contributes to bringing the group together when this all comes out in the open. Which the viewer really needs to see. All the changes really help shape each character and lets the audience understand their personalities better seeing as there isn't an internal monologue to follow like the book has. I think they're doing a really great job so far! I'm super excited for more. I hope you'll keep making videos as each episode comes out. It would be fun to hear all your thoughts after seeing the newest episode. I like seeing people geek out about the show like me! ❤❤
I agree with you so much on this. The show is doing a phenomenal job of showing the characters personality through actions and the changes. I love it so much.
I really like the changes they made for Medusa. The cinematography parallel from the first episode too, where we see Sally and Percy looking at the statue but we don't see Sally's head!
Just some really good visual storytelling, the comparison of how similar and different Medusa and Sally's interactions were with Poseidon.
I think they also did a really good job of telling a very serious and sad story and keeping it child friendly but not dumbing it down.
A kid watching can think 'Poseidon was mean or lied to Medusa and then Athena was unfair' and someone older can pick up on the nuances of assault and victim blaming.
I think it really keeps to the spirit of the books, especially as they progressed to put that layer of meaning and nuance in the story.
“I get to keep my house” followed by “I am impertinent” had me wheezing 😂
"i chose annabeth because i never thought that we would be friends"
percabeth shippers:
😭
"i chopped off her head"
"i am impertanent"
percy. right. there.
I felt bad for her you could see her facial expression. She looked hurt.
@@sarickacampbell2642tHeRES A NEW EPISODE!
When Percy said that line, in my head I was like, “Yes, you don’t become friends. She becomes the love of your life. Just wait.” 😅
Yeah but again she starts off cold at the beginning, so they technically hate each other lol
I really liked this episode too! And clearly the real reason Percy was so bold with Medusa is because it was his namesake that slew her in legends and he was just following in his footsteps! 😀 lol
I love these videos, and as someone who hasn't read any of the books for this or when you did Harry Potter too that you provide some valuable insights about the differences allowing me to learn about them too and enjoy them with you!
Plus you do so in such fun and funny ways! ❤
I’ve been reading Percy Jackson since I was 8 (I’m 22) and I LOVE the changes they add so much nuance to the character and story!
0:14 no i DO want to watch you sit and talk for 8 episodes long this was such a good video
I love seeing you reaction! You having joined the fandom is such a delight! Love from Italy❤
Personally i loved the change they made with Medusa, because her story means a lot to some people it just would have been a tiny bit sad seeing her portrayed as a "standard villain", nothing wrong with that, but I think this is way better. Also Grover is amazing I love him too much!!!
@@milsiccca6402 AGREED.
Hello from Italy as well 🤗 enjoying the show so much 😆
THE CONSENSUS SONG AT THE START
It's time to say it: I started reading this books because... you did. I had been hearing about them for a long time but it was when I saw you had made a video about them that I finally decided to read them. And I'm soooooo glad I did. Also I can't wait till you react to ep. 4 cause it was my personal favourite
Hey I just wanted to tell you that I LOVE how articulate and how well developed all your opinions are! You just explain everything so beautifully and I also agree with everything you said.
I'd say I'm a long time fan and I still do love the changes in this episode especially because you can clearly see each character's.. well, character. And I think displaying the reason behind Medusa's hatred for the Gods also will help later in the series too! I'm just so excited and glad that you read this series finally! I love your videos ❤
I LOVED this episode so much! The first two episodes was really really good, they set up the premise of what you need to know about the characters and the world, and I didn't think about it, but I agree with you about it being a lot of people explaining things. But this episode? Just outstanding! You can tell that Rick had been very involved in this adaptation, and I remember him writing about people being upset that Annabeth isn't white and blonde and saying "this girl IS Annabeth", qnd I don't care what the characters look like at all, but he's so right. The casting is overall great, but OH MY GOD THESE THREE KIDS HAVE THE BEST CHEMISTRY! And rhe way they each both manage to be the character, as well as show the relationship with the other two in every scene, I just can't 😭😭😭 ❤️❤️❤️
I also agree with you about all of the changes so far, they make sense, I see why they've done it, and I LIKE them! (Except for Grover betraying Percy, I think it was a good change story-wise, but that one hurt 😭). I read the books for the first time 7-8 years ago, as an adult, but I have re-read them several times since, and I have a lot of feelings about them. The movies was a crappy adaptation, but this is made with so much respect for the source material understanding of what PJ is about. ❤️
Also, please keep doing these if you want to talk about the show, I enjoyed it!!
(The light sabers are really cool, I'm not saying you *should*, but you COULD film just the background with them on, and then edit them into the video, without the sound. But that would probably be a lot of work, hahah 😅 (in case it isn't clear, because people misunderstand me a lot, this is not serious))
I was so surprised about auntie ems and how Annabeth immediately knew. “That wasn’t in the books but they play the characters so well that I don’t care” is what I said. Just found this video and your explanation is so much better than any other that I’ve seen. You have single-handedly made me switch sides. Very persuasive
Edit: I JUST WATCHED THE 4TH EPISODE HILY MOLY IM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT ONE ITS THTE LOVE BOAT SCENE AAAAA
The Medusa scene was also really clever on Annabeth's part. It took away Medusa's danger so that Percy could attack safely.
Also, I would love a weekly reaction from you! It was delightful.
I’m so glad that the adaptation was mostly good. I don’t have Disney so I can’t watch it yet😢. So happy you’re in the PJO fandom now Mika!
this might help
YES! I love how they are like emphasizing how Percy and the demigod antagonist are similar in order to emphasize the difference in their ultimate choices! And establishing that the gods are NOT just bumbling incompetent parents, but abusive in their choices and their willful ignorance and arbitrary actions helps with both understanding the antagonist's motivations and the ultimatum Percy gives them in the end! I am so loving the direction it seems they are going because u think it only gives the books MORE depth.
i think i can see myself as an old fan and i really liked the change from the book about medusa and the things you added made me think this even more!
When Percy said "Annabeth" - he really foretold his future 😂
I saw a thing on instagram about Medusa's story from that perspective and I was so upset when I went to Rome the next month and saw the statute of Perseus holding her head. She was just trying to live her life devoted to Athena when that happened and she got punished 😭😭
It depends on th version of th myth. In th riordanverse th relationship btw her n poseidon was consensual, both on th show n in th books as told in 'pj n th greek gods', w/ medusa feeling honored to have attracted th attentions of a man like poseidon. Th version in which she was raped by th god was written by th roman poet ovid in his 'metamorphoses'; it's therefore more roman mythology than greek
the way they changed the way of killing medusa is so sick. it's amazing
“Don’t forget… I am impertinent” should be your outro for Percy videos! 😂 and I completely agree the show isn’t word for word like the books but the changes it’s making is true to the characters and spirit of the books!
As someone who grew up reading the books I gotta say that I’m loving the show so far. And since I’ve used Percy Jackson as a springboard into reading more mythology, I agree that changing Medusa was fantastic. It’s such a joy to see others loving the stories that meant so much to me, so thank you for embracing it the way you have. If you haven’t already, I really recommend reading the Heroes of Olympus books, they act as a sequel to the PJ series and they’re just as chaotic and heartfelt.
Please do this for each of the episodes!!! I loved watching your reactions and all your analysis on the books, the tv series, and the movie.
3:55 ok but you can tell she wanted them to like her more bc she is trying so hard to pick out the best ones bc she said and I quote “oookay so chips and soda good then?” And she’s getting them candy and trying to pick out the best and since she hasn’t been out of camp in so long she doesn’t know what’s the best thing to get for them!
Dam that was a good outro! I can't wait to see what you have to say about episode 4!! I just watched it before watching your video and just seeing how well things connect makes me soo happy! The writers are keeping the story tight and pulling on fascinating themes. Thanks for making these vids Mikaila, my teenaged self is screaming with happiness that you're so excited, especially as a new fan.💙
I agree with the Annabeth statement. In the beginning of the books she was basically annoyed with Percy most of the time, especially with his lack of knowledge and it’s portrayed very well in this series
i absolutely love and appreciate your perspective and understanding and logical well thought out explanations of everything. 100/10 also 12 year old me is thriving rn
I also like the elevator music they chose. "Arthur's Theme" subtlety gets across Percy's personality.
Arthur, he does as he pleases
All of his life, his master's toys
Deep in his heart, he's just, he's just a boy
Living his life one day at a time
And showing himself a pretty good time
Laughing about the way they want him to be
Ooo I didn’t notice this! What a cool little detail they included! 👏🏼
Thank you so much for your perspective on the series! I read the books growing up and they are very dear to me so I am a bit reserved when it comes to changing parts of the story but your commentary really helps me enjoy this more :)
(Just for clarification: I am really excited for this adaptation and think they did great with the cast and the overall feeling so far; I just wasn't to sure about changing some of the scenes for eg. Medusas story in the books vs. series)
I’m enjoying this reaction and analysis series. Loved this episode and the characterization. I did laugh when the body stayed invisible after the head was removed but also understood why they went that way. I would want to keep my house safe, too. 🙂
by far, youve had the BEST commentary yet. THANK YOU 😭💜
Thank you thank you thank you for watching along with us and posting! I really enjoy this so far as someone who was introduced to the series as a whole yesterday. Love your work❤️
Hey so I'm officially a huge fan of you and this channel! I completely agree this episode was a masterful adaptation and did such a great job with giving us a better look at our trio. I loved all the changes and Medusa was both tragic and utterly captivating (wait a sec...) Dam good video!
Thank you for another wonderful reaction video for this series! Loved how you highlighted the fact that some of the writing choices have to be different in a show bc viewers cannot access the internal narration of a character in a show like they can in a book, not without copious amounts of narration. Super important for fans to understand and hopefully helps ppl appreciate the creativity and difficult choices needing to be made behind the scenes!! The bit about how-to-decapitate-Medusa-in-a-PG-rated-show really helped get this idea across!!
Also loved loved loved how by the end of this episode, the trio really feels like they’re learning to be friends with each other. Aryan’s acting in particular, especially after the discovering Uncle Ferdinand scene really helped this friendship btwn the trio grow naturally and realistically.
The lightsaber conundrum cracked me up. Also every summer camp kid knows a few camp songs!
i loved your reaction so much!! i'm definitely liking a lot of the changes in the show as well, its all been adding a lot of depth that could have gone missing without the internal monologue of the books :) loved this video 🥰
As someone who's read and reread Percy Jackson many times, i have been loving all of the changes. I really think they are all servicing the story beautifully.
Oh damn, girl; you just made me realize I read that book almost 20 years ago. Rude.
As someone who initially saw the casting and was upset, watching this I am delighted. Rick had so much input with how it worked out and these kids are perfection. Percy flossing had me waking up my kids I was laughing so hard. I will say, not a fan of Lin Manual as Hermes, he just isn't this hot dude who gets around like I imaged; everyone else is flawless at this point. Grover's song is a total bop and I'm using it for conflict resolution in my house going forward.
lin as apollo would fit so much more
✨ But I am impertinent ✨
Gave off the same energy as
✨ But I am the chosen one ✨
this reactions series is the first one i've watched from this channel, but these are really great reactions with commentary, like clearly analyzing and understanding a show/characters and how things come together. I really appreciate this!
also i totally agree about your point on them going with Medusa despite knowing its a trap. it was a very interesting scene
I really loved your thoughts and intelligent conveyance. My sister read the first book to me when I was five years old and now almost twenty years later this world and its' characters have shaped my life and thirst for adventure. It is cool to see so many new fans enjoying what has created my favorite moments in life.
ep 4 spoilers ‼️
this made me realise: medusa’s line, “i embarrassed her and i needed to be punished,” feels like a DIRECT parallel to annabeth’s line in ep 4 saying how she embarrassed athena and now she won’t help them. surely that’s not a coincidence.
i do love how they’re already showing the moral ambiguity of both the gods and monsters and its effects on the kids. it’ll definitely make luke’s betrayal hit even harder, and nicely sets up for the parallel between him and percy ‘turns down immortality to make the gods pay their child support’ jackson
I just watched all the current episodes last night and I'm glad I saw your video of the other episodes first. Because otherwise I would have been up in arms about how they dud the Medusa encounter. But I had your voice echoing in the back of my head telling me to keep chill it doesn't have to go 100% accurate to the books 😂
I like how you were talking about how they showed how different the protagonists personalities are without making own just ‘dumb’ and then showed Ron Weasley… that still hurts me until now. I absolutely love Grover in this, all of the trios interactions are great!
I’m very new to the fandom, I’ve tried to read the first book multiple times and would stop randomly for some reason and I just finished the first book finally before the 4th episode came out so I’m very new but it’s so exciting being this fresh and seeing the show at the same time! Like you said, I don’t have the same long term attachment to the books like longtime fans are so I’m loving a lot of the changes in these newer episodes so far
god i love the overwhelming support for the change in medusa's character so much. i was re-reading the books earlier last year to prepare for the show, and i remember reading medusa's scene and feeling distinctly aware how dated it was and how shallow of an interpretation her story was. loved the update and seeing how uncle rick has developed as a writer over all
Please make these weekly!! It’s so good to see your opinion on everything!
The change to Medusa is brilliant from a storytelling perspective because in a way it directly foreshadows what's going to occur between Luke and Percy at the end. There's an even clearer understanding of how the demigods, like Medusa, often feel wronged and neglected by the gods and harbor resentment towards them because of it. That resentment can grow strong enough for people to harm others who have similar experiences but don't immediately join their side, feeling betrayed by those they expect immediate solidarity with (even if that solidarity has to be bought with the price of others' lives). This is exactly what happens between Percy and Medusa and it's what eventually happens between him and Luke. Despite the fact that Percy understands and sympathizes with Medusa's situation, he chooses a different path because he's unwilling to justify sacrificing his friends. I'm expecting his confrontation with Luke to bring that same thing full circle in the finale - they both know what it's like to feel neglected by their fathers but Percy's going to choose a different path again, because it's still not worth throwing his friends under the bus.
It also sends the same great message to younger viewers that A Series of Unfortunate Events did about not using your trauma as an excuse to continue the cycle and hurt more people. ASOUE at its core is about the devastating effects of unresolved generational trauma, and at the end of the series the Baudelaires have to grapple with the question of how to respond to Count Olaf's abuse: do they walk the same path he did, retaliating as a result of pain that was unfairly given to him, or do they do the hard thing and choose to be better than him even though they will never get their parents back and he never once apologizes for hurting them? PJO took a similar route with the show by putting Percy in the Baudelaires' position - he has every right to follow in Medusa's footsteps because of Poseidon's absence in his life, but does that necessarily make it the right thing to do, especially if doing so will get his friends killed? We take a lesson like that for granted as adults but kids this age are just starting to wrestle with these kinds of moral dilemmas and I think it's great when stories choose to focus on them.
I'm a lifelong fan, i've read the Lightning Thief six times and... i love the changes so much!!! I'm not saying i prefer the scenes going that way but i went into the show with an open mind, knowing that every change was done or approved by Uncle Rick and that's good. So i just think of both ways as two different ways to convey the story and both are so so cool and fit for their own medium.
So I think that for a disney series with eight episodes, everything is done well! Yes for the screen you need to change some stuff, the narrative is different, we're not having inner monologues. And the times have changed. Every little change is so fun and interesting and understandable. This is a great series.
I think you perfectly explained the changes from book to screen & how they serve both characterization & plot. I completely agree with your assessment of this episode.
As a person who fell in love with reading because of Percy Jackson I like watching newer fans reaction because it opens up my perspective more that even tho I got cons this is the best thing ever
4:23 IS SO ME WATCHING EP 3&4. I _really_ REALLY love the changes. It EXPANDS on the narrative and I think they're what rick would've done if given the chance to rewrite the books, you get me? Like the "you burn what you'll miss the most" and "glory" added facts to the rules of greek myth (or maybe i just don't remember they said that in the books lol), making medusa a sympathetic character, making _Grover_ be a mediator more than he was in the books, making the situation with medusa and the fury a situation between a hard place and immovable object, having the strain between Percy and Annabeth make sense of both sides and not just Annabeth being rude and Percy being dumb, making the trip to the arc more than just Annabeth liking architecture but also intertwining it with the plot to move it along, making it so the purpose of them being there is challenged by the consequence of their "impertinent behavior", having Annabeth sacrifice herself to prove another layer of her character, and the situation just felt heavier bc Percy didn't just get left behind and now to add to that he's injured, Percy also talked about what he thinks about his dad with Annabeth and that was paid off at the end. Y-you know? YOU KNOW??! SO GOOD
You posted this just as the newest episode has come out! I can’t wait to watch!
Episode 4 is going to be out tmr! You did an amazing job on your videos. I really enjoy watching them and I can’t wait to watch you reacting to the other episodes.
I liked the changes they made for Medusa. Her story has multiple variations and interpretations in Greek Mythology. She was not a monster but a victim 🥲
I love your breakdowns honestly :)
I am a long time Percy Jackson fan and this show is the love letter to all fans new and old. Uncle Rick and everyone involved should be very very proud. The changes in show have all been crafted well and done with love to the heart of what make these characters special. I am so glad that Percy's story is being told in a way that truly shows love.
As a mid-term fan (I've been in the fandom for almost three years) this series is being incredible. Because they are doing different things and that keeps you hooked and you want to keep watching, to see how they will do this or how they will do that. But suddenly they give you something exactly as it is in the book and you get excited because although things are changing it is still the same story, the one that is already part of you. It is... perfect.
(I don't know if this makes much sense, but whatever)
I love the show so far and I love your reactions to the episodes. Please keep them coming 🙏
5:04 to actually speak about this scene in the episode where Annabeth just figures out that auntie em is Medusa immediately. The reason that are still book accurate is because 90% of the time in between when they get to auntie Em’s garden gnome Emporium, and when they get like to actually meeting Medusa is very short, it’s just seems longer because of how much dialogue of Percy’s brain we’re getting so if you cut all of that inner dialogue out, it’s actually roughly a little bit more than the time I think in the show but almost the same. It’s just we don’t realise that because we are reading so much of Percy’s dialogue.
I love how already they are adding so much more nuance to the gods and monsters in this show! One of my favorite parts was the LMM/Hermes cameo where I think they are already hinting that he is NOT 100% a good guy with that inverted Kubrick stare!
Also, to Mikaila's point, a lot of us who read these books many years ago are old now, and PJ got us into Greek myths, so we learned the "true" stories like what happened to Medusa and how messed up Zeus is and that comes out in later books as well so I'm glad the show is catering to old and new fans by making changes that will be appreciated so far down the line!
I so appreciate how you approach changes to the adaptation. So many fans are getting stuck on details that wouldn't work on screen.
Lol I’ve been watching you for like 2 hours bc I’m currently taking notes out of studying, thank you for curing my boredom with your content😂
So, I already watched the fourth episode, but I loved re-watching this with you, and when Medusa says "I embarrassed her and I needed to be punished," and it's such a good parallel to the fourth episode when they are at the St. Louis arch, and the monsters are let in because Athena let them into the temple because Annabeth embarrassed Athena by allowing Percy to send Medusa's head.
And it's such a tiny moment where Annabeth can now connect to Medusa's story because it wasn't her fault that Percy sent the head, yet she got punished for it (like Poseidon pursuing Medusa and her getting punished for it)
I really love your positivity towards the tv show cause I really love what they're doing with it, and its great to see that love in your video😊
Hey og fan here, and I do like the mudesa change, what we've grown to learn about the medusa myth (a lot of different interpretations) uncle Rick adapting it and her saying she's a survivor just really struck a cord. Even Sally's comments about her in the first episode saying she might not be what she appears. But I would love to see you react to each episode.
First full video I’ve watched of yours: bro just earned herself a subscription because her reasonings were so in-depth, the editing was so funny, and KSBCJABBDKSBD
Also, I lost my mind when I saw Lin Manuel-Miranda at the end as Hermes! I can only imagine future emotional events from the books!
The longer commentary to a single episode is much better to me. Good episode
This video is so real😂
The reactions and everything were valid. I agree with a lot she said and she captured my feelings exactly!💙
PLEASE MAKE MORE OF THESE PLLLLEAAAASEE I LOVE THIS
Episode 4 was perfect and i loved the little changes where percy and the team go up the arch together instead of with echidna and the chimera and how Annabeth was going to sacrifice herself for the other's like how Thalia did on the camp halfblood hill and honestly I'm glad percy was like" haha sike! This is my sword " and fought the chimera instead, i also love the "just breath " from the flash back and the river scene, and I'm glad that percy lost against the chimera because that's exactly how i imagined it going down in my head , 10/10 Episode
As someone who's been a PJO fan for a rather long time, I've come away from every single episode very impressed by the changes they made. It seems to me like in the show, we're getting to see a later (better?) draft of the series, and I love it so much. None of the changes they made have hindered, in my opinion, anything in the series, but rather made it even better.
You are one of two reactions I’m watching for the show because i love you and your mind is amazing. As an og fan of the books, i find your new reader insights 🌟 and have made me your fan. Eagerly looking forward to more
Episode 3 was a fun watch!! I loved all the scenes with the trio, especially the ones where they actually bonded. It’s so sweet to see that on screen! Episode 4 was also really good imo, can’t wait for the lotus hotel!
P.S: I still say “this song was a bop!” and I’m a “fellow kid” so I’d say that expression still works
I read these books when I was a kid and have re-read them quite a few times. I've learned adaptation after adaptation that translation POV books just isn't the easiest because we're obviously not in these characters' heads. It's something a lot of people seem to forget about when movies or series aren't word for word what the book was. I don't think I'd ever want a 1-on-1 copy, even of something I love. All this to say that because Rick Riordan is so closely involved and knows how it can go wrong, I trust any changes the series makes. So far they've either been logical changes for a tv adaption or a more nuanced version since Rick has also learned a lot since he wrote this book 20 ish years ago.
I have not read Percy Jackson or seen the adaptation.
Yet here I am appreciating the analysis.
7:11 Okay, but the little dance at "We don't gatekeep in this house" was just wonderful.
I love your perspective on the show even as a long time fan of the books👍👍
as an absolute percy jackson fan I totally encourage you to read the entire universe!!! It's so detailed and so fun, I'm sure you'll have as much fun as I did reading heroes of olympus, magnus chase, kane chronicles, trials of apollo (apollo's character development was crazy) and all the side books. They're so fun and I hope you read all of them!