Be warned: this article reveals major plot points from the finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2. While the Disney+ series may be a significant improvement over the previous Percy Jackson movies, the show’s recent streaming numbers suggest a troubling trend for the adaptation. Based on Rick Riordan’s beloved books, Percy Jackson appears to have all the ingredients for success on Disney+: mythical gods, fantastical creatures, exciting action, comedy, flying horses, and a talented young star. The first season launched strongly in 2023, attracting 13.3 million viewers worldwide in its first six days and becoming Disney Branded Television’s most popular premiere ever. Unfortunately, Season 2 hasn’t performed as well.
Even though the second season of Percy received a perfect audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it didn’t attract as many viewers as the first season. The first season earned 572 million viewing minutes in its first week, while the second season’s premiere week in December 2025 only brought in 508 million. While this decrease isn’t huge, it’s concerning given how many streaming options are available and the rising cost of subscriptions. Luckily, Percy was renewed for a third season in March 2025, allowing production to begin shortly after the second season finished. Now, the show’s future depends on Disney delivering a truly exceptional third season to avoid potential cancellation.
The Harsh Reality of ‘Percy Jackson’ Season 2’s Declining Viewership
Disney+
Unfortunately, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is experiencing a drop in viewers after its first season, a common problem for streaming shows these days. People are simply choosing to spend their time watching other things. There seem to be two main reasons for this with Percy Jackson. Some viewers didn’t enjoy the first season enough to continue watching, while others were turned off by the poor quality of the 2013 film, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, and didn’t want to risk being disappointed again, even though the show is a significant improvement. The result is fewer viewers for the second season, which is concerning for the future of the series, although Season 3 is still planned for release later this year.
The season 2 finale ended with a surprise clip from Percy Jackson season 3, showing Percy and Annabeth at a school dance and announcing a 2026 release date. While fans are excited, it’s an unusual decision by Disney. Filming on season 3 isn’t scheduled to finish until March 2026, which leaves the production team less time to edit and finalize the season compared to season 2. It’s unclear why they’d announce a release date so far in advance when the season isn’t even finished being filmed.
There are a couple of reasons why the show’s performance is being discussed. Disney has said they want to release seasons of Percy Jackson quickly to avoid the young actors aging out of their roles. However, the release of the Season 2 finale also revealed some concerning trends. On January 21st, the trailer for Masters of the Universe was trending more on X (formerly Twitter) than the Percy Jackson finale. That’s not a good sign. While Percy Jackson was second on Disney+’s Top 10 list, it couldn’t beat the third season of Tell Me Lies on Hulu. Nielsen data also showed that Percy Jackson Season 2 didn’t even make the top 10 most streamed shows the week of December 15th to 21st. This means the excitement around Percy Jackson isn’t consistently strong, which is a concern for a show hoping to adapt all five of Rick Riordan’s popular books.
‘Percy Jackson’ Season 2 and Its Dizzying Finale Veered Heavily From the Book
Disney+
As a big fan of the books, I was really pleased with how Season 2 of Percy Jackson wrapped up – even with some changes from the source material. The final battle between Kronos’s forces and Camp Half-Blood was easily the most intense and action-packed sequence we’ve seen so far, honestly getting pretty brutal at times – it almost felt like The Hunger Games! It was great to see another sweet moment between Percy and Tyson, really solidifying their brotherly bond. And finally, Thalia Grace is back! Seeing her freed from the tree was a huge moment, and it definitely sets up a lot of conflict for Season 3, especially considering the hints about the Great Prophecy. Overall, the season really delivered on raising the stakes and left me eagerly anticipating what happens next.
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The show’s first season and its conclusion significantly departed from Rick Riordan’s The Sea of Monsters, essentially telling a different story. In the book, Thalia becomes a tree to protect her from a terrible fate during a battle with the Furies. However, the show reveals Zeus turned her into a tree because she refused to fight for him against Kronos. This change happened after the show spent several episodes with Annabeth hoping the Golden Fleece could revive Thalia – a plot point that removed the impact of the book’s surprise ending, where the Fleece unexpectedly does bring her back. This tendency to reveal surprises ahead of time is arguably even more problematic than the show’s handling of the relationship between Percy and Annabeth.
The Season 2 finale had some confusing parts. Annabeth, known as a skilled fighter, is immediately injured with an arrow when she joins the final battle, leaving her unable to fight. She recovers quickly just three days later, after Percy wakes up. While the Golden Fleece supposedly healed her, it’s unclear why it didn’t help Percy or Thalia, who were both knocked unconscious earlier. The show also doesn’t explain why gods working at Camp Half-Blood didn’t help defend it during the attack. We’re holding off on criticizing the decision to not have the pegasus Blackjack speak yet, as there’s still time for his personality to shine in future episodes. However, the success of Percy Jackson depends on keeping viewers engaged and wanting more, so Season 3 is crucial for the show’s future.
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2026-01-22 15:35