The new fantasy hit Percy Jackson on Disney+ has made a good decision. The series is darker than the original in one crucial respect and the creator is correcting his own oversight
In the very first episode of the new fantasy series hit Percy Jackson: The Series, we get to see Medusa. At first, however, only as a sculpture in a museum: a heroic statue holds her severed head in her hand. Not all those who look like monsters are really monsters, Percy’s mother explains to her son. The Disney+ series picks up on this in the 3rd episode and emancipates itself from the original with an important change
The original by Percy Jackson completely ignored Medusa’s tragic story
So far, four of the eight episodes of season 1 of Percy Jackson: The Series have been released on Disney+. Medusa is the most impressive and saddest antagonist in the first half of the season. Sorry, Minotaur in underpants! Original author Rick Riordan personally campaigned for her, reports Variety .
In the original novel, Medusa is just a monster: the first season of the series is based on the first book of his Percy Jackson novel series*, which started in 2005. In it, Percy’s quest is described solely from his point of view and he perceives Medusa as a monster who hoards petrified innocents in her cellar.
The fact that misunderstood and tragic beings like Medusa have more to say and that the Greek deities have a patriarchy problem is finally shown in the series. This was very important to Rick Riordan and his wife Rebecca Riordan, who co-produce the series. In Greek mythology, Medusa was more than just a monster.
Medusa’s tragic original story: she was once a human woman who wanted to serve the goddess Athena and even swore abstinence to do so. However, when she had a sexual encounter with the god Poseidon, she was punished by Athena – and Poseidon was not.
(Sculpture of Medusa in the 1st episode of Percy Jackson: The Series)
Some stories even say that the sex was not consensual and that Poseidon raped her in Athena’s temple. From then on, Medusa turned anyone who looked her in the eye to stone because of Athena’s curse. In the end, she is beheaded by Perseus in Greek mythology and her head is given to Athena.
The Percy Jackson series finally gives Medusa her own voice
The young adult series takes an important step in explaining why Medusa is so bitter and vengeful and that she herself was originally wronged. This fits with the progressive tone of the series, in which deities like Athena and Poseidon feel more like absent and selfish parents than glorious superhumans.
Medusa’s portrayal in the new series: In the new edition, the central trio of heroes around Percy Jackson meet Medusa in the same place as in the book. Instead of encountering a wild monster, she is a well-mannered and educated woman with a deep hat brim. Actress Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash) portrays Medusa as a woman who has been let down, misunderstood and has become cruel herself as a result. With a bitter tone, she expresses the fact that it was she and not Poseidon who was punished for their relationship. And this despite the fact that Athena always presents herself as righteous.
In the series, Medusa is also beheaded by Percy – but this time it is a tragic death. This is reminiscent of Percy’s mother’s words at the beginning of the series: “Not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero. And not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster.” This more complex and sensitized view runs through the first four episodes and also provides exciting new aspects for fans of the book series.
Percy Jackson: You can stream the series on Disney+ . A new episode is released every Wednesday
