The Percy Jackson series is finally being turned into a television show, giving fans of the series a chance to see the new generation of Harry Potter-level madness - if done right - take over the world. Due to this adaptation being a television show, it gives the creators an opportunity to cover a lot of plot points that are essential to the story.
While the entire plot line in and of itself is extremely important, there are some essentials that just need to be covered. Without this, it will be hard for fans of the story to say that they fell in love with the show because book adaptations, after all, need to follow the book.
The Very Bizarre School Trip
The Percy Jackson series starts off with this school trip. The scene works extremely well to establish Percy as well as a little bit of the mycology that is to come. Most importantly, however, it introduces the reader to the fact that something is very very wrong in Percy's life.
What starts out as a trip to the museum turns into a battle against… A schoolteacher? One of Percy's teachers, Mrs. Dodds, turns into what can only be described as a very large bird - to those who do not know what a Fury is - and attacks him. This attack is thwarted by his other teacher, Mr. Brunner, who throws him a sword that later turns into a ballpoint pen leaving Percy to wonder if he imagined the whole thing.
Three Old Ladies Knitting One Big Sock
While this is one of the more minor plot points in the book, to those who have read the entire series it is a major foreshadowing of what is to come, especially regarding Percy's character arc. Additionally, this also confirms what Percy believes, that he is not imagining things and that his best friend, Grover is hiding something from him.
This scene takes place when Percy and Grover are returning from school - from where Percy has been kicked out of yet again - and the bus breaks down at a fruit stand. At this stand Percy sees three old ladies sitting on a bench knitting a "very large sock". While Grover panics, Percy keeps looking at them and watches as they take out a pair of scissors and ominously snip a thread.
A Vacation Interrupted
After a very weird trip to the museum and an even weirder journey back from school, Percy and his mom Sally end up going on a vacation. Unfortunately, this vacation adds to the collection of weird events. This one, however, is a lot more emotionally jarring than the others.
After Grover unexpectedly shows up at the cabin where they are vacationing, the trio gets into a car and desperately tries to get away from a half-bull-half-man - also known as the Minotaur. Unfortunately, they are unable to escape and the Minotaur ends up killing Percy's mom. This puts Percy in a state of fury where he ends up using skills and techniques that he did not know he had to kill the monster that killed his mother. He then proceeds to immediately pass out.
A Traditional Sport Leads To Some Non-Traditional Revelations
Capture the Flag is an iconic game in the series - it's to Percy Jackson what Quidditch is to Harry Potter - and serves as a major plot point in the first book when Percy realizes who his father is. After trying and losing the fight to Clarisse, Annabeth realizes that Percy seems to be getting stronger when he is in the water.
Just as the rest of the campers and their teacher, Chiron - who was earlier posing as Mr. Brunner - realize that Percy is probably the son of Poseidon, his father claims him by presenting a trident hologram over his head. The scene also has a much bigger meaning as none of the big three - Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades - are supposed to have spawned any kids.
A Stony Introduction To Aunty Em
The Aunty Em sequence is one of the most iconic, not just in the first book, but in the whole series. This is also one of the few scenes - maybe only scene because the movie made a lot of mistakes - that was done really well in the Percy Jackson movie.
This is the first encounter with a monster that the three have once they start out on their quest. The readers and, hopefully soon, the viewers get to see Percy handle the situation against Medusa who is a really strong monster. The scene also has more depth to it to those who know the mythology because Medusa has a history with Percy‘s father, the god of the sea, Poseidon.
The Hotel Where Time Stands Still
During their quest, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover end up stopping at a hotel for a break. Unfortunately for them, they don’t know that the hotel is magical in the sense that the person staying there doesn’t know how much time has actually passed.
This plot point is extremely essential, not just for this book but also for the future of the series because it introduces two very important characters in the third book. If the showrunners want to be extreme - something that fans would love - they could very well have those characters hidden somewhere in the background to create a very satisfactory foreshadow of what's to come.
Percy Meets His Unconventional Brother
This scene is largely forgotten by most but remains essential because it shows Percy's quick thinking when others fail. It also ends up foreshadowing how many disgruntled children - and enemies - Poseidon has that keep taking their anger out on Percy.
When the trio makes their way to the Underworld to meet Hades, they are captured by Procrustes whose chosen form of torture is tying his victims to an iron bed and stretching their limbs until they extended the bed, proceeding to then cut off the "extra" part. Luckily, Percy is able to get everyone out of the situation and the group heads off to face yet another unpleasant situation.
When A Literal God Challenges Percy To A Fight
The moment when Percy fights against Ares, the literal God of War, is the moment that readers realized exactly how powerful he is and what potential he has. Not only does he have the guts to fight an actual God, but he holds his own extremely well.
After completing a minor quest - which also needs to be in the show - for Ares in return for a favor, it is only when the trio reaches the Underworld that they realize they've been tricked. While this would piss anyone off, not everyone would have the courage to stand up against Ares and fight, especially when knowing that the chances of losing are extremely high.
Percy Visits His Father's Side Of The Family
While none of the gods have been cast yet, fans can't wait for the day that they are because from the first movie itself they need to be introduced. This introduction happens largely in the final act of the story when Percy goes to drop off the lightning bolt to Zeus.
This is also the first time that Percy gets to meet his father, making it extremely momentous. Not only that, while many readers thought this was the end of the story, in true Rick Riordan style, they were hit with one last - and probably the biggest - plot twist. While it'll be fun to see this scene, it may be too much to hope that Logan Lerman, who played Percy in the movies, gets cast as Poseidon.
A Friend Turns Foe
If Uncle Rick - as affectionately known by fans - is good at anything, it is cliffhangers. After a very stressful quest that thankfully ended with Percy stopping the Gods from going to war, the author introduces a plot twist that honestly nobody‘s seen coming.
While it's obvious throughout the book that there is a bigger plot afoot than just the stolen lightning bolt, this is the first time that readers got to know what it is. Unfortunately, for those who liked him, Luke ended up being the main perpetrator working behind the scenes at the order of Kronos, the father of the Gods. The ending of the book leaves readers rushing to find the next one and, hopefully, that's what the first season of Percy Jackson will do.