Percy Jackson Season 2 Should Repeat A Big Book Change With 1 New Character

Warning: this article contains spoilers for the second Percy Jackson novel, The Sea of Monsters

Summary Season 2 of Percy Jackson should consider changing Tantalus to maintain a light-hearted tone.

Tonal and character changes from the books, like Percy's stepfather, enhanced the adaptation and should be repeated with Tantalus.

Altering Tantalus' actions could strengthen other characters like Clarisse La Rue.

Following the renewal of Percy Jackson and The Olympians, the series should consider changing key characters from the books to help continue to strengthen the on-screen adaptation. Rick Riordan has already confirmed that the TV show's next season will follow the events of the second book, The Sea of Monsters, which means that there will be several new characters appearing in Percy Jackson's season two. However, there is one character in particular that should be approached with caution.

Percy Jackson is not afraid to make changes from the original PJO books. Just in the first season, the audience was given much-needed backstory for Sally and Poseidon, saw Annabeth kill Medusa in an entirely new way, and even made Percy miss the deadline of his quest as a result of a prolonged stay at the Lotus Casino, which completely shifted the stakes at the end of the series. Now with season 2 in the works, there should be talks about one new character and how they could be adapted to better serve the needs of the show.

Related 7 Changes Percy Jackson Season 2 Should Make To Rick Riordan's Books With Percy Jackson season 2 coming to Disney+, the writers might consider changing some things from the Sea of Monsters book to improve the story.

Percy Jackson Season 2 Must Make Camp Half-Blood's New Activities Director Less Horrible

Tantalus’ cruel acts would not fit with the tone of the show.

Art by Attila Futaki, illustrator of The Sea of Monsters graphic novel

In Sea of Monsters, Tantalus becomes the new director of Camp Half-Blood after Chiron is accused of poisoning Thalia’s tree. Tantalus' hatred for the gods knows no bounds, and he continually tortures the campers and delights in their misery, particularly Percy and his half-brother, Tyson. Tantalus’ actions in the books are unusually cruel, especially when he brings back the sport of chariot racing, which was banned at the camp after it resulted in multiple deaths. If Percy Jackson chooses to show Tantalus' acts just as they are in the books, this could pose a few issues of tone in season 2.

Like Thalia, Tantalus is the demi-god child of Zeus, but was sentenced to a punishment of eternal hunger and thirst after feeding the Gods human flesh. His role was cut from the Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 2013 film.

An accurate portrayal of Tantalus would make Percy Jackson feel more like a horror film rather than family-friendly entertainment. It would drastically change the tone of the show for the worse and be difficult to watch. Along with this, Tantalus' extreme actions would only enhance Luke and Kronos' point - that the Gods do not care about their children - and would have an impact on how these claims are tackled in the series. Instead, Percy Jackson should take a hint from season 1 and tone down Tantalus as a character to keep with the show's light-hearted tone.

The Disney+ Series Can Repeat A Similar Character Change From Season 1

Changing Tantalus' storyline could strengthen others.

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The first season of Percy Jackson saw the series change one of the most problematic storylines from the PJO books for the better. Percy’s stepfather Gabe, who was implied to have been abusive towards Percy and his mother in the books, was instead changed to be a lazy and obnoxious character whose only purpose was to mask Percy’s godly scent. This change not only fit with the show’s lighthearted tone but also improved the character of Sally, who was portrayed as a more independent and confident woman that was not afraid to defy Gabe when necessary.

Similarly, changing Tantalus’ character would greatly benefit Percy Jackson and The Olympians, as it would mak campers and viewers hate rather than fear him. Diminishing the power of Tantalus’ actions could also benefit the storylines of others. In Sea of Monsters, Clarisse La Rue falls into favor with the new director and is soon sent on a quest to find the Golden Fleece. With Clarisse playing a much bigger role in the second book, weakening Tantalus’ character could strengthen Clarisse and pave the foundations for her and Percy's awkward team-up in Percy Jackson season 2 in the best possible way.