I am not the target audience of Disney’s new TV show “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” based on Rick Riordian’s hit book series of the same name. Neither are my friends who won’t stop sending me clips of the show. However, for older viewers who grew up reading the novels, the show can only be described as a homecoming. 

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” follows Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), a 12-year-old who, upon learning that Greek gods and mythology is real, plunges into that world. At the summer camp for demigods, Percy is sent on a quest to retrieve a stolen lightning bolt. As he battles monsters across the United States with fellow demigod Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries) and satyr Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), he must reckon with his heritage as the son of a god. 

Unlike the notoriously bad movie adaptations from 2010, the world of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is vivid and immersive. 

The masterful use of CGI brings the demigods’ battles against a Minotaur, Medusa and winged Furies to life. Instead of looking cheesy and low-budget (as is often the case with CGI in kids’ shows), these fights against monsters enhance the show, creating visually engaging action scenes. 

Aesthetic set design was the cherry on top; the attention to detail shone through during the scenes set at Camp Half Blood, a summer camp that trains the demigods for war. Situated in the woods of New Jersey, the camp is complete with bunkhouses modeled after temples, fire pits that demigods burn offerings in and flaming archery practice against hydra-shaped targets, creating a familiar yet otherworldly and excitingly new environment.  

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” lived up to expectations — the TV show was exactly how I envisioned the book. Watching Percy and Annabeth battle monsters at the St. Louis arch and journey through the underworld unlocked memories of devouring the books under the covers. Despite the change that comes with finishing my final year of high school and moving to college later in the year, I know “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” will allow me to hold on to bits and pieces of my childhood. 

With its lengthy source material and a captive audience, Percy Jackson has the potential to become the Gen-Z equivalent of “Harry Potter.” As new generations discover the series, I can only hope that they will find the same comfort as I did.