Percy & Sam Relationship

I haven’t read the books, so this is based strictly on the show. I have two episodes left, and overall I do like it. It hasn’t completely consumed me the way Off Campus did, but I enjoy it much more than TSITP (maybe because I’m in my 30s and relate differently to the characters).

One thing that’s been bothering me, though, is the way Sam and Percy’s relationship is portrayed. Growing up, my best friend was a guy. We obviously weren’t having sleepovers in middle school, but we’d watch scary movies together, cuddle under blankets, and there was never this constant awkward tension between us. So watching the flashbacks, I kept feeling like Sam and Percy were so uncomfortable around each other…even before the “wait a second, could this be something more?” realization.

Ironically, the flashbacks were probably my favorite part of the series, but I almost felt like I was watching four different people between the various timelines. I know people mature, but their teenage personalities didn’t really feel connected to who they became as adults.

I also don’t feel like the show fully sold me on the depth of their childhood friendship. Even in the 2014/2015 summers, their relationship felt kind of unserious to me. I understand what Percy meant about him pulling her in and pushing her away, but I realized we never really got to see much of them during an actual stable boyfriend/girlfriend phase.

For example, during the storm when Percy went to his house, that interaction gave me acquaintance vibes more than “I’ve known this person my whole life” vibes. Maybe that’s the point…that they were teenagers and everything was messy? But I kept wanting more scenes that actually showed why these two people were so important to each other.

Am I alone in feeling this way? I’d especially love to hear from people who have read the books. Did the books do a better job showing their friendship and making the different timelines feel more connected?