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Crew Girl Review: Netflix’s Latest YA Sports Drama Checks All the Expected Boxes
Confirmed
In Short: Netflix’s latest YA sports drama, 'Crew Girl,' follows 16-year-old Teagan Tao as she leads a prep school’s boys’ rowing team.
The show, created by Vivian Lin, aims to highlight the competitive world of rowing but struggles to capture the unique experiences of Generation Z, according to Variety. "Crew Girl" is described as extremely watchable, delivering some genuinely powerful storylines, as noted by What's on Netflix. However, the review also points out that the series feels a bit too familiar, reminiscent of other YA teen dramas.
The Hollywood Reporter praises the show for treating athletics as central to the narrative, unlike some sports shows that treat it as an afterthought. The premiere sets the stage for Teagan’s journey, showing the inside of an Easton Prep classroom and explaining the unique situation that allows her to join the boys’ team as a coxswain. Despite this, the show’s love triangle and attempts to build a world outside of crew are seen as stumbling blocks.
The drama centers around Teagan’s choice between her two potential suitors, a decision that is more about who she considers a better athlete than who she thinks would make a better boyfriend or hookup buddy. The show’s creators and writers struggle to express why any of these people might be attracted to each other beyond the fact that teen-drama formulas dictate it, according to Variety.
What's on Netflix notes that the eight-man crew consists of rival cousins Josh and Ryder Regis, scholarship student Cam Dillinger, and Britney’s twin brother, Bronson “Baloo” Garner. Despite the show’s shortcomings, it is described as bingeable, with some redeeming qualities that make it worth watching.
What's confirmed
- The show, created by Vivian Lin, aims to highlight the competitive world of rowing but struggles to capture the unique experiences of Generation Z, according to Variety. "Crew Girl" is described as extremely watchable, delivering some genuinely powerful storylines, as noted by What's on Netflix. However, the review also points out that the series feels a bit too familiar, reminiscent of other YA teen dramas.
- The Hollywood Reporter praises the show for treating athletics as central to the narrative, unlike some sports shows that treat it as an afterthought. The premiere sets the stage for Teagan’s journey, showing the inside of an Easton Prep classroom and explaining the unique situation that allows her to join the boys’ team as a coxswain. Despite this, the show’s love triangle and attempts to build a world outside of crew are seen as stumbling blocks.
- The drama centers around Teagan’s choice between her two potential suitors, a decision that is more about who she considers a better athlete than who she thinks would make a better boyfriend or hookup buddy. The show’s creators and writers struggle to express why any of these people might be attracted to each other beyond the fact that teen-drama formulas dictate it, according to Variety.
- What's on Netflix notes that the eight-man crew consists of rival cousins Josh and Ryder Regis, scholarship student Cam Dillinger, and Britney’s twin brother, Bronson “Baloo” Garner. Despite the show’s shortcomings, it is described as bingeable, with some redeeming qualities that make it worth watching.
What's still developing
- Unlike some sports shows (even some very good ones ), the series does not treat athletics as incidental, but as the very sun around which this entire verdant and sun-dappled universe revolves.
- The premiere shows us the inside of an Easton Prep classroom for the first and last time, and does the expository work of explaining that since this only recently coed institution has no girls’ rowing program for Teagan to join, her only way of getting on a boat is to serve as coxswain (the non-rowing member who helps steer and coordinate the team) for the boys.
- Besides, all three involved seem in agreement that whatever their hearts or hormones are pushing them toward is less important than the sport to which they’ve all dedicated so much of their lives, and upon which they’ve pinned all their hopes and dreams.
- Though Teagan isn’t thrilled about the transition, she puts her best foot forward at Easton Prep, quickly befriending border Juliet Morny (Olga Petsa) and getting in the crosshairs of Britney Garner (Sage Linder), the school’s resident Regina George. But Teagan’s hopes for a fresh start are dashed when she hears from Coach Matt Hayden (Thomas Cadrot) that Easton Prep has a crew team only for boys.
- The guys initially act like redpill-coded frat bros, and Teagan has to win the boys over so they can start winning races and get the school administration to consider a girls’ team. Across eight episodes, “Crew Girl” does have some redeeming qualities.
- By highlighting a posh prep school and an all-boys rowing team divided between the haves and have-nots, “Crew Girl” isn’t speaking to a generation dealing with a hyper-digital world, post-pandemic anxiety and so much more. Until creators and writers capture the specificity of this time, audiences will be doomed to watch regurgitated stories that don’t highlight the uniqueness of Gen Z and how they are engaging with the world.
- 'Crew Girl' Review: Netflix YA Drama Sinks ‘Crew Girl’ Review: Netflix YA Drama Sinks Plus Icon Film Plus Icon TV Plus Icon What To Watch Plus Icon Music Plus Icon Docs Plus Icon Digital & Gaming Plus Icon Global Plus Icon Awards Circuit Plus Icon Video Plus Icon What To Hear Plus Icon Click to expand the Mega Menu Plus Icon Click to Expand Search Input Got a Tip?
- And despite us leaving summer behind, Netflix is keeping the warmth and sunlight in the spotlight with cozy drama Crew Girl, from showrunner Vivian Lin.