Netflix’s ‘Crew Girl’ Isn’t the ‘Summer I Turned Pretty’ Replacement You’re Looking For | Review
Netflix's new teen drama "Crew Girl" follows the rowing-obsessed streaming trend that hockey shows like "Heated Rivalry" have already mined, applying the same soapy formula to competitive rowing. According to a review from Collider, the eight-episode series centres on Teagan Tao, a 16-year-old rowing prodigy whose comfortable life unravels after her father is investigated by the FBI for embezzlement, forcing a move to her mother's modest coastal hometown and enrolment at the wealthy Easton Prep, where she becomes coxswain of the boys' rowing team.
The review is largely critical, describing the show as cheesier than its genre peers, with a thin love triangle between characters Josh Regis and Cam Dillinger, weak performances, and an underdeveloped family subplot involving the FBI investigation and parental fallout that never goes anywhere. However, the reviewer praises the rowing scenes themselves as surprisingly well-made and says they are the strongest element keeping the series afloat, with actress Jessica Paré singled out as the standout adult performer.
- Netflix's "Crew Girl" is a teen rowing drama reviewed by Collider.
- Reviewer criticises weak love triangle, acting and family subplot.
- Rowing scenes praised as the show's genuine strength.
New here? Start with this
Netflix's "Crew Girl" is an eight-episode teen drama that puts a soapy, streaming-friendly spin on competitive rowing, following a trend set by shows like "Heated Rivalry" that have done the same for other sports. The story follows Teagan Tao, a 16-year-old rowing prodigy whose privileged life is upended when her father becomes the subject of an FBI embezzlement investigation, pushing her to move to her mother's modest coastal hometown and enrol at the wealthy Easton Prep, where she takes on the role of coxswain for the boys' rowing team.
The series has drawn comparisons to other popular teen dramas, with some viewers hoping it might fill the gap left by shows such as "The Summer I Turned Pretty". Reviews have weighed in on how it measures up, assessing elements including its romantic storylines, performances, family subplot and the on-water rowing sequences, with actress Jessica Paré among the cast.