Variety's review of Netflix's new YA drama "Crew Girl" finds the rowing-themed series visually appealing but ultimately let down by weak writing and clichéd storytelling. Created by Vivian Lin, the show follows 16-year-old single sculler Teagan Tao, who is forced to relocate after her wealthy hotelier father flees an FBI investigation into fraud, leaving her and her mother to rebuild their lives in a Massachusetts town. The review argues that despite some strong points, the series fails to distinguish itself from a crowded field of formulaic teen dramas.

Across its eight episodes, "Crew Girl" sees Teagan enrol at a prep school with an all-boys crew team, which she joins as coxswain while navigating rivalries, romance and pushing for a girls' team to be created. The reviewer praises lead actress Miku Martineau's casting as a meaningful step for representation and highlights the warmth of the mother-daughter relationship, but says the show is hampered by choppy dialogue, unrealistic plotting and tired tropes reminiscent of similar series such as "My Life With the Walter Boys" and "The Runarounds", ultimately failing to say anything fresh about the generation it depicts.