Dare Me – Season 1 Episode 4 Recap & Review

The Slow-Mo Party

Episode 4 of Dare Me continues to feel like a slow-paced trudge through some light bites of characterisation, doing little to progress the actual narrative of this story. Between the bigger cracks forming in Colette’s relationship and Addy torn over her loyalty to her friends and growing affection for Colette, there really isn’t a whole lot else here worth getting excited about this week.

The episode itself begins at Colette’s house, with Addy giving her coach a good luck charm before we see Matt return home and see all the girls inside partying again and the house a mess. He questions Colette over having the girls there while Addy watches from afar, concerned. At school the next day, Colette continues to spiral and hooks up with Sarge in the infirmary while the girls continue to practice.

Colette leaves Addy in charge of the team for practice but unfortunately when she leaves all the girls turn on her and refuse to train. Given Beth is nowhere to be found, Addy reassures them which seems to do the trick. As day turns to night, Addy drives Colette home where she learns the latter left her car in the school parking lot. Beth meanwhile is forced into going to therapy and sitting down with Tacy surrounding the ice bath incident last episode. She plays up though and it eventually results in them being forced to leave.

After sleeping with Sarge at school again, Colette realizes she’s running late and bolts from the room and returns home. It’s here she winds up in a fight with Matt over their fractured family unit. He questions why they’re never alone while she bites back, telling him she feels trapped. While she heads out to cool off, refusing to engage by text with Sarge, our army man sits in a bar talking about his past.

Our trio of bad girls head to a party with the marines. Inside, Beth teases Addy and tells her she should have invited Colette before they all start drinking and dancing. A trio of seemingly underage cheerleaders arrive and are invited in too, despite the concerns from one of their own. With Beth nowhere to be seen and police en-route following an altercation outside, the party-goers scatter as the party comes to an abrupt end.

Beth happens to be passed out in the car downstairs and with the party now over, Addy takes her to Colette’s house. As the episode closes out, Addy talks about masks again via narration.

Beyond the excitement at the party and some trademark slow-motion shots that feel ripped right out of HBO’s Euphoria, there just isn’t a whole lot else going on here. In the opening 20 minutes or so there’s barely any plot development beyond Addy giving over her good luck charm. Considering how many exciting thrillers there currently are on TV, Dare Me feels in danger of fading into obscurity. It doesn’t help that the excellent cheerleading documentary Cheer dropped earlier this month on Netflix and with it, seemingly all the energy and intrigue in this one too.

Still, as we approach the halfway point of this thriller there’s still time for this one to turn it around but right now, episode 4 does little to further the plot.

Dare Me is available to watch on USA Network. Feel free to click here and sign up now to check this show out!