Season 1 |
Season 2 |
Episode Guide
Selection
Team Bonding
Wait For It
A Seat at the Table
Purge
I Promise
Suck It Up
Send It -| Review Score –3/5
It’s Summer again and with that comes a brand new season of Surviving Summer. This surprisingly enjoyable and accessible Tween drama did well to stand out last year with its mix of sun, sand and simmering romance. All the while, showing off surfing action and the breath-taking scenery of the Australian coastline.
After the first season, season 2 wastes absolutely no time getting right into the thick of drama. Summer is back in Shorehaven and this time, things are very different. Ari is now in a relationship with Wren, while Poppy has her own love interest. There’s also the mysterious hunk Bax, complete with pink hair and a wild child attitude that brings out the best in Summer.
The opening episode sees Summer crash try-outs on her return and make the wildcard spot in the team. Wren immediately takes a dislike to her and even worse, Wren’s older sister Elo is going to be the head coach for the team. All the while, Ari is conflicted over his feelings, Summer is stuck in the middle with these two sisters, and even more so when she finds out Bax is their sibling too.
As the season progresses, there’s plenty of teen angst and drama that comes to the foreground, especially during episode 5 which sees a big turning point and a fall-out between Bodhi and Poppy too.
Episode 7 then moves the drama further into the territory of the National try-outs, leading eventually to a dramatic finale to round things out.
Of course, we’re not about to get into spoiler territory here, but the ending does seem to hint that there’s more to tell with these characters and this story. The show is very easy to sink into and the format is largely unchanged from last year. There’s lots of musical montages at the start of every episode, simple but effective drama in the form of love triangles, misunderstandings and bubbling character drama. Oh, and plenty of surfing action too!
It’s a simple formula but one that works pretty well here. With 2 episodes less to work with, the finale does feel a bit rushed and it would have been nice to see a slightly different arc for Wren and Elo in particular. The characters aren’t particularly deep or multifaceted, which is a shame as the show has a few opportune moments to shake things up this year and never does.
Of course, given Surviving Summer is designed specifically for tweens and a family audience, it’s best not to be too judgmental over the tried and tested tropes that have served this genre so well over the years. And Surviving Summer season 2 is another unapologetic sizzling entry in the ongoing surfing series. There’s plenty of character drama, lots of surfing and enough drama to keep you watching until the end.
Read More: Surviving Summer Season 2 Ending Explained
Feel Free To Check Out More Of Our TV Show Reviews Here!
-
Verdict - 6.5/10
6.5/10