Crew Girl beautifully highlights female empowerment, social class, and rivalries

Streaming fans have been well-fed when it comes to teen dramas this summer. If you wanted messy family drama with teenage angst, Netflix had My Life with the Walter Boys season 3. If adventure and revenge with your ride-or-die crew were more your style, then the final season of Outer Banks would be more your speed. However, Netflix's newest coming-of-age drama, Crew Girl, highlights complicated team dynamics and female empowerment.

Most young-adult sports dramas feature football, hockey, or ice skating, so it was refreshing to watch one that highlighted rowing and featured a female protagonist. Teagan Tao (Miku Martineau) is a skilled rower on her way to winning a scholarship, but then she was forced to move East with her mother after her dad misappropriated millions of dollars. Besides starting at a new school, Teagan was horrified to discover it didn't have a girls' rowing team.

Teagan managed to win over Coach Hayden (Thomas Cadrot) and the coxswain position, but earning the trust and respect of the varsity boys' rowing team proved more challenging. Both she and the boys needed to trust each other, and it became more complicated as she fell for them. Rowing wasn't like other sports, as the boys competed for coveted positions and rankings. It was about class and power, too.

Teagan Tao strives to be a leader, but adolescence is messy

Teagan was used to excelling as a single-sculls rower, meaning she was responsible only for her own progress. But when she became a coxswain for a dysfunctional varsity boys rowing team, she not only had to win them over but also get them to trust each other. As the only female riding in the boat, Teagan noticed some of the chaotic dynamics better than the guys.

The guys tried to stand united against her, but when her calls and skills kept shaving off seconds off their race time, they reluctantly started to listen. Sometimes she used techniques, and other times she used psychology like taunting Ryder that their boat needed to beat Josh's for him to prove himself. It was a long road, but she earned their grudging respect. Her knowledge and authority made them competitive for the first time, yet she still longed to be rowing herself, putting her in an impossible position.

That was partly because everything was about the sport initially. It wasn't until Teagan really treated the guys like friends that things changed. That meant learning why Quaid went after bullies, even if it jeapordized a race, and standing by him in unity. These were the moments that cemented her as an equal and their fearless leader.

Crew Girl highlights the importance of team dynamics

Crew Girl uses the concept of "brotherhood" to unify its rowing team and tear apart the relationships. Rowing was the kind of sport where you needed to trust your teammates, and the trust between the guys was so fragile. They would all band together to help one another, like helping Quaid pull off a prank, yet their egos inflated on the water, starting with Josh Regis (Sam Braun). 

Josh Regis was the arrogant team captain who thought he should win everything. His father owned the boathouse, meaning that almost no one crossed him. He was gorgeous and arrogant, and most of the team backed him, making life miserable for his rival, Cam Dillinger, the determined underdog. Since he was there on a sports scholarship, Cam never felt like he fit in with his rich teammates and despised that people like Josh and his cousin Ryder got everything handed to them on a silver platter. 

When the two of them went toe-to-toe, it put the rest of the team, including Coach Hayden and Teagan, in an uncomfortable position. Things became more heated when Teagan found herself falling for both of them.

The tide finally turned when Baloo thought his new boyfriend sabotaged their regatta race and one of Josh's oars. It was one of the few times all the guys gathered to solve the mystery and comfort their teammate. Teagan showed them what actual brotherhood and loyalty meant. The finale proved that again when every member of the team refused to race without her. She was the glue who held them together, and they finally realized it.

Battling for stroke seat

The battle for the coveted stroke seat was an overarching theme during Crew Girl. The biggest battle was between the Regis cousins, Josh and Ryder, since they both craved their grandfather's love and approval, and winning meant everything to him. It seemed like the two of them kept trading the coveted position all season, and it was the only way to get their grandfather's attention or a place at the family business.

Ryder seemed better at playing that game. Their family rivalry spilled out onto the docks, causing violent fights where even innocent bystanders like Teagan got caught in the crossfire. Ryder eventually flourished, while Josh grew tired of it. He longed for someone to love him for who he was, even if he didn't win a race.

Cam Dillinger also deserved a spot in that boat, and Coach Hayden and Teagan knew it. Initially, the coach was scared to cross the Regis family because they funded so much of the program, and he also grew up in a blue-collar family like Cam. Teagan tried to understand and nearly risked everything to ensure Cam got a fair chance, but ultimately Josh made sure Cam was in the stroke seat for their winning race.

Do I think the guys will be good friends? Probably not. But I think they'll respect each other more if Crew Girl gets renewed.

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