After two years I’m back with another review of a series that took me almost 2 years two finish it : the Netflix “Spinning Out”.
The series dropped in 2020 during the pandemic and I remember clearly I just wanted to watch it because Kaya Scodelario was the main lead actress and it was about ice skating and just looked intriguing to me.
I was so disappointed when it was cancelled after the very end of the season but that didn’t stop me to starting it and it was the best decision to take: “Spinning Out” addresses some delicate topics that we don’t get to see often in a tv series .
Character’s development is brilliantly carried out during the season not only for the main lead Kat Baker but also for secondary roles : at the beginning you appreciate X , at the very end you just gonna hate him/her (no spoilers intended).
This 10 episode drama deals with the mental health and bipolar disorder affecting Kat Baker and her mother ; the delicate family relationships on the cutting edge and the toxic competition between Kat and her sister .
The competition with her sister , as well as a complicated relationship with her absent mother is exacerbated by PTSD and self-harm .
Through the episode Kat tries to handle and manage her mental issues , at times ignoring them but finally becoming aware of how her bipolar disorder affected her personal life and judgements.
But not only :through Kat’s friend Marcus backstory we experience racism , through her trainer we deal with LGBT and finally ice skating!
All the main characters are involved into skating whether as aspiring professional iceskaters or trainers .
To be honest I’ve always found interesting this discipline and all the sequences and choreography where outstanding ! (Though you could clearly see the stuntmans for Justin and Kat).
The tv series is set in Ontario , Canada ; visual and photography are mesmerizing ; you get to see some beautiful snowy locations that I’m going to attach below .
Least but not less important , the soundtrack :
1-The intro “In the water” by Joy Downer is simply effective ; a 1 minute song with vintage retro vibes combined with ice skating sequences of people falling and then get on track again.
2-“Habit” by Gabrielle Shonk : the voice of this singer remebers me a lot of Joss Stone; what I love the most is the increasing tempo of the bridge that combines perfectly with the vocals .
3- “Lover You Should’Have Come Over” by Jeff Buckley : when I heard this song It immediately sounded familiar to me . I felt like :”good music taste!” and then I realized it was the one and only Jeff Buckley
4-“You Would Have To Lose Your Mind” by The Barr Brothers : I haven’t spend more than two days without listening to this song since I heard it on Spinning Out .
Its lyrics , pace and dreamy vibe made it easily one of my favourite song of all the time .
Starting with a slow harp rhythm it grows during its 6 minute duration into an explosion of choir full of awareness and drums .
To be honest for a long time I just enjoyed listening to it without caring about the lyrics or the meaning just because the melody was self fulfilling .Afterwards I read the lyrics and to my surprise there are many metaphores and mythological references (such as Icarus myth) : the images evoked brilliantly a dreamy dimension combining with a crescendo pace of harp and guitar solos.
To me this songs captures the essence of “Spinning Out” , the snowy location and everything .
Woke up in the bed last night
“You Would Have To Loose Your Mind – The Barr Brothers”
Her features were golden
And the walls, they were crowded with symbols of lust
Still cannot believe it got cancelled and Netflix left the audience on a cliffhanger … this show was just so perfect and accurate about mental awareness .
September Tea 