Dare Me

For a series I watched about five times now, you would think it deserves 10 stars. While missing the mark by the slightest, I can assert that this has been the most intriguing series yet about cheerleaders. It's not AT ALL like Bring It On or other works that attempt to bring as much depth to cheerleading as Dare Me.

Addy and Beth are best friends in high school, both of which happen to have a knack at cheerleading. Yes, there's some mean girl energy going on, but there's more to these characters than what meets the eye. As you progress through the episodes, you quickly become aware of what these two teenage girls are capable of and the very limits of their friendship.

My one-point deduction comes from some shallow scenes that don't merely meet the depth of others (though this is mostly towards the end of the series). One thing for certain, it wasn't intended to be a limited series, but in a way, it checks out. The drama is messy enough to keep you going but clean enough to avoid soapy-ness. The finale will have your jaw to the floor, and by then you'd have gotten a taste of what it means to be a cheerleader in that small-town world.

A golden find among television series; few shows have the character arcs of Dare Me.

This show is not horrible. In fact, it is interesting enough for me to keep watching each episode as it appears on my DVR. However, this show hardly keeps me longing for the next episode. It's a show that is good enough to watch when there is nothing else on, but is by no means a "must see". It's interestingly boring if that makes any sense. The characters are all unlikable, and not in a good way that makes them captivating or sympathetic villains. They are stereotypical mean girls that aren't interesting enough to love or love to hate. The adults aren't any better than the kids as there is not a single role model for the cheerleaders because the adults are all flawed. It tries to sound "deeper" than it really is by having the narrator use phrases like "it was beautiful until it went to far" or "nothing is as scary as a bored teenage girl", but it comes across a little like its trying too hard to be a groundbreaking teenage drama like 13 Reasons Why or Euphoria. I am about 3 episodes in so we will see if it improves as it progresses.

This show was actually much better than usual teen shows with fairytales and boring love stories. It was darker, it showed the hard part of being a cheerleader and the efforts they have to make, unlike most shows where cheerleaders are nothing but popular girls. I'm really dissapointed that there won't be anymore seasons, while other dumb shows last long.

That's why I like this show. I am reading the book now but so far it's told in the same narrative style and doesn't leave many things out. Beth legitimately reminds me of girls I have been friends with in the past and is extremely relatable. All of the other characters other than Colette French the cheer coach. I suppose I also related to Sam but I don't want to give any spoilers away. This show doesn't hide behind the facade most shows featuring teenager girls do, but instead shows you a gritty truth behind codependency, infatuation, lies, regrets and a true competitive nature. As someone who played sports and has had many girlfriends, this can't be more true. I have never met anyone more competitive than a woman and this show exposes all of the insecurities that come with such a inherent nature.

Great show !! Complex characters, wish there were more seasons