Trigger warnings for the series: self-harm, mental illness, references to sexual abuse.
'Spinning Out', one of the latest Netflix originals to hit the streaming platform, is a 10-part series that sheds light on the dark side of competitive ice skating through the character of Katarina "Kat" Baker, a young woman afraid of pushing herself on the ice after suffering a severe injury a year prior. 'Spinning Out' follows Kat as both her personal and professional lives seem to implode after her mentally-ill mother goes off her medication and Kat fails to secure her future in skating after flunking a coaching test. Her only chance to remain in the competitive skating game is if she pair skates with the wealthy and arrogant Justin Davis and his no-nonsense coach, Dasha. As Kat prepares to skate once more, however, the trauma from her past injury and her struggle to control her own mental health creep in and threaten to send her sprawling once more.
Kaya Scodelario ('Skins', 'The Maze Runner') stars as Kat Baker, an intense and often misanthropic competitive skater trying to come back both from an injury and a manic episode triggered by her bipolar disorder. Though at first glance, the role of Kat Baker appears as though Scodelario is once more donning the guise of her iconic character in 'Skins', Effy Stonem, Kat is far more mature than Stonem's manic pixie dream girl, and is a far more compelling character for it. Her need for control is continuously present onscreen through regular shots of Kat systematically taking her pills with a resolute face barely shielding the fear that Scodelario so expertly conveys lurking there behind Kat's composed façade. When either the PTSD triggered by the fall that led to her cracking her skull open or her bipolar disorder become too much, Kat turns to self-harm by biting herself. These scenes of self-harm and depressive states are never romanticised by 'Spinning Out'. The combination of close-ups that waver in time with Kat's heavy breathing and her pained, almost animal sounds of catharsis as she inflicts pain on herself are visceral and difficult to watch. 'Spinning Out' is a series that does not shy away from the often dark realities of living with mental illness, but nor does it attempt to glamourise it. It is, in short, sympathetic and dedicated to showing the reality of how living with such an illness impacts the sufferer and those around them.
Indeed, it is the care and attention that 'Spinning Out' gives to timely themes such as mental health that is what impresses the most about this series. Both Kat and her mother, Carol (excellently portrayed by January Jones, 'Mad Men'), suffer from bipolar disorder, and their mental illness is never treated as one-size-fits-all. The series takes its time to delve into the individual experiences of both women as they face the conflict between remaining withdrawn due to a fear of being judged and wanting to let people in. The portrayal of mania in relation to bipolar disorder is cleverly done under the direction of Samantha Stratton; the combination of fast-moving shots and a subtly heightened energy to the performances of both actresses give the scenes an erratic sort of pulse that mirrors the experiences of Carol and Kat. It is nearly impossible to watch just one episode of 'Spinning Out' once it hits its stride; it catches you up in its breathless, suspenseful whirlwind as you watch in horror as the stakes pile ever-higher.
The chemistry between the leads is electric. Though several of the characters fall into stereotype territory, with Evan Roderick ('Arrow') as Justin Davis, a rich playboy with a heart of gold, and Willow Shields ('The Hunger Games') as the spoilt younger sister Serena Baker, each character has moments of vulnerability that humanises them beyond their cliché archetypes. Though the love triangle between Kat, Justin and skier Marcus (Mitchell Edwards, 'All American'), will grate on the nerves of some, the banter and antagonistic chemistry between Kat and Justin as well as the genuine friendship and camaraderie between Kat and Marcus will win over many others. The carefully-constructed relationship between Carol and her two daughters, Kat and Serena, is particularly moving, with the deep, grudging love palpable between all three women even in moments of near unbearable conflict. Carol, who would be a two-dimensional villain in any other story as the emotionally neglectful and controlling mother, has moments of stark vulnerability and humanity that make you root for her even after seemingly irredeemable actions. The conflict between her and Justin's step-mother, Mandy (Sarah Wright, 'Marry Me'), who has taken somewhat of a maternal role in Kat's life, is absolutely heartbreaking as we see Carol's insecurity that she will never be a good mother to her daughter explode in anger and resentment against the seemingly picture-perfect Mandy. Indeed, one of the most notable assets of the series is how no character is painted in black and white. Throughout the series, I found myself rooting for one character and then despising them the next, only for them to go and do something that had my sympathies rising once more. 'Spinning Out' is not afraid to make some of the characters do objectively awful things, and the series is all the more gripping for it.
Also deserving of a mention are Amanda Zhou ('October Faction') as Kat's sharp and sarcastic best friend Jenn Yu and Svetlana Efremova ('The Americans') as Dasha, Justin and Kat's coach. Though Jenn's tendency towards melodramatic behaviour is somewhat tiresome, Zhou is clever in her efforts to balance Jenn's bravado with moments of childlike fear as she worries about telling her parents of the injury that could prevent her from ever skating again. Dasha, an unconventional maternal figure to both Justin and Kat, is on the sidelines as an inspirational mentor figure for the first few episodes, but once we are treated to more of her emotional backstory, becomes the highlight of every scene she is in.
'Spinning Out' is beautifully shot. The snowy landscapes and variances between soft and harsh lighting combined with the quick, sharp camera work during the skating sequences sucks the viewer in to the world of competitive ice dancing. We do not just feel as though we are watching Kat skate; when Justin hoists her above his head and she looks down at the ice several feet below her, we are right there with her, terrified of falling. It's hugely immersive.
That being said, 'Spinning Out' is by no means a perfect show. The aforementioned penchant for stereotypes often manifests itself in melodrama, with much of the conflict feeling cheapened by its formulaic structure. For a television series that is innovative in so many other ways, particularly its representation of mental health within families, this dependence on often unoriginal and boring conflict is somewhat disappointing. When the conflict is allowed to grow organically, it's wonderfully intense. When it's shoehorned in - as it often is in the final episodes - it has a tendency to veer into the melodramatic.
Furthermore, a central concern of Kat's throughout the series is whether her younger sister, Serena, is facing abuse from a person of trust. This storyline, which certainly had the potential to be a powerful one given the relatively recent news surrounding systematic abuse within competitive sports, was uncomfortably structured at times. Rather than delving into Serena's individual experience, it becomes a 'whodunit' sort of plot with several red herrings that cheapen the storyline somewhat. It is frustrating that her ordeals are not treated with such care as those of Kat and Carol.
Overall, however, 'Spinning Out' is surprisingly riveting. Often compared to the Oscar-winning 'Black Swan' during promotion, 'Spinning Out' is not so much a psychological mind-game as the Natalie Portman hit, but it does combine the sense of restlessness and suspense from that narrative with the feel of community and high personal and professional stakes often conveyed by sports dramas. Within two episodes, the combination of professional and personal pressure faced by each of the characters stretches like a taut elastic and you are enthralled as you wait, heart in mouth, for it to snap.
Let the wait for Season 2 begin.
Rating: 8/10
The Best: The unflinching portrayal of bipolar disorder and its effects on both the sufferer and those around them.
The Worst: One too many clichés and a tendency for drama to veer into melodrama.
