'Dare me' star Alison Thornton on the important social themes at work in USA Network's new mystery-thriller
This interview contains spoilers for USA Network's 'Dare Me' Episode 1 - 'Coup d'etat'
USA Network's 'Dare Me' is nothing less than thrilling when it comes to teenage drama, taking it up a notch with a gunfight stare down right in the first episode. The series revolves around the dangerous loyalty teenage girls expect and the need to instill respect with fear.
There have been many ways in which the media has portrayed cheerleading, some with expected romances while others with grave competition. The trailer of 'Dare Me' promised an enthralling view of the reality of what it takes to be in a merciless loyalty match with a squad. The simplicity of the top girl in the pyramid running the halls of a high school does pull at nostalgic 90's heartstrings but why is 'Dare Me' different?
Alison Thornton who plays the role of Tacy Cassidy, a freshman member of Sutton Grove cheerleading squad spoke to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) and filled us in how it was to play a role in a show that brought the toxicity of teenage minds to life in such a powerful manner.
"'Dare Me' is different because I think that it focuses on cheer, but it's driven from more of a character perspective. All the girls on the squad, they want the squad to go far and they want to do well, but it's really, everyone has their own reasons and it's really selfish," said Thornton, who is asked to practice to be at the top of the pyramid, a spot meant for the 'only' top girl Beth.
Episode 1, was to say in the least, extremely character-focused, introducing to us people with strong personalities and who had a lot to gain from someone's loss. The intensity may seem 'extra' in more colloquial terms but collides with the need to speak of social justice that is simply needed in high schools these days. Thornton speaks about how the show portrays more than just cheerleading outfits and glitter-lined eyelids, " I think that 'Dare Me' is the first thing that I've seen that really highlights, I guess, the brutality of the sport and the athleticism that goes into it."
The seriousness that the show may call for even through entertainment, paints a picture of a new norm with youngsters pushing past unhealthy boundaries. Social issues of bullying, body shaming, purging, underage gun possession mold the minds of these ambitious cheer queens, leaving the 'cutesy' and 'girly' out of the narrative. "It really just goes into how hard they work, how much they sacrifice for it, and the physical and psychological extremes that real athletes, real cheerleaders can push themselves to," said Thornton.
An exciting adventure through what teenagers could be up to these days, the crime-thriller series is an adaptation of Megan Abbott’s novel of the same name. Books are popularly said to be better than movie adaptions but 'Dare Me' might surprise those of little faith. Thornton said, "I think that the show stays really true to the book in terms of all the themes and in terms of where it goes, but there are a couple of new characters that just, elevate the stakes and add a little bit more drama."
If you, like us, watched the show's premiere episode, you would agree that each character has already built up quite a bloody curious mess for themselves or are about to. Beth particularly comes to mind when you look at what anger held back for too long can do. Thornton says, "There are a couple of character dynamics that go off book a little bit. Beth, it goes into her family storyline a little bit more than it does in the book. We introduced her dad and her sister, which I think gives her more motivation to do what she does."
Being another show that talks about highschool teams, 'Dare Me' may have more lessons and awareness that it brings along with it. When asked how she thinks the audience would welcome the series, Thornton said, "I think that the audience is gonna really love it. And I think that one of my favorite parts, throughout the entire show, is that you're constantly switching alliances. You never really know who's the good guy and who's the bad guy. I think that the characters are so real and the relationships feel so grounded. I feel like everyone's going to have something that they can relate to while watching the show."
Talking about her co-stars who had "GOT parties on Sunday, skydiving, and biking" to form a bond strong enough for trust falls, Thornton said, "It was one of the best experiences I've had. This shooting schedule was really intense, but I think the cheerleading definitely bonded us because we had to trust each other. We didn't have a choice. Doing something like that is such an incredible bonding experience. I feel like I've walked away from it with multiple friends, who I'll probably have for the rest of my life."