'Dare Me': Another hostile cheerleading squad, what are we to expect from this one?
High school is an interesting journey, to say the least, and while 'cut-throat' seems to be a theme that most are accustomed to, teenage girls have a much more dangerous perspective on TV. Disengaging from reality becomes an easy task when you're up against your peers to deliver the best version of yourself.
Although a scuff that starts off good-natured to secure a respected place in the outside world, teenage girls develop hostility amongst their own forgetting that they aren't invincible. 'Dare Me', a USA network show dropping at the end of this year, brings about the reality of cluttered teenage minds. It is based on the novel of the same name by author Megan Abbott. Volatile female friendships are tested bringing the importance of loyalty, inevitable jealousy and power play that's a far cry from hair-pulling and nonchalant pranks.
There have been countless media portrayals of high school that have shone a light on cheerleading squads — a reality check of sorts, because their depiction of the competitive nature could, in fact, be spot on. In the trailer of 'Dare Me', the tag line states "it was beautiful until it went too far" after piquing the curiosity of watchers as they deep dive into the lives of cheerleading's best. A coming-of-age story with young girls not only veered by dangerous thoughts to rise to the top but a powder dynamic of conforming loyalty to the teenager that claims it's her squad or an adult coach that wants to bring that team to prominence.
A show unveiling the minds of teenagers isn't new, but what are we to expect from this small-town murder mystery drama? With people claiming this show to be the next TV obsession, the question that comes to mind is, are shows like 'Dare Me' bringing awareness to how teenagers harness their freedom and 'popularity level' at school? Is this for real? Either way, the show's trailer promises to bring faces to the fictitious characters that Abbott conjured up. The popularity contest that is high school takes a whole new meaning exploring the extremes of physical and psychological abodes that young girls are voluntarily abiding to thrive in.
"There's something dangerous about the boredom of teenage girls" is one of the lines that captivate the watchers of the trailer. How far are young girls willing to go to keep what they worked for and how many people are they willing to get out of the way for testing their loyalty?
Expect a crime thriller show that takes you by the horns of teenage brutality: There's a gunshot from characters you're not supposed to mess with to the epitome of what's behind the 'glitter, hair and attitude.' A dark feared cheerleading squad that has more to worry about than who gets the spot on the top of the pyramid. Sit tight for good old fashioned blackmail, criminal behavior, shadows that won't quit and what tender minds are willing to do for a ticket to reputed recognition.
There are boundaries between loyalty and love, but do these girls have any idea how blurry that can be when you have a bored mind to nurse? Raw unfiltered minds take over the trailer with ambitions that are explored through vile intensity having you wonder if this is the show you're going to binge-watch next.
If so, we'll be there right with you — catch 'Dare Me' on the USA Network on December 29 at 10/9c.