Back in 2009, when the social media era had just about begun, a show called Make It Or Break It from ABC was a hidden gem that many young, motivated girls watched because they felt seen. This wasn’t just a teen show about girls liking boys; while all of that drama was definitely there, it was also about ambition, friendship, jealousy, going places, and finding your passion at a young age. I think Finding Her Edge is hoping to have a similar impact on young girls today. A show about figure skating, a beautiful sport that leaves you mesmerized at every step. But underneath the glamorous bodysuits, there’s also the struggle of having to be at your best all the time, and dealing with the fear of losing looming over your head all the time. Wanting to step away from what you’ve been doing all your life to follow a new path. It’s all there.
Finding Her Edge follows the three daughters of the Russo dynasty, born to legends of ice skating, Will and Sarah Russo. Adriana is the middle child but also the main character of this show. She finds herself stuck in admin after 2+ years of not skating because her partner didn’t grow tall fast enough for her. Adriana is now ready to get back to her first love, the ice, but she needs a new partner who can handle both her newness on the ice after the long break, and the strength of her skills. In comes Brayden, a handsome hunk of a lad who has a special edge on the ice but has bad boy issues irl. On the other hand is Freddie, her old partner, whom she was forced to abandon. Who will she choose? Will she make it to the worlds, and will she win? On the other hand, there’s the older sister, Elise, who is stuck up when it comes to her skills but also spiraling on the inside, being a bigger prick than ever to everybody around her. Then there’s Mimi, the youngest of the lot. Different, smart, and also adventurous, always wanting to rebel. But there’s always a reason for rebellion, and you’ll have to watch the show to find out more about that.
Finding Her Edge is a show adapted from a novel, but the novel itself is inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion (probably why her name’s mentioned in the show), making it a unique blend of modern-day and old school. Even in appearance, the show seems to be straight out of the 2000s, but with the flatness of modern-day teen drama visuals. With the Princess Polly dresses and the dull color grading that makes everything look so smooth, you’d think it’s AI, and it’s so gray, you’d think it’s the saddest show ever. But leaving aside the visual mess that is modern TV and film, Finding Her Edge stands out because of the talent it brings to the table. When it comes to things like this, you need to make sure there are actual ice skaters in the show. Even if there is a requirement for stunt doubles, especially for the more complicated bits, at least they’re not using AI to fix their problems. Everybody looks perfect for the part, too. Adriana does look super muscular for someone who gave up for a few years though, haha.
Madelyn Keys is the perfect lead for this show. There’s something very endearing about her, but at the same time, you can see how badly she wants to be the best. This ambition is definitely motivating to young people, and that’s something that we haven’t seen in teen dramas recently. When it comes to teen shows, there are always two levels: one is the kind that’s meant for the slightly older demographic, whereas there are others that work perfectly for younger teens in the age group of 13-15. This one falls in the latter category, whereas something like The Summer I Turned Pretty would fall under the 16+ category. There’s definitely a void in the market for shows like Finding Her Edge, but does it really do a good job, or will it be shelved, too? Alexander Beaton does not look 31 from any angle; she totally looks like a teenager, which is crazy to me. She definitely pulls off the bratty vibe perfectly. Alice Malakhov is the youngest of the lot, and she definitely fits this role of wanting to be different perfectly. She’s got some good dialogue for being the youngest, which is always fun.
To be honest, Finding Her Edge had the potential to be one of the top-tier teen shows of the 2020s. It has a good plot that doesn’t just get pushed to the back burner to prioritize the romance, but the real problem is it’s not flashy enough for iPhone babies, I’m afraid. As a fully grown adult, I definitely found myself rooting for these characters, and I won’t lie, I quite liked the crop tops Adriana wore throughout the show, kind of made me want to work on my arms and shoulders, but I wonder if that’s enough for teens today. There is an almost “meh” quality to the show, because it feels like it came out of 2005 Disney, combined with ABC. I hope it doesn’t get lost because of that.
For those who watched Ice Princess in 2005, you know what a huge impact that show had on a generation that believed they had to be either a nerd, or a jock, or a baddie; one could never be all these things at once. As time has passed, this mindset has obviously shifted, but a film like Ice Princess really showed us that you can be whatever you want—a very smart science gal and a figure skater. As long as you put your mind to it. I wish Finding Her Edge had some depth to it, like the two things I’ve mentioned here, because that would’ve really set it apart. But unfortunately, it feels almost scared to go all the way.
Now, I have to address the elephant in the room. Yes, watching the skating bits is beautiful, and you can sort of skip anything else, but not the dances. It’s obviously not easy to shoot such elaborate sequences and make everyone involved look beautiful and keep the whole thing from looking tacky, considering angles and all that. It’s certainly beautiful to see the skating. Anyway, I’d give Finding Her Edge 3 out of 5 stars because it’s an attempt at something good, and though it lacks depth, it’s got the potential to be better.
