When I first started watching Ripple, I thought it was some sort of Hallmark show about people just existing in New York, but as I got further through the series, I realized it’s much more. I think Ripple is what you can call a guilty pleasure TV show. It’s neither mindbogglingly engaging nor is it so boring you want to turn off your TV. It knows exactly where the balance is, but add in a splash of grief and hope, and you have an excellent show to enjoy in the holiday season, when you’d like to just chill and be happy. The show is emotionally alive, and that’s what makes it so easy to watch. The 8-part series doesn’t take long to get into what it’s trying to say, what this Ripple is, and how all of these people are going to find a connection. I think I was reminded of when I first started watching soaps like Grey’s Anatomy with this one. The tonality of the show is very similar to those nostalgic soaps. Adding to the mix, Pretty Little Liars star Ian Harding with his salt and pepper hair to remind us how old we’re getting is a bonus to make it all feel more likable.
The holiday season is for the cozies, the sweets, and all things that feel like a warm hug. This show feels exactly like that. On the surface, it almost feels a bit dumb—oh, strangers having some sort of connection in New York City, how exciting—but it’s actually the characters that make the show feel rooted in reality, and though there’s a sense of fantasy around it, in actuality, the show is very human. The characters are all delightful, even the musician who’s suffering from anxiety and takes out her emotional distress on everyone who’s trying to be nice to her. The show follows 4 main characters: Walter, Kris, Nate, and Aria. Each character has their own story; Walter’s begins at a low point when someone close to him dies. This leads him to Nate’s Lumi West bar, where all of these characters eventually interact. There’s everything you need to enjoy a good TV show—the drama, the romance, the grief—it’s all there and more.
I quite enjoy a show with so many characters, because there’s always something going on. Each character is also relatable to someone or the other, whether it’s the well-adjusted Kris, who now wants to do something on her own, or the young and anxious Aria, who is struggling to strike a balance between love and work, or even a grieving Walter, who needs to make friends to move on. Sure, they do seem a little surface-level, but each actor brings a groundedness to these characters, making them really likable. There’s a scene in the final episode that somehow makes me feel like it defines what this show is like. It’s Ellis, the bartender, talking to a new visitor. This conversation seems like it was ripped straight out of a real-life scenario. It’s raw, and it does delve into something philosophical, but that’s exactly my point; it matches the tone of the show perfectly and essentially tells you that we’re nearing the end, so here’s a little hopeful message for you.
Each episode begins with a message like this one. They’re narrated by different characters and set the tone of the entire episode. The chemistry between the cast members is also excellent. Everybody clearly gets along well, and that’s what makes the show work. Given the characters are all going through something, you end up wanting things to go right for them by the end, and that feeling makes you want to watch further, rooting for them all. But I’ve got to say my favorite character on the show is the young girl Finn, who brings something more bold to the show. She’s not a main character as such, but the show clearly knows what it’s doing, turning her into a recurring character, so she has a real impact on us. Her connection to Nate is deeply moving, and watching them interact feels genuinely heartwarming. The same goes with the daughter, who’s absolutely adorable.
Visually, the show looks almost fake, and I’ve found out that it was shot in Toronto, though it’s meant to be set in New York, so everything makes sense now. There’s an eerie faded effect throughout that adds that Hallmark effect. Ironically, I’ve just found out that it was created for Hallmark+ before getting licensed by Netflix, so now the whole world makes sense. If you’re looking for something that feels wholesome but don’t want to go for your typical Holiday Watchlist movie, then Ripple is a safe bet. There’s definitely a dullness to it that makes for the perfect brainrot content that makes you feel like you’re smart, spotting the connections between the characters. The original music that Aria sings is also pretty good, and Sydney Agudong has an excellent voice that is soothing and rich.
At the end of the day, Ripple is an entertaining show that has its slow moments but picks up the pace soon enough. It’s definitely not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, but if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic and need something soapy, then I’d definitely recommend it. On the other hand, if you hate a sappy drama about random connections, then this show is the definition of what you hate, so skip out on this one for sure. Ultimately, I give Ripple 3 out of 5 stars because I thoroughly enjoyed the way people are connected and how the simple conversations feel quite profound. The show is exactly the right amount of heartwarming and sugary for the start of the holiday season.
