I don’t know about you, but my lacking social life has prepared me to be stuck at home 24/7.
All of a sudden I had a shit ton of free time to work on projects and other things. I probably jinxed it, considering my procrastinating nature, so watch me not accomplish anything.
(I considered my extra time an absolute privilege, so you bet my mother’s superb cooking skills I’m going to be somewhat studious.)
Spoiler: I was studious and wrote this review back in April 2020. 🙈
So in the spirit of claiming victory over procrastination, your (hopefully) favorite residential bookwyrm decided to work ahead. Plus I got to take full advantage of my Netflix! Why not? I’m not spending $8.99 only to waste it. 😤
TRIGGER WARNING: This show contains content that could be triggering to some.
Enter Show Number Unknown: Spinning Out: figure skating, Olympics, family, mental health.
Spinning Out centers around figure skating, following an Olympian hopeful named Kat who is juggling family and mental health (specifically bipolar). She’s also ambitious and dealing with trauma after a horrible accident. There are romances (it seemed cute?) and drama (but of course) and most of all, it’s centered around ice skating. (I sprained my ankle from this; nearly everyone is a better ice skater than me by default.)
The show didn’t deliver. In fact, it slowly spun out into a disaster by each episode.
Spinning Out is a trip, and it isn’t a good trip. It’s a hot mess of a trip, and if it weren’t for using this for an assignment in my gender roles class, it would’ve been a waste. So on the bright side, I got the assignment done. 😏
But long story short and in Sam from Fictionally Sam’s words, the show was WILDDDDDD.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! By proceeding beyond this point, you are consenting that you are okay with any and all spoilers. The author(s) of the post holds no responsibility for potentially ruining your enjoyment.
So how hot mess of a trip is Spinning Out? Let me spill all 96 of my thoughts of the wildness.
I didn’t think of doing a list of thoughts until I was halfway through, so some are a bit out of order. (Plus there’s the whole pausing to write down notes for the assignment…)
1. Oh, hey, it’s Primrose Everdeen!
2. RIP Kat. That’s a painful fall. 101/10 would not want to be in her place. 😬
3. Ew, did the coach just slap Serena’s ass? 🤮 Someone, please report his ass.
4. I love how everyone is dismissing Kat because she’s bipolar. She’s concerned about her sister and because of her mental illness, her concerns are invalid?
5. Leah, you are, quite frankly, a bitch. I don’t like you.
6. Carol is something. I’m concerned about Kat and Serena. I don’t feel I have a say because I’m not represented here, so I can’t say if the bipolar representation is accurate and good.
7. I don’t like how Dasha says, “I’ll fix you.” Good intentions, bad execution there. You can’t just fix someone, especially one with trauma? What is Kat, a broken chair?
8. Mandy is a true blessing to Kat’s life. I support.
9. I don’t like Justin, but maybe there’s hope because someone also agrees Leah is a bitch. Good riddance to her.
10. Kat is making good choices. Your health comes first. You go, Kat.
11. Go, Kat, go. You prove to Justin’s dad.
12. SHE DID IT! 🎉💃
13. Aww, Jenn. You’re so nice.
14. Carol, you did WHAT? No wonder Kat dumped your ass and hightailed when she did.
15. Jenn, you had one job. One job. Kat does not deserve this? And Justin, don’t you have like a crush on Kat? What the hell are you doing?
16. Poor Kat is just having a bunch of bad luck here. 😔
17. So uh… we’ve got a double love triangle apparently? 🤔 *awkward noises ensue*
18. Alana, another blessing right along with Mandy.
19. OMG Serena. *chucks tea over and spills it* The burns are horrible but… 🔥
20. Um… I bet Justin will crash. Poor life choices are being made here.
21. Eh??? Carol is dating Serena’s coach now? After he may have slapped her daughter’s ass? I… do not comprehend?
22. Bless your potentially sexual pervert self, Mitch, for being with Carol and not leaving when everyone did. If you didn’t look like you slapped Serena’s ass, you would be a good bean.
23. Bad cat, oof Kat. It do be like that sometimes. But Marcus didn’t even let you explain this time. How rude. (Okay, to be fair… his feelings are still valid.)
24. Aww, Mandy. You didn’t have to do that for Kat. 🥺
25. I still don’t like how Dasha said, “I’ll fix you,” but I like how she’s taking it slow with Kat and I like her intentions.
26. Yes, Justin. Shut up.
27. Still don’t like how Dasha “forces” Kat despite failing multiple times even if it’s slow.
28. Jenn, I think you’re actually doing it to Kat, not the other way around.
29. *pat pat* Mandy. There’s a miscommunication, but she knew what was the best choice for her at 15.
30. Oh no, Carol, what have you done?
31. Damn it, Carol, why did you put the idea in Kat’s head?
32. KATTTTTTTTT NO.
33. Mandy strikes again with her goodness. 😭
34. I think I get where Jenn is coming from, but that’s no excuse to do Kat like that. No excuse. 😡
35. I bet my mother’s cooking skills Kat was not aware outside of the one time Jenn said she’d totally fuck Justin and it came across as a joke.
36. I also bet Jenn will injure herself for real.
37. Apparently we’ve got some miscommunication here.
38. How was Kat supposed to know? 🤦♀️
39. Oh, Serena’s dad is back. This should… be interesting.
40. Uh oh. Do we have another love triangle again? Is there even another?
41. I can’t even keep track of what’s going on romantically.
42. Competitive Kat has popped out.
43. Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no.
44. KAT.
45. KAT.
46. KAT.
47. Poor life decisions are being made here. Very poor life decisions.
48. I’m scared of what will happen to Kat.
49. At least we know where Kat got her ambitions from.
50. Oh, Serena, please, please notice something.
51. SHE’S NOT FINE, SERENA. SHE’S NOT FINE.
52. Ohhhhh Dasha has some past here.
53. Marcus, why? Alana didn’t deserve that. She deserves so much better than that.
54. Lololol Marcus’ mom: I can’t believe you introduced that lovely girl as the concierge.
55. This is… I don’t even know anymore. It’s not a vacation, that’s for sure.
56. We’ve busted out some popcorn because while this is horrible, at least we’ve got some stuff for the assignment.
57. I’m going to watch until Jenn hurts herself
58. right…
59. about…
60. now!
61. Oops, I called it. Ouch.
62. I felt that scream deep in my bones. I felt that scream.
63. Oh no, Kat’s spiraling.
64. I’m way too close to not finish this.
65. I bet my signed Owlcrate edition of Shadow of the Fox that Kat spirals because Jenn falls right after she angrily says, “I hope you fucking fall.”
66. Jenn had it coming for her though.
67. This is not what the trailer promised me. This is not what the trailer promised me!
68. Kat making poor life choices and is paying the consequences.
69. If I didn’t like Dasha, I don’t really like her anymore. Pay the poor person extra for spending hours to help you.
70. Some lover boy you are, Justin.
71. I hope Serena sees this because she will know.
72. Nope, she didn’t see Kat. RIP to Justin and Kat and everything about to go up in flames.
73. Alana to the rescue again.
74. Oh no, Marcus. You do not deserve this for protecting your friend. 😭
75. Will Justin stick around? Asking the important question.
76. Serena, are you sending nudes?
77. I swear the only person who actually has a decent development is Carol.
78. Jenn: I can’t believe I was obsessed with you. This girl has no filter sometimes. 🤣
79. Deep down Jenn cares.
80. At least the doctor is kind of cute.
81. Poor Kat. Horrible timing, Dasha. Horrible.
82. What the fuck, Kat.
83. Poor decisions are still being made here.
84. Carol, stop her. 😣
85. Uh… what just happened?
86. Did I hear that correctly?
87. Carol why.
88. Okay, if Mitch dumps Carol’s ass, she deserves it. I’m just saying.
89. One more episode! Thank! God!
90. Um… it’s the doctor?
91. I take back saying the doctor was kind of cute. He sure isn’t cute now.
92. THE DOCTOR ASKED JENN ON A DATE THEN PREYS ON SERENA. I–
93. So if Netflix is not okay and a second season is happening, I’ll be passing. Thank U, Next.
94. Here we go again. Dismissing Kat and Carol when they go to confront Dr. Pervert.
95. Jenn of all people. Good thing I don’t like you.
96. Dr. Pervert deserved that shit. I hope it hurts.
Let’s talk, bookwyrms: have you watched Spinning Out? What are your thoughts? Any other figure skating show recs?
Sophia started blogging in February 2012 for the hell of it and is surprisingly still around. She has a GIF for nearly everything, probably listens to too much K-Pop and is generally in an existential crisis of sorts (she's trying her best). More of her bookish reviews and K-Pop Roundups can be found at The Arts STL.
If you enjoy her posts or found them helpful, consider tipping on KoFi!
I’m sure I’m worse at ice skating than you – I’ve gone twice and both times, I’ve gotten hurt and ended up bleeding all over the ice.
I hate when characters are ignored and their concerns are dismissed because of their mental illnesses and well, it doesn’t seem that this show is for me
Omggggg oh no. I’m glad you’re okay and alive, though. But yeah… I don’t think you’d like it either. It’s quite dismissive for a good portion of the show. 😬
I never watch Spinning Out and after I read this post, I feel like I should!
I’m currently watching The Leftovers, Never Have I Ever and Atypical, need to finish those first so I can watch Spinning Out and Elite. Many of my friends suggested Money Heist but some said it’s overrated so I don’t know if I should include that one haha
Forgot to add one more thing, I like how you include all those gifs in between paragraphs.
Especially YiFan’s gif (big fan here!). It adds a little emotion in those writings hehe
Hahaha, thank you! (I love his songs so much and his faces are absolute moods. 🥺) I would personally not recommend Spinning Out unless you want to hate-watch it, though. (But I mean… if that’s what you’re up for watching, definitely wouldn’t stop you.)
I am pretty sure I will be worse than you, given I have never done it earlier. Anyway Now you have got me wanting to try this series.
Please share your free time with me!! Keeping my monsters engaged and entertained is exhausting! I just want to curl up on the couch, read, eat ice cream, and not move for days.
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
Oh noooo I really hope you’re taking care of yourself, Lindsi! Hopefully, you’ll get some time to rest at some point if you haven’t yet. I’d gladly give up some of the free time I did have back then; I think I would’ve been fine without them, haha.
That’s so amazing you had time to watch this series, I need more free time lol! I use to ice skate as a child at Snoopy Ice Arena and take lessons but that was years and years ago and I’m sure now I would be an epic failure. I didn’t even know this series was on Netflix…..I’m still watching Vampire Diaries for the first time ha!