Why is everyone obsessed with young adult series Sterling Point? | indy100

Sabrina Lantos/Prime

The resurgence of the teen TV drama is here.

From Off Campus, The Summer I Turned Pretty, to My Life with The Walter Boys, Maxton Hall, ELLE, Heartstopper, We Were Liars, andOuterbanks, we all can't get enough of the YA genre.

Now, latest one that everyone's talking about is from the creators behind Gossip Girl and My Old Ass, the Prime Video series Sterling Point,.

It follows 17-year-old Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin) who was "Raised in New York City with her twin brother (Keen Ruffalo) and loving adoptive father (Jay Duplass), Annie's life takes a turn when she inherits her mysterious grandfather's island in Canada. There, she finds new friends, budding romances and untold family secrets."

Sabrina Lantos/Prime

The series also stars stars Amélie Hoeferle (The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes, Night Swim), Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie (Billie Blue), Daniel Quinn-Toye (Sunny Dancer) Bo Bragason (Renegade Nell, The Radleys), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), Nikko Angelo Hinayo (Davey & Jonesie's Locker), Mabel Strachan (The Ridge), Elle-Maija Tailfeathers (Three Pines), and Missi Pyle (Harlan Coben’s Shelter).

Since it's release on August 5, Sterling Point was the most-watched show on Prime Video worldwide, with viewers taking to social media to share why they've been loving this particular YA series.

Here are some of the key talking points:

It's an original story

Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin) and Oona (Bo Bragason) in STERLING POINT.Sabrina Lantos/Prime

These days many TV shows, particularly YA series, are often based on YA book adaptations where there is already an existing fandom for the characters, some recent successful examples include Off Campus, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Heartstopper, just to name a few.

But where Sterling Point differs is that it is an original show, and so in this respect there is none of that pressure or expectation for the series to follow the book closely, so due to this there's no backlash from viewers about changes to characters or storylines as the show doesn't have a reference point.

The Gen Z relatable dialogue

Ella Rubin, Amélie Elisabeth HoeferleCourtesy of Prime

One thing viewers have been highlighting is how relatable and authentic the dialogue feels between the characters, particularly with their overlapping conversations and hilarious timely references (Connor's Camp Rock 2 "she's really good" birthday t-shirts were a highlight).

"I give the actors a lot of freedom. You know what the scene's about. You know your character. If you wouldn't say it that way, say it how you feel like your character would say it," Megan Park, the show's creator told Yahoo Canada.

"Or if … I made a millennial joke, make it a Gen Z joke. … I really want them to weigh in on all of that every step of the way. … But also, you don't want it to seem like you're trying to be trendy at the same time, you just want it to feel like normal people talking."

On social media, fans have been praising this aspect of the series, especially the scene where Annie is brushing Ramona's hair while they discuss Annie's love life.

Pop culture creator Krist Cooki aka Spill Sesh posted a video that went viral where she shared a scene from the show with text, "This conversation was so real omg, didn't even feel like a script," which gained 2.1 million views, while

"It's the most realistic portrayal of a conversation between girls that I have ever seen in my life - that's how me and my girls talk" said creator Ieuan and this video has 492,000 views.

The picturesque locations

Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin), Rory (Daniel Quinn-Toye) Courtesy of Prime

Another aspect that stood out was the stunning filming locations in the show, with Sterling Point being filmed entirely in southeastern Ontario, Canada, "half in Toronto and half in Muskoka" according to Ella Rubin.

Muskoka is widely known as "cottage country," a popular Canadian summer haven for wealthy families - and it's not the first time this has been depicted on screen as recently we saw "cottage country" on hit TV series Heated Rivalry which gave us the iconic line "I'm coming to the cottage."

The area also attracts celebrities such as David and Victoria Beckham, Harry Styles, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, in the series there is a reference to celebrity spotting in the first episode as Oona recalls seeing Kaia Gerber on the lakes.

A lack of phones

(l-r) Annie Jacobson (Ella Rubin), Maple (Mabel Strachan), Oona (Bo Bragason), and Ramona (Amélie Hoeferle) in STERLING POINT Sabrina Lantos/Prime

Incorporating social media into TV shows is no easy feat, but for Sterling Point it's something that isn't necessary at all and adds to the escapism for viewers.

In the series we see Annie fume about the lack of mobile reception Sterling Point due to the remote location and so this plot device provides a more realistic reason as to why the characters rarely have phone screen time.

"It makes it so much more romantic, it makes the characters have more conversations," said creator @hannahzookpop in a viral video (789,000 views) highlighting this element, adding how it provokes a more "peaceful" and "cosy" feeling.

As a result it provides us with 2000's teen drama nostalgia in the best way.

The love triangle

Rory (Daniel Quinn-Toye), Oona (Bo Bragason), Ellis (Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie) Courtesy of Prime

If there's one staple for a YA series, it's the main character being in a love triangle and Sterling Point delivers on this.

Throughout the season, we see Annie develop relationships with old childhood friend Rory who has a lake house in the area, and Ellis, the son of the marina owner.

What's so great about this love triangle is the pacing and the fact Annie had great connections with both of them, making interesting to see online who fans are rooting for.

Gets critics stamp of approval

Jay Duplass, and Ella RubinCourtesy of Prime

Sterling Point has been a hit with critics, receiving positive reviews and scoring an 89 per cent critics score on film and TV review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.

Similarly, it has score well on other review platforms, gaing a 7.2 out of 10 on IMDb and 4.7 out of 5 on Letterboxd.

"A series about grief, self-discovery and being brave enough to face the past, "Sterling Point" is one of the most authentic YA shows in years," noted Variety's Aramide Tinubu.

The Hollywood Reporter's Angie Han said, "[Sterling Point] might not be reinventing the wheel. But blessed with unusual wit and sensitivity, as well as a delightful young cast, the Amazon drama nevertheless stands out as something special."

"There’s patience and, for all its jarring disclosures, gentleness in the way this story unfolds that are rare to see these days, not just in teen TV, but in any twist-happy streaming drama," wrote TIME Magazine's Judy Berman.

The Guardian's Micha Frazer-Carroll said in her four-star review, "If escapism is the brief, then Sterling Point fulfils it expertly. Sure, it doesn’t carry the intensity or the existentialism of its edgier counterparts. But I was surprised by how long I wanted to stay with these characters.

Where can I watch?

Annie Jacobson (Ella RubinSabrina Lantos/Prime

Sterling Point is now available to watch on Prime Video.

Why not read...

Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.