Team Bonding – The episode opens with Summer Torres (Sky Katz) skateboarding to the beach where she practices with Bodhi Mercer (Savannah La Rain) and Poppy Tetanui (Lilliana Bowrey). After their session, Manu Tetanui (Chris Alosio) drops them and Ari Gibson (Kai Lewins) off at the Anchor Cove Sports Centre. While rushing them out of his VW van, he reminds them to keep their ears open and mouths shut. Once he’s gone, Poppy says there is no way the new coach could be better than Manu. When Wren Radic (Annabel Wolfe) beckons the team over at the entrance, Summer tells Ari to run to her. He asks if there’s a problem. It is Poppy who reveals Wren calling Summer an entitled brat. Ari says she couldn’t have meant it and attributes it to her being surprised about Summer making the team. Once inside, the team meets their new coach, Elo Radic (Olympia Valance), who Wren points out to be her sister.

As the team warms up, Elo congratulates them on making the state team while providing some background on her time as a coach. Baxter Radic (Josh Macqueen) is shown arriving in the background as Griff Temple (Mitchell Hardaker) asks why Marlon Sousa (Joao Gabriel Marinho) is there. Elo says he and Cassidy (Emily McGettigan) are subs before telling them today is dedicated to physical fitness. During drills, Griff and Sousa nearly come to blows and Elo warns them that one punch is an automatic expulsion from the team. Later, Elo stresses the importance of aerial surfing as Wren steps up the trampoline and fails to impress. Summer is next up and receives high praise. After practice, Elo wants to surf but Baxter wants to eat. Wren warns Elo that if they lose state it will be because of Summer. Elo says Summer could help them win state.

Elsewhere, Summer tries to convince Margot Torres (Kate Beahan) to let her host a gathering at the house. She uses the argument that bonding with like-minded peers is the very thing Doctor Amelia Cross (Fiona Choi) would recommend. Margot mentions that Abbie Gibson (Adrienne Pickering) has been asking her out for drinks before reluctantly agreeing.

While preparing for game night, Abbie tells Thommo Gibson (Dustin Clare) to encourage Lukas (David Qurik) to ask Margot engaging questions. She adds that the idea is to present Shorehaven are a cool place to live with intriguing men. When Thommo says that Lukas is a much better listener, Honey (Asmara Feik) questions how setting Margot up with one of Thommo’s surfer friends on game night will make Shorehaven look cool. Thommo says that Lukas is more of a boogie boarder than a surfer. Abbie suggests not mentioning that. Ari and Wren are enjoying old surf footage on her phone when Honey arrives to announce dinner. Wren snaps and accuses her of intruding because she didn’t knock. Honey points out that house etiquette requires the door to stay open. Once alone, Ari and Wren receive Summer’s invite. He asks her if she wants to go, which leads to a small argument.

At Tetanui house, Manu probes Marlon about Elon’s coaching abilities. Before he can respond, Poppy interrupts and asks Marlon to tie her top. While doing so, she suggests he get changed for the party. He says he’s not going for fear of looking desperate. She urges him not to listen to Griff.

At the party, Poppy teases Bodhi about spending the evening texting her girlfriend. A curious Summer overhears and Poppy shares all the details about Tuscany Bray (Emmanuelle Mattana) while Bodhi shares a photo. Summer says she’s attractive but asks what’s wrong with her. Before Bodhi can respond “Love Song” by “DJ Buddy” lures them to the dance floor. When a partygoer knocks over a Buddha statue, Summer picks it up and takes it inside to find Baxter in his mom’s bathroom making out with a girl. The girl gets offended and leaves when he asks Summer to join them. Summer follows her seconds later and is stunned to find Ari and Wren slow dancing. Marlon shows up and runs into Griff who purposely spills his drink on him and runs off. Ari intervenes with reminders that if he throws a punch, he’ll be kicked off the team as a sub. Ari’s remark gives him the idea of goading Griff to throw the first punch and recording it. He recruits a hesitant Ari to film it, but both are surprised when they discover Griff and Poppy making out.

By the pool, Summer has goaded Wren into an aerial competition that results in Wren spraining her ankle. Later that evening, Summer joins Ari as he searches for ice for Wren’s ankle. An argument ensues when Summer accuses Wren of pretending her injury is worse than it is. Ari tells her that she is the problem not Wren. When she questions what that means, he brings up how he ghosted him after returning to New York. He storms off when she points out they only shared a single kiss at the airport. Standing there alone, she notices and joins Baxter who is having trouble getting the grill started. After attempting to troubleshoot it, they end up starting a fire.

Lukas attempts to explain “gut sliding” to Margot as he walks her home. She says it sounds a lot like boogie boarding. Before he can reveal more, they arrive at the rental to find a fire truck in the driveway. By the pool, Margot finds Summer joking around with the firemen and demands she explain what’s going on.

Ari and Thommo are in the middle of discussing what a disaster the blind date and party were when they’re interrupted by a knock at the door. Thommo answers it to find Summer and Margot with luggage in hand and in need of a place to stay.

 

Surviving Summer Review

What absolute trash? It is honestly amazing how bad this episode is. Despite the extremely weak performance and pitiful story, it wasn’t going that bad until it came to Wren’s injury and the barbecue fire. The way those events were set ruined the entire episode. It shouldn’t have been that hard to use a little more creativity to come up with something more believable. I’d have to give this episode 4.

Get more Surviving Summer recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Our onsite advertising is an effective way to build influence, click the link to learn more.