I Promise – The episode opens with Poppy Tetanui (Lilliana Bowrey) waking on the beach and Laynah Tetanui (Kiriwai Hedges) surfing in the background. Poppy approaches the shore as Laynah exits the water to apologize for losing her note. When Poppy claims it doesn’t matter, Laynah suggests insecure people oftentimes mistake confidence for arrogance. She urges Poppy to show Bodhi Mercer (Savannah La Rain) real confidence.
Wren Radic (Annabel Wolfe) confronts Ari Gibson (Kai Lewins) about finding his tent empty last night. He claims to have gone for a walk. Elo Radic (Olympia Valance) announces that “pair training” is today. Summer Torres (Sky Katz) tells Baxter Radic (Josh Macqueen) that she can’t keep his board before suggesting donating it. He threatens to tell Wren about Ari visiting her tent last night.
After practice, a newspaper photographer takes shots of the team in their new uniforms. Elo informs Summer of her being paired with Wren for Nationals. Summer says Wren hates her. Elo suggests utilizing their hatred to push each other. Before leaving, Elo assures her that Wren is in a different league.
Manu Tetanui (Chris Alosio) asks Summer what happened at training camp that made Poppy upset. Summer attributes it to an intense training camp. He offers to speak with Elo. Summer points out that his talk with Ari helped him. He tells her that he can help her “unscramble.”
Ari tells Marlon Sousa (Joao Gabriel Marinho) about his drama with Wren and Summer. Malon jokingly asks him when he became a player. Denying being a player, Ari says Summer is inside his head. Marlon urges him to tell Wren how he feels about Summer. Upon arriving home, Ari finds Wren and Abbie Gibson (Adrienne Pickering) in the garage. Abbie tells him that Wren’s parents won’t be at her birthday party. Wren refuses to blame her parents because they are trapped on a remote island. Abbie agrees to host a small barbecue.
Manu starts Summer’s training with a deep meditation at the beach. She jokingly asks when he became such a hippy. He tells her to be serious The footage switches to Summer in the ocean waiting for a wave while Manu’s advice is overlapped. He encourages her to focus on what she hears, feels, and sees. In a vision, she sees Ari and then Baxter, snapping her back to reality.
Poppy tries to get rid of Bodhi’s memories by putting her mother’s “GOAT” figurine and other things in a box. She carries the box to the kitchen where she encounters Marlon. She tells him that the figurine makes Bodhi seem arrogant. He assures her that’s not the case. Manu and Summer invite them to a gym session but Poppy stalks off to her room. A short time later, Poppy claims Bodhi is upset because she saw her and Marlon together. Poppy believes there was no reason to tell Bodhi about their relationship. She says Bodhi has changed since hanging out with Wren. Summer tells her that she and Ari kissed. Poppy warns of what it will do to the team if Wren finds out. Summer admits to wanting to be with Ari.
Upon arriving home, Summer discovers Ari and Wren are still a couple. She accuses him of being selfish. He suggests waiting until after Nationals to tell Wren.
Placing a picture of punch on the counter, Margot Torres (Kate Beahan) says it is off-limits to the kids. Abbie tells Summer about Margot’s magazine shoot. Margot asks Summer if she got Wren a gift. Summer sarcastically says the surf shot is out of arsenic before picking up the punch. Outside. Poppy apologizes to Bodhi for not mentioning her and Marlon’s relationship. Bodhi assures her that she and Marlon are a thing of the past. Seconds later, Poppy makes out with Marlon. In the garage, Baxter finds Summer painting on a canvas. Seeing his board, he asks if she is going to keep it. She offers him some of Margot’s punch but he refuses. When an upset Poppy arrives, Summer offers her some punch which she readily accepts.
Summer makes out with Baxter while Poppy and Griff Temple (Mitchell Hardaker) dance. Later, Marlon reminds Poppy of Nationals starting tomorrow. She asks why a “sub” cares so much. He leaves the party upset. Elsewhere, Baxter claims Wren asked him to loosen the fins on Summer’s surfboard at the Talen Search Competition. Margot intervenes by saying the birthday cake has arrived.
Summer interrupts the party with a few compliments for Wren. When Summer blows out the candles, Wren runs off with Ari in tow. Realizing Summer drank the punch, Margot orders her to go to bed. Poppy joins Summer. Elsewhere, Ari urges Wren to not tell Elo about Summer. Wren accuses him of taking up for Summer. He admits to kissing Summer and having feelings for her. He asks if she vandalized Dice’s (Charlie Clauson) room. Wren says he has no idea how much she loves him. After claiming to love her, he suggests they push their relationship to the next level.
In their drunken stupor Summer and Poppy, throw rocks at a Shorehaven sign until they spot a poster of Wren. Poppy suggests Wren framed Summer in Byron Beach. Summer says Poppy should have been the team captain. Poppy throws a rock at the photo and sounds an alarm as the glass shatters. Before the cops arrive, Summer convinces Poppy to leave and let her take the blame. The episode ends.
Surviving Summer Review
Once again, not the worst episode ever but it certainly had its fair share of cringe-worthy moments. I do appreciate the fact that apparently, the Nationals will be the focus of the next episode. I’m glad they didn’t wait until the last episode to end with that cliffhanger. Summer and Poppy’s drunk performance was lacking and Ari’s character appears so dumb that he’s become unlikable. I also can’t help but feel that Summer’s interruption of the cake and birthday singing should have been much viler than her just claiming that Wren will do whatever it takes to win. Other than that, I’d give the episode a 4.6 out of 10.
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