Blood & Water- Season 4, A Review

New year, new mystery.

Season 1 2 3 Review.

The fourth season of Blood & Water follows Puleng (Ama Qamata) and the rest of Parkhurst High as they attempt to move on from their recent trauma and the events of the baby-napping ring, with the crime having gone to trial and all those involved arrested. The group hope that a new year at Parkhurst will be a fresh start for everyone but soon enough an anonymous texter begin causing drama, hoping to shine light on a past crime and bring those responsible to justice. Both Puleng and Fiks (Khosi Ngema) find themselves targets after a sex tape featuring Puleng and Iván (André Lamoglia, Elite) (side note: I really loved this character crossover) is leaked and Fiks herself is forced to look back on her actions.

Meanwhile KB’s (Thabang Molaba) music career takes off with Chris (Arno Greeff, Recipes for Love and Murder) as his manager but a sampling error puts the pair in danger once more with the wrong sort of people. Wendy (Natasha Thahane) also returns from Spain but finds her relationship with Chris difficult to maintain, especially with her own grades failing. Tahira (Mekaila Mathys) faces similar issues and chooses to take drastic measures to improve her scholarship chances, putting her entire future in jeopardy. With so much going on in their lives will the students even make it to graduation or will secrets and lies threaten them once more and make this a last year they’re sure to never forget?

Season four saw us going down the classic teen drama route of anonymous texting, with ‘Pool Boy’ targeting both Puleng and Fiks and blackmailing them over a previous incident at Parkhurst. Whilst the mystery within the rest of the narrative felt a bit weird (more on that later) I did enjoy the actual execution and getting to see this new form of danger for the students through blackmail. Anonymous texting is pretty much a teen drama staple at this point (PLL, One of us is Lying) and I do always enjoy the mystery of it all. It was a bit annoying that the culprit was somebody we’d never even met (how very PLL) but in terms of entertainment I did enjoy from this perspective.

I liked how season four addressed the severe trauma several of the characters have went through these past four years and how they aren’t going to just magically move on from everything, especially considering how so many family members were involved in the baby-napping ring. We saw both Puleng and Fiks seeking therapy as well as Sam’s (Leroy Siyafa) own PTSD after his kidnaping and later intimacy issues as a result. So many of these teen dramas have their character’s involved in daring and dangerous activities but so rarely do we actually see the aftermath and here especially it can’t have been easy to realise that your parents/friend’s parents aren’t necessarily good people.

Whilst I definitely enjoyed this fourth season of Blood & Water it also felt kind of random and honestly the show could have ended at season three and nothing really would have changed. The overall storyline here had little to do with the baby kidnapping ring, moving on completely and focussing on a whole new mystery that just did not feel as genuine. So much of the backstory was pre Puleng even joining Parkhurst and so I don’t really know why she became involved other than trying to save Fik’s life. It just felt weird being introduced to these completely new characters who were apparently hellbent on revenge, all for an incident we’d never even hear of in the three years the show had been running. After such a well built up arc across the first three seasons this final mystery just felt a bit too random and it’s definitely one of the show’s weaker seasons in this regard.

Although there’s been no official news yet I am going to assume that this was the final season of Blood & Water, especially since we saw the main cast all graduate and leave the school. Unless the show tries to introduce us to a whole new set of characters I do think this is the last time we’re going to see Puleng, Fiks and the others and on the whole I have really enjoyed this show for the past four years. On the surface this was just another teen mystery drama but I think that the missing sibling and baby-napping angle gave it a really unique perspective and I really loved following Puleng on her journey to get to the truth. The show’s side characters have also all been really enjoyable and this is definitely one of those rare shows where even the comedic side plots can be just as engaging as the main mystery.

Overall I enjoyed this fourth (and potentially final?) season of Blood & Water and whilst the main mystery felt a little bit random I still liked seeing the characters again and getting to say a final goodbye to Parkhurst as a whole. Blood & Water as a show had been massively entertaining and I really loved the private school setting and the initial baby-napping setup, it felt fresh and different from your other teen dramas. Puleng, Fiks, Chris and more have all been so great over the years and this is definitely one of my higher ranking teen dramas, it never got too crazy and I think it also ended right when it needed to.

Blood & Water- Season 3, A Review

There is no escape from the truth.

Blood & Water Season 1 Review. Blood & Water Season 2 Review.

The third season of Blood & Water follows Puleng (Ama Qamata) and Phiks (Khosi Ngema), now attempting to live as sisters and come to terms with what really happened to baby Phume all those years ago. With Phik’s Mother still missing, the police continue with their investigation and begin probing into each girls life, convinced they are still hiding one last secret. It is KB (Thabang Molaba) however who has something to hide, as his Mother Lisbeth (Sonia Mbele) is revealed to be the one behind the baby-ring, putting him in a difficult situation with his friends.

Despite being warned to stay away, Puleng continues her investigating, putting herself in more danger than ever before as she attempts to save a new group of girls from being kidnapped. With so much at stake this time Puleng will need all the help she can get to risk her life and get to the truth, promising and all explosive season with lots of twists, turns and major reveals. Despite finally being reunited the danger is far from over for Puleng and Phiks and despite what they might have thought, this is just the beginning.

Whenever I return to Blood & Water for a new season I always seem to forgot how good the show actually is and it seems a shame that it gets so little recognition or praise. So many other teen dramas start off strong but end up veering in strange and often weird directions (eg Riverdale, PLL) but across its three seasons Blood & Water has remained strong, really demonstrating a how to masterclass in writing the teen mystery. Since its pilot, Blood & Water has remained on point, focussing on the missing sister mystery and building up the suspense whilst still also including the everyday high school drama that makes the teen drama genre so iconic. The show perfectly blends together Puleng’s quest for justice with her entering this new world of the rich and elite and I really like how we continue to get both sides of the story, equally balancing the mystery with the relationship drama. Unlike other shows Blood & Water has also remained completely based in reality and completely on track, following this very serious, real life crime and never becoming silly or overdramatised, it’s really commendable how this show has built up its story up these past three years.

Now that Phikele’s identity was out in the open I liked seeing her finally sit down with her birth family and begin to come to terms with who she really was. This is something we’ve been waiting for since the very first episode and even amongst all the drama of season 3 we still got some really nice family moments and scenes with the Khumalo family. Finding out you were kidnapped as a baby isn’t exactly your very day situation and I loved how we got to really dive into Phik’s feelings on such a massive situation as she wanted to get to know her ‘new family’ whilst also grieving the loss of her ‘original family’ so to speak. I also liked seeing Phiks track down her birth Father and despite his limited appearances I would like to see more from this relationship moving forward, it’s definitely going to be interesting to see Phiks exploring this aspect of her life.

Season 3 definitely stepped it up in terms of story writing and the stakes just felt so much higher here compared to the previous two seasons. Because the kidnapping ring had now been outed to the police and the media the story had moved past its previous high school setting, now entering the very real world where people could and did get hurt. Now that it was common knowledge Phikele was in fact the missing Phume the police were actively working on this case and it wasn’t just Puleng and Wade amatuer sluething. This time around some very dangerous people had come to play and everything just felt a lot more scary, it made for a real high tension watch.

As well as the raised stakes via the kidnapping ring we also got plenty of old fashion teen drama messiness through characters like Chris (Arno Greef, Recipes for Love and Murder) and Reece (Greteli Fincham) and I continue to love their storylines just as much as I do the main mystery. Reese’s continued drug dealing to support her mentally ill Mother was further complicated by Tahira’s (Mekaila Mathys) investigation into the missing money and I liked how the two eventually came together to try and unmask ‘side chick chronicles’, a storyline I really hope continues next season. Chris also had his usual romance problems, this time stuck in a love triangle with Wendy (Natasha Thahane) and new flame Lunga (Mpho Sibeko)– who I really loved as a character! Storylines like this may not measure up to the full on kidnapping ring but I feel like the guilty pleasureless of it all balances out Blood & Water so we get equal parts mystery and teen drama, resulting in an all around enjoyable watch.

Overall I really loved this third season of Blood & Water and always forget how much I love this show. This time around the stakes felt a lot higher, putting Puleng and her friends in some very real danger with long-lasting consequences for all. Blood & Water really is the leading example of how to do a teen drama well and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Blood & Water- Season 2, A Review

The truth will surface.

Blood & Water Season 1 Review.

The second season of Blood & Water picks up a few weeks after the first ended, with Puleng (Amamkele Qamata) having revealed to Fiks (Khosi Ngema) that she suspects they are sisters. Fiks is yet to reapond to the bombshell and is still trying to process everything before she makes a move. Puleng is eager to submit a DNA test and confirm everything legally but Fiks is less than eager, not wanting her entire family world to blow up. In response, Fiks takes out a restraining order against Puleng, wanting to forget any of it ever happened. Puleng however is more determined than ever and continues hunting for proof.

Meanwhile new student at Parkhurst High Sam (Leroy Siyafa) creates drama when he becomes interested in Fiks, who is more than happy to take her mind off everything that is happening. KB (Thabang Molaba) feels like Pukeng is hiding something from him whilst also trying to build up his music career. Reece (Greteli Fincham) begins a lucrative drug business to help save her addicted Mother which becomes complicated when others begin to get involved. Chris (Arno Greef) and Wendy (Natasha Thahane) are forced to team up on a school project, creating friction and Wade (Dillon Windvogel) becomes conflicted over helping Puleng or spending time with new girlfriend Tahira (Mekaila Mathys).

I love how drama filled this show is and watching season 2 made me realise how much I’d missed the storylines. The baby kidnapping ring and mystery of Fiks’ identity makes for such a gripping watch and it’s the kimd of mystery that gets better and better with every episode. Puleng really is giving it her all, interviewing suspects, tracking down evidence and sending off DNA tests all within school hours, she makes a brilliant investigator. I just love the writing in this series, it easily matches up with other teen drama greats such as Elite and Pretty Little Liars.

It was so satisying to finally get the truth behind the Phume mystery, even though we’re only on the second season it feels like we’ve waiting forever. To finally get an official confirmation felt so good, it was a well earned reveal for both Puleng and the audience. With the reveal obviously came a lot more questions (which I hope we get answers to) but it was nice to learn the truth that Puleng has heen searching for, it just felt so satisfying.

Sam and Janet (Zikhona Sodlaka) were both great additions to the cast and I liked how they played into the main mystery. As the school counsellor Janet had the ability to really connect to Puleng and Fils, making it easier for her to manipulate them when needed. It was made clear that she knew more than she was letting on and I really enjoyed watching her interactions with the students, knowing that she was up to something but not knowing exactly what.

I liked how we went a lot deeper into character’s home lives this season, in particular Chris and Reece. Reece was pretty much a mystery in the first season and we knew next to nothing about her so I liked learning more about her family and how she isn’t as rich as she seems, it made me like her character a lot more. Chris was also made to be a lot more sympathetic with the reveal that his parents are never around, it certianly explains a lot, and I liked how we got to learn more about these characters.

In the midst of all of the drama surrounding Puleng and Fiks, I really enjoyed the school dance storyline and how we got some comedy among the mystery. Seeing Wendy and Chris forced to work together was hilarious and we also got the tie in to Reece’s drug dealing problems. A lot of Blood & Water’s selling point rests on the missing sister storyline but these characters are still high school kids so it’s nice that they still get to be high school kids. It was refreshing to just see the cast have fun planning the dance, seeing Chris and Wendy clash and getting to see the pay off at the end.

Overall I really enjoyed the second season of Blood & Water. I really had forgotten how much I love this show, it’s so packed with drama and intriuge, a real teen drama great. I loved finally getting some answers to the central mystery (as well as many more questions) and I enjoyed the ongoing storylines. Character development was also great this season and we got some interesting new additions to the cast. A massivsly enjoyable season, I really hope the show gets renewed.

Blood & Water, A Review

Everyone holds a secret.

Netflix’s Blood & Water follows Puleng (Amamkele Qamata), a young girl whose entire life has been haunted by the kidnapping of her older sister Phumelele 17 years prior. When Phumelele was only a baby she was taken and ever since Puleng’s parents- Thandeka (Gail Mabalane) and Julius (Getmore Sithole)– have obseesed over finding her. On an off chance, Puleng attends a party with best friend Zama (Cindy Mahlangu) where she meets Fikile (Khosi Ngema), a champion swimmer who bares a striking resemblance to her. What’s more Fikile shares a birthday with Phumelele and closely resembles an aged up sketch of the kidnapped child.

Wanting to finally move out from under her kidnapped sister’s shadow, Puleng transfers to Parkhurst College- where Fikile attends. In an attempt to finally get to the bottom of things, Puleng begins investigating Fikile, hoping to nab some of her DNA to prove she is the missing Phumelele. With the help of new friend Wade (Dillon Windvogel), the two begin their investigation into the past kidnapping. However, proving her theory turns out to be harder than anticipated, especially in the brand new, prestigious environment. Will Puleng be able to stay on track and find her sister or will she be dragged into the drama of high school and remain forever in the dark?

I absolutely loved the premise of Blood & Water, missing persons series are always exciting (eg Little Sister, The Temptation), but this one was 17 years in the making. Netflix actually released two trailers for Blood & Water, a longer and a shorter, and having only watched the short trailer I had no idea about the missing sister. Going in though I was hooked from episode 1 and I loved the idea of Puleng transferring schools to find her sister. Blood & Water may not have any murders or stalkers, but it was still just as exciting and gripping as any other teen mystery series.

Puleng’s investigation into Fikile and whether they really were sisters was the great selling point of the series, and I really enjoyed watching. Puleng made for a great investigator and watching her, and later Wade, look into the kidnapping case was so fun to watch. With her true crime inspired murder board, excellent social media stalking skills and high intellegence, Puleng was a brilliant detective in the making. I loved watching her and Wade figure out the case, making the ending and final reveals all the more satisfying.

As well as the investigation storyline, I really enjoyed the good old fashioned high school drama that was plentiful throughout Blood & Water. The scheming and the cheating and the relationships and the fights were all just so enjoyable to watch, everything was so dramatic and I loved it. Puleng’s main goal may have been to find her sister but she certianly wasn’t opposed to some high school dramatics along the way.

I loved the elite school setting of Blood & Water and the rich vs poor character clash that came with Puleng’s arrival. The series gave me strong Élite or They Wish They Were Us vibes, which was automatically a good sign. Puleng’s arrival certianly brought its fair share of drama, and not just because of the missing sister storyline. With love triangles and some pretty petty scheming, Blood & Water was a strong teen drama with all the beloved tropes plus a few extra suprises.

Blood & Water definitely had its fair share of interesting characters, all varying in likability and intriuge. I think with the elite school setting and teen drama tropes it came naturally that some of these characters were going to make some questionable choices. Even Puleng, who I did love made some harmimg decisions in her investigation, resulting in some pretty explosive fallout. I really enjoyed the diverse cast of Blood & Water, and am really excited as to what happens next. I think I’m particulary hoping to see in season 2 the changed relationship between Puleng and Fikile as well as more of Wade- who I love- and hopefully more of Reece (Greteli Fincham)– who still seems like an under-developed character.

Overall, I really loved Blood & Water. The initial premise was intriuging right from the first episode and I love following Puleng’s investigation throughout. The elite school setting and rich vs poor character clash was fun as always and the series as a whole made for an exciting teen drama. I loved this series and I can’t wait for part 2.