The Body
As we approach the third act of this cheerleading drama, Dare Me ramps up the tension between our trio of ladies as the personal and professional careers of our girls come to blows. The result is a messy explosion of emotion, ending with a shock reveal and some slick choreography for the final dance. Episode 7 of Dare Me begins with Regionals on the horizon and our three leading ladies preparing to leave on the bus. Colette is dropped off by Matt while Beth and Addy rekindle their friendship. At the hotel, Riri’s Mum appears to have calmed down and Colette tells her she’s confident they’ll win, despite feeling the pressure with Sarge constantly messaging her. That evening, the glitzy glam of the different cheerleaders are presented before the screaming crowds while Addy learns scouts won’t be at the Regionals, they’ll actually be at state level – if they make it that far. Beth’s Mum arrives to surprise her and after some initial hostility, convinces her daughter to go out for dinner. Addy encourages her to go too and once there she sees her Mum and Dad together, heaping lavish praise on her. Unfortunately all good things come to an end -and that comes in the form of Tacy ringing him drunk and breaking up the happy reunion. Unimpressed, Beth leaves soon after. Meanwhile, Addy meets Colette in the steam room and they talk about pressure and the competition. Eventually, this conversation steers back to Sarge but she brushes this off as a different sort of pressure. Returning to her room, Addy finds Beth freezing cold and passed out on the bed, upset after having seen her lock screen depicting a picture of Addy and Colette together. In the morning, the competition begins but Colette caves and messages Sarge, telling him she’ll go and see him later that day. Meanwhile, Tacy and Beth comes to blows over her Father, with the former landing the killing blow by mentioning Addy dethroning her as Queen and looking to Colette instead. Although she’s clearly rattled by this, Addy tells Beth she needs to focus on the game right now as the team head out to the stage. Beth and Addy talk before they arrive on stage though, with the former asking what Colette has that she doesn’t. Looking her square in the eye, Addy turns and says “She’s not you.” It’s a massive gut punch for Beth, who blinks past the tears and puts on a brave face for the crowd. The routine is a success and the team make the Top 5. It’s not enough for Beth though, who struggles to smile as the issues between her and Addy threaten to spill over into their cheerleading. That evening Addy receives a call from Colette and makes her way to the hotel. Once there, she finds Sarge dead on the table. Has Colette killed him or was this an accident? For now, we’ll have to wait and see but at least one thing’s now clear – that puddle of oozing blood in the first episode belongs to Sarge. Between the glitzy choreography of the cheerleading and the ensuing drama of the three ladies at the heart of this one, Dare Me continues to impress. Delivering one of its best episodes, the series finally answers a niggling question surrouning just who the dead body is, and in a way it’s hardly surprising. With Sarge threatening to spill the secret affair and his desperate persistence, the main question here surrounds just whether Colette was the one who killed him. Having not read the book, I can’t comment on how well this one has been adapted but thus far, the show has done well to keep the teen drama vibes running throughout, with a dark undercurrent of tension when it really matters. Although this series is unlikely to ignite the charts for best TV show of the year, there’s enough here to make for a solid, enjoyable drama nonetheless. Let’s just hope this one nails the ending!
