Parents' Guide to Finding Her Edge

Whether set in a rink, on a court, or in the pool, sports romances offer the thrill of competition meshed with the appeal of ardor, but this entry comes in a bit lukewarm. The premise of Finding Her Edge is promising: The scion of a skating dynasty feels obligated to skate with an athlete she despises to keep her family business afloat. That's enough drama to hang a whole season on, but the emotional beats seem curiously muted. It's not that Finding Her Edge's leads are untalented; Madelyn Keys makes a fine, wistful heroine, and Cale Ambrozic and Olly Atkins are appealing individually as two points in Adriana's love triangle. But the chemistry between Keys and her co-stars is lacking, which sucks the heat out of the will-they-or-won't-they plotting.

In many skating shows, the performances themselves lend a bit of heart-stopping drama, but Finding Her Edge spends a lot more time with skaters as they prepare for their act, or spend time at the Russo rink, so that lessens the wow! moments. It's also very obvious that body doubles are doing the work on the ice. All that said, Finding Her Edge goes down easy enough: It's a family drama set at a failing business, with talented artists who must find the strength within themselves to succeed, and good-looking characters who strike sparks, then push each other away, and then fall into each other's arms once more. It's mild and easygoing enough for tween and teen viewers, with content pitched at their maturity level and storytelling that doesn't demand a lot from viewers, which can be its own kind of pleasure.