Parents' Guide to Sterling Point

This sophisticated and sensitive teen drama is several steps above a typical soapy mystery, spinning an emotional tale that captivates, with interesting, unusual characters. As we meet Sterling Point's Annie, she's just missed out on a summer internship for an Ivy League business school; Connor is whiling away a summer courting a comely exchange student and planning a trip with her to Ibiza. Working-class kids these are not—Annie lets her Dad know she won't be home for a while by sticking a Post-It note informing him she's off to Thailand with her longtime boyfriend. She's not, in fact, off to Thailand; she's poking around her grandpa's private island, which she's just inherited with her brother. And if you're wondering how 17-year-olds have the wherewithal and gumption to purchase their own flights to sneak off to locations international that can only be reached by seaplane, you've begun to understand the curious magic that is Sterling Point.

Don't bother asking how a group of under-18 characters can rent boats, buy wine, or throw huge parties; in fact, don't question anything at all: Sterling Point is going to give you all the information you need to entice you into its world, just doled out bit by tantalizing bit. Naturally, there's more to Sterling Point, to Annie and Connor's legacy, and to the bonds that connect these characters, but in this beautiful Canadian lakeside setting, it's best to lie back, relax, and enjoy. There are secrets, there are revelations, there are romantic triangles and past mistakes that reverberate into the present; everyone is beautiful, and has something to hide. This all could be blah and trope-ish, but Rubin is an affecting centerpoint, and the interactions between characters feel natural and grounded, just the thing to make twisty drama feel real and immediate. Viewers who saw creator Megan Park's wonderful 2024 drama My Old Ass won't be surprised by how fresh and real Sterling Point feels, and this series is guaranteed to make Park new fans.