Review: “Teenage Bounty Hunters”

Fraternal twins Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair Wesley (Anjelica Bette Fellini) stand holding their Bibles, surrounded by Wanted posters. What stands out most about the Netflix Original Series “Teenage Bounty Hunters,” released on Aug. 14, is its complex, morally driven characters. Photo fair use of Netflix

The Netflix Original Series “Teenage Bounty Hunters”, released on Aug. 14, is clever, dramatic and thrilling, defying expectations audiences may have about the characters.

“Teenage Bounty Hunters,” released to Netflix on Aug. 14, subverts stereotypes about teenagers, the upper class and Christians, creating surprisingly complex characters.

Set in Buckhead, the wealthy enclave of Atlanta, “Teenage Bounty Hunters” is a witty drama that follows twins Blair (Anjelica Bette Fellini) and Sterling Wesley (Maddie Phillips) as they navigate their relationships with God, first loves, family and the cutthroat world of their elite Christian school. Simultaneously, they discover their knack for catching bad guys with bounty-hunting veteran Bowser Simmons (Kadeem Hardison).

Be prepared for romance, thrill and mystery, packed with telenovela-esque drama and riddled with comic relief. By exploring the connections between each unique character, the show creates an intricate web of backstories.

“By exploring the connections between each unique character, the show creates an intricate web of backstories.”

Serious societal issues including gun ownership, Confederate statues and sexuality are touched on from the point of view of complicated teenagers who may not know where they stand ideologically. The storyline is able to shift toward politics without diverting focus away from Blair and Sterling’s own journeys.

While this show contains some mature and crude content, it still maintains an innocent feel because none of the characters — not even the adults — are cynical. This is an honest and generous portrayal of characters that is not seen often.

Each character’s fascinating complexity comes from the fact that they are driven by morals and the idea of what is right, even if they may not know what the “right thing” is. This means that characters’ actions do not always align with their morals. For instance, while Christianity is a large part of Sterling and Blair’s identities, they do not see it as incompatible with their explorations of their sexualities.

That is what this show is all about — demonstrating that identity is fluid. At first, all of the show’s characters seem familiar: the blonde country club mom, the tight-knit teenage sisters, the overachiever rival and the lone wolf warrior. “Teenage Bounty Hunters” leans into these cliche expectations until it twists them around and shows the audience that people cannot be summarized.

““Teenage Bounty Hunters” leans into these cliche expectations until it twists them around and shows the audience that people cannot be summarized.”

Bounty hunting gives the show a quirky angle and adds another useful facet of the twins’ identities and a new perspective from which they can be understood. Searching for people who have done wrong by bail-jumping brings up the central value of being morally right.

The series will be especially enjoyable for Athenians because Georgia-specific easter eggs are scattered throughout the script. Athens hip-hop artist Linqua Franqa (also known as Athens-Clarke County commissioner Mariah Parker) is mentioned, along with the University of Georgia and other geographical and cultural elements that will be familiar to locals.

“Teenage Bounty Hunters” takes identity, religion and its characters seriously, all with a splash of over-the-top drama, comedy and a looming question of morals. Mature audience members who watched “The Politician,” “Sex Education” or “Jane The Virgin” will find this show to be a binge-worthy watch.

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