Finding Her Edge is a drama clearly made through what I’d call a “delusion lens” toward ice dancers.
Two people moving in perfect trust on the ice almost automatically invite emotional projection, even for viewers who know little about the sport.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
Even people unfamiliar with ice dance tend to remember those names.
The tension and romance they created on the Olympic stage remain unforgettable—memories that once made me replay their videos endlessly on YouTube.
Because of that, the premise of another Netflix skating youth drama felt genuinely appealing from the start.
My expectations for youth dramas are usually low, but anything about “young people chasing a dream” still makes me press play.
Finding Her Edge and the Fall of the Russo Skating Dynasty
At the center of the story is the prestigious Russo family.
World-class pair skating champion parents,
the eldest daughter Elise as a solo skater,
the youngest Maria dreaming of pair skating,
and Adriana, the second daughter who shoulders everything.
After the mother’s death, the family collapses.
A rink on the verge of closing,
facilities they can barely maintain,
and Adriana effectively becoming the family’s provider.
What the early episodes handle well is this moment when
“prestige” stops being protection.
Before training, they worry about sponsorship.
Before personal dreams, they worry about survival.
Adriana’s return to skating feels less like ambition
and more like a practical decision to save the family.
A New Partner, Fake Dating, and Manufactured Chemistry
To make a comeback, Adriana teams up with a new partner, Braden Elliott.
One of the drama’s strengths is that it takes the team-building process seriously.
Missed lift timing, unstable rotations, repeated failures to match rhythm—
the show emphasizes how chemistry comes before technique.
Then comes the added condition: fake dating.
For sponsorship, they pretend to be a real couple.
Their relationship gets hashtags.
And gradually, performance and emotion begin to blur.
Stabilizing movements,
uncertainty about whether the closeness is acting or real.
Up to this point, it’s a familiar but serviceable youth-drama formula.
The Return of the Past and a Predictable Love Triangle
Then Freddy—the former partner and first love—returns.
One of the better choices here is showing unresolved emotions through movement, not dialogue.
Hesitation before a jump,
slight instability in rotation speed,
a sudden drop in training precision.
The idea that emotional confusion directly damages athletic performance works convincingly.
The problem is that this triangle develops less through emotional depth
and more through a pre-written choice formula.
Finding Her Edge and the Overly Predictable World Championship Arc
Qualifiers.
A dominant favorite.
A doping scandal.
An unexpected slot.
The drama follows the sports-drama template almost without deviation.
The favorite collapses.
The ex-partner’s team takes silver.
The protagonists take bronze.
Another chance appears.
Because nothing surprises you, tension never fully forms.
Still, the mid-section remains watchable.
The delusion lens is still working.
Finding Her Edge Ending and the Disappointing Final Choice
The real problem begins at the end.
Adriana chooses Freddy, not Braden.
This alone is understandable—first love, lingering emotions, familiar chemistry.
But what follows is handled far too crudely.
Braden abandons the team during the qualifiers.
He leaves again over the romance.
After they win Worlds, he disappears, even skipping the gala.
He remains a character who never takes responsibility.
And yet, in the final moment, he forms a new team with Freddy’s former partner, setting up a Season 2 hook.
This ending feels less like meaningful choice
and more like emotional exhaustion without structural closure.
Acting, Direction, and the Signs of a Low Budget
Another weakness lies in acting and production.
The young cast often lacks convincing emotional weight.
On-ice scenes rely heavily on backlighting and blurred faces instead of proper doubles.
Costumes, color grading, and camera work repeatedly reveal budget limitations.
On the ice, the characters transform.
Off the ice, the awkwardness returns.
Why You Still Finish Finding Her Edge
Honestly, this is not a well-made drama.
The story is predictable.
The character choices are frustrating.
The ending is clearly disappointing.
And yet, there is one reason you keep watching:
The delusion lens.
Two people trusting each other on the ice.
For those moments alone, the thrill still exists.
Even the anger you feel when your preferred couple doesn’t happen
becomes part of the experience.
In that sense, the drama does fulfill its role as a youth series.
Finding Her Edge Final Verdict
• The fallen skating dynasty setup is intriguing
• Training and sport depiction are handled sincerely
• But weak acting, low-budget direction, predictable plotting, and a disappointing ending hold it back
• The final partner choice and unresolved character arcs are the biggest flaws
With the delusion lens on, it’s mildly enjoyable.
Without it, the disappointments stand out far more.
A youth sports drama that leaves more regret than resonance.
🔗 Official Streaming & Verified Resources
Official Streaming & Production
Netflix — Finding Her Edge (Official Page)
https://www.netflix.com
International Skating Union (ISU) — Ice Dance Official Site
https://www.isu.org
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