It seems like every summer, we get another YA drama hoping to appeal to “the youth,” with modern-day references, quirky dialogue, and attractive characters enmeshed in romantic tropes. But oftentimes, it feels like these shows miss the mark when it comes to properly capturing Gen Z characters. Whether it’s a misuse of slang, strange social media behavior (cough Ginny & Georgia) or dialogue that has definitely never been uttered by a member of Gen Z, the show’s characters begin to feel more like caricatures than real people, an adult’s misguided idea of what our generation is like.
This is where Sterling Point comes in. This is the YA drama I’ve been waiting for: relatable characters, realistic dialogue, and references that actually reflect current pop culture. The show’s ability to truly capture young adults can be attributed to its creator, Megan Park.
Prior to creating Sterling Point, Park wrote and directed coming-of-age movies. She made her directorial debut with The Fallout, a 2021 film centered around the survivors of a school shooting, and followed it up with My Old Ass in 2024, which follows an incoming college freshman who meets her older self while tripping on mushrooms. These movies explore similar themes of romance, entering adulthood, navigating friendships and parental relationships, and dealing with major life transitions. Similar to Sterling Point, they seem to truly understand what it means to be a young adult in the present day, which could partly be attributed to Park’s own acting background.
Before Park began writing and directing her own projects, she was an actress in young adult dramas herself. Her most notable role was in The Secret Life of the American Teenager, where she played Grace Bowman, a teenager who grapples with religion and purity. Her experiences as an actress inspired Park to create young adult media that more accurately captures this exciting and often tumultuous stage of life.
This was one of Park’s biggest missions when she created Sterling Point. The eight-episode series focuses on Annie and her twin brother, Connor, two adopted New York City teenagers whose adoptive mother died when they were young. The story begins when they inherit two-thirds of the island of Sterling Point from their distant grandfather, prompting Annie to visit their newfound property.
Here, we meet a cast of lovable Gen Z characters: Romana, who turns out to have inherited the other piece of the island and is also the twins’ long-lost sister; Ellis and Rory, who act as Annie’s love interests; and Oona, Romana’s best friend turned romantic partner.
Throughout the show, Annie and Romana navigate their new sister dynamic, a heartwarming plotline that captures the meaning of sisterhood. The teens uncover family secrets, deal with the death of their mother, and maneuver through budding romances. I found myself extremely invested in each character and their newfound relationships. The best part was that these characters truly felt like young adults I would meet in real life: experiencing feelings I could relate to, using slang and a conversational tone that actually felt natural, and making choices that reflect their age, however misguided those choices might be.
The series is not without its imperfections. I’m still wondering why Annie never wears a bra. But its understanding of young adults, mixed with riveting mysteries and characters that are sure to capture your heart, makes Sterling Point a must-watch.
It’s safe to say we finally have a YA drama that understands Gen Z instead of just trying to sound like us.