Thinking about what h2o teaches boys.
Nate is probably the show's biggest example of toxic masculinity. (Zane has his moments, too, but he's allowed growth in a way Nate isn't because Nate isn't as important.) Nate tells Cleo to wear something "short and tight", hits on pretty much every girl in the show, and is constantly violating boundaries and being disrespectful in general. All that on top of him just kind of sucking. He's a jerk and he never changes. And you know what? He never ends up getting a girlfriend. The girls are pretty consistently annoyed or disgusted by him. Narratively, he is the butt of the joke.
On the other hand...
Lewis is by all measures a very decent guy. He's kind, respectful, trustworthy, understands basic boundaries, and treats women like human beings, and not just objects of desire. I mean his three best friends are girls. And even when he pines over Cleo both in season 1 before they get together and again post breakup, it's clear how much he values her friendship. He's in love with her, obviously, but he's also just happy to have her as his best friend. He's not perfect but by god if he doesn't respect the women in his life. And you know what? He has at least three girls interested in him. Hell, the second season is largely about two girls fighting over him.
I know the show's main audience was young girls, and I think showing girls an example of how they should be treated is very important. Knowing what respect and healthy relationships looks like from a young age makes it easier to spot when you're being mistreated! But I also think for any young boys watching, it's a good lesson in how to treat the girls and women in their lives.
#let's not talk about what season 3 does to all this lol#but even in zane's earlier iterations. yes he is undeniably a little shit circa early s1#then rikki begins to fall for him when he shows a softer side AND only agrees to go out with him when he calls off the mermaid hunt#throughout s2 he proves time and again that she can trust him to keep the mermaid secret#ambergris episode notwithstanding. s1 + s2 of h2o mostly have decent takes around boundaries and consent
yes! yes! I also love how Zane in season 2 is totally happy to let Rikki set the pace of their relationship and accepts all her conditions. It's all on her terms. but I also appreciate the show is careful to show that he very very willing. I think something important season two does is show that coercion can happen in any direction in a relationship. Charlotte manipulates and coerces Lewis, as an obvious example. And while that arc isn't handled perfectly for many reasons, I think one thing it does well is show us what an unhealthy, toxic relationship looks like, from both sides, and not only that, how it can happen accidentally. Neither Lewis nor Charlotte have bad intentions towards the other, and I think that's important. Being toxic, even being full on abusive, is not usually a conscious choice but the result of many complicated factors. We're all capable of it.
I also really love the episode where Cleo and Lewis are babysitting Kim and Elliot at the marine park. It shows how easy it is for someone sweet and a little naive like Elliot to be taken advantage of. It uses the simple example of one person paying for everything for someone who clearly doesn't care about them, to highlight what an unequal relationship can look like. And I especially love when Cleo and Lewis tell Elliot a relationship should be an equal partnership.
To go back to the zikki of it all, I think it's important that though Zane agrees to all of Rikki's terms, including not being seen in public with her, which imo would be a reasonable deal breaker, he does it with a smile on his face. She's calling the shots, but it's not remotely coercive, which given everything else going on in season 2 feels intentional. There's nuance to everything and what could on paper seem uneven actually isn't in practice for various reasons.
Idk what happened in season 3, but between Zane not treating Rikki like an equal partner in the business even though they're supposed to be, and Will stomping all over Bella's boundaries, they really threw this messaging in the trash.
