[riacain]

[no-ordinary-girl]

20 years of h2o, omg! my favorite summer show since i was a kid 𑣲⋆

[subpar-celestial]

Surprisingly this is a hot/controversial take, my FAVORITE Lewis haircut is in the first season

And whether it's canonical or not that's the only haircut I'll be drawing him with, it's cute, flowy and fun to draw!

[h2ojustaddmako]

H2O just add water debuted 20 years ago today, on July 7, 2006.

[cleo-serotonin]

zane was lowkey trying to kill cleo at the beginning of season one. first he let her drift out to sea in the zodiac, almost ran her over with his dirtbike, then threw her in a pool. mind you at this point SHE COULDN’T SWIM.

[danascullyosis]

only Rikki, Emma, and Cleo.

Hi I made a quiz based off of my favorite childhood tv show (h2o) that I put wayyyy too much effort into. Please lmk what you think if you take it!

[dericelem]

HAPPY H2O DAY GUYS!!!!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S 20 YEARS OLD NOW!!!!!!

i also want to say that h2o unironically changed my life. these three teenage girls shaped my childhood and continue to do so in my adulthood. they showed me the struggles of growing up, relationships with your peers and parents, but most importantly... they showed the absolute beauty of friendships and girlhood. they showed that changes, even if scary, always have something good in them and they are okay. the girls always had struggles with each other due to it, they were often backed into the corner by others, and yet that never stopped them. they learned, they grew and continued going forward together. even though cleo, emma and rikki are so different, they always got each other backs and thrive in their friendship. i will always cherish this show for representing a very important part of a girl's (or anyone's, really) life: teenage years. and i will appreciate h2o even more for the fact that even 20 years later i can rewatch this show for so many times and never get bored, and always find something new i didnt notice before. THE comfort show of all time.

h2o just add water, thank you for existing. you changed my life in the best way possible. also thank you for forever setting my standarts too high because of lewis and making my biggest dream to become a mermaid

[outatmako]

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.

[outatmako]

I love that Lewis a nerd, but he's a confident nerd. I think a lot of nerdy, geeky characters (especially male characters who aren't typically masculine) end up also being portrayed as shy or insecure, or they let themselves get pushed around. But Lewis isn't like that, from the jump. Season 1, Episode 1 he doesn't hesitate to roast Zane ("you think you're better than me?" "almost everyone is better than you. live with it.") and in Episode 2 he gives Rikki's snark right back to her ("Have you considered she just doesn't like you?" "That did cross my mind, but then I thought, oh no, she hangs around with you. Her standards must be pretty low."). But it's not just that. He never lets anyone make fun of him for his interests in science or in fishing. He is unbothered by Miriam questioning him bringing his fishing gear to her party, he actually owns it! And this carries all the way through season 3, like when Will says he's weird and he says "I know, I am seeing someone, but there's no cure"--he knows he's weird. He knows he's not stereotypically masculine. He knows he isn't for everyone. He knows who he is, what he is passionate about, and he won't apologize for it, and I love that about him.

[dreamysummer03]

Some of the decor in Cleo's room for your recreaction needs:

Links under cut! Some of the more genric ones like string lights can also be found on amazon/ebay/party supply and hardware stores etc. Framed wall art is very easy to make with a printer and cheap frames.

Frangipani Wall Decorations:

https://mosaicinspiration.com/product/ceramic-frangipani-55mm/?srsltid=AfmBOooX3tlpF2oaLl2TwHqv_FsiAr9OFe3-qWEp7ALMkTsHuH1G4rEE

Lantern string lights: **website has multipule colour and pattern options

https://www.paperlanternstore.com/collections/mini-paper-lantern-string-lights/products/10-sky-blue-round-nylon-lantern-party-string-lights-4-lanterns?variant=39328488161339

Bead door curtains: **website has multiple colour options

https://www.shopwildthings.com/acrylic-beaded-rainbow-cascade-curtain

Green/blue striped bedding:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Comforter-Turquoise-Lightweight-Alternative-Pillowcases/dp/B09VXVNBBM?th=1

Surfboard photo frame:

https://ccpharmacy.com.au/index.php?option=com_hikashop&ctrl=product&task=show&cid=105959&name=surfboard-hanging-frame&Itemid=103&srsltid=AfmBOoougt4Or4RTrcD6nhKIiE6xS2L4DIqjODYUQc3l07No4q0LQD2C5pM

[outatmako]

I am a big believer in Lewis having some prophetic abilities. I wanted this episode to be a set up for that as a full arc, but alas it was not. Which I understand as it would've pulled focus from the girls. But in my heart this is not the last time this happens.

[outatmako]

I hate when shows just use production stills for this kind of thing. the pic from Cleo's birthday is the ONLY ONE that makes sense. especially baffling that one of them is from hocus pocus??

[dericelem]

i still dont understand how neither of the parents didnt find out about any of the girls. i feel like, personally, my family would find out in a week Max.

[cleo-serotonin]

i love that the h2o fandom has reclaimed charlotte watsford but at the same time i really wish she didn’t exist at all

[emmachillbert]

I don’t actually feel like Bella shouldn’t have been in season 3 but I just wish Emma was also there. You know?

[dericelem]

i agree so bad. like i see where they were going with bella and i personally think that it was an interesting way to expand the lore and worldbuilding in the show. but the way it was handled.... making bella basically replace emma in Everything. THIS is where they fucked up, bc bro, emma was a core part of the show and you cant just replace her with another random mermaid???? the show just set themselves up with this.... plus making bella so will-centered only worsened the situation To Be Honest. like not only you remove emma who has a pretty strong personality from the equation, you also try to fill the hole with a girl who has almost zero personality...

[cleo-serotonin]

h2o at its core really is about mythical creatures. boys who yearn

[outatmako]

Cleo's little jealousy fueled fantasy of Lewis asking Tiffany for a toe nail clipping is so funny. Like the implication that some part of her brain thinks him asking for specimens is romantic??? Girl what???