I’ll start by saying that I seem to remember having been disappointed as a kid that there wasn’t any overt romance between Neri and Jason on Neri’s return to ORCA. I can get that decision as an adult, and of course, we did get a little kiss and the end when Neri stayed and that made my young shipper heart happy. Of course, we show Hellegren is still around very quickly, and now he knows about Neri, so we jump in quickly. There’s a kind of “rediscovery” (or confirmation) that Neri is an alien. I get that – firstly for new audience members, but also because it’s really hard to believe such a thing.
I was glad to see Vanessa, Froggy, and Zoe return. It was neat to see them involved from the beginning – finding the spaceship, retrieving Mera, etc. Shoutout to Froggy soldering, too. We don’t really get to see them build a rapport with Neri (much less Mera, who came in later), though. I mean, I get it – there are only 13 episodes, and they aren’t main characters. They helped her with Charlie, and she counts them as friends now and they count her as the same. But I’m not sure we ever saw them talk to each other (we did see Neri and Vanessa at the dance - that definitely counts, but I can't recall anything with the younger ones). It was an important, exciting adventure, and they enjoyed being part of it. And we did get a little more development with Vanessa.
The new ORCA characters didn’t do a lot for me. Commander Burns fulfills her function as an impediment to Dianne’s real work capably. Her business-minded view is suitably frustrating, without being “bad.” Sam isn’t a bad character, but I’m not into him. He isn’t a bad guy, but his sort of flippancy isn’t really my thing (and as an adult, I keep wondering if he’d get approved for a loan (and what his rate would be) so soon after defaulting on the last loan, and really what plans does he have that will make it different this time, but that’s so far off what the target audience would be thinking as to be irrelevant). I’m not much a fan of the bickering-to-romance startout that he and Dianne have, but it’s certainly a widely used trope that many like, and I’ve enjoyed several couples that started that way. Of course, they aren’t a couple – they have an attraction, and might have dated a bit before he left after buying his boat if plot-events hadn’t gotten in the way.
I remember not liking Mick as well as I had Vanessa in the first season (I mean, back on my first watch in the 90s), despite their similar roles, but can’t say why. I still don’t now. He’s too derivative – he has Vanessa’s meanness (but more, and more obnoxiously), and fills her previous role as the kid trying to find out something about Neri. He also has Lee’s dynamic and problems with his career-minded Commander parent (his confrontation with his mother doesn’t work as well as Lee’s with her father, IMO). His reading disorder does bring a new element of interest, but it’s not really used to explore elements of his character until later in the season. Kimberly, Joanne, and Rocky were pretty forgettable. Lee and Vanessa had the bigger roles in season one (and Froggy and Zoe, but they are still there, filling those roles, so newbies don’t do that), and Mick got both of those roles. They are there mostly so Mick has more people to harass and to show elements of his characters, it seems. Kimberly has her niche in being very fit and making snide comments about boys thinking they’re better. Rocky is obviously good at fixing boats, but his one-note interest, social un-intelligence, and seeming confusion that movies aren’t like reality when it comes to aliens makes him seem really, really dim, and not in an entertaining way. Joanne is the most “not much there” character. They also seemed to find out about Neri at the end because the formula required they find out. Mick has moments with Neri afterwards and did something in the escape at the end, but these three didn’t have any character-moments like that. Froggy’s bit could easily have succeeded without Rocky, and they didn’t really need three to stop Liselle. Well, with short seasons, we really don’t have time to see them explored. Especially since now we go a season long arc, with a villain and sister to find.
Mera is one the big newbies (Hellegren as the other). I don’t mind the long-lost sister a bit. It’s contrived, but it’s fun, and completely acceptable for programming targeted at younger viewers to me. So the kids have goal from early in the season. Seemingly, they Ocean People were intending to land on this island (pendants shaped that way), and crash just changed the method of landing, not the place. As an aside, I absolutely adore the expression Dianne gives the camera when Brett casually mentions they are looking at a device they found on the spaceship (that they have not mentioned to Dianne at all up to this point). Father didn’t look sick when he made in he message, but says that the end of his time is near and yet he still has energy to make all the messages all over the island (unless that was done earlier, as a “just in case”?). We know he told to avoid people before he died (from season 1), but this suggests that was always a temporary sort of instructions to be moved on from once she got older. Though frankly, I think he put too much up to chance in that she’d be there and notice when the plants opened (but didn’t think of that at all as a kid, so can’t really complain). He does mention the fate of a whole universe, which will come into play in season 3.
Neri is, of course, extremely excited about the prospect of being reunited with a sister. And we get to see some of demanding nature when something is important to her (which will be explored more next season). Her fear about Mera leaving because of being unhappy worked well. And, as an adult, I deeply identify with Dianne when she’s expected to talk to Mera and fix this and must feel absolutely unequipped to be able do that.
Mera herself worked well, I think. That she didn’t have a comfortable family life makes perfect sense, given her nature. Willful suspension of disbelief allows for no bloodtests to reveal her nature and her not becoming extremely ill due to lack of water in infancy (again, things I didn’t think about as a kid, so entirely acceptable for the target audience). Her emotional reactions felt real – the uncertainty when the ORCA kids came, the willingness to run away with them for a chance at meeting her real family, her discomfort with island, followed up by her desire to be the same as Neri in talking to Charlie and finally her want to go to place that she would really belong. All of it worked well. I did chuckle when Jason said Mera was about Zoe’s side (the height difference alone just makes it funny, especially with the knee-length shorts they wear).
We skip all the time period, and then it’s been ages by time Mera returns, so we’re left to fanfic to address the girls feelings in that Neri choosing staying the with Bates and fulfilling her father’s mission over being with Mera and taking up her mother’s role. And Mera chooses a place where she can belong over Neri. And it’s perfectly fine that each choose what is best for their own lives, and of course they both love each other. But the feelings they could be having could be so interesting.
The most disappointing thing for me when I watched back in the 90s was that she left. I wasn’t used to that on my shows. New characters might show up for a few episodes (one story) in my American shows, but those were overtly guest characters. This was a whole season, and I’d expect her stay (though, of course, some left due to being unpopular or actors going on to other things, but those weren’t usually planned exits with goodbyes). At the time, it felt like things were going to change, but we ended the season on the status quo, and I was getting old enough to like change in shows (though I still did and do like plenty of non-arc-based episodic shows, too).
Notes: the people at the end were dressed just like Neri’s father, leaving me to wonder if this is ceremonial garb, a uniform, or fashion just hasn’t changed in 10 years (season 4 will show us more Ocean Planet clothes, of course, but I didn’t know that at first). They were also pristine – not worn out at all. That, and making Mera’s new dress (and later Kal’s clothing, not to mention all Neri’s outfits as she grew up) make me wonder how much fabric they had. And why she chose a less symmetrical look. Dad also said it was a long and arduous journey, and I wonder how long (and what made it arduous). Mera was born before, so it wasn’t super-long, since she was still a baby. Season 3 and 4 gives us some indications – I’m not sure how well they all fit together, but I’ll wait until we get to them to comment.
Hellegren is a good villain. Neri shows up to help him and the first thing he does is tie her up – nice character illustration. He gets to find out the ORCA kids are his enemies yet again. I enjoyed the entire arc. Jane as a method to find the Ocean Girl turns into Hellegren’s pursuit of both them. And, of course, at the end, he thinks they’ve left the planet and he’s lost them forever, while we the audience are happy that Neri has stayed.
Just revisiting shows from my childhood lately. I first saw Ocean Girl in the 1990s. Disney Channel only did the first three seasons, so I didn’t see season 4 until around 2010 (another time I decided to watch shows I used to watch). Being adult when I first saw it undoubtedly made me see it differently. I still think it’s a very good series. So, even though it’s a pretty dead fandom, I’m just sharing some thoughts.
The first season obviously doesn’t have the same sort of arc as the others, since our villain was only introduced at the end. It was very much a season of discovery. Jason and Brett discovering Neri, Neri discovering people and relationships in general. And we, the audience, discovering Neri’s powers and bits about her background that even she didn’t know.
I really enjoyed the dynamic with Dianne. Jason was put out about moving and rude about it. Dianne wasn’t the perfect mom, either. We know from what she said that she hasn’t always prioritized her children, and when major things are happening and her kids get in trouble, she’s more annoyed at being called away from her work to deal with than interested in talking with them about why it happened. Of course, they wouldn’t share anyway. Which would be absolutely fine with me in any event – kids keeping adults out of the loop in kids’ adventure shows is just how things work. And besides that, Neri didn’t want anyone else to know at first. And the more they learned how different she was, the more concerned they got. Rightfully so, too. I mean, Dianne did get obsessed and not treat Neri as she should at first (and was rather ruthless in the idea that she was simply entitled to access to her). I loved the earlier scene where Dianne is so upset that the kids don’t support her and don’t want her to succeed in finding out about the creature the whale is communicating with. Because she’s right that they don’t, but couldn’t possibly understand why.
And the boys weren’t perfect, either. Besides Jason’s aforementioned attitude, they were not keen on Neri expanding her horizons, going to ORCA, etc. That was inconvenient for them. And they liked her being special and the island being magic, but weren’t necessarily thinking about what Neri wanted or what was best for her, etc.
Winston is likable, but doesn’t have a lot to do. He shines most at the end when he talks about Neri viewing Dianne as a mother, and is supportive of the deletion of data, and, indeed, withheld test results even from the Bates until certain matters were resolved.
Zoe and Froggy were well established when they asked if Brett was the kind of kid to get into trouble, and then invited him to their table when he was. They were fun. I remember liking Vanessa a bit, despite her meanness, even when I was a kid. Her intelligence probably helped that for me. I really liked Lee on the re-watched. Her dynamic with her father is another example of the strained parent/child relationships we will continue to see throughout the series. She’s intelligent, level-headed, and firm in her convictions. And, like all our kid heroes, will break the rules when needed for an important and noble cause. I liked how she convinced her father at the end, and I think she could be a great leader someday. I like to think Lucas’ next job was less demanding and he decided to take it deliberately to spend some time with his daughter and know her better before she was grown and the opportunity to do so that way didn’t exist anymore. Daggy and especially Jodie really weren’t memorable, but Daggy had some nice moments.
Is it terrible of me that I find Damien and Lee moping while dancing together very funny? Of course, it sucks when the person you are into (and who seems to be into you) suddenly switches their attention elsewhere, but the imagery was just so...something. They both took it fine, of course, and joined in the rescue at the end. Neri left and they were gone by time she returned, so we never saw any long-term reactions. At this point they aren’t as secretive about Neri. Neri herself, is willing to tell anyone anything to save Charlie. And the kids don’t know what she is yet, so don’t have that risk. And they younger and have not yet faced the dangers they would later, and are not as fearful as they will be then.
