Robin Hood Pirates
Continuing it’s case of the week formula, Reef Break returns this week with a story involving modern day pirates. With an abundance of songs peppered throughout and plenty of establishing shots involving the sea and surfers, Reef Break continues in the same vein as the first episode, with Cat’s spunky tenacity the only thing holding the show together. We begin with Cat continuing to sleep with Wyatt. While the two enjoy their morning together, pirates manage to outwit the Governor and hold him up at gun-point down at the docks. After stealing his laptop and a bag of diamonds, they take off, leaving him stranded in the middle of the ocean on a thin sliver of rock. Soon thereafter, Cat receives a phone call from the station and is briefed on the search and rescue mission at hand. Accompanied by Wyatt, they find the Governor and back at the station he tells them about what’s been stolen. Cat sweet talks Wyatt into releasing Petra’s mini-bike, which she takes to Otter in order to learn more about the pirates. She manages to score a map with a rough idea of where they might be holding out, given they’re currently living off the grid. Wyatt suspects foul-play and follows Cat to the docks where she hot-wires a boat and heads off at sea. Wyatt manages to jump aboard though and they head for the island together. As they make it to the middle of the ocean, Cat realizes they’re being followed and Wyatt admits to hiding a tracking device on his belt, prompting Cat to throw him overboard. She then makes it to the island with the pirates who immediately trust her and show her the laptop and stolen briefcase. She convinces the leader to let her see the file privately, which she agrees to, and strikes up a deal with them in the process. Just in time too as Styler storms the island and holds up a civilian at gun-point outside, demanding the briefcase. Cat then works with the pirate and loads the briefcase up with flares before tricking him to open the case which subsequently sets them off. Just in time too, as the police arrive and save the day. Proud of herself, Cat asks how she’s done and is debriefed on the mission. The episode then ends with Cat and Jake having dinner together where they reminisce over old times. Much like the first episode, Reef Break continues to defy logic with a narrative peppered with plot holes and questionable motivations. To make matters worse, the episode is chock full of songs throughout its run-time that gives this summer crime drama much more of a messy feel than it should. Admittedly, learning more about Cat’s past is certainly an intriguing notion but beyond that, the series pales in comparison to so many others in this category. I mentioned last week about the editing and the same is true here. As Wyatt jumps into the boat, there’s a few poorly edited sequences stitched together that give the impression he won’t make the jump. This isn’t even mentioning the muddied motivation of the pirates living off the coast or the painful, cheesy one-liners that add up to make Reef Break one summer show that won’t be remembered for long.
