I just caught #BloodAndWater,and there are many reasons why it is such a compelling watch. It makes for provocative television, shoots several bold statements into the sky, and shifts the goalposts for teen drama in Africa. Why do I think this?
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KE TV was replete with SAsoapies in the mid-90s as our TV channels expanded. Egoli. Rhythm City. #BloodAndWater carries the best of that flavour into TV drama, even unto casting. Sello Maake Ka-Ncube as Matla Molapo (KB's dad)! Was the notorious Archie on Generations

One thing #BloodAndWater does very well is taking teen romance as fact, into the post-moral space. Very real.
This thing where teen sex on TV must be a cautionary tale which always ends badly is dangerous.
That's not how real life happens.
The kids know that.

One strong African reality that we all do at is romantic affairs between adult teachers and students who are minors. There are related teen pregnancy stats, news articles, etc, so anyone who counters this is just in denial.
#BloodAndWater's take on this is very deliberate.

The whole thing is complicated and layered. Despite being of age of consent in this case (a legal absolute but an ethical minefield) the student is still a student and the teacher is still a teacher. Add the upmarketness of the school and the stakes if the scandal drops. Whew.

Such realities re. that prooooblematic #BloodAndWater teacher/student situation. The man is a predator, yes. Yet there is romance and tenderness, because predators can still care.
These are life's charged dualities.
And these conversations are difficult and must be had.

The #BloodAndWater girl characters have SOOO much agency ! ! In their romantic engagements. Girls said what they wanted. Boys would be told to stop AND STOP without tantrums/violence. Such healthy flirting. We see that with Puleng and KB, and also with Zama and Chris.

Also bless #BloodAndWater for giving us an African character in a mainstream TV show who is not expelled from school or otherwise marginalised by family/society for being non-normative (all things held constant, including his privileges re. race and socio-economic status).

I really liked about Puleng, played by Ama Qamata, that she was messy and inconsistent, because THAT'S HOW HUMANS ARE. Puleng is patchy about her truths but demands them from everyone. She wants labour and care from Wade, but gives him neither except re. her own priorities.

I think Wade, ably played by Dillon Windvogel, handled his feelings about Puleng badly, but he's also in high school, surely, so. . Who knew how to "handle feelings well" at a time of tornadoes of hormones and storms of drama ?
I liked that he warred with himself and won.

4 other characters were interesting for me. 1 was Zama (Cindy Mahlangu) with full Leo fire, tantrums and tenderness. I LOVE how she calls Puleng "Friend" .
2 was Reese (Greteli Fincham), embracing her privilege: who would even suspect a tall blonde as a start-up drug dealer ?

3 was Fikile (Khosi Ngema), whose journey from confident to questioning is not common for popular rich girls in high school dramas.
And then 4 is Wendy (Natasha Thahane), so interested in performing revolution that she stays blind to her own privilege and malice.

An honourable mention goes to KB (Thabang Molaba), who shows us that a kind, gentle, handsome, rich chap can have the profound flaw of being very conflict-averse , and the minor quirk of choosing rather odd places to show affection
but eya, life is short
#BloodAndWater