Sterling Point is the brand-new teen drama on Amazon Prime Video that’s taken over the internet. Everywhere you look, people are singing this show’s praises, and for a very good reason. It’s one of the modern short-form TV shows with only 8 episodes per season, which is likely its only downside, as everything else is just right.

Sterling Point starts with high-society NYC teenager Annie Jacobson, who receives a letter from her estranged maternal grandfather, who recently passed. His letter and the many unanswered questions she has about her deceased mother send Annie to the Muskoka Lakes. What follows is a story of sisterhood, friendship, young love, secrets, and self-discovery. Here are the 5 reasons Sterling Point is our favorite show of the summer.

Perfect Dialogue and Delivery

In recent years, watching TV shows and movies, especially ones centering young people, has been difficult because they sound unnatural. Sterling Point does not have that problem. Right off the bat, watching Annie’s conversations with her twin brother Connor or the new people she meets in Canada feel incredibly realistic.

And it’s not just Annie’s character, either. No matter who is in the scene, you can expect the dialogue to flow naturally and to feel like actual people are saying it. Of course, the actors’ performance plays an equally important part, because they all deliver their lines perfectly. Whether it is a comedic scene, like the Camp Rock shenanigans, or a heart-wrenching one, like Ramona and Oona’s breakup, the dialogue feels genuine.

Three-dimensional Characters

It’s a true testament to the writing just how three-dimensional the characters are. And that goes for all of the characters that are important to the story, not just the sisters at the core of the show. Annie is a type-A, preppy rich kid, but she’s also an eldest daughter carrying the weight of the world. Ramona is a self-sufficient lone wolf who’s traumatized and looking for someone to take care of her.

Oona is an aloof flirt who goes with the flow, but she is taking care of her 12-year-old sister after being abandoned by their mom. Ellis is the diligent and respectful son of the marina owner, who does his best to protect his family and their way of life. Even Connor, Annie’s twin, who is primarily a comedic relief, has a lot of depth, struggling with his own inadequacy and belonging.

Gorgeous Scenery

It may not seem as attractive for a teen drama as California was in the 2000s, but the Muskoka Lakes are a fantastic location. The setting almost feels like another main character, right up there with our rag-tag group of teens. From the very first episode, when Annie and Ellis fly on a seaplane to the island, the scenery plays a crucial role. It is the perfect place to tell a story of disconnection, belonging, and adventure.

The teenagers move from one island to the next with speedboats, canoes, and planes, giving us that quintessential teen show excitement. But the dark-green forests and rippling lakes give the show a nostalgic feeling, one you may associate with a summer camp. The setting for Sterling Point is especially important as the show deals with the class divide and the effects of gentrification.

Ideal Casting

You’d be hard-pressed to find a modern TV show with a more ideal casting than Sterling Point. Ella Rubin as Annie and Amélie Hoeferle as Ramona amaze as the two sisters who discover each other. They give us performances that are equally touching, hilarious, thought-provoking, and entertaining. From Ramona’s yearning over Oona to Annie’s anxiety, these young ladies show up big time.

And it’s not just the leads that impressed us. The entire cast, from Bo Bragason as Oona to Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie as Ellis, seems like the perfect picks for their characters. Even the parents, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Ellis’ dad and Missi Pyle as Rory’s cool mom, are great fits for this show. That’s why the casting is one of the 5 reasons Sterling Point is our favorite show of the summer.

Compelling Plotline

We can’t talk about the 5 reasons Sterling Point is our favorite show of the summer without mentioning the plotline. A rich girl from NYC finds a letter from her recently deceased grandpa telling her to go to Canada and “find her”. That’s already a great start, especially when you realize that Annie knows next to nothing about her mom or her mom’s life.

And then as soon as she gets to Muskoka, the twists begin. She meets Ramona, who’s a carbon copy of their mom, and she realizes everyone has been lying to her. So, she sets out to uncover the truth about her mom’s death, her sister’s birth, and the reason her mom stayed there. Both main characters and the rest of us as viewers go on an impressive rollercoaster ride, or should we say speedboat ride.

Summary

Sterling Point is among the most popular and well-rated new TV shows. It boasts a 93% on Tomatometer and an 85% on Popcornmeter. Those are incredible numbers for a brand-new teen drama on Amazon Prime Video without any A-list actors on the call sheet. And we are here to tell you that the hype is justified. We may have picked the 5 reasons Sterling Point is our favorite show of the summer, but we could’ve listed many more! So, go watch this gem of a show as soon as you can.