Netflix’s new drama series Spinning Out is about a 21-year-old girl named Kat Baker who was cursed with her mother’s bipolar disorder. Kat’s career was halted after she suffered an injury during a figure skating competition which affected her mentally, and caused her to lose faith in herself on the ice. The show focuses on her struggles and that of those around her.

Kat’s struggles throughout the show are significant and heavy. She has many small episodes of mania and depression throughout the show with these small episodes led to Kat making the decision to start doing partner skating with a guy at her rink named Justin. The two eventually got close and started dating

The show represents bipolar disorder in an extraordinarily authentic way that makes you feel a deep sorrow for the characters that undergo the struggles they do. It shows how mental health can affect someone’s relationship with their family and friends. When Kat went off her lithium, medication given to people with bipolar disorder, she went through a huge manic episode in which she wouldn’t sleep or rest in any way. She pushed her body to the extreme and it cost her the relationship with Justin who was not only her partner on the ice but also her boyfriend. 

The show also depicts the effect of using alcohol to cope with tough situations and simply drinking in large amounts for fun. Kat’s mom would drink to cope with her disorder and it nearly ruined the relationship she had with her daughters. Justin would get drunk at parties because he was trying to numb himself from the pain of losing his mother. His drinking led to him crashing his car into a tree in his father’s private golf course.

One would have to applaud the show’s representation of people who struggle with alcoholism and bipolar disorder as well as other mental health issues. The energy this show gives off to its viewers is impressive. It’s an impactful and deep show that did an absolutely fantastic job of representing mental health issues and educating its viewers on them.