New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Netflix’s new family series has ‘Zero Chill’ on the ice
There’s nothing quite like having a sibling, a person genetically designed to know just how to push your buttons and be relied upon to always eat the leftovers you were saving for later. For those of you out there who have siblings, you know exactly what I’m referring to.
In Netflix’s latest family series “Zero Chill,” the plot revolves around the sibling shenanigans between twins Kayla and Mac, who are constantly sniping with each other after their family relocated from Canada to England to help Mac pursue his hockey dreams.
Mac isn’t the only person in the family with skating skills. But even though Kayla is a competitive pairs figure skater, it seems that her dreams are often left in the slush when it comes to her brother.
While Mac tries to find his place on his new hockey team, his winner-take-all attitude quickly clashes with his teammates. Kayla, on the other hand, quickly finds herself in hot water with Hammerstrom, Mac’s coach and the owner of the skating arena, when he catches her at the rink after hours.
When Kayla tries to find a new pairs partner to skate with her, she stumbles across a mystery skater who could be the partner she needs — if she can only figure out who the helmet-wearing skater is.
As the series progresses, Mac has to learn to stop being such an egotistical puck-hog, while Kayla tries to advocate for herself instead of allowing everyone to put her brother’s dreams ahead of her own.
In addition to showcasing Mac and Kayla’s sibling rivalry, “Zero Chill” looks at the strained relationship between Hammerstrom and his daughter Ava. All Ava wants to do is play hockey and feel like her father is proud of her, but he’s often too focused on his team to give her the time of day.
What makes this an ideal series for family viewing is how it teaches kids that being the best doesn’t mean anything if there's no one to share it with. Despite revolving around teenagers, “Zero Chill” is a light and family friendly series that parents can watch with their kids of all ages. “Zero Chill” has one season available on Netflix and is rated TV-G. For those looking for more mature ice skatingcentric content, try watching Netflix’s drama “Spinning Out,” which follows a figure skater trying to make it to the top while battling with her mental health issues.