Capitalizing on the trend of and piqued audience interest in dark, gritty, young adult dramas is Netflix’s new original series, “Spinning Out,” created by ex-figure skater Samantha Stratton.

“Spinning Out” finds its central character in Katarina Baker, played by Kaya Scodelario (Skins, The Maze Runner), an Olympic-hopeful figure skater struggling to overcome a traumatic injury that took her off the competitive track. Although a part of the show is rife with the tired melodrama of love triangles and communication issues, “Spinning Out” finds its greatest strength in its complex, interesting characters and its weaving of social issues into a gripping plot. Every character is, at once, completely sympathetic and frustratingly flawed. Both Scodelario and her mother, played by January Jones (Mad Men) take varying paths to deal with bipolar disorder, which, along with themes of familial relationships and the pressures of figure skating, is carefully explored throughout the series. 

A high point of the series is the fragile relationship of the Baker family. “Spinning Out” skillfully intertwines fraught arguments with tender familial scenes between Scodelario, Jones and the younger Baker sister, played by Willow Shields (The Hunger Games), who all play well into the complicated tension of a broken family. All the main characters are painfully human, making mistake after mistake, but none are completely vilified for their actions. Instead, “Spinning Out” explores their motivations, connecting them to the audience and the human experience overall.

Other notable storylines include that of Scodelario’s best friend, Jenn (Amanda Zhou), who grapples with a hip injury, pushing herself to train for regionals despite the possible lifelong ramifications of overexerting her injury. Through both Zhou and Shields’ character, a young but promising figure skater, “Spinning Out” criticizes the culture of sports that put too much pressure on their athletes. 

In addition to “Spinning Out’s” talented main cast, the show features a few guest stars that provide some humorous relief to the otherwise-grim program. Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir guest stars as Gabe, a rival to Scodelario’s character and Jonathan Van Ness (“Queer Eye”) as his coach, in a move that proves “Spinning Out” does not take itself too seriously.

“Spinning Out” is not anything new, just another gritty drama marketed toward young adults in a program era that is full of them. However, the focus on characters, their relationships and the chemistry between the actors make “Spinning Out” stand out as a show worth watching.