Podcast

The transcription is a conversation between two friends discussing the TV show H2O Just Add Water. They talk about the plot, characters, music, and overall appeal of the show. They mention how it resonated with them as kids, the impact on environmental awareness, and the memorable moments from the series. They both have fond memories of the show and its influence on them. I mean, if you think about it, we're all mermaids on the inside. Even if we're not Australian? Even then. And I was like, why are you so obsessed with me? It's Throwback with your besties, where we review the best moments of the 2000s and 2010s. I'm Graham. And I'm Noe. And Throwback is brought to you by SukiCat, the best cat around. Shout out sponsors. On today's episode, we're going to talk about one of the most 2000 things possible. The wonderful show H2O Just Add Water. Just the best mermaid media out there. So true. If this isn't jogging your memory, we'd like to play you a little clip of this awesome theme song. Now, for those of you who did, in fact, live under a rock. H2O Just Add Water, more commonly known as H2O, was an Australian teen fantasy series that aired from 2006 to 2010, and was centered around the lives of these three ordinary girls. Cleor, Cleor, Nor, is a very familiar reference to most of us, I think. Emma and Ricky. After an encounter with a mysterious moon pole, they transform into mermaids whenever they come into contact with water. So the show sort of explores their struggles, friendships, and secret mermaid lives. So water, we're talking showers, washing dishes, all that, and then bam, they're just mermaids. Yeah, and even moisturizer. Even moisturizer? There's only 60% water? There's a lot of plot holes, but we look past it. So basically, you can see this makes it pretty hard to be a cool teenage girl in Australia. I mean, listen, that's a pretty serious challenge. I mean, if they have any water on them, they'll grow tails, and they'll expose their mermaid secrets really to the world. Yeah. Terrible. Right. And they live on the Gold Coast of Australia, so surrounded by water, which makes it quality TV. Yeah. You know, what's interesting is actually the idea behind this show came from an executive producer telling her kids a bedtime story about a girl who turned into a mermaid whenever she touched water. Wow. That makes so much sense, because it's like such a sweet, sort of fantastical show. I love that it was sort of a bedtime story. What's interesting also is the executive producer wanted it to be only when they touched salt water, because like, obviously, that makes a lot more sense, but they decided to change it to the freshwater thing, because they thought it would make for more fun plot lines. And I mean, it did. It made for more fun plot lines. Okay. I mean, if we transition over to the logistics of the show, I mean, when this show came out, they planned two seasons, but, you know, all water becomes a hazard and it became so popular that they began filming a third season and released it to American audiences, which is how we got this wonderful show. And pretty crazy considering streaming wasn't around at the time, so we were all like tuning in to watch this show. I think I was in like fourth or fifth grade and I was obsessed. All the girls in my class were obsessed and like, I still rewatch it with my friends. I mean, I'm obsessed. I'm really obsessed. You know, anyway. Did you watch it when you were a kid? Oh, no. Oh, okay. Whatever. Have you seen it? Oh, yes. Okay. Glad we cleared that up. Now, I mean, I see what the hype was about. Like, I mean, it's a fun little show. It's very soap opera-y, but that, you know what? That's what makes it good for kids, for tweens, for little girls who want to be mermaids. Who doesn't want to be mermaids? Because all of us wanted to play mermaids. Like, I remember that being a thing, and we also all tried to get an Australian accent, but that's like one of the harder accents to do, so we just sounded stupid. I definitely remember a lot of girls having an Australian accent at the time. Yeah. It's an epidemic, really. Like, to this day, like, I'm pretty sure if I say CLEAR NOR, most people will understand what I'm saying. Like, it's just so funny. I'm like, the show just, CLEAR NOR. You do say that a lot. NOR. Oh, um, also, like, we'd get into the most intense fights, like, playing, overplaying the mermaid thing, because we all wanted to be certain characters, like, who had to be what character. Oh, was that because they all had the different powers? It was partially that. For our listeners who don't know, again, living under a rock, the three mermaids have different powers, so Emma can freeze the water, and Cleo can, like, manipulate it, like, move it, and then Ricky can turn it to steam. And obviously, this kind of reflects their personalities, like, Emma is logical, put it together, Cleo's a little spacey and naive, but she's very sweet, and then Ricky's super fiery, always arguing with people, like, breaking the rules. So obviously, you know, some of them are cooler than others, and I was always labeled an Emma, but no one really wanted to be that, because she was, like, the responsible mom friend, so I remember being really offended by that. Well, who did you want to be? I wanted to be Ricky. She was so cool. She always got in trouble, but I was probably more of an Emma, like, I can't lie to myself. Why do we think the TV show got to so many people, and it's so widely loved today? I think part of it is definitely the appeal of the mermaid world, and how they created these other, bless you, how they created this underwater world. They used a lot of slow motion and fast motion effects, and this, like, you know, fancy lighting, and they did the fluid movements of the mermaids swimming, and they, like, actually filmed it underwater, which, like, really impressive, and, like, really helped us feel like we were being mermaids underwater. Absolutely, absolutely, because, like, watching the underwater sequences, those are some of my favorite parts, because, you know, they're visually stunning, they create a sense of, like, enchantment and mystery, and, I mean, it's, when you think that the actresses were actually swimming with those tails, it's pretty impressive. I know, they were, and one of them had even stunt doubles, they all had to learn to swim with those tails. I remember watching the behind-the-scenes episode, and, like, the amount of work they put into those scenes, like, there's, like, real scales, like, they put every single scale on it, they have these underwater cameramen, and safety divers, and, like, all this stuff goes into those scenes that we love, and I still think about them. Okay. All right, so, transitioning to another part of the show's awesomeness, the soundtrack and music. The music plays a crucial role in setting the mood. Yeah, you know, it's a catchy theme song, original music. Yeah, you get it. Anyway, the Ordinary Girl theme is, like, such a good song, and I think the majority of girls our age could sing it from memory, also, like, you know, if you think about it, the lyrics have a really good message about, it's okay to be different, and embrace being different. Yeah, the show's really saying that nobody is just an ordinary girl. Nobody's an ordinary girl, exactly. I think another thing we love about it is the costume design, right? Not even, like, the mermaid costumes, which are magical, but, like, the realistic-looking 2006 everyday fits are so sly. Oh, absolutely, and each character's costumes and hair, they reflect their personality, and they make them more fun. Like, Rikki always wears red, has her messy hair, but Emma, blue put together, you know, Cleo, a lot of pink, a lot of pink. I remember I wanted to have Cleo's whole wardrobe, since she was, like, the sort of middle. She had the best fits, and I, like, I just, ugh, I wanted them so bad. Yeah, I mean, definitely, this show, the fits are amazing. Also, it takes a really interesting, like, spin on the traditional coming-of-age format, you know what I mean? They interact with each other. They face all these sorts of difficulties with their friendships and their identities and their little teenage love lives. Yeah, it really, it's them on a journey of self-discovery through their mermaid-ness, but obviously, it is a coming-of-age story, and, you know, them accepting their mermaid identity is sort of a metaphor for going through adolescence, and I think that definitely went over my head as a kid, but the overall messaging definitely had a positive influence on us, I think, and I think it's nice that the show, like, made an effort to put that message across because we all wanted them to, we all wanted to be them so bad, so they had a responsibility to do something about that since we were all looking up to them. Yeah, and they also had some, like, proto-environmentalism in there, you know what I mean? A lot of stuff about water protection and, you know, responsibility as mermaids for taking care of the ocean. Yeah, it definitely promoted, like, a strong sense of connection to the environment. I think we all became really annoying environmental conservation girlies. It was really smart of them to add that plot line because I think that was the time the general public was starting to really get into, like, conservation action, like, Cleo was a dolphin trainer at the water park, which, sidebar, terrible idea if you turn into a mermaid after touching water, but anyway, she was super passionate about conservation, which sort of taught all of us, like, to be passionate about it, like, they tell us about the dolphins and the turtles and why we need to protect them, and we were all like, yes. Yes, I mean, I think season one, episode 22, has had one of the most, like, memorable moments of the H2O girls, like, environmental crusade. I think so, yeah. So, in this episode, Zane, who's sort of a villain with a redemption arc and also Ricky's love interest, whatever, has Ricky and Emma at his house while his evil dad, like, rich evil dad, is presenting his plan to turn Mako Island, the island that turned them into a mermaid, into a resort, and obviously, this is going to devastate the local species and the ecosystem, so Ricky hits him with these indisputable facts and logic, and he's forced to cancel it. Definitely how I wish environmental conservation works, but her passion for it definitely made the girls who watched it care. I definitely remember girls forcing me to go on beach cleaning trips, and now I'm thinking that might have been thanks to H2O. I think it definitely was, yeah. So, transitioning again, what's the main thing about H2O that makes it so special and nostalgic when you rewatch it? I think H2O provides an opportunity to relive those magical moments from our youth and connect with themes that remain relevant, but there's more to it. H2O reminds us of the significance of female friendships and empowerment. I think because girls and mermaids in general are seen as super feminine, which was a bad thing, but they made it seem like not a bad thing, and I think a lot of us are coming back to it and loving the message that being feminine is a good thing, and something to be proud of, and something to love. That's a really good point. The show places a strong emphasis on the power of women and their friendships. Yeah, I think it really made us feel better about whoever we were. Ricky was a tomboy, but Emma and Cleo never made fun of her or pressured her to be more feminine, and Cleo and Emma were super feminine, but it wasn't a bad thing, and unlike other TV shows at the time where the tomboy character makes fun of the girly girls, Ricky embraced their femininity and she'd buy them cute clothes and jewelry, and they were all just so supportive of each other. Such good friends. I know. I think the obvious overall plot of coming to terms with being different because they're mermaids translates well into telling girls in general, it's okay to be different, and the people who love you will still love you anyway. Yeah, I mean, I think it's episode two, there's a moment where Cleo and Emma are sad because they can't do normal things because of the water issues, and Ricky sort of goes off on them but in a loving way about how amazing they are and how they have all these wonderful powers, even if it's turning things to ice and steam and stuff. Cool power. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool, cool, cool. She made an instant popsicle. But anyway, I think it's important that they shouldn't be ashamed of being different. And the sentiment's obviously a good message, and many of the episodes have sort of a moral to the story kind of thing, and the end is always like, supporting and uplifting your friends will uplift you too, so they really promote these female friendships and show them in such a positive light. I think that's another reason why it meant so much to us. Absolutely. I mean, H2O is like a beloved childhood memory for many, but it's also a reminder of the importance of empowering young women and femininity, and being proud of who you are, even if you're different. Exactly. And if you ever find yourself yearning for that nostalgia, don't hesitate to dive back into the world of H2O. You might be surprised by what you find. With that, we bring today's episode to an end. Thank you for joining us here on Throwback for this nostalgic journey. Don't forget to like and subscribe. Thank you again to our sponsor, Suki Cat, for all your cat needs. And until next time, remember to embrace your inner child and always see the magic hidden in the world. I was like, why are you so upset with me?