Summary
Blood & Water season 1, episode 1, “Fiksation” is a good, solid opening episode, laying the foundations for the rest of the series.
This recap of Netflix series Blood & Water season 1, episode 1, “Fiksation” contains significant spoilers.
How does Blood & Water season 1, episode 1, “Fiksation” begin?
Blood & Water season 1, episode 1, “Fiksation” involves itself with plenty of complex grief and our young female lead dealing with the dynamics of her family. It opens with Puleng looking apprehensive in her bedroom, looking around. There’s a birthday party downstairs for her missing sister. She keeps getting texts from Zama asking to come outside. “Happy Birthday” is sung for 17-year-old Phume. The mother gives a speech stating 17 years is a long time to not see your newborn and hopefully one day she comes home. Puleng blows the candle. You can sense the emotional tension in the room in a well-directed opening sequence
The father leaves.
Puleng then argues with her mother because her father has left and she wondered why her brother Siya doesn’t get what he wants for his birthday but their sister Phume, who isn’t even here, gets a 3-tiered cake. She storms out and meets Zama; they are going to a “VIP” house party — Zama is invited by a man called Chris.
The party.
At the party, Puleng is immediately abandoned by Zama who is head over heels with Chris. A girl helps her at the bar to get a drink — she catches Chris and Zama having sex so hangs out in an empty place in the house. She sees a woman named Fikile making out with a man and runs off. Puleng then picks up a phone vibrating on one of the sofas and answers it — it’s Wade’s mother who is asking for Wade to come home. Wade offers Puleng a drink before he packs up. Blood & Water season 1, episode 1, “Fiksation” is potentially starting a love interest for Puleng already.
Wade.
Puleng hangs out with Wade who is a keen photographer. He shows her a photo of Fikile and says she looks similar to Puleng — Fikile is the girl who got her a drink and the party is her birthday. Puleng’s mind wanders, stating Fikile shares the same birthday as her missing sister. We are in mystery mode already.
Back at home.
When Puleng returns home, her mother asks if there’s anything wrong. Puleng tells her mother she participates with this day to make her happy, stating that she never knew Phume. Puleng says she wishes her mother loved her and Siya as much as Phume. This was a sad statement from Puleng and you can tell it hurts her mother.
School hockey.
While playing hockey, Puleng is struggling to focus on the game. She ends up in a fight with Nate in the dressing room. Puleng shows Zama an article that accuses her father of being involved with the disappearance of her sister as part of a child laundering scheme — the headmaster has arranged for her parents to pick up. The headmaster uses this opportunity to tell Puleng’s grades are dropping and her behavior is unacceptable — he’s arranged a disciplinary hearing. This felt extremely harsh given the circumstances.
Parents pick her up.
Puleng’s father states that the news wants to make up lies for the ratings and they are linking Phume to another child disappearance case. Her father also states that the case may be reopened. Family is clearly complicated in Blood & Water season 1, episode 1, “Fiksation”. Puleng ends up deep diving on Wade’s Instagram and then becomes absorbed by Fikile’s profile — she’s not sure what she’s thinking yet. Puleng looks through the evidence of her sister’s disappearance and she sees some similarity in appearance between the modeled drawing of what her sister may look like now and Fikile. At school, Zama mentions something about genetics — Wade invites her to a gala and she accepts.
Gala.
At the gala, Puleng watches Fikile swim and she has an out of body experience. Fikile wins the swim and Puleng offers to help Wade take photos. Fikile approaches Puleng and recognizes her from the party — she tells her to call her “Fiks”.
Disciplinary meeting.
Puleng has missed her disciplinary meeting and her father Julius is fuming; he grounds her and takes away her phone. As they head outside, the police arrest Puleng’s father for human trafficking. Puleng is distraught and starts chasing after him. At the station, Puleng’s father asks Puleng to trust him as it is very complicated. Everything seems vague. Puleng asks her mother if she actually thinks her father did it and she responds, “he asked us to trust him but for now, we have to keep our distance”
How does Blood & Water season 1, episode 1, “Fiksation” end?
Puleng tells her mother she doesn’t want to return to Meadowridge school after everything that has happened and then states, “have you ever heard of Parkhurst High?”. Blood & Water season 1, episode 1, “Fiksation” is a good, solid opening episode, laying the foundations for the rest of the series.
