Yellowjackets may seem like a unique series, but the teen survival drama is enjoying a Renaissance. The Society, The 100, The Wilds — each puts its own twist on the premise. But while you can go to Yellowjackets for the spooky supernatural elements, and The Wilds for the issue-based melodrama, it’s hard to get the full package in one story.
But a new Australian series on Prime Video attempts to do just that, delivering heart, laughs, spooks, and shock reveals, all in eight episodes. It’s a tall task, but it’s up for the job.
Class of ‘07 begins like any good satire of millennials should, with a clip of a character getting humiliated on social media. After embarrassing herself on The Match, a fictionalized version of The Bachelor, Zoe (Emily Browning) holes up in a trailer. But when freak geysers start exploding, she evacuates to the highest point around, which happens to be her old high school on the night of her 10-year reunion.
A freak tidal wave follows, and before they know it the girls of Ridge Heights Catholic Ladies College find themselves surrounded by water on all sides. They’ll have to figure out how to survive the apocalypse (or “pocko,” as they call it, in true Australian fashion) and each other.
Though it’s not technically a teen drama, anyone who’s met up with old high school friends will tell you that it’s not hard to revert back to your old ways. Old friendships are tested, new friendships are made, and old nicknames rear their ugly heads. Sorry, Forgettable Laura.
There are several similarities between Class of ‘07 and Yellowjackets: the fall of a queen bee, an end-of-the-world party, and even a Survivor-style tribal council to vote on who should be cannibalized. But there are also elements ripped from fellow Aussie show The Wilds, including flashbacks to sexually exploitative older men, explorations of mental health issues, and even a cast member, Chi Nguyen.
These elements are blended with some great ensemble acting and a vocal-focused score from Bryony Marks that gives even the direst situations a lighthearted vibe. But the true highlight is the writing. Survival shows require a balancing act to keep the stakes high without bumming out audiences, and this series uses sitcom-style broad comedy to make sure nothing gets too emo. Sure, a character breaks her toe and it has to be amputated, but then she gets to screech, “You CHOPPED OFF my TOE!” in the next scene.
The worldbuilding isn’t overlooked either. The “pocko” isn’t just an event that forces these characters together; it interacts with the cast as much as they interact with each other. Characters set off to find help, return from the sea, and reveal what the outside world looks like. You aren’t overloaded with lore, but you won’t forget that we’re mid-crisis.
Class of ‘07 may not take itself as seriously as its contemporaries, but that’s what allows it to spin so many plates. It’s a goofy show, so the disparate elements can weave together without too much scrutiny. By the end, when you’re tearing up over Zoe pleading to her former best friend that survival means nothing if they can’t do it together, it’s hard to believe the story started with a reality TV spoof. But that just adds to the magic.
Class of ‘07 is now streaming on Prime Video.
