Warning: SPOILERS forRescue: HI-Surfseason 1, episode 19, “Let Go.”
Rescue: HI-Surfseason 1 ended with the possible departure Will, which makes season 2 less interesting if he doesn’t come back. Fox’sRescue: HI-Surfis one of manyTV shows facing cancelationright now. Much like series such as NBC’sFoundandBrilliant Mindsor ABC’sDoctor Odyssey, it feels like a season renewal should have occurred already if it were in the cards at all. It frankly feels at this point like the series’ future might hinge entirely on whether Fox is able to find a suitable replacement for the time slot.
For a while, it looked like Fox might have a winner with this series. It even stood out as apossible replacement for9-1-1: Lone Star, since both shows focus on emergency responders in unique locations. At the end of season 1,Rescue: HI-Surf’s Vince and Will are problematic characters with questionable futures. For Vince, Will outing his side hustle led to forced resignation. More than him, however, Will’s departure will have a bigger impact on the show.
Rescue: HI-Surf Season 1 Ends With Will’s Exit
He Doesn’t Even Really Say Goodbye
Will has been struggling to find his footing on the North Shore for a while now, and it’s hardly surprising that he’s thought about leaving. Part of his trouble in the show stemmed from his complicated love life, as he tried making amends with his ex-girlfriend. Unfortunately,Julie responded to Will’s apology in a less recepting way.In other words, she called him “an emotionally stunted liar whose psychological issues are going to require years of therapy to even scratch.”
Rescue: Hi-Surf Ruins Em & Will With Their Divisive Plot Twist
Fox’s lifeguard procedural Rescue: HI-Surf destroyed two of its main characters with one terrible episode 8 decision, and the future looks bleak.
But it was, ironically, after getting the most amazing news he’s received in a while that he announced his departure. Em was hired for a temporary gig that would pay out her annual salary in one go, and she accepted on the contingency that she could choose a partner to hire. Unsurprisingly, she chooses him as her partner, butWill responds that he’s going back to Australia for a while. He says he’s coming back, and Laka later parrots the same, but neither of them ultimately seem very convinced. Em later watches Will drive off without a formal goodbye.
Why Will’s Exit Makes The Possible Rescue: HI-Surf Season 2 Less Exciting
Every Show Needs An Attractive Hot Mess
More critical viewers might regardRescue: HI-Surfas aBaywatchrip-off, but one refreshing aspect of the series is that it isn’t all that invested in its potential sex appeal. Will might have begun the show with a certain rugged Aussie charm, but he spent the last several episodes walking around like the hottest guy in the soup kitchen.HI-Surfactually seems to have intentionally steered away from Will’s attractiveness recently, which is a surprising turn, considering how shows tend to see him as the stereotypical good-looking character.
Will doesn’t use his character defects as an excuse to stop saving lives, which makes it easier to root for him to change.
This is exactly what makes Will so interesting, however. Most viewers probably won’t miss Vince, but Vince’s drug dealing jeopardized a life-or-death job while making it harder for others to do that job as well. Will doesn’t use his character defects as an excuse to stop saving lives, which makes it easier to root for him to change. He also always seems like he’s just on the other side of the character growth he needs. It’s exciting to watch him get there, and the show would lose a lot if it simply dropped that character arc without paying it off.
Can Will Still Return In Rescue: HI-Surf?
It’s Going To Require A Lot Of Offscreen Development
There’s actually pretty much no question regarding Will’s return, provided Adam Demos doesn’t sign a more lucrative contract before the show gets renewed. Showrunner Matt Kester toldTVInsiderthat, while the crew felt it was too convenient to have Will spark a relationship withArielle Kebbel’s Em Wrightthis early,Rescue: HI-Surfis planned to explore Will and Em’s romantic potential more fully in season 2. However, bringing Will back isn’t all that simple. Kester acknowledges that, while Will and Em’s relationship needs work in general, Will particularly needs to do some serious work on himself.
I think those two needed a break. They’ve been circling each other and they’ve got together and then they fought and they’ve gone back and forth and Will’s kind of gone down this dark path, nearly lost his job, and they need some time apart to recognize and realize what they love about each other and do they really want to make this work?
In other words, Will and Em could actually become one ofTV’s best couples, but not with Will acting the way he has recently. The sad state of affairs is that Julie’s tongue-lashing wasn’t really off-target. He is genuinely emotionally stunted to a degree that therapy would be meaningless if he wasn’t actively working on himself every other hour of the week. IfRescue: HI-Surfbrings Will back, he’ll need to return with a demonstrable willingness to become the man that Em (and the show’s fanbase) deserves.
Rescue: HI-Surf
Cast
Rescue: HI-Surf follows the dedicated lifeguards of O’ahu’s North Shore as they navigate the challenging conditions of Hawaii’s Seven Mile Miracle, showcasing their heroism and adrenaline-seeking nature while saving lives. Released in 2024, the film captures the high-stakes environment faced by these courageous individuals.
