Skip to content
Blood and Water is a new Netflix drama which, in a way, is like the ’80s comedy, Soap, which was a tale of two sisters. That was about the posh Jessica Tate, and the less well-off Mary Campbell. In this case, however, Puleng’s sister, Phume, was abducted from hospital at birth, yet they’re still having big annual birthday parties for her, leaving Puleng’s nose feeling very much out of joint.
What follows is just like Hollyoaks, with texts just ‘appearing’ onscreen as they’re being received and typed; and since Puleng is a dissenting teenager, she defies her mother by going to a party, with best friend Zama.
Birthday girl at the do is fellow student Fikile, who just happens to have the same birthday as Phume. After 17 years of trying to find her (judging by the CSI-style pins-and-string get-up in her room), has Puleng finally discovered her on her own doorstep, quite by chance?
Yes, let’s reinforce that: Could it be that Fikile is actually Phume? What do you think? Blood and Water is like a mystery with no mystery.
Clearly, we know it’s her sister – since if it wasn’t her, then they’ve wasted an awful lot of time in one episode (plus everything the trailer sets out), but you can tell it’s about the journey and not the destination.
So, this is watchable, but not great, and there’s no suspense to this whatsoever. By the end of the first episode, someone is fingered for being the causes of all this… and they would’ve gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!
Blood and Water is not available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but is on Netflix from today.
Episode 1 Score: 4/10
Series Directors: Nosipho Dumisa, Daryne Joshua, Travis Taute
Producers: Bradley Joshua, Benjamin Overmeyer
Writers: Nosipho Dumisa, Daryne Joshua, Travis Taute
Cast:
Puleng Khumalo: Ama Qamata
Fikile Bhele: Khosi Ngema
Thandeka Khumalo: Gail Mabalane
Karabo Molapo ‘KB’: Thabang Molaba
Wade Daniels: Dillon Windvogel
Chris Ackerman: Arno Greeff
Chad Morgan: Ryle De Morny
Reece Van Rensburg: Greteli Fincham
Julius Khumalo: Getmore Sithole
Siya Khumalo: Odwa Gwanya
Wendy Dlamini: Natasha Thahane
Tahira Kahn: Mekaila Mathys
Nicole Daniels: Sandi Schultz
Zama Bolton: Cindy Mahlangu
Nwabisa Bhele: Xolile Tshabalala
Matla Molapo: Sello Maake Ka-Ncube
Brian Bhele: Patrick Mofokeng
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.