Before Crew Girl, Miku Martineau avoided the erg machine at the gym because it “felt like I was doing this wrong,” the actor laughs. Now, the star of the new series about an East Coast prep-school rowing team has experienced the sport from nearly every angle. In other words, Martineau is more than equipped to answer any questions you might have about the esoteric sport while watching Crew Girl, now streaming.

After a scandal befalls her family, Teagan (Martineau) leaves behind a promising career in single sculling for a fresh start in her mom Ella’s (Jessica Paré) hometown of Eagle’s Cove. There, she attends Easton Prep, where she stumbles into the coxswain seat on the boys’ eight boat. Crew Girl has all the trappings of a fan-favorite YA feast: a cozy coastal town twisted by wealth and power, a new girl looking to start over, and an irresistible love triangle between Teagan and her two boatmates — golden boy Josh (Sam Braun) and humble underdog Cam (Kyle Clark). But this time, rowing provides the backdrop for all the drama. Teagan weathers her fair share of family, friend, and boy troubles, but above all, she’s driven by her love of the sport. 

Martineau and her castmates think it’s about time the niche sport gets its shine. “There haven’t been too many shows with rowing involved. People are going to discover a really wonderful team sport — and also fall in love with the rowers,” says Clark. Martineau thinks it’s the perfect setting to explore romance, rivalry, and coming-of-age stories. “Crew is so intense and emotional and so powerful and empowering. Those are all qualities that make a great story,” the actor says. 

To understand the stakes of Crew Girl, there are a few terms you might want to be familiar with. Martineau, Braun, Clark, and showrunner Vivian Lin help explain everything you need to know about crew before jumping in the shell yourself. “People should try it! It’s a sport that strengthens your confidence. Through rowing, you learn that you are much more capable than what you think you are,” Martineau says. “That’s a good life lesson that we should all carry with us.”

How does crew work in Crew Girl?

Rowing has been a form of transportation for centuries, but the sport originated in 17th-century London. Athletes can compete in boats of varying sizes, with a coxswain in certain events steering and directing the crew. In Crew Girl, the teams race in eight-person shells, while Teagan competed in single sculls before moving to Eagle’s Cove.

The sport attracts some of the most intense athletes, people with “mental fortitude and resilience,” says Martineau. “Crew requires strength mentally and physically, so much coordination, communication, synchronization, rhythm. I have so much respect for rowers.” Lin admits that this personality type is partly what interested her about the sport. “Any rower that can live through a pain cave over and over again has a certain level of mental toughness, confidence, and determination,” Lin says. “That really came out with Teagan.”

Most of the cast and crew joined Crew Girl with little to no experience with the sport but quickly learned the ropes. Before the series, Clark’s exposure to crew was “literally just The Social Network,” he says with a laugh. 

Crew may be associated with rarefied prep school communities, but Crew Girl presents a wide range of experiences and personalities. For one, Cam is on financial aid, and the cost of the uniform and gear — along with the team’s social activities — weighs on him. “Cam has so many barriers just to get into the boat,” Lin says. “Then when he is in, he has to prove himself.” The show expands on each character’s interests beyond the sport: from Perry’s (Connor Wong) love of high fashion to Noah Bainbridge’s (Riley Davis) fondness for murder mystery games.

What is a coxswain?

As we learn from Teagan, the coxswain — also called a cox — is responsible for a whole slew of things on the boat: steering the shell, setting the rhythm and split times, and motivating the rowers to push through the pain. The coxswain wears a headset connected to their “cox box” to amplify their direction.

Since Teagan never coxed before she moved to Eagle’s Cove, viewers learn about the role as she does. “We learn as Teagan learns. I like that aspect of the show — it’s not intimidating to watch,” says Martineau. “The best coxswains learn how to be the best communicators, make decisions, have great relationships with their teammates, and motivate their team. It’s a huge leadership role, and Teagan is ready to take that on.”

“When you’re working with a team who are competing with each other or have beef and are dysfunctional, your job as a leader and as the coxswain becomes amplified,” adds Lin. “You need them to work together in the purest way they can. Your whole team has to row completely in sync and be on the same page.”

Martineau ended up improvising sometimes. “When I was learning how to become a coxswain, I needed to make some decisions on the spot,” Martineau says. “I needed to make sure that the boat was going in the right direction because there were a lot of other boats on the water.”

PHOTO BY CRAIG MINIELLY

What is the stroke seat?

The stroke seat sits closest to the coxswain and faces them along with the rest of the rowers. The stroke works with the cox to set the pace and rhythm of the boat. In Crew Girl, Josh, Cam, and Ryder (Connor Paton) compete for the coveted leadership seat, with each athlete taking turns for very different reasons.

“With these sports shows, there’s already so much tension and rivalry and competitiveness,” says Clark. “Stroke seat can be a bit of a symbol; whoever is in the leadership role is with Teagan. They’re competing to be in front of her. They’re competing for her attention.”

PHOTO BY CRAIG MINIELLY

What is an erg?

An erg, short for ergometer, is an indoor machine that rowers use for training. Each rower has a personal record — a PR erg score — that they try to beat, as Cam, Josh, Teagan, Baloo (Jude Wilson), and Ryder illustrate at the Norfolk Invitational in Episode 7. Your erg score is a way to distinguish yourself from your teammates and, for high school students, attract external attention that might lead to college scholarships or being placed in the junior national boat.

“We did so much research about what is a good time for a single guy to erg in our indoor rowing competition,” says Lin. “If you see that board with everyone’s times, they’re accurate to where we felt the characters should be.”

What did the cast do to get into shape?

The entire cast — including Coach Hayden (Thomas Cadrot) for his scenes in the alumni race — underwent boot camp to accurately portray competitive rowers.

Braun, a former national-level diver, found the training helped the cast bond because of how interdependent rowing is. “I’m used to individual sports. Being in a boat with lots of people, there’s so much coordination. If one of you is off, it can throw off the balance and rhythm,” the actor describes. “That was such great team bonding for the cast.” 

Watch Crew Girl on Netflix.