I am not usually someone who would think to browse Disney+ shows that are categorized for kids, but when my roommate suggested checking out episodes of this show she randomly heard about, I thought I would give it a try. Fast forward a few hours later, and I have seen all the episodes that are on the app and am waiting until next Friday when the newest one next releases.
Secrets of Sulphur Springs reminds me a bit of Back to the Future combined with an imagination I can only think to relate to the Magic Treehouse books. The main characters are Griffin and Harper, two middle school students that become friends after Griffin moves to a Louisiana town after his father has decided to buy and fix up the old Tremont hotel. It is a local legend in the town and is known as a haunted place, especially for the last 30 years when a summer camper disappeared from the area that was on the Tremont hotel property. Harper is another student who is obsessed with the case of the missing girl, Savannah, and works with Griffin to learn more about her disappearance and why his Father decided to start fixing up the Tremont.
The kids discover that in the basement of the hotel there is a nuclear fallout shelter that is hidden behind built-in shelves in a wall, and after exiting through a different side of the shelter, they find themselves still at the Tremont and its property–but in the past. The summer camp is up and running and it is back in 1990, days before Savannah’s disappearance. The kids work to try and prevent her disappearance and, in the meantime, try to uncover what could have happened to her. The kids also find out that their parents may also be involved with what happened, especially since they find out their parents attended the old summer camp as kids.
I liked the show more than I thought I would. The dialogue was made for all ages, and it brought back childhood nostalgia of reading Magic Tree house and wondering what it would be like to go back in time. The time traveling also reminded me of Back to the Future and has similar themes with trying to change the past. As a show that is also supposed to be mystery and suspense, having it be made for a younger audience means it was not jump frightening and was easy to follow. The episodes are also about half an hour each, making them easy to binge. The show has been building up to Savannah’s disappearance and are surprisingly good at keeping viewers guessing, I have a few theories but nothing concrete has been revealed yet. It brought back a bit of nostalgia from being a pre-teen, wanting to feel independent and search for my truth, but still being constrained by their parents and learning to navigate the world.
If you are looking for another way to procrastinate during these final weeks of the quarter or would like another show to add to a never-ending list, I would give this one a shot. It was perfect for multi-tasking with homework or a conversation with roommates while watching, and was nothing short of entertaining.