Free Rein is a quiet, character-driven drama about a teenage girl who finds herself on an island far from home, and a horse who changes everything. Zoe, played by Jaylen Barron, comes from Los Angeles to spend the summer at her mother’s childhood home on an island off the coast of England. She does not want to be there. She wants to be back in LA, with her friends, with her life. What she gets instead is a wild horse named Mia, a tight-knit group of local teenagers, and a summer that forces her to see the world — and herself — in a new light.
The show was created by Kirstie Falkous, Anna McCleery, and Vicki Lutas, and it premiered on Netflix in 2017. It ran for three seasons, with a total of 30 episodes, plus two feature-length specials. The series is set on a fictional island, but it draws on Anglesey, Wales, as its inspiration. The island is small, isolated, and full of secrets. The people who live there are not rich or famous. They are ordinary, kind, and fiercely loyal to each other. Zoe arrives as an outsider, and she learns fast that being an outsider is not the same as being alone.
Trailer, via Free Rein.
Zoe and Mia
Zoe is the engine of the story. She is a talented equestrian who has been pushed hard by her parents to succeed. She is also deeply lonely, and she hides that loneliness behind a mask of confidence. When she meets Mia, a horse who has been living wild on the island, everything shifts. Mia is not a trained animal. She is a creature of instinct, free and unbroken. Zoe tries to catch her, to tame her, and fails. The failure teaches Zoe something she did not expect to learn: that strength does not come from control, but from connection.
Céline Buckens plays Mia with a presence that feels almost supernatural. She is not just a horse. She is a force of nature, a symbol of freedom, and a friend. The bond between Zoe and Mia is the heart of the show, and it is built slowly, scene by scene, through shared moments of trust and shared moments of fear. There is no grand speech about friendship. There is just the horse, the girl, and the island, and the slow realization that they need each other.
Jaylen Barron carries the weight of the performance. Her Zoe is not perfect. She is selfish, sometimes cruel, and often lost. But she is also brave, curious, and capable of change. The show does not let her off easy. Zoe makes mistakes, and she pays for them. That honesty is what makes her feel real. By the end of the series, Zoe has grown up in ways she never expected. She has learned to ride, to trust, and to love. She has also learned that home is not a place on a map, but a feeling in your chest.
The Island and Its People
The island itself is a character. It is green, wet, and full of history. The show takes its time exploring the landscape, showing the rocky cliffs, the empty beaches, and the small towns where the locals live. The island is not glamorous. It is not a tourist destination. It is a place where people work hard, where families stay together, and where the past is never truly buried. The show respects that world, and it lets the audience settle into it.
The supporting cast grounds the story in warmth. Freddy Carter plays Pin, Zoe’s main ally among the locals. He is funny, loyal, and patient. He sees Zoe for who she is, even when she cannot see herself. Manpreet Bambra plays Jade, a strong-willed girl who pushes Zoe out of her comfort zone. Carla Woodcock plays Susie, the horsewoman who runs the stables. Kerry Ingram plays Becky, a kind woman who helps Zoe find her footing. Charlotte Jordan plays Gaby, a girl who knows the island better than anyone. Together, they form a family that Zoe never expected to have.
The show does not waste time on exposition. It drops Zoe into the middle of a community and lets her figure it out. The island is not a puzzle to be solved. It is a home to be understood. The show trusts its audience to follow along, and that trust pays off.
The Drama and Its Tone
Free Rein is a drama, but it is not a grim one. It is a drama about growth, about loss, and about finding your way back to yourself. The show handles difficult subjects — grief, betrayal, and the weight of expectation — with a light touch. It does not wallow in sadness. It moves forward. The tone is warm, occasionally funny, and always hopeful. That hopefulness is not naive. It is earned through the struggles that come before it.
The pacing is deliberate. The show takes its time, letting scenes breathe and letting relationships develop. This patience is a strength. It allows the audience to invest in Zoe’s journey, because we see the steps along the way. We watch her fail, we watch her try again, and we watch her succeed. The show never rushes to a happy ending. It earns it.
The show’s themes are universal. They are about belonging, about identity, and about the power of a connection with an animal. These are big ideas, but the show handles them with restraint. It does not preach. It shows. The result is a story that feels both specific and expansive.
The Two Specials
The show also produced two feature-length specials. Free Rein: The 12 Neighs of Christmas premiered on 7 December 2018. Free Rein: Valentine’s Day premiered on 1 February 2019. Both specials extend the world of the series, giving viewers more time with the characters and more stories about the island. They are not essential to understanding the main plot, but they offer a pleasant detour for fans who want to spend more time in this world.
The specials maintain the show’s tone and quality. They are not a replacement for the main series, but they are a welcome addition. They give the show a chance to explore holidays and traditions that the main run could not cover. They also give the actors a chance to play slightly different versions of their characters, which adds depth to the overall portrait.
The Third Season
The third season premiered on 6 July 2019. It brings the series to a close. Zoe has changed. The island has changed her. The season deals with the consequences of her actions, and it asks what happens when the summer ends and she has to return to LA. The show does not offer a simple resolution. It offers a honest one. Zoe leaves the island with a sense of purpose she did not have when she arrived. She leaves with friends she never expected to have. And she leaves with a horse she will never forget.
In January 2021, cast member Céline Buckens confirmed that the series had concluded. That confirmation ended a chapter for the show’s audience. The island, the horses, and the people stayed with viewers long after the final episode.
The Verdict
Free Rein is a show about growing up, about leaving home, and about finding your way back to yourself. It is a show about friendship, loyalty, and the power of a bond with an animal. It is a show that respects its audience and respects its characters. It is not a perfect show. It has moments that drag, and it has a few missteps along the way. But it is a consistently good show, one that stays with you long after it ends.
The show’s strengths are its characters and its setting. The island is a character in its own right, and the people who live there are fully realized individuals. The bond between Zoe and Mia is the emotional core, and it is handled with care. The show’s weaknesses are minor compared to its strengths. It is a show worth watching, and it is a show worth remembering.
| Aspect | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Character Development | Deep, realistic | Some characters underdeveloped |
| Setting | Rich, atmospheric | Occasionally slow-moving |
| Themes | Universal, handled with restraint | Minor tonal inconsistencies |
| Pace | Deliberate, rewarding | Can feel slow in stretches |
Free Rein is a show that understands the power of a connection. It is a show that understands the power of a place. It is a show that understands the power of a summer. It is a show that deserves to be remembered.
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