Youngins Season 1 episodes 7-9 recap: Ball games

Episodes 7-9 of Youngins centre on Amo and Mahlatse’s efforts to save another Grade 10 student, Zintle, from the clutches of “Principal Bae”; the school’s excitement over the Freshers Ball; Khaya’s struggles with maths, and Tumelo’s struggle to understand non-binary love and gender expression with his new bestie, Alex.

What happened in Youngins episodes 4-6?

New girl Amo (Ayakha Ntunja) tried to convince her four new friends at government boarding school Olifantsfontein High that Principal Mthembu (Loyiso MacDonald) saw them all the night that they snuck out to the club, where he tried to seduce (a clearly underaged) Amo. But her roommate and head girl Buhle (Kealeboga Masango) and Buhle’s soccer star boyfriend Khaya Jali (Toka Matabane) were too caught up in role playing as a future Bafana Bafana star and his WAG. Amo’s closest pal Tumelo (Lebohang Lephatsoana) got dumped by his secret love, head boy Sefako Masemola (Tabile Tau), and Tumelo’s pal and roommate Mahlatse (Thabiso Ramotshela) wasn’t even brave enough to talk to Amo about his crush on her, let alone to defy the headmaster. Then Principal Mthembu fired the first shots by having their dorms raided and calling Buhle and Amo into his office to intimidate them.

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What happened in Youngins episode 7?

Sefako is still in his blue screen era following his secret breakup with Tumelo, while Tumelo is going full speed ahead with his non-binary lunch queue connection, Alex (Katlego Moloke). After Alex scolds class clown Tshepo (Tshepo Matlala) for mocking gender non-conforming people and tells Tumelo that they should be the "it" couple on TikTok and wear matching outfits at the Freshers Ball, though, Tumelo gets all awkward and insists that they get to know each other better first. He can’t quite admit to Alex that he’s only attracted to cisgender gay boys!

Principal Mthembu tutors Khaya in every free minute he has to stop him from failing his maths class. And when Amo tells the others that she overheard Principal Mthembu (Loyiso Macdonald) having sex in his office with Grade 10 pupil Zintle (Lihle Ngubo), she’s treated to laughter and disbelief. Buhle claims that even if Amo is right, it’s none of Buhle’s business, and both Tumelo and Buhle insist that Zintle is probably benefitting in all sorts of ways. Meanwhile, Khaya tells Amo that the Principal saved the school and raised their 30% Matric pass rate to 100%, and he implies that if the Principal is grooming and seducing underage students (statutory rape), it’s their own fault for throwing themselves at him.

Amo is disgusted with everyone but when she lashes out at Mahlatse, too, he tells her not to make assumptions. Mahlatse confides that his mother had a kid while she was still a kid herself because of an older man who groomed her, got her pregnant, and ran. Later when Mahlatse asks Amo why she is hell bent on exposing the principal, she admits that she can’t sit by and do nothing while someone else can’t or won’t talk again.

What happened in Youngins episode 8?

Mahlatse and Amo decide their best strategy is to befriend Zintle by having Amo join the netball team. Mahlatse accidentally walks into a patch of innuendo about balls and nearly cringes himself to death, but Amo certainly notices Mahlatse’s fit body when he becomes her personal netball coach! When Amo and Zintle talk about the Freshers Ball, Zintle proudly declares that she’s going alone but she doesn’t date highschool boys; she likes men.

Zintle advises Amo to start out slow with a schoolboy or two before she moves up to getting a sugar daddy, and she shows Amo the cellphone that her “boyfriend” gave her, boasts that her boyfriend told her that she’s the first “mature” girlfriend he’s been with, and that he even took her to Durban with him.

Zintle’s groomer, Principal Mthembu, uses his powers of persuasion for good instead of evil as he works to convince Khaya that he is capable of so much more than he believes he is. And he means it. With his help, Khaya has a breakthrough understanding quadratic equations and whatnot, and Khaya is, for once, genuinely excited about maths instead of being afraid of it. Principal Mthembu is up against a formidable opponent, though. Maths teacher Mr Ramathuba (Simo Magwaza) relentlessly bullies Khaya during his test, humiliating and degrading him while enjoying his power trip. And Khaya’s dad also phones him to demand updates and threaten him about his grades.

Tumelo, desperate to save face and cover his tracks, complains to Mahlatse that Alex is too clingy. After Tumelo uses the wrong pronouns for Alex, ignores all the messages that Alex is sending him, and goes back to the soccer field to support Sefako, Alex confronts Tumelo about his ghosting and gaslighting, and insists that all they want is for Tumelo to match their energy in the relationship.

What happened in Youngins episode 9?

Mahlatse crows over Tumelo getting a taste of his own medicine from Alex, while Tumelo tries to convince Alex to keep their relationship on the down low, even claiming that he doesn’t want to go to the Freshers Ball (in no reality would this be true). Later, back in the dorms, it becomes clearer that aside from kissing, what Alex is offering doesn’t align with Tumelo’s ideas about sex and pleasure.

Mahlatse and Amo are still at a loss over how to protect 15-year-old Grade 10 pupil Zintle from the principal since she’s enjoying all things that they know will later make her blame herself for her abuse, instead of the predator who groomed her. Khaya is stressing over his maths test results, but Amo frostily points out that he’s going to be fine because he has the principal to protect and support him. And later in class the crowd goes wild when Mr Ramathuba hands out the maths test results and, for once, Khaya passes!

Mahlatse invites Amo to the Freshers Ball (as friends, shame, Mahlatse), and Buhle and Khaya are named King and Queen of the Ball but Buhle fights with Khaya when he doesn’t show up in the matching outfit that she chose for him. Amo and Tumelo are both confused when neither of their dates show up on time. Mahlatse is MIA, but Alex has used the time to glam up in full femme battle gear, ready to slay. Alas, Tumelo is upset and confused by Alex expressing their femininity and on the dance floor in front of everyone, he brutally rejects them and storms off in a huff, exposing Alex to bullying and humiliation from the crowd.

Zintle’s not having a great time, either. Amo finds her throwing up in the bathroom and when Amo lets slip that she knows that Zintle’s “boyfriend” is the principal, a hurt and angry Zintle accuses her of faking friendship to fish for information because she’s jealous. The night gets even worse for Khaya when Mr Ramathuba crashes the party and confronts him about being drunk. Khaya swears at Mr Ramathuba, accuses him of being jealous because he only got Bantu Education, pours out alcohol at his feet because he’s an ancestor, and accuses him of not getting a degree. Well, this party is certainly over!

Stream Youngins S1 on Showmax now. 3 new episodes each Thursday.

What is Youngins about?

Tshedza Pictures’ (Adulting, Outlaws) Youngins follows five students at government boarding school Olifantsfontein High – new girl Amo Mosweu (Ayakha Ntunja), head girl Buhle Kunene (Kealeboga Masango), Buhle’s soccer star boyfriend Khaya Jali (Toka Matabane), Tumelo Dibakwane (Lebohang Lephatsoana), who’s the only openly gay boy in school, and his Grade 10 friend and roommate Mahlatse Jiyane (Thabiso Ramotshela), who’s the school’s drug dealer. When Amo uncovers Principal Mthembu’s (Loyiso Macdonald) predatory behaviour around female students, she and her four new friends become targets.

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