Courtesy of Tubi

“Sidelined 2” stars Noah Beck and Siena Agudong; it was released on Nov. 29.

The sequel to 2024 teen romance “Sidelined,” starring Noah Beck and Siena Agudong, has arrived and, honestly, watching it left me unsatisfied.

“Sidelined 2: Intercepted” follows main characters Dallas and Drayton into college, but instead of giving us the cute relationship we were all expecting, the movie shows just how messy young relationships can be. And for me, that shift was both interesting and extremely frustrating.

In the first “Sidelined” movie, Dallas and Drayton start as two people with completely different priorities. Dallas is laser-focused on getting into her dream school and pushes herself academically and personally to make her lofty goals happen. Meanwhile, Drayton is committed to Waco University as a quarterback, even though it’s not truly where he wants to go; he constantly feels weighed down by his dad’s expectations and pressure. 

Despite these differences — and all the tension that comes with them — the two slowly grow closer, and the original film ends with them choosing each other in a way that feels like a hopeful, hard-earned beginning.

Throughout the sequel, though, I found myself getting increasingly annoyed at both characters because of their miscommunication and lack of empathy for each other. Every time one of them missed an important moment — Drayton skipping Dallas’s performance or Dallas not showing up to his first game — I felt myself getting irritated on their behalf. 

It wasn’t even the reason for conflict that bothered me most; it was the way neither of them communicated or fought harder to make their relationship work. It felt like watching two people who clearly love each other choose everything except each other.

What really got me emotionally was the scene where Dallas asks Drayton about his dreams. Hearing Drayton talk about his future without mentioning Dallas at all genuinely stung. I felt bad for Dallas because, for her, Drayton is part of her dream future. Sitting there watching that moment, I think I had the same reaction many viewers did: frustration and disappointment.

And then there’s the ending. Without giving away the specifics, let’s say it’s underwhelmingNo closure, no hint at where their relationship is going, nothing. I remember sitting there thinking, that’s it? That’s how we’re ending this whole emotional roller coaster? After everything the film built up, the cut-to-black left me feeling more mad than intrigued. 

Even though Beck and Agudong have hinted at a possible “Sidelined 3,” I honestly don’t see what direction the story could take. The second movie already felt like it was circling the same issues — struggling to manage a long-distance relationship and finding time for one another — which raises the risk that another sequel would simply repeat the exact same problems. 

For me, watching “Sidelined 2” was a mixture of hope and frustration and left me feeling like I was on an emotional rollercoaster. In the end, I walked away feeling just as confused as the characters — and maybe that’s what annoys me the most.