Common Sense Note
In this surprisingly thoughtful drama, the question of what builds a future president's character is examined by flashing back to his youth. Parents need to know that the mother is caught in a lie about the identity of her sons' father, and that her addiction to marijuana impacts her younger son Bobby in two ways. First, it makes him sad that she's addicted and second, he steals her pot in the first episode to bribe his way into a cooler gang at school.
Parents should definitely watch this show with their high school teens and discuss the questions of peer pressure, honesty, and disappointment in parents and sibling relationships.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Liz Perle
Some TV shows push the envelope for shock value, and some because they use the medium for serious exploration of contemporary issues. The first episode of JACK AND BOBBY falls into this second category. In Jack and Bobby, the story tellers behind Everwood, Dawson's Creek, The West Wing and Ally McBeal tell the story of two high school brothers and their single mother (played forcefully by Academy Award winner Christine Lahti). One of the brothers will become president one day. The show's conceit is that we get to see what goes into the making of the character of a future leader.
Set in present day, with flash-forward interviews of future-President McCallister's White House staffers and first lady, it's a snapshot of a young man being molded to beat the odds and become the mid-century's greatest presidential leader.
The premiere episode doesn't back away from controversial subjects but treats them seriously. Bobby (who we learn becomes the future president) steals his mother's pot in order to be better liked at school. His brother lies for him even though it means he is punished by the school as well. The mother is overbearing and flawed and has lied to her younger son about his father's true identity. In other hands, this could be handled melodramatically, but this initial episode treats the material with deftness.
We need to keep an eye on the show since it can easily topple over into sensationalism and exploit this tense set-up. But this is one of those rare shows we feel should be watched and discussed with your high school-aged teens since it brings up important issues of character and human flaws.
Fans of this show may also enjoy the relationship between a single mother and her children in the mature dark comedy Weeds.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentHigh school crush stuff. |
 |
 |
|
|
ViolenceA fistfight between two ninth graders. |
|
|
|
|
LanguageSome strong language at the beginning from the teens. |
|
|
|
|
Message |
|
|
|
|
Social BehaviorUses a negative example (the mom is a pothead) but to good end. |
 |
|
|
|
Commercialism |
 |
|
|
|
Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoThe first episode plot revolves around pot. |
 |
|
|
|
