My Own Worst Enemy - TV-14

Sophisticated drama packs too much heat for kids.

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Common Sense rates it
4
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details
  • TV Rating: TV-14
  • Network: NBC
  • Cast: Christian Slater, Alfre Woodard, Mike O'Malley
  • Genre: Drama

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that graphic violence is the primary concern here. There's some eyebrow-raising sexual content, too, but it's far less pervasive. Characters live in a generally dangerous world and use guns, bombs, and knives to get what they want, rarely stopping to think twice before they kill someone. When a character dies in a manner that involves blood, such as a shooting, you'll see plenty of that, as well. There are also explosions, and characters use a bit of salty language and drink.

Families can talk about the moral and ethical implications of altering someone's brain to give them two distinct personalities. Do you consider Henry and Edward to be two halves of the same person, or are they two completely different people? Do you think the technology already exists to perform this type of procedure on human beings, or is it purely the stuff of fiction? If the technology did exist, do you think it would be OK to use it? If so, under what circumstances? How does this show compare to other TV dramas? Is it more violent? How does that type of content affect viewers?

Message

Social Behavior:

Henry and Edward share the same body, but they're worlds apart when it comes to how they think. Henry loves his wife and family and, in general, tries to do the right thing, but Edward is his polar opposite.

Consumerism:

The show has a cross-promotion deal with General Motors: Each of Slater's alter egos drives a different type of Chevrolet. Henry drives a sensible SUV, while Edward sports a racier model. Other GM vehicles are featured, too.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Adult characters drink alcohol in social settings. One character takes a shot when he can't sleep; another guzzles a bottle of champagne.

Violence

Weapons of every sort, including guns, bombs, knives, and plastic bags used to suffocate hostages. Scenes also depict explosions and shootouts in which people get shot, and blood pools and splatters everywhere.

Sex

Adult characters engage in sexual situations that steer into steamy territory, although no sensitive body parts are shown. Men are sometimes shirtless, and women are occasionally shown wearing only lingerie. In one scene, a male character slams a female character up against the wall in the throes of passion. They're later shown in post-coital conversation.

Language

A character might call someone a "bastard" or a "dick," but, for the most part, it's relatively mild. There's also some cheeky sexual banter. For example, when two guys are talking about another woman, one claims, "I'd tap that like a Mafia phone line."

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Kari Croop

Christian Slater stars as two different men forced to share the same body in MY OWN WORST ENEMY, a fast-paced drama that explores what happens when a top-secret government operation involving brain manipulation and deception goes awry. Henry (Slater) is a happily married Everyman with two children, a steady job, and a house in the suburbs. But he has no idea he's been living a double life as Edward (also Slater), a trained assassin who sleeps with beautiful women before killing them, speaks 13 languages, and can hold his breath underwater for five minutes at a time. Or at least he had no idea ... until everything changed.

Is it any good?

4
My Own Worst Enemy is a thinking person's action series that draws obvious inspiration from movies like The Bourne Identity and espionage-oriented video games like Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent. The premise is intriguing, the writing is smart and shrewdly funny, and the characters are well-developed and multidimensional. To top it off, the special effects are impressive, and the use of nontraditional camera angles keeps things interesting.

With so many positives in its favor, My Own Worst Enemy has plenty of potential. But what will happen to Henry and Edward? Will one be absorbed by the other, or will they continue leading parallel lives? Whatever the answer, it's worth waiting for.

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