 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Nine
Common Sense Media says
Now-familiar flashback formula works ... again.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that most of the characters in this high-concept serial drama (with the exception of one female high school student) are adult hostages who are the victims of a traumatic violent crime. At least one of them dies, and several of them are emotionally distraught after the fact, which could upset young children. The intensity of the hostage experience causes an upheaval in most of the main characters' everyday lives, with stable relationships crumbling and emotions swinging wildly. The flashbacks include plenty of violence (in the form of guns, blood, and torture), which means this isn't one for the kids.
What's the story?
The lives of nine random Los Angelenos collided on an otherwise average morning when two brothers robbed a bank and held them hostage. But what really happened inside the building during the tense, 52-hour standoff that followed? That's for them to know and viewers to find out. That's the titillating premise of THE NINE, a character-driven serial drama that strings viewers along by revealing bits and pieces of information via flashback without revealing the entire story all at once. The Nine's motley crew of captives includes Nick (Tim Daly), a police detective with personal problems; successful surgeon Jeremy (Scott Wolf) and his social worker girlfriend, Lizzie (Jessica Collins); dedicated bank manager Malcolm (Chi McBride) and his teenage daughter, Felicia (Dana Davis); type-A assistant district attorney Kathryn (Kim Raver); bank-teller sisters Eva and Frannny (Lourdes Benedicto and Camille Guaty); and Egan (John Billingsley), a self-proclaimed suicidal "loser." Owain Yeoman co-stars as Lucas Dalton, one of the gunmen who makes their lives a living hell.
Is it any good?
The premise of The Nine is definitely intriguing, and Daly and McBride's nuanced performances are particularly noteworthy. But how many times can Hollywood twist already successful shows like 24 and Lost into "all-new" reincarnations before dramatic devices that were once inventive become hopelessly tired and cliched?
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the believability of the storyline and how often bank robberies and hostage situations actually occur. Are there things people can do to protect themselves in extreme circumstances? And what, if anything, could these hostages have done differently? The show also brings up the importance of encouraging communication (and sometimes therapy) in the wake of a traumatic event. Why are some people hesitant to talk about a trauma they've experienced? And why do some victims of violent crime become emotionally attached to the perpetrators (a phenomenon also known as Stockholm syndrome)?
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| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Network: | ABC |
| Cast: | Kim Raver, Scott Wolf, Tim Daly |
| Genre: | Drama |
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