Parents' Guide to

Against the Wall

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Strong female lead uses sex, alcohol to relieve stress.

TV Lifetime Television Drama 2011
Against the Wall Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Chicago police officer Abby Kowalski (Rachael Carpani) is AGAINST THE WALL when she takes a promotion working as a detective in the Chicago Police Department's Internal Affairs division, which investigates crimes and misdemeanors inside the department. Because now, she's getting paid to question the actions of "her own" -- including her retired cop father (Treat Williams) and three police officer brothers (Brandon Quinn, Steve Byers, and James Thomas).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1 ):

Against the Wall is all about putting women in charge -- even those who are visibly pregnant -- and that certainly makes it stand out in a flooded sea of crime shows that tend to pair strong secondary female characters up with stronger male leads. Abby Kowalski and her expectant partner are both flawed and highly watchable in their efforts to understand each other as women and get along in a male-dominated workplace.

But at times, Against the Wall goes a bit too far with the girl power. In the show's first episode, for example, a seemingly tough and blatantly burly cop suspected of battery confesses (spoiler alert!) that it's actually his wife who's the serial abuser at home. And while that's a perfectly plausible plotline for, say, a Lifetime Original Movie...it plays like a slightly laughable "gotcha" in an otherwise serious script.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stereotypes and nontraditional careers for women. How do the characters cope with being the minority in a male-dominated environment? Is it even an issue? Do these characters' actions undermine or reinforce traditional ideas about women in this line of work?

  • Is the main character's habit of having casual sex to relieve stress any more surprising, simply because she's a woman? If she were a man, would it be more of a non-issue?

  • Is it smart to use casual sex or alcohol as a stress reliever? What are some healthier ways to reduce day-to-day anxieties?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate