Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Unevenly paced crime drama makes good on representation.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Alert: Missing Persons Unit
What's the Story?
ALERT: MISSING PERSONS UNIT follows Nikki Parker (Dania Ramirez), the leader of the missing persons unit who also deals with her own experience as the mother of a missing child. Her eclectic team, which includes her ex-husband Jason Grant (Scott Caan) and current fiance Mike (Ryan Broussard), use the latest technology and their smarts to find missing people before it's too late.
Is It Any Good?
This is an odd show, but one thing it does do well is bring an abundance of diversity to the procedural genre. Co-created in part by Jamie Foxx, Alert: Missing Person's Unit gets points for having a majority-POC cast with a Latina actress as the lead. Even more to the point, Nikki Parker (Ramirez) is unmistakably Latina who uses her accent; for Latino viewers, that specificity in representation can go far. The show gets extra points for having a character, Kemi (Adeola Role), practice Vodun in a way that doesn't demean or stereotype the religion (as it often is in the media). C Hemingway (Petey Gibson) plays a disabled characters who's not defined by his disability.
Despite the show's awareness about meaningful POC representation, the characterizations and story choices keep the series from being taken as seriously as it could be. It's great that Kemi practices Vodun, but does it make sense for her to light sandalwood and other items in a police station, especially around people (like C Hemingway) who are sensitive to smells? Also, story choices such as Nikki and Jason's (Caan) son being found immediately in the first episode robs the series of character development and instead makes the B-plot feel rushed or not as thought out. Alert: Missing Persons Unit is a show you want to see win, and hopefully it will if it can sort out its thematic beats.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the missing persons team. How do they showcase teamwork and perseverance, and why are these important character strengths?
How does the team exhibit curiosity when it comes to finding clues and solving their cases?
How important is communication to the group?
Why are empathy and compassion important for solving cases?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 8, 2023
- Cast : Scott Caan , Dania Ramirez , Ryan Broussard
- Network : Fox
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings , Single Parents )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Courage , Curiosity , Empathy , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 4, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
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