Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Odd mix of sci-fi, politics is a mockery of modern problems.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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BrainDead
What's the Story?
When the financing on her latest film falls through, documentary filmmaker Laurel Healy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) strikes a desperate deal with her father, agreeing to work for her U.S. senator brother (Danny Pino) for six months in exchange for half the money she needs. But while looking into a seemingly routine constituent complaint, Laurel learns that Washington is literally becoming BRAINDEAD, thanks to an infestation of alien origin.
Is It Any Good?
Instead of smart satire, this promising but tone-deaf "comic-thriller" aims to explain America's problems away via an absurdly implausible metaphor: alien infestation. Maybe it looked funny on paper, but the joke falls particularly flat in the face of terrorism, discrimination, and gun violence, not to mention a contentious presidential election that's fanning the flames of a city -- and, more broadly, a nation -- that's already on fire.
Will BrainDead make you laugh? Maybe, though it largely eschews comedy in favor of its farcical sci-fi plot. But one thing it won't do is teach you much about the way American politics actually works or how we've arrived at our current delirium. True analysis of the American mind would be far too frightening -- and rather unfunny indeed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about BrainDead's take on Washington politics and the role the news media plays in shaping public opinion. Improbable plot aside, how realistic are the show's portrayals of politicians and other talking heads? How do issues explored on BrainDead compare to current events?
Does BrainDead have an agenda? (Does it take sides, call anyone out, or favor any one particular ideology?) Will a show like BrainDead fix any of the problems plaguing American politics, or is it merely designed to entertain?
Is BrainDead a comedy, a drama, or a sci-fi thriller? How does the show blend elements of all three genres, and does it work?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 13, 2016
- Cast : Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Tony Shalhoub , Aaron Tveit
- Network : CBS
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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