Parents' Guide to

Casual

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Lots of sex in too-dark-for-kids bummer comedy.

TV Hulu Comedy 2015
Casual Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

simpson_chloe
simpson_chloe Adult
December 13, 2020
age 16+
I think everyone here missed the scene where a woman's breasts were shown, while she was riding on a male character. The scene continues to portray her nude body while she dresses up.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Sadman
Sadman Adult
July 12, 2016
age 18+

Very sexually explicit

I get the feeling CSM must have only caught a couple episodes because this is a very sexually explicit series with nudity and graphic sex in a number of episodes (as has become commonplace in so-called "adult" storytelling in the 2010s, sadly). The "sex" meter should be ramped up to 5 because someone going into this might not expect this level of explictness from something being promoted as a comedy series. As for letting kids watch ... well, if you're OK with children watching "Girls", "Shameless" or "Orange is the New Black", have at 'er, I guess.

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

For depressed Internet entrepreneur Alex (Tommy Dewey), sex has been CASUAL for quite a while. He uses the women he meets through the successful dating site he founded, Snooger, as an escape from his otherwise colorless and sad life. Also promising: His sister Valerie (Michaela Watkins) has just moved in with her precocious teenage daughter Laura (Tara Lynne Barr), both reeling from Valerie's ongoing divorce proceedings, but they're some comfort and company for Alex. Each member of the family struggles with his or her own personal problems, but when they're together, at least there's someone to sit with on the couch.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

This downbeat comedy is enlivened by the luminescent presence of Michaela Watkins as Valerie and careful direction by Jason Reitman (Juno), making his foray into TV. It feels like we've met these characters before: the delicate and damaged woman, the man drowning his sorrows in women and sex. It feels too easy to turn the plot of this show into a romcom-movie-poster tagline, and some of the characterizations feel glib. Laura doesn't look or talk like a teen, so it's jarring to see her treated like one; Alex is a textbook "nice guy underneath the sleaze" sitcom guy. Only Watkins manages to realistically convey her character's exhaustion and disappointment with her life, reeling in the viewer who wants to see this embittered woman find the happiness we're sure awaits her in forthcoming plot lines. The cursing, sex, and references to suicide make this one too dark for kids -- save it for teens on up, if they're interested.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why shows featuring families are so common. What types of story lines do they typically feature? What types of dramatic possibilities do shows about families have?

  • Does the actress playing Laura look like a teenager? Would it surprise you to learn she's 22? Why do older actors typically play teens in movies and on television?

  • Are we supposed to like the characters in Casual? What about the show brings you to that conclusion? Consider dialogue, settings, plot lines, and camera angles.

TV Details

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