Crisis
By Kari Croop,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Twisty hostage drama involves kids in danger.
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Crisis
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Based on 1 parent review
TV show as never as I've seen!
What's the Story?
Structuring each season around a different high-stakes crime involving a complex cast of characters, CRISIS explores the tension among various players, from the unsuspecting victims and their families to the perpetrators behind it all. In the show's premiere season, a busload of teens from a prestigious Washington, D.C., high school -- including the president of the United States' son -- is taken hostage, spurring the FBI and the students' powerful parents into action.
Is It Any Good?
Crisis certainly isn't the first series to stretch a single plot across an entire season (see also The Killing and The Following), and it probably won't be the last. But it still feels like a fresh concept thanks to a twisty plot that's full of turns and compelling characters who spill their secrets when you're least expecting it. True, the dialogue sometimes borders on hokey, but it hardly matters, considering that the real draw here (aside from big names such as Gillian Anderson and Dermot Mulroney) is the element of surprise.
The series is largely centered on adults, but teens who watch will definitely see characters they can relate to. An added plus for families, at least in the series' first season, is that Crisis offers some fodder for deeper discussion, from school safety and high school politics to parent-child communication and the repercussions of a student-teacher romance.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Crisis's premise and whether any of it could actually happen. How realistically does the series handle the crime and the ensuing search for the hostages? Does watching these fictional events play out make you think twice about taking that next school field trip? What steps does your school take to keep you and your friends safe?
How does Crisis explore the role technology plays in our lives, particularly in terms of cell phones and other mobile forms of communication? Does the absence of iPhones and other communication tools we've come to rely on change the way we interact when those things are no longer at our fingertips?
How well does Crisis capture modern teen culture? Can you relate to these characters in terms of the relationships they have with their parents and each other?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 16, 2014
- Cast: Gillian Anderson , Rachael Taylor , Lance Gross
- Network: NBC
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: October 14, 2022
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