Parents' Guide to

Finding Carter

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Engaging teen drama has mature themes and risky behavior.

TV MTV Drama 2014
Finding Carter Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 5 parent reviews

briannal1
briannal1 Adult
December 17, 2015
age 14+

Best show ever

I love this show I watch it every Tuesday an since I don't have cable I watch it on the MTV app

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
BeckyG 4
BeckyG 4 Adult
December 2, 2015
age 16+

So much possibility. .

I have watched this show since episode 1. I was a bit concerned from the onset about the casual drinking, drugs and sex but I attributed it to the fact Carter had been raised by an abductor. I also attributed the lack of parenting by her birth parents to them having lost so much time with her. I have since seen the show morph to parents being "friends" but not parents, Carter working in a bar and dating a married man and one teen character lamenting the fact that she's never had an orgasm with ANY of her partners! Wow! Seriously, these are high school kids! Conceptually this show had tons of potential but even that has fallen flat now that Carter is reconnecting with her abductor... It is a sad day when the characters in this show are being portrayed as "normal" teens and encouraging teens to disobey, lie to and disrespect parents. It is equally as sad that parents are portrayed as puppets to be played by said teens!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

FINDING CARTER is a dramatic series about a teenager forced to restart her life and rediscover who she really is. After a minor run-in with the law, 16-year-old Carter Stevens (Kathryn Prescott) learns that the woman she thought was her mother (Milena Govich) was actually her childhood kidnapper. From one day to the next, she finds herself starting a new life with her biological family, including police officer Elizabeth (Cynthia Watros), dad and author David (Alexis Denisof), and twin sister Taylor (Anna Jacoby-Heron), who had been living in constant fear of what happened to Carter. She also meets Grant (Zac Pullam), her little brother, who was born after she was taken. While the Wilsons adjust to being reunited and cope with the continuing damage caused the abduction, Carter becomes intent on living her life the way she wants -- at the same time as protecting the woman she considers her real mom.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (6):

The series, reminiscent of the novel The Face on the Milk Carton, combines the tragedy of childhood abduction with the angst and drama that teen-oriented shows are known for. But amid the improbable (and sometimes over-the-top) plot lines is a very believable story about a young woman's struggle to figure out who she is while being forced to cope with the sadness and anger she feels about her circumstances.

As with most MTV shows of this kind, Finding Carter features lots of risky behaviors. It also sends some not-so-subtle messages about some adults' inability or unwillingness to parent. However, much of this is offered up as a way of underscoring some very real and far-reaching consequences an event such as child kidnapping has on everyone involved. It's an engaging show and very likely to appeal to older tweens and teens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about risky behaviors shown on TV. Is it ever appropriate to feature them, even if they're being offered in the context of a story? Is there anything that can be learned from seeing these stories in the media?

  • Child kidnapping can result from predators gathering information online. What are some ways kids can protect themselves online? What specific steps can parents take to make sure their kids are safe?

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