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Parents' Guide to

Gap Year

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Travel mishaps, drugs, drinking in this easygoing comedy.

TV Hulu Drama 2017
Gap Year Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

GAP YEAR centers around a motley group of backpackers who casually decide to travel together through Asia, and find that their foibles follow them everywhere. Dylan (Anders Hayward) is a university student trying to get over his difficult ex, Lauren (Rachel Redford), and hopes he can find the answers in an international trip with his longtime best mate Sean (Ade Oyefeso). By chance they meet up with Greg (Tim Key), a feckless older man who's inserted himself into the travel plans of buttoned-up May (Alice Lee), in China to meet her extended family, and careless Ashley (Brittney Wilson) who goes along on the trip because May's mom won't let her travel alone. All were hoping to see some sights, and have some fun; Sean defensively explains that he and Dylan chose to visit Asia because they both like "Kung fu...and rice." But trouble seems to find them wherever they go, and they're in for a lot more adventure than they counted on.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

As loose, casual, and fitfully joyous as a rambling trip abroad, this comedy goes down easy, particularly for those who have had their own travel misadventures. Of course, missing a train or not knowing how to order food in the local language pales in comparison to what Dylan, Sean, and company get themselves into as they stumble from China to Southeast Asia in search of adventure -- and, in May's case, the Asian history and art that her strict mother has demanded she absorb and understand. Cultural and language barriers loom large as Sean is lost and found again, Greg just barely avoids contracting leprosy, and several of the number make a brief stay at a Nepalese jail.

Gap Year has the vibe of other travel-misadventure narratives like The Hangover and Girls Trip, but the vibe is lighter and the action geared at teen and college-age audiences. These young travelers are looking for music festivals and white-sand beaches and love -- at least for a night -- and their mishaps are equally frivolous. Those who have spent long nights guarding their shoes in a hostel, or wandering around distant cities with a backpack will enjoy trekking along with this ragtag group of friends, even if their own gap year journeys are long since past.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stereotypes. What kind of stereotypes about people of different nationalities appear in Gap Year? Is there anything harmful about portraying stereotypes this way? What function do stereotypes perform in our understanding of different cultures? Does this show subvert any stereotypes?

  • What kind of relationships are on display here? Do these types of relationships seem familiar? Do the people in them seem happy? In this show, does traveling with friends bring them closer -- or ruin the friendships?

  • Is the idea of a gap year familiar to Americans? What types of rituals do we have for taking a break in between major periods of our lives? Do we have such a ritual? Do we need one?

TV Details

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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.

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