Good Girls
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Three moms embark on a crime spree in soapy, fun show.
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Good Girls
Community Reviews
Based on 18 parent reviews
Loved this show
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Sooooo funny. Some sexual content
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What's the Story?
Beth (Christina Hendricks), her sister Annie (Mae Whitman), and their pal Ruby (Retta) have always been GOOD GIRLS, living the suburban mom life with its carpools and bagged lunches. But when each of our heroines has a complication that makes it necessary to come up with a pile of cash, fast, they try something desperate (and criminal!). Now they've run afoul of a local crime syndicate, and making the perfect getaway is going to be a lot tougher than they thought.
Is It Any Good?
Watching "good" characters break bad is a delight in this twisty, soapy comedy staffed with actors you already love, let loose on roles they're clearly relishing. Mae Whitman, who's perhaps best known for playing bland Ann Veal in Arrested Development, is a saucy cashier at the Fine & Frugal and mom to quirky Sadie, who may be in need of a private school. What about Catholic school, wonders her patronizing ex, who's battling Annie for custody. "She's an atheist who enjoys a jaunty bow tie -- Catholic school's not for her," retorts Annie. Retta's Ruby is given fewer snappy lines than Parks and Recreation fans may expect. Her daughter's sick, and needs medication that costs $10K a month; Ruby's going to figure out a way to get it, even if it kills someone. And for her part, Christina Hendricks' Beth is going to find the money she needs to stay in her suburban house with her kids -- even if she has to shed her faithless spouse Dean (Matthew Lillard) in the process.
Desperate women with desperate problems -- it proves an irresistible hook in Good Girls. Female-led comedies are rare on TV, much less a trio of women who viewers will quickly grow to sympathize with, particularly once their heist goes awry and the complications pile up. "Nobody's going to fix this," says Beth, getting tough in her gleaming kitchen on a quiet suburban street. "We're going to have to do it ourselves." Good thing they make being bad look like so much fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dysfunctional characters in Good Girls and discuss why writers so often turn to them for material. Why is a person with serious problems a more compelling character than one with a calm, "normal" life? What dramatic or comedic possibilities do life's challenges hold?
Is the audience supposed to sympathize with Beth, Annie, and Ruby? How can you tell? How are we supposed to regard their many transgressions? How are sympathetic characters presented, and how is that different from unsympathetic characters?
Criminal enterprises are often the setting for dark dramas. What other examples can you name? How does the show keep you invested in characters who do bad things?
TV Details
- Premiere date: February 26, 2018
- Cast: Christina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman
- Network: NBC
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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