Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Journalism dramedy bit of a guilty pleasure, some violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Guilty Party
What's the Story?
Guilty Party starts at the highest and lowest points of Beth Baker's writing career. Immediately after recieving a prestigious award, she is accused of publishing a false report and fired from her newspaper. A year later, now working at a pop culture website, Beth (Kate Beckinsale) receives a letter from Toni (Jules Latimer), a woman in prison for killing her husband. Beth intends to redeem herself and repair her reputation by proving Toni's innocence, but the case turns out to be trickier than she ever imagined.
Is It Any Good?
This series leans toward the funny end of the spectrum of the "amateur detective who gets in over their head" premise, but it also tends to use that comedy to cover up the shakier aspects of the writing. For example, it's supposed to be about an accomplished journalist, yet in most scenes Beckinsale's character appears to know nothing about research, investigation, or journalistic ethics. So it's no surprise that, when Guilty Party attempts to wade into more complex topics like prison and racial inequality, it also doesn't know how to get any deeper than surface level.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about journalism. What are the differences in Beth's career before and after her termination? Why is publishing a false quote a big deal? How does Beth approach her job as a journalist? What are the qualities that make her successful or good at it?
What are the details of Toni's case? Why does Beth believe she's innocent? How does Beth go about proving Toni's innocence? What do you think actually happened?
Is Beth writing Toni's story for selfish reasons? Does it matter what her motivations are? Do good deeds need to be purely altruistic? Or can good come out of a selfishly motivated act?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 15, 2021
- Cast : Kate Beckinsale , Laurie Davidson , Andre Hyland
- Network : Paramount+
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 26, 2021
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