Parents' Guide to

Helix

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Medical horror is too scary for tweens, sensitive teens.

TV Syfy Drama 2014
Helix Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 16+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Ivorys
Ivorys Parent of 10-year-old
February 1, 2019
age 17+

2nd season not for kids

First season is scary, but not much sex. Second season is very many sex scenes, example: a girl jerks off a man for several minutes, while they are talking, you don’t see any parts, but you see her arm and sounds off it and the man is moaning.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Kennedy O.
Kennedy O. Parent
March 10, 2018
age 16+

Really well done, not something for sensitive people.

I really like Helix, it’s got a good story... many plot twists. I put 16+ because “bad guys” or the infected people are rather gruesome. They are like smart, fast Zombies. They have a black liquid that drips out of their mouth, I think people should be aware that they infect people by violently puking this black liquid into other peoples mouths and it at lest made me queasy. (I personally would have liked a warning before I saw it! That’s why I put it in my review!) The infected also set traps to catch non-infected so they can infect them. There is a lot of animal pain. For example one of the infected microwaves a lab rat. Several monkeys are lit on fire (they’re supposed to be frozen to death) In all the seasons I have seen of Helix which is 1 thru 2. The infected are normally really gross looking. Other than that there is no nudity or extreme vulgar language. The use of “Damn” or “Hell” being as extreme as it gets. There is the mention of two characters having sex but it doesn’t really show them commiting the act. I think if your kids are used to shows and video games like this I really think they would be okay. As always I always encourage parents to watch the show and then judge it for yourself before you let your kids watch it!

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In the intense sci-fi series HELIX, something's wrong at the mysterious Arctic Biosystems lab: A virus has gone rogue, moving swiftly from animal to human and then causing people to attack each other. Alan Farragut (Billy Campbell), a heroic researcher with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flies in with a troop of scientists with the goal of checking the spread. But it may already be too late: Alan's estranged brother, Peter (Neil Napier), is Patient Zero, infected and seeking victims among his Arctic Biosystems lab colleagues, all of whom are under the guidance of the enigmatic Dr. Hiroshi Hatake (Hiroyuki Sanada), who's not exactly hoping to stamp the virus out. Or is he? Matters are complicated by Farragut's team's twisty backstories: Along for the ride is Farragut's ex-wife, Julia (Kyra Zagorsky), whose affair with Peter was the reason for the brothers' falling-out, and Farragut's sultry, yearning assistant, Dr. Sarah Jordan (Jordan Hayes). The virus is spreading, and it's anyone's guess who will survive.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (6 ):

Helix has the scary-medical thing down pat: There's a lot of gleaming stainless-steel surfaces, giant needles, and sickly green lighting, not to mention bulging black veins, off-kilter madmen in lab coats, and ominous animal cages with something shadowy lurking in them. Which is to say, genre fans will catch a breath of many a similarly themed "infection" movie in Helix's goings-on. Say, the monster-guy is crawling through air ducts, just like in Aliens! Say, didn't it remind you of 28 Days Later when that monkey attacked the doctor's face?

That's not to say that Helix isn't good or scary. It just carries with it the DNA of other horror outings. But it also has similarities to another late, great, and much-beloved sci-fi/horror show, Lost, which scored by putting relatable, likable characters into weird circumstances. Since Helix is executive-produced by a former Lost writer, the similarities are not exactly unexpected, but this may be enough to make tuning in worth it for fans.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the real Centers for Disease Control and the work it does. How does the CDC keep people safe? Which epidemics, such as bird flu, has it identified in the past, and how has it helped quell epidemics?

  • Compare the atmosphere of Helix to other shows worked on by the same creative team, such as Battlestar Galactica and Lost. How are these shows alike? How are they different?

  • Horror/sci-fi movies and shows about some type of zombie-like infection are common: Witness movies such as 28 Days Later and World War Z or TV shows such as The Walking Dead. Is Helix a show about zombies? Why, or why not?

TV Details

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