Parents' Guide to

Here and Now

By Mark Dolan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Edgy family drama from HBO rings false from the start.

TV HBO Drama 2018
Here and Now Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

martineque
martineque Parent of 15-year-old
March 13, 2022
age 18+

Wooden acting and uneccessary soft porn scenes

Totally unbelievable right from the start! Great cast, but very poor and wooden. It’s pathetic how one of the male characters picks up two women and has a threesome with them that leads to a prolonged nude sex scene with the entire focus on womens breasts and him squeezing their nipples that you see close-up! Soft porn, which is totally uneccessary and makes this series even more pathetic than it was before this happened. Such a shame, as Six feet under ( same writer or director) was amazing - showing you don’t need OTT full frontal female nudity to have a great show. The whole series was rubbish and i wished i hadn’t wasted my time

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In HERE AND NOW, depressed philosophy professor Greg (Tim Robbins) and controlling former therapist Audrey (Holly Hunter) are 60-ish baby boomers whose marriage has devolved into mutual contempt. Their four grown children -- Liberian-born Ashley (Jerrika Hinton), Vietnamese Duc (Raymond Lee), Colombian Ramon (Daniel Zovotto), and their biological daughter Kristin (Sosie Bacon) -- each have different issues with Mom and Dad. Kristin is tired of being the family's "boring" child, while the others feel they've been paraded around their whole lives as symbols of their parents' progressive values. After a series of mysterious hallucinations plagues Ramon, and Audrey reveals secrets from her past, the family needs to redefine its existing relationships and move forward.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

A great cast is stalled by stilted dialogue and unfortunate characterizations in the latest from Six Feet Under and True Blood creator Alan Ball. On one hand, Here and Now looks like it wants to be an edgier version of This Is Us, with its roster of multicultural siblings and complex family issues. On the other hand, it seems like the creators don't trust that direction and introduce a metaphysical plot thread that feels out a place in an otherwise reality-bound story.

What's most unfortunate is the script. No character ever sounds like a real person. They proclaim and declare and punctuate, but never just speak to each other like humans. You can practically see the words on the page as the actors voice this unnatural, overly written dialogue. The script especially lets down Holly Hunter, who can be excellent portraying strong yet eccentric characters. Unfortunately, here she's asked to play a character so overbearing and petty that she practically comes across as a villain. It's a thankless, borderline sexist characterization. Hopefully, new layers will be uncovered as the show develops.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about diversity. What makes the family in Here and Now unique? What makes them the same?

  • Audrey speaks very frankly with her children -- swearing, talking about drugs and sex -- even in casual conversations. Does your family talk like this? Do you think it's a good or bad idea?

  • Do the characters talk and behave in realistic ways? What traits make the behavior seem real or false?

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.

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