Parents' Guide to

Legends

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Deaths, guns, violence, deception in disappointing drama.

TV TNT Drama 2014
Legends 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?

Martin Odum (Sean Bean) is a man with a secret. Many secrets, actually, in the form of LEGENDS, the identities he takes on to investigate FBI cases. His supervisors think he's the most naturally gifted agent they've ever seen; his colleagues, particularly operations specialist Crystal (Ali Larter), think he's reckless, too intense, and maybe even dangerous. His ex-wife, Sonya (Amber Valetta), doesn't appreciate Martin's habit of dropping in and out of his son's life whenever he's between cases. But, scariest of all, Martin's come to suspect that his life may be a puzzle within a puzzle -- the one identity he thinks of as rock-solid just another legend.

Is It Any Good?

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

Viewers who come to Legends prepped with the knowledge that its executive producer Howard Gordon was involved with the creation of Homeland and 24 no doubt will be expecting something similar to those shows: twisty, dark tales of the criminal element. Well, yeah, except Legends isn't nearly as good as it should be. First of all, though the high-concept setting is fine (if a little seen-it-before, as in the better Alias) but lazily executed with a case-of-the-week structure that's borrowed from the Law & Order franchise. Second, the writing and plot points are eye-rollingly trope-ish. A fuzzy image culled from a train station security camera can be zoomed in on so tightly that a facial-recognition system identifies the subject. Odum shoots a whole bunch of suspects without having to do any paperwork. He rids himself of an identity's truck by simply driving it under a bridge and setting it on fire. Really? There's no FBI lot he was supposed to bring it to?

Even worse, considering how strong female lead Carrie is on Homeland, the women on-screen are mostly window dressing for Odum to flirt or fight with. In the show's pilot, Ali Larter has to pass crucial information to Odum. How does she manage it? She impersonates a stripper, meets Odum in a go-go club, and offers him a lap dance. Sigh, really? Wasn't setting police work scenes in strip clubs the thing to do right about the time Beverly Hills Cop came out? Three-plus decades ago? Poor Ali Larter. She deserves better. So does Sean Bean, Morris Chestnut, and every other fine actor in this mess.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why police/intelligence work is such a staple of dramatic television. What shows can you name that are like Legends? Why is police work such a popular setup?

  • How old is Sean Bean, the actor who plays Martin Odum? How old is the actress, Amber Valetta, playing his wife? How about the actress, Ali Larter, who plays Odum's colleague with whom he hooks up? Does Bean seem the right age to be romantically involved with these women?

  • The creator of this show, Howard Gordon, also was involved with the production of 24 and Homeland. How is Legends like these shows? How is it different?

TV Details

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