Parents' Guide to

Lifeline

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Intriguing, dark sci-fi series has language, death.

TV YouTube Premium Drama 2017
Lifeline Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Lifeline Series: Scene #1
  • Lifeline Series: Scene #2
  • Lifeline Series: Scene #3

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What's the Story?

Conner Hooks (Zach Gilford) is an insurance agent -- but not like one you've ever heard of before. He and his wife, Haley (Amanda Crew), both work for the mysterious LIFELINE, run by the equally unfathomable Nathan (Usman Ally). Nathan invented an implant that allows Lifeline to monitor a person's vitals -- 33 days in the future. If Lifeline's systems detect that a client has been killed, it sends an agent -- like Conner or Haley -- forward through time to the exact moment and location that the client will die, where they have only moments to avert fate. But when a mission goes very wrong, Conner finds out that Lifeline's plans go far beyond just protecting its clients. He must jump through time and figure out some way to avert disaster.

Is It Any Good?

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

Smart, thoughtful, and seeded with compelling ideas about time travel, this show gives off a Black Mirror or Twilight Zone vibe, even though it's clearly a lower-budget affair. There aren't many actors, and there aren't many sets; most of the action takes place in living rooms and offices. Yet the smart plotting and brisk pacing make the action compelling enough that you'll quickly forget all that. Lifeline wins points by jumping right into the action. Viewers will quickly catch on, and they're expected to -- a refreshing approach when all too many sci-fi shows belabor their points.

The notion that time travel only works in one direction -- meaning that if mistakes are made, no one can go back to fix them -- and that agents who make frequent month-plus time jumps will miss out on a lot of life adds a lot of juice to the narrative, alerting viewers that here is a relatively rare beast: a sci-fi show with a lot of thought put into the details. Despite the cheap sets and cruddy special effects, this show intrigues, and it's worth a look -- especially for sci-fi fans.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Parents can talk about Lifeline's approach to time travel. Usually people who can travel through time can go backward and forward. How does only being able to advance forward change this show?

  • Is this show a high- or low-budget show? How can you tell? What qualities does this show have that bring you to that conclusion? What is most expensive when it comes to filming: locations? Actors? Sets?

TV Details

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