Parents' Guide to

Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Ride-along with the U.S. Marshals is exciting but tense.

TV A&E Reality TV 2008
Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 18+

Stupid

I think the series shows the brutal force that police practice that is very wrong misleading and it shows several episodes where the police trick the family members or friends into giving up a suspect I think that should be against the law and that one woman on there I'll call her man face
age 15+

Great show but a little on the unprofessional side.

I think its good that these Marshels are catching dangerous people and getting them off the streets and they do a good job at it. What I don't agree with is some of the comments that are made about the fugitives they are going after. For example, "They can't be changed". U.S. Marshels are not doctors, they only apprehend wanted people that are presumed innocent untill proven guilty. Saying that someone can't be changed presumes that they are guilty before they are proven guilty. When viewers watch this show and hear these types of comments it creates a false sense of security that fuels media hype and vigilantism.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Like many actual police investigations, Manhunters features plenty of mundane incidents punctuated by brief moments of real danger. The series shows commander Lenny DePaul, deputies Tommy Kilbride and Michelle Mendez, and other members of the team at work, pounding the streets, asking questions, scanning computer databases, and doing other important (if sometimes unexciting) tasks. As they proceed, the marshals offer plenty of explanation about their basic investigative techniques, which provides interesting insights into this rarely seen world and makes the segments more interesting to watch. The team often interacts with other law enforcement agencies, showing the extensive resources that can be brought to bear on finding a single person. Despite the many fictional films and TV shows that feature people evading capture on the run, the reality show version makes it clear that the odds are heavily against the fugitive.

But that doesn't make it any easier to bring them in. Oncethe marshals locate their quarry, they have to actually capture them. When the team is suited up in body armor, guns drawn, waiting in a hallway and ready to burst through some anonymous doorway, it's obvious that these are real people performing a really dangerous job. It may be too intense for younger viewers, but teens and adults with a taste for this topic will find it interesting.

TV Details

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