Parents' Guide to

Mistresses

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Sexy British drama explores friendship and infidelity.

TV BBC America Drama 2013
Mistresses Poster Image

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

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What's the Story?

MISTRESSES is a controversial British drama about four best friends whose lives have been complicated in various ways by extramarital affairs. The quartet includes Dr. Katie Rodan (Sarah Parish), a general practitioner coming to grips with the loss of her former married lover; 9/11 widow/single mother Trudi Malloy (Sharon Small); lawyer/would-be mother Siohban Dillon (Orla Brady); and Jessica Fraser (Shelley Conn), a rather promiscuous event organizer. As the women struggle with their choices to get involved in new -- and often illicit -- relationships, they look to their friends to help them come to terms with the inevitable and sometimes devastating consequences of their affairs.

Is It Any Good?

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

This mature series successfully combines positive themes of friendship and love with some very dark and dramatic ideas about the complicated effects that extramarital liaisons have on people's lives. It's an interesting approach -- but it sends some confusing messages. The women's close connection to each other makes them so likable that it's easy to forget that some of their selfish choices hurt innocent people. It also reinforces the idea that a woman's sexual freedom will "naturally" lead to an affair and/or a choice to become someone's mistress.

But the show is so well written and produced that it's surprisingly (and perhaps disturbingly) easy to overlook these details. The characters and their creative storylines are sophisticated and well developed. And, like any good soap opera, the series contains its fair share of suspenseful moments. Overall, Mistresses may not be the kind of show you want your kids watching, but for adults, it's definitely a (semi) guilty pleasure.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's messages. How does it portray sex? How does the media generally portray extramarital relationships? Do you think shows like this one reinforce or undermine the serious consequences of affairs? Families can also discuss the different reasons that women might choose to become a "mistress." If they know that their actions could hurt other people, why do they still do it?

TV Details

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