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Parents' Guide to

NeXt

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Sci-fi thriller explores the dangers of technology.

TV Fox Drama 2020
NeXt 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?

NEXT is a sci-fi thriller about a rogue computer program that starts manipulating people and taking over other technology. Shea Salazar (Fernanda Andrade) is an FBI Special Agent specializing in cybersecurity. After one of her friends mysteriously dies, she finds a videotape addressed to former tech CEO Paul LeBlanc (John Slattery), warning him about the possibility of a rogue superintelligence. LeBlanc, ousted from the company he helped found, suspects his former partner and brother (Jason Butler Harner) of reopening an old, powerful Artificial Intelligence program. This program, called NeXt, has leaked and started manipulating other people and technologies for purposes LeBlanc can only assume are nefarious. Salazar and LeBlanc must team up to stop it before it can cause destruction throughout the country and maybe the world.

Is It Any Good?

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

The Singularity -- the point at which technology gains a life of its own and can no longer be controlled -- has long been a subject of science fiction. Today, the idea that technology could take over the world feels as frightening as ever. NeXt combines sci-fi horror with familiar TV drama elements. For example, there's a team of FBI investiagtors, and the outsider is the only person that can help them crack the case. The premise is strong enough to overcome some melodramatic plot points and create a genuinely suspensful show in the style of 24. Better yet, NeXt takes the opportunity to ask powerful questions about the impact technology has on our everyday lives, as well as the ethics and motives behind those who create and control it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about technology. How does your family use electronics? Are there any parts of your day that technology doesn't play a role in? What are the benefits of putting aside your device for a while?

  • How do people use technology on NeXt? What happens when that technology becomes untrustworthy? How do characters adapt to this new reality?

  • What responsibilities do scientists and engineers have when technology is used to cause harm? How do characters on NeXt respond when their creations go awry?

TV Details

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