Patriot
By Dana Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Spy drama's dark humor and violence don't blend well.
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Patriot
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Based on 6 parent reviews
Media critics are pretty useless
The review posted on the main page for this tv show overlooks the point and overall message of this show; that it is about mental health and the characters fight to overcome his depression.
What's the Story?
PATRIOT begins with main character John Tavner interviewing for a job at a U.S. manufacturing plant in Milwaukee, a job he secretly needs in order to work under cover in foreign nations for U.S. intelligence purposes. When he overhears company executives saying that the other candidate applying for the job will be hired, he finds that man and proceeds to push him in front of a truck, causing the man to sustain a serious brain injury. Tavner's dad has sent him on this mission to transfer money to a contact in Europe, money that will be used to fix an election in the Middle East to put someone in power that the U.S. government favors. To get the money to the contact, Tavner goes through many seriously dangerous situations and ends up killing attackers in Europe. An investigator there attempts to find out who the killer was, so now Tavner has officials looking for him. Meanwhile, Tavner's dad has sent his other son, Congressman Edward Tavner, to help John get back to America. Just when it looks like the mission has failed, the episode ends with John committing to see it through.
Is It Any Good?
This series tries -- and fails -- to make dark comedy out of serious ethical, emotional, and physical dangers. Patriot's three main characters are part of a father-and-sons national intelligence team. At times, it seems like the family business is causing the sons' lives to unravel. Edward (Michael Chernus), a Congressman, must lie about a son he's fathered out of wedlock. Dad Tom (Terry O'Quinn) sends son John (Michael Dorman) on a perilous mission to deliver money to Iranian contacts, even though he knows his son's mental and emotional health are unstable.
In between scary situations that lead to violent episodes, John -- a real tragicomic figure -- sings about his mental battles and heartache in folk songs; the music is one of the few reliably enjoyable elements of this show. Patriot adds even more confusion to the already complicated world of international intrigue and more often than not fails at its attempts to bring humor to a heavy subject.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how ethics get cloudy in high-danger lines of work, such as international espionage, and how humor is sometimes used in Patriot in dark ways to help those involved cope.
Mixing music or humor with violent images -- such as when Tavner pushes a man in front of a truck or stabs his coworker in the leg -- can change the tone of a scene. How does this change the impact of the violence?
Talk about John Tavner's character. Is he likable? Pitiful? Foolish? Brave?
TV Details
- Premiere date: February 24, 2017
- Cast: Michael Dorman , Michael Chernus , Terry O'Quinn
- Network: Amazon Prime Video
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: July 30, 2022
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