Parents' Guide to Raising Dion

Combining a family redemption drama, a coming-of-age tale, and a superhero fable gives this delightful series an entirely fresh take on comic book adaptations. Raising Dion's inclusiveness with a majority-Black cast certainly adds to that accolade, as does its willingness to tackle important subjects, like racism. Superhero tales, including those that zero in on young heroes who haven't yet attained their full talents, generally pick up when their main character is a teen (when romantic subplots start to make sense) or in young adulthood (romance AND death battles!). But a 7-year-old with mysterious powers and a worried single mom trying to figure out just what her son can do and exactly what danger he's now in? That's far more rare as a setup for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it's hard to find a young kid who can really act. But Raising Dion hit the jackpot with Young, who, just 8 years old when the first season came out, is outrageously adorable and suitably sympathetic as a second-grader caught between an otherworldly conflict and everyday kid worries.

As a widow trying her best to cope with the many obstacles and mysteries that life's throwing her way, Wainwright is great, too. Her scenes have an authentic and natural vibe that grounds the family drama in between scenes when lightning forks from the sky or objects float into the air as Dion tries desperately to control them. As she digs deeper into her husband's mysterious death, Nicole is easy to buy as an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary situation, just trying to keep her kid safe. And speaking of that husband ... whose decision was it to cast Black Panther heavyweight Jordan in what's essentially a bit part? Good call. With such a powerhouse actor in the role, Mark becomes less of a convenient plot device and more of a real presence, a ghost haunting his family and this series. Nicely done, Raising Dion.