Raising Dion

Based on a comic book by Dennis Liu (Taiwanese American/Canadian), illustrated by Jason Piperberg (White American) and adapted by Carol Barbee (White American), the series centers on Dion, a Black boy with superpowers. He's being raised in a single-parent household following the death of his father. The cast is majority Black, and Dion's mother has a conversation with Dion about how he might be treated differently because of the color of his skin. The powerful CEO of biotech company Biona is played by Korean American actress Ali Ahn, and Black teachers and doctors, as well as women, appear in positions of authority. Dion has asthma; the importance of carrying his inhaler is shown, but it doesn't hold him back. His best friend, Esperanza, uses a wheelchair. Though the reason for this isn't mentioned in the show, actress Sammi Haney has brittle bone disease in real life. Her character is smart, outspoken, and creative, and she's part of the show's central friendship trio, the Triangle of Justice. A strong, protective, and kind adult mentions his anxiety disorder, showing that he can live successfully with it. Dion's aunt Kat is a lesbian, though her on-screen relationship comes and goes quickly. At one point, Dion tells his aunt that he knows sexuality is "a spectrum."

Big CGI monsters and battles, as well as special effects dangers like a scene in which Dion accidentally makes trees fall into a lake. Repeated flashbacks to a father drowning; he's shown bobbing in the water and gasping. Repeated mention of father's death, and deaths of other parents are later referenced. A branch knocks a child unconscious in the water, ghostly figures whisper, zombie-like creatures attack, a character has a fit and foams from the mouth, a rifle is used to threaten (but isn't shot), people are struck by lightning and fall down holes, an adult attacks and robs a child in the street, and a child is hooked up to machines in a hospital and injections are administered. (He's later forcefully taken away from his mother by men in hazmat suits.) Deaths are shown on-screen, with characters sucked up into the air by a supervillain. But there's very little blood or gore. A young character is bullied by classmates, mostly in the form of dirty looks, rolled eyes, and insults ("lame," "loser") rather than physical violence.

Nicole has romantic tension with several characters -- expect kissing, flirting, and dating, as well as lots of talk of romance between her and her friends. She's shown kissing her husband romantically in flashbacks, and she kisses another man that she dates. A couple is seen in bed together (no nudity).

Language includes "bastard," "ass," "pissed," "crap," "crappy," "hell," "damn," "shoot," and "oh my God," plus taunts such as "lame," "loser," "moron," "jerk," "nerd," and "freak." "Fart" and "butt" used in toilet humor jokes.

Nicole drinks wine at home to relax; in one scene, she pours a glass to take to the bath, then comes back for the bottle, but she's not shown drunk. Another scene sees Nicole and a friend drinking at a bar, and the two look slightly tipsy as they walk home. Characters are injected with various biotech treatments in a medical context.