Reckless

Name: Reckless
Item: Reckless
Rating: 2
Author: Joyce Slaton

TV review by

Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 14+

(i)

Sultry legal drama is fairly mild but also dull.

CBS
Drama
2014

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age 14+

Based on 1 review

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X of Y

A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

Positive Messages

Law and order rules, but there's also an underlying message that conflict and attraction go hand in hand.

Positive Role Models & Representations

The lawyers spotlighted on Reckless are hardworking and generally honest and true. The show's main male character is a loving dad, though the viewer mostly knows this from the way he displays his kids' pictures. There are women in positions of power, though some are costumed in tight, sexy clothing. Some police officers turn out to be villains.

Violence

The focus of the show is crime and punishment. Expect references to violence, including death by murder and by misadventure. Images of dead bodies are shown briefly on-screen. Men push each other around and threaten violence.

Sex

Main characters are young, impossibly gorgeous, and single; expect flirting and dating, kissing and references to sex. A villain tries to intimidate a woman into having sex with him by offering to change his testimony. Most of the women on the show are dressed in short dresses and very high stilettos; men are dressed modestly. Photos and video footage of a woman stripping to her underwear are seen on-screen. References to and images of group sex also are seen on-screen.

Language

Occasional language, often in jest: "What the hell is a columbarium?" Other language includes statements such as "that sucks."

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Drugs may be referred to in the context of criminal investigations. Scenes take place in bars, although nobody acts drunk. There are references to drugs being used for date rape.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Reckless is a mystery/crime show featuring warring attorneys in Charleston, S.C. There is not much here to offend parents of teens. Cursing is mild and usually in jest; there is some drinking on-screen, but no one acts drunk. Love interests abound, and there is kissing, flirting, and references to sex, including sex used as a bargaining chip in a court case. Parents may object to the costumes of the women on the show, which are often short and tight, whereas men are dressed modestly. Expect some brief shots of dead bodies and discussions of off-screen violence in the context of criminal investigations.

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Teen, 13 years old Written byAnne.C July 9, 2018

age 14+

Amazing!

Reckless is the only show that I have binged. I finished all 13 episodes in about 2-3 days. It is so interesting and keeps you hooked! It does have sexual menti... Continue reading

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What's the story?

In the city of Charleston, S.C., rival attorneys Roy Rayder (Cam Gigandet) and Jamie Sawyer (Anna Wood) butt heads on various cases, but they also feel a RECKLESS attraction to each other. Roy is the homegrown native, gunning for the job of city attorney; Jamie is a Yankee transplant who sees through his sly charm. It's not that Roy's a bad lawyer; Jamie just thinks he's lazy and often on the wrong side of the cases each both take on. With the help of her friend and fellow attorney Vi Briggs (Kim Wayans), Jamie uncovers facts and ferrets out relevant testimony that Roy missed. If only she weren't so attracted to the guy, a fact sensed by her jealous and complicated boyfriend, Terry (Shawn Hatosy). In the city of Charleston, a lot of crimes need a sharp lawyer to figure out their angles, and Jamie is the woman to get the job done.

Is it any good?

Are Jamie and Roy the only two lawyers in town? Charleston doesn't seem like a dinky little town, but these two are constantly pitted against each other, all the better to highlight their "we shouldn't, but we want to" chemistry. That, plus the steam heat evident in the actors' painted-on sweat lends Reckless a sultriness that distinguishes it somewhat from the police-procedural pack. Because, let's face it, this is hardly an original show, with DNA culled directly from other, better shows.

But people enjoy watching outrageously gorgeous people investigating dire crimes, so those who do may well enjoy this. The show's creators play up the Charleston angle with a lot of imagery of horses trotting around picturesque squares and plates of crawfish, all ready for rich, comfortable Southern lawyers to suck on their heads while discussing the finer points of local crimes.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about why shows about lawyers are perennially popular on television. What types of characters or plots does this setting lend itself to? Why would this make for compelling television?
How old do you think the main characters Jamie and Roy are? Based on what you can gather about their professional standing, how many years have they been practicing law? Considering that most law students graduate from law school when they're 25 to 28, do these figures line up?
Do you think the makers of Reckless try to emphasize Charleston as its setting? How do they do that? What do they make mention of? What do they show? By setting the show in Charleston, what qualities are the creators hoping we'll attribute to Reckless?