Parents' Guide to

Salvation

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Solid doomsday drama looks to STEM for solutions.

TV CBS Drama 2017
Salvation Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 14+

Based on 8 parent reviews

Manue150591
Manue150591 Adult
March 26, 2021
age 8+

Best end of the world serie

Really great ! Drama suspense and at the end of every episode something come up for you to want more

This title has:

Great messages
Anne C.
Anne C. Parent of 8-year-old
November 21, 2020
age 8+

Entertaining

We are currently watching this on our Saturday Movie Night. It's a bit tricky yo find a movie that appeals to kids aged 14 and 12, but is also appropriate for an 8 year old (and that my husband and I can injoy as well), but so far (3 episodes watched) this fits the bill. It's not big on action but it is slick and easy to watch, with charismatic actors a pleasing pace, and the end-of-the-world theme isn't overdone. As a science teacher I really like that science/STEM is prominent in the episodes: my oldest kid often commented about Newton's Laws and things like constant velocity (he just went over this in his science class). There is a nasty torture scene in episode 3 that upset our 8 year old a little, but the violence is suggested more than actually shown, and we do see characters drinking beer and jumping into bed together right at their first meeting, which might not sit well with every family's value system, but the general message is hopeful and that resourceful humans can find solutions to problems.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SALVATION is a dramatic series about a group of people trying to stop an apocalyptic collision between an asteroid and Earth. When MIT astrophysics graduate student Liam Cole (Charlie Rowe) discovers that a massive asteroid is going to hit the planet in 186 days, he knows that he must find a way to stop it. He approaches wealthy tech entrepreneur Darius Tanz (Santiago Cabrera) for help. Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary of Defense Harris Edwards (Ian Anthony Dale), who oversees all projects relating to NASA, is also aware that the planet is facing impending doom. Each has a different idea about how to approach the problem, and it's up to Grace Barrows (Jennifer Finnigan), a Pentagon press secretary, to help them navigate the problem-solving process together. The situation is highly classified, which places added pressure on them, especially when Barrows is with her daughter, and when Liam spends time with Jillian (Jacqueline Byers), an amateur science fiction writer. As the clock ticks down, the team must think outside the box to find a solution if they are going to save humanity.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (4 ):

This suspense-filled series focuses on science and technology-based problem-solving efforts drawn from real-life events. It references the devastating 2013 meteor explosion over Russia, as well as contemporary conversations about ways to colonize Mars to save the human race from inevitable extinction. It also points to the inevitable conflicts between scientists, makers, and government.

Nonetheless, Salvation tries a bit too hard to create enough drama to sustain an audience's attention while the world is being saved by science. Despite characters such as the Elon Musk-like Darius Tanz, appearances by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and frequent STEM-themed conversations to legitimize the story world, some of the secondary plot lines, including government conspiracies, illicit romances, and other personal issues, feel more fictional than the planet's impending doom. Nonetheless, those who enjoy more cerebral dramas will find it entertaining.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the kind of messages Salvation offers about the relationship between government and scientists and engineers. Is this portrayal accurate? Or is it dramatized to make the show more entertaining?

  • What are some of the ways STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is being used to improve the world around us? What kind of advances have been made in the last decade that we now use in our everyday lives? What kinds of things are being worked on for future use?

  • If you found out that the world might end in six months, what would you do? Would you tell people? Live your life differently? Do things you've always wanted to do? What is stopping you from making those changes in your life right now?

TV Details

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