Splitting Up Together

TV review by Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media
Splitting Up Together Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Divorced but still loving family works to figure it out.

ABC Comedy 2018
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 4 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

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

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Splitting Up Together is a comedy about parents who decide to divorce and uphold a "bird's nest" arrangement where the kids stay in the family home and parents alternate weeks living there with the kids. Most of the possibly objectionable content in this show arrives in the form of humor about sex or violence: A woman accidentally texts her son a "winky" face, which a friend refers to as "sexting," a man deeply in love with his wife says he'd kill himself if she left him. Expect jokes about masturbation, casual sex, marital sex, body parts, romance. Language is infrequent, with little cursing. A joke in which a woman asks "What the f--k was that?" with her mouth blurred and the sound bleeped is the exception to this rule, but in general language is of the "crap," "balls," and "screw" variety. Adults drink beer or wine socially; no one acts drunk. Parents and family members argue, but they're supportive when someone needs help. Teens and tweens are given space to work out their problems with caring and understanding parents.

Community Reviews

Common S.
Common S. Adult
September 1, 2018
age 16+

Don’t think Hollywood has kids...or they just don’t care

If you think talking about and encouraging your teens masturbation practices, their friends getting Syphyllis from the hot girl at school, like it’s a good thing, STD’s, teen sex, etc with your young kids and especially your teenagers friends, then this is the show for you and your family.
Hannah D.
Hannah D. Adult
May 26, 2018
age 14+

Very realistic view of parents doing the best they can in a rotten situation

I think it’s a great show. The kids are the most realistic bit. They all have their own personalities and instead of the same weird roles and typecasts they always seem to throw sitcom kids into, these kids have realistic reactions to adult situations, interact with one another realistically, and are a good focus for what divorced couples should really focus on; the well-being of the children. The adults get into funny ADULT situations. They make mistakes like ANY other parent. The fact they addressed 21st century dating for newly divorced couples is hilarious. The dad dating the younger woman (nailed it). Its not “seventh heaven” because its not meant to be. Its meant to lightheartedly show how people attempt to coparent when their marriage falls apart and i think its doing an excellent job. The adult issues and situations my be too much for younger kids, but if you have your kids in the living room duringf 90% of other primetime shows, this is nothing. I’d give it a 10/10, but i have a feeling this is going to fall into the “theyre together, now their not” plot loophole that destroys most sitcom plotlines.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Once upon a time, Lena (Jenna Fischer) and Martin (Oliver Hudson) were madly in love. But when responsibilities and obligations took the place of desire and romance, they both stopped enjoying their marriage. Now they have a new plan for their lives: They're SPLITTING UP TOGETHER, with kids Mae (Olivia Keville), Mason (Van Crosby), and Milo (Sander Thomas) staying in the family home, and the parents alternating weeks living in the house or in the garage. It's not a situation many would find easy to navigate. But with Lena and Martin experiencing both a new freedom as well as a burgeoning respect and appreciation for each other, one question stands out: Could splitting up be the very thing that brings them back together?

Is It Any Good?

When a miserable couple decides to call it quits on their marriage but not their co-parenting partnership, an enjoyable something-for-everybody comedy is born. Watching a show about a family that's breaking apart sounds like a great big bummer, but Splitting Up Together manages to lighten the tension with great gags. Mae, Lena and Martin's acerbic teenage daughter, gets some of the best lines. When her mother discovers that Martin has been sending the kids to school with money to buy lunch instead of packing it for them, Mae cops to saving her money to buy a cup from the "Young Feminist Caucus" (which reads "Male Tears"). For his part, Martin's been enjoying his freedom from Lena's demands by rediscovering his "collection of ugly hats," and turning off the dehumidifier she insists be left constantly running.

Raising kids together without being together is a natural source of comedic complications: Who takes care of what? Where does the responsibility of one parent end and another begin? Is it even possible to start dating again when your ex lives just a couple of hundred feet away and knows your every coming and going? Should this couple even be splitting up at all, given that their new living arrangement is forcing them to communicate and work with each other even more than they did before? But make no mistake, this show is no "will they or won't they?" sitcom scenario. Together, Lena and Martin are far less interesting than struggling apart -- and the more they struggle, the more you'll enjoy watching. Try this one on with your teens and/or mature tweens; it just may catch on.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Splitting Up Together compares to other family-centered shows. Does the content seem more or less realistic than others? Do the central relationships seem nontraditional to you? How are they different from other sitcom families?

  • How does the media portray relationships in general? Is it ever appropriate to use stereotypes as a way of portraying them? Why do you think topics such as unplanned pregnancy, divorce, sex, and sexual identity are dealt with so frequently on TV shows and in movies?

  • How do the characters in Splitting Up Together demonstrate communication and humility? Why are these important character strengths?

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Character Strengths

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