Stalker

TV review by Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media
Stalker Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Artfully done police procedural is horror-movie scary.

CBS Drama 2014
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Parents say

age 7+

Based on 4 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 1 review

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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 Stalker is at heart an artfully done police procedural. However, it's not for young or sensitive viewers due to its graphic violence and scary material. It features particularly personal crimes, with a lot of dread beforehand. Victims, who are generally young and female, are often filmed from the point of view of a stalker, which may frighten viewers and bring on fears of being watched or stalked themselves. In addition, Stalker depicts deaths in very graphic detail, and there are jump scares and horror movie-style music, settings, and pacing.

Community Reviews

kathybaker12
kathybaker12 Adult
February 19, 2015
age 4+

Scary excellence

I know what other parents are thinking: how does a show with a graphic explosion earn TV-14? I was thinking the same thing. However, I sat in with my daughter to watch the second episode and have to admit this show is way less violent than people perceive it to be. The main issue is it being to scary (there are some chilling scenes), but it never goes full out graphic violent like Hannibal or The Following. Definitely doesn't deserve a 16 label.
roxanne20
roxanne20 Adult
February 19, 2015
age 7+

Non-Violent Crime show alternative

Parents need to know that this show, despite the 16 rating by common sense media, has very little violence. The most graphic scene is an explosion that takes place from a far distance, in the first episode. Otherwise, violence is restricted to regular fighting common in almost every show, and occasionally shots are fired. This is way less violent than shows like CSI, and that is why I give it a 7 on review.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

If you're a STALKER in the city of Los Angeles, the Threat Assessment Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department is coming after you. Department head Lieutenant Beth Davis (Maggie Q) takes her job extremely seriously; there's a dark reason why. Meanwhile, volatile and talented new detective Jack Larsen (Dylan McDermott) is good at his job, seemingly able to divine the motives and methods of stalkers with almost extrasensory perception ... almost as if he were a stalker himself. When these two pair up, they're an incredible team. But with unseen forces working beneath the surface of the cases they crack each week, David and Larsen are destined to collide. What will happen next is anybody's guess.

Is It Any Good?

Another case-of-the-week show! What does this make, several dozen? Do network executives have no imagination at all? That said, this is pretty snazzy stuff. The camera work and music are beautiful, and McDermott and Q have chemistry and charisma to spare. Also, the show's pretty terrifying and disturbing: A few minutes into the pilot, a screaming co-ed is being splashed with gasoline, locked into her car, set on fire, and rolled backward into a pole. Whoa! Later on, one dead-eyed young man tells another that if he'd really wanted to scare him, he'd have poisoned his food instead of just waited in his dorm room in the dark.

Scary. Adults for whom crime-and-punishment serials are a guilty pleasure may find this lots of fun. The writing is quite good, and the cases taken on each week are different enough to be compelling. There are moments of genuine dread and horror, not to mention surprise, plus plenty of possibilities for ongoing sucks-you-in drama. However, it's graphic, creepy, and frightening -- think twice before you let tweens or even teens watch.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why the police procedural is such an enduring staple of network TV. What types of situations or drama does the show's setting enable? Name some other police procedurals. How is Stalker alike or different from these shows?

  • Characters who have some type of dark secret in their pasts are common on television. Why do you suppose this is so?

  • What types of victims are usually featured on Stalker? Male or female, young or old, attractive or plain? Why do you suppose the show chooses to feature this type of victim?

TV Details

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