Step Up: High Water

Violence is sporadic but can be upsetting, as when three young men viciously beat up another until he's bloody and screaming and has urinated in his pants. A villain carries a gun, and we can expect to see it used at some point.

Expect same- and opposite-sex dating, kissing, and romance. A scene is set in a strip club where the dancers are wearing brief costumes that cover their private parts but gyrate into the camera or are background visuals. Songs can be raunchy, like one that says "Ooh, that p---y's good." Women walking down a street are referred to as "hookers."

Cursing is frequent and includes "s--t," "f---ing," "damn," "motherf----rs," "ass," "goddamn," and "hell." A teen boy is called a "bitch" and also a "little bitch" repeatedly; "p---y" is mentioned in a sexual sense in a song. Racial language includes the affectionate use of "nigga."

Characters share joints and beers at parties; nobody acts drunk or stoned, though they dance riotously. Tal and Janelle's mom's drug habit puts her in jail and sends the twins to live with their uncle in Atlanta, a clear example of negative consequences.

Parents need to know that Step Up: High Water is a drama about a set of twins who move to Atlanta and become involved with an arts school. The drama is mature, but there are strong positive messages for viewers, as the twins are loving and supportive to each other, make up a strong family unit with their uncle, have positive self-images, and are working hard to make their dreams come true. One main character is gay and accepted by all, and unashamed of his sexuality; expect same- and opposite-sex dating, kissing, and romance. Other characters are involved in drugs and criminal enterprises; much of this show's drama revolves around a gun-toting criminal kingpin the twins become embroiled with. Teens and 20-somethings share joints and drink beer at a party, though the twins are forbidden to do drugs by their uncle. A scene is set in a strip club where women in bikinis gyrate in the foreground and background. Language is frequent: "s--t," "f---ing," "damn," "motherf----rs," "ass," "goddamn," "hell"; one teen boy is called a "bitch" and also a "little bitch" repeatedly; "p---y" is heard in a song lyric. There's racial language that includes the affectionate use of "nigga."