Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Edgy series tackles sexual assault with comedy, violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Sweet/Vicious
What's the Story?
SWEET/VICIOUS is a dramedy about an unlikely pair of college students who lead double lives as vigilantes seeking justice for sexual assault victims. Jules (Eliza Bennett) is a sorority sister on academic scholarship who's kept the fact that she was raped by a fellow student a secret. Meanwhile, Ophelia (Taylor Dearden) is a pot-dealing, computer-hacking outcast who's one step away from being expelled. A series of circumstances leads to their connection, and together they begin to digitally track down the men responsible for committing these crimes and use ninja-like fighting skills to punish them. Keeping their secret from folks like Jules' best friend Kennedy (Aisha Dee) and Ophelia's pal Harris (Brandon Mychal Smith) isn't easy; nor is trying to keep up with school work. But Jules and Ophelia believe their work will stop the abuses taking place.
Is It Any Good?
It's hard to imagine using comedy to address campus rape, but this teen-oriented, edgy, and offbeat series manages to do it successfully. The flawed, woefully mismatched duo is amusing, as are some of the campier qualities of the overall show. But it isn't completely silly, and throughout it all Jules and Ophelia represent themselves as empowered women who choose to seek justice for those who can't get it from law enforcement or who are too afraid to speak out.
The series tells an entertaining story, and there is no doubt that this duo will have its fair share of fans. But this doesn't overshadow the fact that it centers on sexual assault, and it underscores the fact that women are frequently raped at colleges and universities across the country. Some folks will find the premise disturbing, but Sweet/Vicious can be used as an unconventional vehicle from which to begin conversations about sexual assault.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way Jules and Ophelia are choosing to confront sexual assault on college campuses in Sweet/Vicious. Does the fact that the people they're violently punishing are alleged rapists justify their behavior? Why don't they go to the police? Should you do what they're doing in real life?
Is using humor as a way of talking about difficult or taboo issues appropriate? Why, or why not? Does Sweet/Vicious handle the subject matter appropriately?
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, where should you go and what should you do to get help? How can you support those who have gone through it?
TV Details
- Premiere date : November 13, 2016
- Cast : Eliza Bennett , Taylor Dearden , Brandon Mychal Smith
- Network : MTV
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 28, 2020
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