Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gore, strong language in uninspired sci-fi/horror series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Teacup
What's the Story?
TEACUP follows the Chenoweth family, who live on a farm in rural Georgia. Parents James (Scott Speedman) and Maggie (Yvonne Strahovski) are struggling with a marriage made tense by recent infidelity when a neighbor approaches them for help with their horse, who started freaking out in its stall, bashing itself bloody in the process. Things rapidly devolve around the pair as their son Arlo goes missing and later shows up injured and with a strange demeanor. Meanwhile, their cars won't start, the power's gone out, and nobody can get their phones to work. The Chenoweths and their neighbors band together to try and make sense of it all when a mysterious gas mask-clad figure shows up and tells them not to cross the blue line he's spray-painted on the ground around the farm and not to trust anyone. When one of them ignores the stranger's advice and her body is vaporized into a puddle of bloody, exploding goo, we get the sense that something huge and weird is happening—but what could it be?
Is It Any Good?
This is a dull, cliché-filled story told at a dragged-out pace that doesn't do it any favors. The Teacup acting is uninspired, but you can probably blame the writing and directing for that—they sketch in only the barest details about the characters, and don't give us any reason to care about or root for these people. It takes a lot of inspiration from the 1973 film The Crazies from horror legend George A. Romero, about a manmade insanity-causing virus overtaking a small town, right down to the gas mask imagery. But Teacup is also reminiscent of more current fare like Color Out of Space and From, yet fails to entertain at the same level. It's wild that a series full of goopy gross-out moments and an alien invasion plot could feel so stale, but unfortunately, this one's a snooze.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sci-fi/horror stories set in rural environments. What is it about a backwoods setting that lends itself to tense stories like this one?
Talk about the way Teacup depicts aliens. How does it differ from other extraterrestrial-themed shows and movies you've seen? What's the appeal of "alien invasion" stories?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 10, 2024
- Cast : Scott Speedman , Yvonne Strahovski , Kathy Baker
- Network : Peacock
- Genre : Science Fiction
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 29, 2024
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