Parents' Guide to

Teenage Bounty Hunters

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Fresh, funny, female-centered comedy has violence, sex.

TV Netflix Comedy 2020
Teenage Bounty Hunters Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 9 parent reviews

fionah24
fionah24 Adult
October 9, 2021
age 18+

Disgusted.

I wouldn't recommend this show to anyone. The very first scene of the show is one of the protagonist raping her boyfriend. The show glosses over this and almost glorifies it. The message this spreads is extremely disturbing and dangerous.
Fourteen
Fourteen Adult
November 11, 2020
age 16+

the opening scene - yikes!

Turned this on with my 9th grade daughter based on recommendation in an article about shows for teens. Was incredibly uncomfortable when the opening scene was a pretty explicit depiction of intercourse in a car ... ugh. Not romantic even - just all the business mechanics right out there. Had to turn it off and then have my husband yell at me. Maybe the rest of the show is watchable but I’ll never know.

This title has:

Too much sex
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When they crash Daddy's truck into a bail-jumper during a desperate attempt to get home on time for curfew, fraternal twins Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair (Anjelica Bette Fellini) fall into a new opportunity as TEENAGE BOUNTY HUNTERS. As grizzled bounty hunter Bowser Jenkins (Kadeem Hardison) tells them, they have an odd talent for the work, and since the two need cash to fix up the truck, they set to work sleuthing during the off-hours from their private Christian high school. This comedy was executive-produced by Jenji Kohan (Orange Is the New Black, GLOW).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (14 ):

Engaging, goofy fun, this easygoing comedy coasts on its premise and the charm of its two leads, who are aces as sweet, sincere teens exploring their badass streaks. Another thing that Teenage Bounty Hunters gets very right is its setting. There aren't many shows anchored in a conservative Southern Christian world, and still fewer that treat Christianity and Christians with dignity and respect. Sure, there are prigs and bullies around, like Sterling's early-season arch rival, April (Devon Hales), who threatens to expose Sterling's non-abstinent love life to the school and ruin her reputation. But though both Sterling and Blair tote guns, batter criminals, lie to their parents, and get enthusiastically physical with their significant others, their faith is genuine, and they spend a significant amount of time discussing with each other what's the truly right thing to do when faced with a quandary, rather than falling back on easy answers.

Teenage Bounty Hunters' Southern trappings are also spot-on. Whereas many movies and TV shows stereotype Southerners as yokels, this show is keyed into real life for a certain kind of Bible Belt living, with its lockups and bourbon, expensive hunting trucks, University of Georgia references (Go Dogs!), and everyone drinking out of Chik-fil-A cups. With that as a background, the fizzy chemistry between Phillips and Fellini, as well as between the pair and Hardison, is even more delightful. Teenage Bounty Hunters quickly settles into a perp-of-the-week groove, with longer arcs about the girls' school and home life and enough twists doled out regularly to keep things rolling along. It's lots of fun -- with an edgy streak that younger kids may not be ready for.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the idea of characters who have some sort of secret life. Why do writers so often turn to these types of characters for material? Why is a person with serious problems a more compelling character than one with a calm, "normal" life? What dramatic or comedic possibilities do life's ordinary challenges hold? Are they enough to make a TV show interesting?

  • Is some violent content better than other kinds in entertainment? Does it ever serve a valuable purpose? If so, what? In what other forms of media do you often witness violence? Is the violence in Teenage Bounty Hunters less shocking or disturbing because it comes accompanied by humor?

  • Is the audience supposed to sympathize with Sterling and Blair? How can you tell? How are we supposed to regard their many transgressions? How are sympathetic characters presented, and how is that different from unsympathetic characters?

  • How do Teenage Bounty Hunters' characters demonstrate compassion, empathy, and self-control? Why are these important character strengths?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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