Parents' Guide to

The Assets

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Adult-oriented drama digs into the CIA's inner workings.

TV ABC Drama 2014
The Assets Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

Jared Galczynski
Jared Galczynski Adult
May 9, 2014
age 2+

AY, Another MAYRA.

AY MAYRA. AY AY MAYRA. THIS IS THE BEST SPY SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN, EVEN OVER THE BLACKLIST. And it's not because it travels across the world, you know, when the CIA went from Washington, D. C. to the American Embassy in Russia, It's just that It was a good show. There is maybe 1 sex scene. If so, maybe I'll rate that a 9 or 10. But the series the earliest rating available in public ratings. It was cancelled after only 2 episodes, and I actually wasn't shocked. (Probably because I got to see both of them).
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Based on the real-life crimes of CIA mole Aldrich Ames, THE ASSETS centers on intrepid CIA agent Sandra Grimes (Jodie Whittaker), who's starting to catch on that something's going wrong in the agency's Soviet spying program. Spies stationed in the USSR, known to the CIA as "assets," are being arrested by the KGB at an alarming rate. Could there be a double agent in Grimes' own office? Grimes and her partner Jeanne Vertefeuille (Harriet Walter) are starting to put together the pieces. Is colleague Aldrich Ames (Paul Rhys) on the Soviet payroll? It's up to Grimes and Vertefeuille to find out.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The book Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed isn't required reading for enjoying The Assets, but it would help. Those without at least a cursory understanding of who Ames is and what he did will be a bit lost in the goings-on, when spying terms are thrown about with abandon and things move too quickly for a lot of explanation. That's actually a good thing for the type of viewers who will want to see The Assets, spy junkies who want a look at what really happened.

For said junkies, The Assets is a fiesta of inside information. Viewers will learn a lot about the CIA's inner workings and the United States' Cold War relations with the USSR. It's deeply creepy stuff, and it's illuminating to realize what was behind the Ames headlines. Meanwhile, a lot of the action will be boring for viewers who don't get the importance of what's going on. A clued-in viewer sees the fate of the free world at stake; one coming fresh to the Ames story sees an office worker frowning over pieces of paper in manila files. This is real-life spying, not a James Bond movie; adjust expectations accordingly.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the fact that The Assets is based on a real-life case of a dangerous CIA double operative named Aldrich Ames. Does this make the miniseries more interesting or less? Why?

  • The Assets is set during the 1980s and 1990s. What lets the audience know that this is the setting? Clothing? Hairstyles? The type of technology that is around? What else?

  • Spies and spying is a popular topic for drama. Can you think of any other movies or television shows about spies? How is The Assets like these other movies and shows? How is it different?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate