Parents' Guide to The Big D

TV USA Game Shows 2023
The Big D TV show poster: Blue, pink, and purple back with arms wrapped around it.

Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Crude divorce reality has drinking, disturbing behavior.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

THE BIG D is a reality competition series giving former couples a chance to move on after a divorce. Hosted by engaged reality couple JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rogers, it features six recently divorced pairs living together for 10 weeks in a villa in Costa Rica. They all mingle, have great parties, and go on dates with other cast mates in hope of finding a new connection with someone else's former spouse. The exes also participate in "ex-ercises" designed to help them learn more about what went wrong in their marriages, and what they are looking for in the next one. All of this is done with the help of therapist Dr. Jada Jackson. As people become more intimate, some may find themselves rekindling relationships with their former spouses, while others are more than willing to move on. Cast members who don't appear to be ready to be in a serious relationship at all are systematically eliminated and new exes are brought into the house. The hope is that in the end there will be one couple that's ready and able to work together and build a new strong and meaningful relationship.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

The awkward social experiment presents all the drama associated with dating-themed reality fare under the guise of helping people heal from divorce. As The Big D folks mingle and make love connections, each must individually contend with their personal insecurities and regrets about their ex. There's lots of inelegant moments as exes loudly talk or complain about each other, or try to set them up with someone else. Also uncomfortable are the scenes where cast members become maudlin or jealous and act out when their ex bonds with another housemate. Limited and superficial conversations about previous marital problems, which range from getting married too young and financial distress to meddling in-laws and sex addiction, don't offer much insight, either. Overall, The Big D is not much more than a spectacle that provides voyeuristic entertainment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about divorce. Why do married couples split up, even when they are still in love? How can media help people understand and cope with it if it happens in their family?

  • How honest and open is the cast of The Big D about what went on in their marriages and why they failed? Can appearing on an unscripted TV series offer any real solution to their post-marital problems?

TV Details

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The Big D TV show poster: Blue, pink, and purple back with arms wrapped around it.

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