Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gripping game of cat and mouse has strong female characters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Catch
What's the Story?
Los Angeles-based private investigator Alice Vaughan (Mireille Enos) is one of the best in the business, running a successful firm with her best friend, Valerie (Rose Rollins), a former cop. But no one suspected that Alice's seemingly perfect fiancé, Christopher (Peter Krause), was playing her for everything she had. And now finding him will be THE CATCH of a lifetime.
Is It Any Good?
The Catch's premise is hardly original (and the opening sequence smacks loudly of The Thomas Crown Affair). Yet strong acting and interesting characters make this breezy caper better than average. We could do without the split screens and peppy music, both of which feel gimmicky and forced. We also strongly prefer Enos' fresh-faced look as Detective Sarah Linden on The Killing over Alice Vaughan's penchant for distracting, jet-black false eyelashes that you secretly hope will fly away. But the latter is a superficial criticism for sure.
As to whether teens will want to tune in, The Catch calls to an older demographic, so they're not likely to care much, if at all, about Alice and her elusive Mr. X. If they do watch, there's some steamy suggested sex to contend with. But that's offset by an array of strong female characters -- some of them better role models than others -- and thoughtful casting choices that step outside the box with refreshing results.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Catch's strong female characters and how they compare with characters on other women-centric shows. Are these characters advancing any new ideas about women and the way they work together (or against each other) or even how they interact with men? "Strong" is one thing, but how do they measure up as role models?
How has writer-producer Shonda Rhimes changed the way television looks and sounds, in terms of gender, race, story, and dialogue? How does diverse casting help shatter stereotypes and promote a new way of seeing the world?
Will a show like The Catch interest kids and teens? Who's the target audience, and how can you tell?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 24, 2016
- Cast : Mireille Enos , Peter Krause , Jacky Ido
- Network : ABC
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
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