Common Sense Media Review
Women-led crime thriller is entertaining enough, violent.
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Why Age 15+?
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The Endgame
What's the Story?
THE ENDGAME centers on Detective Val Fitzgerald (Ryan Michelle Bathe), the only one among her team -- and among the FBI -- who knows details about criminal Elena (Morena Baccarin). It's because of a shared past that Elena is able to entice Val into taking her bait, unraveling a huge, elaborate plot that could engulf the FBI and other national and international agencies.
Is It Any Good?
This is a fun but middle-of-the-road thriller that hopes to capitalize on its leads, who are both women. It's pretty standard primetime crime-thriller fare, but its twist has potential. Unlike the contentious yet paternal relationship between criminal Red and profiler Elizabeth on The Blacklist, here there are two women who have the potential to develop a sisterhood despite being on two sides of the criminal justice system. Baccarin is great as the beautiful yet mysterious mastermind Elena, who creates a twisty bank heist plot for some sort of altruistic purpose. Meanwhile, Bathe is doing well, too, but her portrayal of Val is currently a little one-note; the one time we get to see layers to her character is when she is meeting with her husband, Elgin (Elgin Turner), who is currently serving time in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
The series has potential, but hopefully it relies less on tired stereotypes in the future. Do we need another piece of media that reinforces the notion that all Eastern Europeans are trained assassins from birth? Or that all Saudi Arabians are bank magnates? Or that all Black people grow up in rough neighborhoods and escape by the skin of their teeth? But as it stands, the series could excel once a bit more connective tissue and chemistry between the two leads is established.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the premise of this series. How does it feel to have two women lead an action-thriller type of show?
What values does Val exemplify in the series? What hints do we have about Elena's reasons for committing crimes?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 21, 2022
- Cast : Morena Baccarin , Ryan Michelle Bathe , Jordan Johnson-Hinds , Kamal Angelo Bolden
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Action
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Curiosity , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : March 7, 2022
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