Parents' Guide to

The Event

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Muddled conspiracy thriller is all action, no explanation.

TV NBC Action 2010
The Event Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

During a Caribbean cruise, Sean Walker's girlfriend, Leila (Sarah Roemer), mysteriously disappears -- and the ship's crew seems to have no record that either of them ever boarded the vessel. As he tries to find out what happened, Walker (Jason Ritter) is soon embroiled in a massive global conspiracy that reaches all the way to the highest levels of government and beyond.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (10):

The show's premise certainly sounds like an interesting starting point for a high-stakes thriller, but THE EVENT needs more than that to become a fully-baked series. The story jumps back and forth in time: A week ago, Walker is snorkeling in the ocean; a few minutes ago, he's trying to hijack a plane; a year ago, the president of the United States (Blair Underwood) learns that a government official has been hiding secrets even from him (they don't say what those secrets are, but the official is played by Zeljko Ivanek, so you know it's gotta be something shady).

But there's nothing to connect all these dots. We jump right into Walker's hijacking attempt but don't know why he's doing it, so why should we care? With whom should we sympathize? The best conspiracy shows start with something familiar to viewers and then diverge into unfamiliar territory, inviting us along. Lost began with a plane crash, something viewers could understand, before it all went screwy. But The Event jumps right into the craziness with no explanation and then gets even less comprehensible. Yes, the show seems intriguing, but it also asks a lot from viewers, and many won't be willing to wait for things to start making sense.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about conspiracies. Do you think the government might be hiding something? Many movies and TV shows seem to think so -- why is this theme so common?

  • How does this show compare to other conspiracy thrillers, including big hits like Lost (and near misses like FlashForward)?

  • How does the violence and action in this show compare to others you've seen? Is it necessary to the plot? Why or why not?

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