Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet Latinx throwback sitcom has romance, girl power.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 27 kid reviews
Kids say the show is generally fun and entertaining, highlighting the emotional adventures of its teenage protagonist with a PhD; however, it contains some kissing and mild sexual references that make it more suitable for older children, typically 12 and up. Viewers appreciate its positive messages about following dreams and STEM but suggest parental guidance due to some mature themes.
- entertaining teen show
- mild sexual references
- positive role model
- suitable for older kids
- parental guidance suggested
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE OF ASHLEY GARCIA centers on (you guessed it) Ashley Garcia (Paulina Chávez), a 15-year-old genius who's just accepted a job at California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. That means she has to move away from her mother, Santina (Cristela Alonzo), who's about to get tenure at Wellesley, and in with her Uncle Victor (Jencarlos Canela). Santina is strict and intense, and Ashley hopes that in her new home, she'll be able to live more of a "normal" teen existence, and maybe even win the attention of hunky athlete Tab (Conor Husting) with the help of her new best friend Brooke (Bella Podaras).
Is It Any Good?
The jokes are just so-so and the vibe is very throwback sitcom, but the actors have great charm and the whole show has gentle tween appeal with strong pro-girl messages. Ashley isn't shy about mentioning her Doogie Howser-esque accomplishments: She was the youngest person to ever earn a PhD, started college at 9, and is now JPL's newest wunderkind. But there's nothing arrogant or braggy about Ashley; she just matter-of-factly accepts her intellectual gifts (and is accepted, and often admired, by those around her), even while she struggles with the kinds of things other teens are doing, like dating or putting on makeup. On those scores, Ashley's grateful to have Brooke, a much more typical teen, on board to guide her through mainstream milestones.
Ashley immediately hatches a crush on one of the sweet-but-dumb athletes coached by her Tio Victor (with Canela doing his best riff on a Charlie Sheen-style lothario), and launches into a series of romantic blunders that could be predicted from a million miles away. Nonetheless, it's a treat to see a young Latinx girl with so much confidence, not to mention plenty of support from her close (and sometimes pushy) family. The line-joke-topper rhythm of The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia is soothingly familiar enough to carry viewers along from foreseeable plot point to inevitable "everyone learns, laughs, and hugs" conclusions, and Ashley's easy to love. The whole thing comes off like a sweet Disney Channel series, just the thing for tweens aching to imagine what their own high school years might be like.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia shows that Ashley and her family are Latinx. How often do they speak in Spanish? How often does Ashley or do other family members talk about topics that relate to their heritage? How do movies and TV shows demonstrate people's backgrounds?
Did you find the story of a teenager who becomes a roboticist to be believable? Do you relate to the characters and what they're going through?
How do Ashley and her family and friends show perseverance and teamwork? What qualities does each have that make them keep striving? Why are these important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 17, 2020
- Cast : Paulina Chávez , Reed Horstmann , Conor Husting
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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