Parents' Guide to

The Finder

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Bones spin-off keeps tone and content light and quirky.

TV Fox Drama 2012
The Finder Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 3 parent reviews

pkbos
pkbos Parent
December 20, 2016
age 12+

Tween boy favorite

Perfect show for my almost 13 & 14 yr old boys, especially following Chuck & White Collar. We really missed all these characters! Only drawback to this one is that it was only one season. It felt a bit slower than the others due to less action, but it set the perfect Key West location perfectly. The characters are interesting, well-acted & full of heart.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
treat02
treat02 Parent
May 12, 2012
age 13+

good show

I like this series. It's not because of all of the violence (which doesn't happen THAT often), it's because of the sense of investigation. I like it because they are trying to find things. A mystery. And I like mysteries, from person to item, this show is well done.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Plagued by an all-consuming compulsion to track and find, Iraq War veteran Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults) has earned a reputation as THE FINDER, a skilled man for hire with the uncanny ability to locate anyone -- or anything -- that's gone missing. Now, working out of a bar-turned-makeshift office in Key West, Florida, he makes a living with a cobbled-together team that includes lawyer Leo Knox (Michael Clarke Duncan), Deputy U.S. Marshal Isabel Zambada (Mercedes Masohn), and Willa Monday (Maddie Hasson), a feisty teen delinquent.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (3):

Based on characters introduced in one of the last episodes of Bones' sixth season, The Finder shifts the action to Key West for a decidedly sunnier outlook on solving mysteries that steers clear of Bones' propensity for lifeless bodies. The result is a fun (and admittedly unrealistic) procedural romp with a quirky, appealing comic lead.

The rest of the team is just fine (although original co-star Saffron Burrows, who appeared in the original Bones episode, is noticeably absent). But the real bonus here is that families with older kids can actually watch this together without worrying too much about troubling content.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Finder's tone and its lighthearted approach to drama. How does it compare to other procedural dramas on television (think CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)?

  • How does this show compare to Bones, the series that inspired it? What elements do the two shows have in common? How are they different?

  • In what ways does The Finder highlight the physical and emotional challenges facing U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? How are families affected by a loved one's deployment? What challenges do veterans face when they return home?

TV Details

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