Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Solid reboot has drinking, cursing, smoking, mature themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Game (2021)
What's the Story?
THE GAME (2021), a reboot of the popular series of the same name, revolves around the lives of people navigating the professional football community. Sports agent Tasha Mack (Wendy Raquel Robinson) and her son and client, football player Malik Wright (Hosea Chanchez), have relocated to Sin City from San Diego in order to work with the city's new (fictitious) club, the Vegas Fightin' Fury. Meanwhile, Brittany Pitts (Adriyan Rae), the adult daughter of superstar football player Jason Pitts (played by Coby Bell), suddenly finds herself trying to rebuild her financial life with the help of her friend and aspiring singer Raquel Navarro (Analisa Velez). She crosses paths with Jamison Fields (Vaughn W. Hebron), a talented athlete struggling get into the league, while trying to live with a career-ending criminal conviction. They're all doing what they can to find success, but the path to fame and fortune isn't easy.
Is It Any Good?
The dramatic comedy presents a new chapter in The Game story world, and like previous ones, offers it from the point of view of Black culture and community. Characters like Tasha Mack, Malik Wright, and Derwin Williams (played by Pooch Hall) provide a sense of continuity, while appealing to the franchise's original fan base. Meanwhile, the introduction of new, well-rounded characters and contemporary plot lines, ranging from football-related medical problems like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) to broader issues like racism and COVID, keeps it feeling relevant and fresh, and allows a new generation of viewers to begin following the narrative with ease. Granted, the overall series is more dramatic than it is comedic, making it feel a bit like a soap opera at times. Nonetheless, this installment of The Game is entertaining, and will not disappoint.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way the Black community is portrayed throughout the series. Does it manage to do so without relying on racial stereotypes? If so, how?
What changes do producers have to make to a TV series in order to reboot it for a new generation of viewers? How can they do this without alienating fans of the original show? Are the producers of this version of The Game successful in this endeavor?
TV Details
- Premiere date : November 11, 2021
- Cast : Wendy Raquel Robinson , Hosea Chanchez , Adriyan Rae , Vaughn W. Hebron
- Network : Paramount+
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 12, 2022
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