Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
All-star cast can't save bland sitcom about aging, acting.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Kominsky Method
What's the Story?
In THE KOMINSKY METHOD, Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas) runs an acting school with the help of his daughter, Mindy (Sarah Baker). Kominsky and his best friend and agent, Norman (Alan Arkin), deal with the pitfalls of aging, as Kominsky pursues romance with one of his students (Nancy Travis).
Is It Any Good?
This is a well-made show with high production value and a killer cast that keeps surprising and delighting with fun cameos and guest stars. The problem? It makes certain assumptions about its audience demographic (older folks) and then panders to it on the lowest level. If that only meant Jay Leno cameos and prostate jokes, that would be one thing, but when The Kominsky Method takes cheap shots at, for example, "ethnic" casting on sitcoms or LGBTQ people (e.g., during a prostate exam, the doctor jokes that "not even gays like this"), the assumption is that the show's audience is not only old, but out of touch, racist, and homophobic.
And when the show does try to have a social conscience, like when Kominsky's students argue about whether it's appropriate for a white actor to play a black character, their opinions are pithily dismissed as unimportant. This is a show content to live inside its own retrograde bubble, and it mistakenly thinks its audience lives there too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it means to get older. How does Sandy Kominsky's age affect his relationships with his daughter, his students, and his friends? How does it affect his body?
What does acting mean to Kominsky? What values does he talk about to his acting class?
What is Kominsky afraid of? How do his fears affect his relationships with his family and friends?
TV Details
- Premiere date : November 16, 2018
- Cast : Michael Douglas , Alan Arkin , Nancy Travis
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- TV rating :
- Award : Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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