The Unicorn
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Mild language and innuendo in ensemble dramedy.
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The Unicorn
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Based on 1 parent review
A show with traditional values, good people.
What's the Story?
When Wade Felton (Walton Goggins) decides he might be ready to date again a year after his wife died and haltingly joins a dating app, he soon discovers he's a considered THE UNICORN: as a responsible devoted widower, women find him quite the catch. And so with encouragement from his best friends Forrest (Rob Corddry), Michelle (Maya Lynne Robinson), Ben (Omar Benson Miller), and Delia (Michaela Watkins) -- and the somewhat more grudging support from his teen/tween daughters Grace (Ruby Jay) and Natalie (Makenzie Moss) -- Wade heads out into the dating world, ready for whatever he finds there. Or so he thinks.
Is It Any Good?
It's not this sitcom is bad, exactly -- it's not without its charms -- as much as it feels cobbled together from the guts of other shows. It has a group of adults that spend suspiciously large amounts of non-work time together a la Friends. It has sweet soft-focus scenes of a family enjoying time together set to gauzy musical cues like you might see on Freaks and Geeks or Modern Family. And it has a parade of glossy women improbably throwing themselves at a man in a manner similar to shows like Seinfeld and Two and a Half Men.
Thankfully, it also has Goggins playing sweet -- not toothily bitter as you may have last seen him on Vice Principals -- and the offbeat line readings of Watkins and Corddry. This is a particular treat when the lines are choice, as they frequently are. In the show's pilot episode, when Watkins' Delia finds Grace, Natalie, and Wade subsisting off frozen food from the dishes neighbors brought by after Mrs. Felton's death, she quips "This is the Disney Channel version of Grey Gardens." However, other moments are painfully sitcommy, like when Wade's first romance-app date cuts it short after he refuses an offer to head back to her house but leaves the door open for later, inquiring what type of car he drives. The Unicorn could have used one more edit, but if the premise or cast appeals, it's worth a look.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Unicorn compares to other family-centered shows. Does the content seem more or less realistic than others? How are they different from other sitcom families?
How does the media portray relationships in general? Is it ever appropriate to use stereotypes as a way of portraying them? Why do you think topics such as death, divorce, sex, and dating are dealt with so frequently on TV shows and in movies?
How do the characters in The Unicorn demonstrate teamwork and perseverance? Why are these important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 26, 2019
- Cast: Walton Goggins , Rob Corddry , Ruby Jay , Makenzie Moss
- Network: CBS
- Genre: Comedy
- Character Strengths: Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 27, 2022
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