Parents' Guide to The Watchful Eye

TV Freeform Drama 2023
The Watchful Eye TV show: A girl stands at the bottom of a dark spiral staircase looking upward.

Common Sense Media Review

Stephanie Morgan By Stephanie Morgan , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Flimsy ghost murder mystery story has drugs and violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

In THE WATCHFUL EYE a Latina woman, Neve, poses as a nanny for a wealthy family to steal from them. But her plans soon go off the rails when she's confronted with others who are willing to lie, steal, and possibly even murder to get their way. Already not knowing who to trust, things only become more complicated when Neve realizes one of her new acquaintances may not be from the land of the living.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Polished and flashy in all the worst ways, this series uses a classic murder mystery recipe and adds a dash of haunted horror to keep things interesting. Unfortunately, the writing and acting in The Watchful Eye aren't very strong, giving the show a soap opera feel. Case in point, just a few minutes into the series a plot to steal an actual ruby is introduced. Kelly Bishop (Gilmore Girls) as a meddling neighbor manages to sparkle with her signature upper-crust snark, but it's not enough to save the viewing experience. Nevertheless, fans of Outer Banks may enjoy the show as long as they can withstand the annoying frequency of cryptic statements and meaningful stares into the distance.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the stark differences between the people that have money in The Watchful Eye and those that don't. Does this type of classism exist where you live? What are some examples?

  • In what ways is Neve's character a stereotype? How does the fact that she's a Latina woman factor into that?

  • What do you think about the show's incorporation of a murder mystery, an attempted jewel heist, and a ghost story in to the plot? Is it too much?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

The Watchful Eye TV show: A girl stands at the bottom of a dark spiral staircase looking upward.

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