Parents' Guide to

The Widow

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Great actors lend gravitas, but this drama fails to launch.

TV Amazon Prime Video Drama 2019
The Widow Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

onceitseen
onceitseen Adult
January 24, 2020
age 18+

Lesbian Bedroom Scene

Inappropriate bedroom scene with a lesbian couple. I was watching with my older kids and hit fast forward immediatly after you see the two women beside each other in bed. Comletely unecessary scene.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
ReviewingMama
ReviewingMama Adult
May 1, 2019
age 16+

Common Sense Ratings Are Incomplete

The Common Sense review given here seems to be only for the first episode. Parents and viewers in general should know that the series gets significantly more violent, with numerous shooting deaths and one particularly gory and shocking stabbing scene. Many, many characters meet violent ends. One back story involves a suicide attempt; one character commits suicide (bloody). There is also an attempted rape at one point. Profanity gets heavier as well, with numerous uses of the f-word, particularly later on. This is a show that pulls no punches in terms of awful things happening (I'll include a couple of spoilery things at the end of this review). ... As for role models, it's a mixed bag; Georgia is stubborn, determined, and overall a good person, but her grief makes her reckless, and she's more than willing to cut corners at times and do the wrong thing in her desperation to find her husband. Many other characters are revealed to be compromised or corrupt in some way before the end, and the disillusionment and portrayal of pervasive, systemic corruption can be rather dark and heavy. Before the end, though, there is some brightness. This is not light fare or a feel-good story, though it has powerful themes worth thinking about and several characters who achieve a redemption of sorts. ... There is a notable amount of drinking, including a scene where, in her grief, Georgia downs numerous shots of tequila and gets obviously drunk, then gets into a brief altercation with a bar patron before breaking down in tears. ... For those who prefer to know, there is a subplot involving a lesbian relationship. ... My 16+ rating probably has more to do with the dark themes and corruption of so many of the characters than even the violence, though I would say it's a rated-R violence level. ... I do think the series is well-done. The story is gripping and suspenseful, and I found it to be well-crafted. We (adults) definitely wanted to binge-watch it. ... *** MILD SPOILERS AFTER THIS*** Some particularly heavy moments involve the unexpected death of an infant and a child soldier being forced to shoot and kill an unarmed man.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Three years ago, Georgia's husband's plane crashed while he was en route to the Congo, leaving her to become THE WIDOW. But his body was never recovered, and Georgia can't shake the feeling that he's somewhere out there, alive, maybe trapped. When a friend finds photos of a familiar-looking man, Georgia knows what she has to do next: Turn over every rock in Africa until she finds answers -- or her missing husband.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

A beautiful setting and effective old-pro actors lend gravitas to this cloak-and-dagger-in-the-jungle mystery, but the story moves too slowly to really catch fire. Beckinsale makes an effective lead, unnervingly intense, unsmiling, and intrepid; Alex Kingston's easygoing surface is a smokescreen hiding (menacing?) secrets. But there are lots of characters holding down several storylines, and none of them appear to be going anywhere fast.

The central story of a desperate character searching for a lost loved one would be plenty juicy enough to hold focus, but the proceedings are immediately bogged down by competing tales about child soldiers, a mysterious political group both Judith and Georgia's husband were involved in, a pair of blind people about to undergo an operation in hopes of restoring their sight, and a drug cartel led by a man who's not who he claims to be. It sounds good on paper, but each story meanders and moves so slowly that viewers may be tempted to move on to dramas with more fireworks. A slow burn is one thing, but this story takes too long to fan the flames, which may cause interest to quickly sputter out.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why dramas about spies and secret agendas are so popular. What shows can you think of that are similar to The Widow? Why is the idea of people with secrets such a compelling one for viewers?

  • How do the characters in The Widow demonstrate perseverance and courage? Why are these important character strengths?

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 suggesting a diversity update.

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