Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Brutally real, darkly funny medical drama has mature themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
This Is Going to Hurt
What's the Story?
Based on Adam Kay's best-selling memoir of the same name, THIS IS GOING TO HURT is set in a British public health labor ward. With dark humor and heart-lifting highs, but also gut-wrenching lows, the show delivers a brutally honest depiction of life as a junior doctor on the wards, and the toll the job can take back home.
Is It Any Good?
Shedding a harsh, and much-needed, light on the stress and mental health issues faced by many medical providers, this is a series that could not be more appropriate for the times. Though This Is Going to Hurt takes place before hospitals were stretched to their breaking point by COVID-19, it's still a sobering look at the unforgiving demands routinely put on the people we trust with our health and our lives. Using biting sarcasm and sometimes even speaking directly to the camera, the show's protagonist, Dr. Adam Kay (Ben Whishaw), quickly wins over the viewer in a manner similar to the title character of Fleabag (played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge). And just like that character, we quickly come to see that Adam's flippant, gritty attitude is the product of some serious trauma. Adding another layer to the story is the new doctor learning under Adam, Shruthi (played by Ambika Mod), who introduces a unique set of struggles faced by a woman of color in a teaching environment with very few resources, or time, for her. Compelling, uplifting, heart-breaking, and at times so brutally honest it's hard not to look away, this is a story that needs to be told.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the purpose of this type of TV show. Is it meant for entertainment? To teach something, or to shed a light on an issue?
Talk about if it's hard to watch some of the graphic scenes. How would the show change if it wasn't so graphic? Would it have the same impact?
What do you think about the dark humor in the show? Talk about how Adam's jokes may be a coping mechanism to deal with his exceptionally stressful life.
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 2, 2022
- Cast : Ben Whishaw
- Network : AMC
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- TV rating :
- Last updated : June 29, 2022
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