Parents' Guide to

Training Day

By Dana Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Good cop, bad cop battle over what justice means.

TV CBS Drama 2017
Training Day Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

Bigbro27
Bigbro27 Adult
February 3, 2017
age 14+

Proves why we might have a problem in our real justice system

I watched the show last night and I did enjoy it very much it was fun and hard to resist the two main guys worked well together despite tension between them now why I Sayed it's a good message is the fact that it shows that the thin blue line is not always so thin and blue yes good cops can get in situations and do very bad things and also bad people can do very good things I highly recommend that you watch it

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Idealistic police officer Kyle Craig (Justin Cornwell) is paired with grizzled cop Frank Rourke (Bill Paxton) by the LAPD in TRAINING DAY. The LAPD knows Rourke's activities have crossed the line into lawlessness while he hunts down the worst criminals in the drug trade, so they send Craig in under the guise of "training" with Rourke -- but he's really keeping tabs on him. Craig's father, also a cop, was killed in a mysterious robbery (or hit). Craig wants to find his killer, and Rourke, who went to the police academy with Craig's dad, wants to help him. Craig's wife is a wise school teacher, while Rourke's girlfriend is an in-the-know LA madame. By the end of the first episode, Craig realizes he's the one who needs to train Rourke back onto the right side of the law. But Rourke, of course, thinks otherwise.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

There's an old-Western feel to this modern crime drama that often works, but at times it crosses into a bad caricature. In the first episode of Training Day, one shoot-out even happens in a dusty ghost town. Rogue cop Frank Rourke is the quiet but deadly lone wolf who takes on outlaw drug dealers. This show's portrayal of most characters is pretty simplistic: On one side there's a lot of evil, bad dudes, and on the other, the good, brave police officers -- all except Rourke, who's a coldhearted, jaded cop (with a tiny part of his heart still soft, as displayed when he saves a young kid from being bullied into working as a lookout for a drug-dealing gang). Good cop Kyle Craig brings the most nuanced character to the show. He's a great husband, an ethical police officer, and a son loyal to the memory of his fallen father. Yet his dad's murder haunts him. He needs to find his killer, and a key buried in his father's garden may hold the secret. When he and Rourke pair up, Craig's desire for justice mixed with Rourke's lawless -- often vengeful -- pursuit of bad guys can make for some interesting drama. Who's training whom on Training Day?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Kyle and Frank's relationship in Training Day. Do these two cops like each other? Respect each other? Fear each other?

  • Whether it be law enforcement, medicine, or any other profession, there are some ethical standards to which most people in the profession hold themselves accountable. Why are ethics necessary in a profession? Is there ever a time when those ethics should be overlooked? Why, or why not?

TV Details

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