Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Blended family strains for laughs with wacky sitcom hijinks.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Trophy Wife
What's the Story?
Kate (Malin Akerman) is a twentysomething party girl who hung up her dancing shoes when she married Pete (Bradley Whitford), a lawyer with two ex-wives and three kids, including teenagers who are just a few years younger than Kate herself. Now Kate's throwing herself into her new role of wife and (step)mother, despite the varying reactions she's getting from her new family. Pete's first wife, Diane (Marcia Gay Harden), regards Kate frostily, as does her teen stepdaughter, Hillary. Most recent ex Jackie (Michaela Watkins) is thrilled to have another set of hands to help her juggle her responsibilities with son Bert. It's a lot to take on, but with a little effort and a lot of luck, Kate just might make it through.
Is It Any Good?
With its blended-family premise, TROPHY WIFE seems to be straining for Modern Family relevance, but neither the writing nor the characterizations are as good. The main problem is that the proceedings neither seem realistic nor rise to the absurdity required for satire. In one episode, a 15-year-old boy supposedly writes an erotic essay about Poseidon for a class on Greek myths; Poseidon hefts his "mighty trident" for a companion with breasts like "milky grapefruits."
Oh, come on. Perhaps, somewhere in the world, there is a particularly geeky 15-year-old who gets off on writing fan fiction about the god of the seas in between bouts of Settlers of Catan. But would he then turn such an essay in to his (motherly, older) teacher? Setting in motion a plot wherein his stepmother has to come to school (in red leather short-shorts, no less) and mistakenly be labeled as the subject of said erotic essay? Yeah, probably not. Big Modern Family fans may want to give this one a shot to see if it satisfies, but we're not promising much.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the members of the Trophy Wife family act like realistic people. Do real people talk like this? Act like this? Do the things they do? Why are real people amped up for TV shows?
Watch a similar comedy about a blended family, such as Modern Family. How is Trophy Wife like this other comedy? How is it different?
Would you like to live in the family presented on Trophy Wife? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 24, 2013
- Cast : Bradley Whitford , Malin Akerman , Marcia Gay Harden
- Network : ABC
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : December 10, 2025
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