Parents' Guide to

Valor

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Military-themed drama is soapy, has lots of sexy stuff.

TV CW Drama 2017
Valor Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Ashlee M.
Ashlee M. Parent of 2-year-old
February 19, 2018
age 16+

A Little Shallow but Loving the female lead

Valor has everything your average military drama would have: violence, sex, government lies & the depiction of military life on and off base. This show was made by the CW which is why character development is a tad basic. The show centers around a couple of main characters but the highlight of the show is played by main character Christina Ochoa (Blood Drive). She plays a female helicopter pilot of the Army’s Elite who albeit in a relationship-has an interesting relationship with her co-pilot whom is very good looking. So yes there is a lot of good looking characters but you barely get to know some of them. The main female character’s struggle with right and wrong is what the show is centered on. She had a difficult upbringing with some abandonment issues concerning her Dad and clearly some attachment issues due to her absentee Mom. She watched as most of her friends headed down a bad road which is why when recruited she joined the army. She had to work extremely hard in the army to become one of their best female pilots which I think is an excellent way to portray a woman in the army- as one of the best. This gives younger ladies someone to look up to- except when she nearly gets addicted to OxyCodone after surgery following a gun shot wound. She quickly realizes how her habit is getting in the way of her ability to do her duties and is quickly able to kick it with no professional treatment (Tv shocker there)! Now if drug use/abuse was only portrayed accurately by the media! There are several other standout characters such as “Thea” another strong female lead. Thea is young, ambitious, attractive and intelligent, she quickly rose among the ranks at the CIA & is often on base helping with missions and other issues such as captured prisoners. Many of the missions are confidential and need to know which comes in the way of the army pilots relationship with her boyfriend who is an intelligent officer often recruited by many government agencies (FBI, CIA) due to his government powered congresswoman mother played by Charlie Barnett. Another character we learned a lot about was Joe, his wife & his son. Joe was captured during a secret mission and is currently a Prisoner of War- there’s a lot going on here so it’s easy to get lost but he does eventually get home. Joe’s wife’s character is another strong female lead. Overall there’s a lot going on in this first season and there is actually a decent cast here despite some of the shallow depictions of certain characters. Ideally this isn’t the greatest show to watch with your children due to the drug use, sex & violence. However if your high school aged daughter was deciding on going into the military or was deciding between other military shows you may suggest this one due to the strong females in the show. I secretly liked this and binge watched in one day but I also really like Christina Ochoa’s work and I think she has a lot of potential.

This title has:

Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
chrisman28
chrisman28 Adult
October 10, 2017
age 15+

though u definitly need to watch woth young kids due to sex this is a impowering show for young girls with loads of action and adventure and a possitive rol model for girls

ok here is how I feel about this show first off I love the show in general and think its action packed and tons of fun with enough comedy to make you laugh however there is heavy sexual petting in some scenes of the show but aside from that the gorgeous lady who plays the lead is independent and very fun to watch it teaches girls can do anything they want even when she is knocked down this lady gets right back up and starts again even if odds are aginst her

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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What's the Story?

VALOR is a dramatic series about members of an elite Army helicopter pilot unit and the secrets they're keeping. After Army Shadow Raider pilots Warrant Officer Nora Madani (Christina Ochoa) and commanding officer Captain Leland Gallo (Matt Barr) return from a failed secret mission in Somalia, they agree to keep the details about what happened a secret. They want to return to rescue the soldiers left behind, including Jimmy Kam (W. Tre Davis), who was captured during the operation. As the two try to figure out how to rescue him, they begin to question why they were sent there in the first place. Meanwhile, Madani's boyfriend, First Lieutenant Ian Porter (Charlie Barnett), isn't convinced that she is ready to fly again, and Thea (Melissa Roxburgh), the CIA officer assigned to investigate the mission, doesn't trust her. Nonetheless, Madani, one of the first female pilots in the unit, will do what she has to do to continue flying and return to Somalia to rescue her comrade. But she struggles with the inability to share information about the mission with Kam's wife (played by Corbin Reid), as well as with facing her own personal demons.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

This uneven series combines military turmoil with soap opera-like situations in hopes of appealing to a younger and broader audience. It creates an interesting narrative by using flashbacks to reveal pivotal moments during the covert mission to contextualize specific conversations or events. It also introduces a strong and talented female elite military officer as the lead character. However, these details are watered down thanks to some uncomfortably melodramatic plot lines, many of which seem to go against military standards.

Like most fictional military-themed shows,Valor paints a largely artificial picture of a life and career in the military. But unlike shows like SEAL Team, it's got some soapy guilty-pleasure moments, thanks to inappropriate behaviors and illicit activities, which gives it the feel of a teen-oriented serial. Some viewers may find this approach to these types of shows more palatable, but others may not appreciate the characterizations featured here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about female military pilots in the United States. Did you know that approximately 10 percent of Army helicopter pilots are women? What do you think needs to change in order for that percentage to go up?

  • Military-themed shows frequently highlight principles like bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice that soldiers are expected to live by. How does Valor address these values?

TV Details

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