Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent police drama retreads The Wire's waters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
We Own This City
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
WE OWN THIS CITY is a nuanced look at Baltimore in 2015, after the death of Freddie Gray at the hands of police. The story revolves around Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal), a high-ranking officer who's charged with corruption. Other cases of corruption within the Baltimore police department emerge, from drug peddling to overt use of force against minorities.
Is It Any Good?
If the worst thing we could say about this show is that it's like another season of The Wire, that's not too bad. We Own This City claims to show a more recent Baltimore, but the series seems more like a retread of the themes covered in The Wire than something wholly original. Of course, there will be immediate comparisons to The Wire since David Simon is the creator and executive producer of both series. And perhaps, the fact that We Own This City is so similar to its predecessor is an indictment of Baltimore itself--suggesting that the city hasn't changed enough since The Wire's 2008 finale.
Regardless, We Own This City doesn't differentiate itself enough from The Wire to make it feel like appointment viewing, but it does have The Wire's nuanced, journalistic-style writing, humanistic portrayals of characters (especially its Black characters on both sides of the "thin blue line"), and an urge to showcase Baltimore as a city struggling to embrace is positives and find itself. Fans of The Wire should find plenty to appreciate in We Own This City, as long as they aren't seeking something wholly new.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how policing is shown in We Own This City. How does the series showcase the pros and cons of policing?
How does the Freddie Gray case play an important role in We Own This City?
What practices made teams within the Baltimore police department corrupt?
How did civil rights lawyers help change the Baltimore police department?
What does the series say about police brutality? How does poor policing affect everyday citizens of color?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 25, 2022
- Cast : Jon Bernthal , Wunmi Mosaku , Rob Brown , McKinley Belcher III
- Network : Max
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Self-control
- TV rating :
- Last updated : May 9, 2022
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