Nothing graphic, but references to escorts, walks of shame, HPV. There's a pedophilia joke. There's a shower scene (nonsexual) where two men appear nude (but are blurred below the waist).
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Brands are mentioned here and there (the characters live in "image-obsessed" Los Angeles), and there's an entire episode revolving around a visit to a Kylie Cosmetics pop-up shop, which mentions the products by name repeatedly.
Positive Messages
very little
While the show is about friendship, the relationships on display aren't necessarily aspirational.
Positive Role Models
very little
There's some problematic body image and food-related content here; both the leads make a lot of self-deprecating comments about their looks and weight. The female lead talks about sleeping with larger men because "chubby, hairy guys make me feel skinny and pretty".
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Alone Together is about the platonic friendship between a young man and a young woman in their 20s. However, that doesn't mean sexual issues aren't touched on. One-night stands, egg donations, HPV, and masturbation are par for the course, discussion-wise. One character mistakenly dates an escort (he thinks she works as a nanny), and it inspires another character to become an escort. There's some occasional drinking shown, as well as weed smoking. Both characters, but especially Esther, the female lead, make critical comments about their appearance and seem to have weight/food issues.
I went into this assuming I would hate it, and I was.... not wrong. This weird, hipster-y love child of all teen-sitcoms from the 90s, and every millennial stereotype ever spawned occasionally delivers mild chuckles...but comes across more like a long conversation between the two main characters, rather than an actual show. The supporting cast are very painfully only there to 'support' and every interaction outside of Benji and Esther (if there even are any) is used as an avenue to set the stage for the very heavily implied romantic relationship that is sure to blossom between them. Benji and Esther's dialogue as well is rather predictable and every situation is an opportunity to either a)talk about their self-deprecating tendencies (which are very NOT body-positive), or b)verbalize their frustrations about not being 'cool kids'. On that note, parents should be aware that these kids are SUPES depressed, and are trying to act like they don't care, but they do. They REALLY do. As a result, things can get rather depressing really fast. Parents, also be aware that the dialogue contains the typical teen-related language like orgasms, sexual acts, bodily fluids, penis-jokes, etc. The sexual situations are generally only addressed via dialogue, so no acts are shown, though they may be discussed rather graphically.
What's the Story?
Middle-class, underemployed Esther and gluten-hating trust funder Benji are a couple of 20-somethings who are trying to make their way ALONE TOGETHER in the image-obsessed world of Los Angeles. Just don't ask if they're dating: The two are strictly platonic friends, as they're quick to remind nearly everyone they meet (whether they've been asked or not).
Millennials get a bad rap in the media -- is there an aspect of society they haven't been blamed for yet? -- and this superficial show isn't likely to change any minds on that front. Esther and Benji are supposed to be aspiring comics, yet we never see any real evidence of their ambition or talent in that regard. We also don't get a sense of why these people are friends or what they have in common, aside from disliking some of the same things, and that's a shtick that wears thin fast. Their misadventures, like waiting in line to buy a popular product or accidentally dating an escort, are fairly stale sitcom scenarios, though Esther Povitsky does inspire the occasional chuckle with her line readings. Overall, Alone Together is an underwhelming retread of material that's been done before, and done better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way friendship is portrayed in Alone Together. What draws Esther and Benji together? Does their friendship seem like it's well-balanced, or does one friend take more than he or she gives?
A lot of sitcoms play with the "will they or won't they" question between friends. Does it seem like Esther and Benji are destined to become a couple? Why or why not?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
