Melodramatic faith-based drama has problematic stereotypes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Baxters is a faith-based drama series. It heavily incorporates Christian doctrine, addressing topics like infidelity, forgiveness, and the sanctity of marriage. The series navigates complex family issues within a faith-based framework, making it suitable for viewers looking for content that emphasizes religious values. However, parents should be aware of the series' approach to sensitive topics, including its problematic portrayal of gender roles and diverse characters.
Violence & Scariness
some
Features moments of scariness and violence, including a miscarriage, stalking, and a shooting incident with a graphic aftermath.
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Characters love, help and worry about one another.
Positive Messages
some
Themes include the importance of family, faith, and facing personal trials with strength and support from loved ones.
Diverse Representations
Flagged for concern
The main cast predominantly consists of white characters, with only a few characters of color in secondary roles. Notably, the storyline involving these characters of color centers on an extramarital affair, which feels problematic. Additionally, the series does not actively engage with themes of race and ethnicity, missing opportunities to explore these dimensions in depth. The portrayal of traditional gender roles is also prevalent, with female characters often depicted in stereotypical ways. For instance, a woman is portrayed as forgiving her husband's infidelity due to religious beliefs, while another character, a single mother, harshly judges herself for her circumstances.
I watched the first episode and was shocked. I went looking for reviews thinking someone/s must have publicly called out what I noticed. Sure enough, another reviewer here did. That’s is, the characters in this show are predominantly White and make the Black male out to be the villain. A White actress even refers to him as a “lowlife husband.” This is NOT okay in today’s climate and shows either extremely poor judgment/lack of common sense by the creators or a deliberate political move to get White Christians to think less of Black people. Anyone with half a brain and knowledge of the US’s systemic racism and societal issues would know better than to do this. And if viewers don’t have a problem with it, then there’s a lot of ignorance among this viewership. TV and film is a platform to raise awareness and educate through storytelling while entertaining. There’s a big problem here, and this show misses the mark in trying to better society. It’s too bad because it’s a beautiful cast with beautiful scenery and not bad acting.
I read what common sense media stated about this show and I think they are reaching. There are diverse ethnicities portrayed including the love interest of one of the baxter girls who is very positively portrayed. And the series is based on a Christian authors books, so why would it not uphold traditional Christian values 🤔? The women are portrayed and beautiful, meek, strong, unperfect and real. I thought it was going to be corny at 1st, but I was very suprised and will be binging this show. it's so nice to have a show to watch that challenges me and uplifts me. I'm tired of the trash on TV. This show is so refreshing and helps my spirit as well.
What's the Story?
Based on the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury, THE BAXTERS follows the lives of Elizabeth and John Baxter and their adult children, focusing on faith and family dynamics. The first season delves into their daughter Kari's discovery of her husband's affair and her reliance on faith and family support to get through it.
This faith-based journey centers around a family navigating life's trials through the lens of their Christian beliefs. However, The Baxters is riddled with unnatural dialogue and presents an oversimplified and outdated view of the world. The casting of Roma Downey, known for Touched by an Angel, aligns with the show's spiritual themes, but Ted McGinley's jump from TV's raunchy Married... with Children to a Christian doctor character feels incongruous and highlights the show's broader issues with believability and tone. Additionally, the series dives headfirst into melodrama, with pivotal plot points like infidelity revealed abruptly, leaving little room for character development or nuanced storytelling. The reliance on clichés and the heavy-handed use of a cheesy piano score further emphasize the show's struggle to find its footing between being a faith-based family drama and a compelling narrative that resonates with a broader audience.
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 Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
