Drama
School Spirits
Don’t be fooled by the show’s teenage characters. Parents would be advised not to let their own teens be haunted by its content.
Welcome to Hinkley Hills, the safest town in America.
It’s the perfect place for a young family to raise a few kids—white picket fences, friendly neighbors, good schools, astronomically low crime rate.
All of those reasons and more are why Samira and Rob Fisher moved into Rob’s childhood home in Hinkley Hills when his parents moved away. Samira just gave birth to their son, Miles, and they’re hoping to provide a bright, safe future for the boy.
There is the issue of Hinkley House, however.
It’s the dilapidated Victorian across the street from the couple. The other neighbors claim it’s been empty for 20 years—ever since the owners’ daughter died under mysterious circumstances, and they moved away. They haven’t sold the place since.
Well, until today. A car swerves into the cul-de-sac, plops down a “For Sale” sign and zooms away.
It’s all a little strange to Samira. She notices the way townsfolk shy away from the whole “alleged murder” thing. It seems most people who lived in the area during the incident would rather ignore the rotting eyesore—awkwardly shutting down conversation instead of letting on what they know.
And that includes Samira’s own husband, too.
Pretty soon, Samira doesn’t feel very welcome at Hinkley Hills, the safest town in America.
In the world of expected remakes, Tom Hanks’ 1989 dark comedy The ‘Burbs was not high on my list.
But hey, for the whole dozen of fans who were hoping for it, here’s a show that has the same premise: strange neighbors, tight-lipped secrets and an old house that threatens to reveal it all like a freshly lit powder keg.
Of course, there are plenty of differences between this show and the movie (there’d have to be to fill up the eight-episode first season). But far be it from us to spoil any plot details—we’re just here to talk about the content concerns that might make you think twice about buying a home in the ‘burbs.
Heavy, crude language and racial prejudice are common issues in the show (even the first episode’s title uses God’s name in vain). Violence, too, pops up. Early on, a character dies onscreen in a sudden and intense manner. And while sexual content stays relatively tame, it should be noted that LGBT elements are at play.
With all that, many viewers may want to avoid settling down in Hinkley Hills.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
When Samira and Rob move to Hinkley Hills, it isn’t long before Samira notes some strange occurrences at Hinkley House.
Someone mentions that a man’s wife cheated on him with a man the couple knew. When Rob tells Samira the gossip, she jokes that she’d only do that to him if it were a stranger. A woman references her female partner. A rainbow flag appears to hang from a house in the background of some scenes. Rob and Samira kiss. The couple jokes that their baby always wakes up whenever they’re about to get intimate.
Samira asks what incident happened at the Hinkley House: “Chainsaw massacre, Satanic cult, jilted bride who severed the head of her lost, unfaithful lover?” Samira references heaven while discussing her deceased mother. A woman believes the Hinkley House to be haunted. When a man purchases the home, Samira states that she hopes he has a good exorcist. Rob and Samira joke that their baby is like a “tiny, vengeful god.”
Neighbors drink wine. Someone jokes that Samira should pick up day drinking or a pill-popping habit. Rob says that he was inebriated and on “three different classes of drugs” during a bachelor party. There’s a joke that a business was a front for peddling drugs.
Casual racist comments are made throughout the episode, and Samira gets racially profiled in one instance.
We hear the f-word 10 times, including one use paired with “mother.” The s-word is used 11 times, and the n-word is used once. We hear a variety of other crudities, too, including “a–,” “b–ch,” “d–n,” “h—,” “p-ss,” “pr-ck,” “ho” and “t-t.” God’s name is used in vain four times, including one instance of “g-dd–n.”
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Don’t be fooled by the show’s teenage characters. Parents would be advised not to let their own teens be haunted by its content.
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