Crime
Slow Horses
Apple TV+’s new spy thriller is smart, sardonic and full of enough swear words to fill the Thames.
I, Amber Brown, do not like change.
Unfortunately, everything is changing in Amber’s life. Her best friend, Justin, is moving to Alabama, so she has to start middle school alone. A new girl, “Brandi with an ‘i,’” has moved into his old house and doesn’t even own a dog. And worst of all, Amber’s mom is getting engaged.
But not all change is bad. On the plus side, her crush, Stanley, knows her name. Brandi is friendly and seems eager to get to know Amber better. And best of all, Amber’s dad is moving back to town from Paris.
Maybe 6th grade won’t be so bad after all.
Based on the children’s books by Paula Danziger, Amber Brown focuses on Amber’s struggles with fitting in, making friends and navigating her parents’ divorce.
Because of the focus on kids, language is mostly absent (aside from the occasional abuse of God’s name). Sexual content doesn’t play a role either, but in the first episode, Amber and her aunt both ask if Max (her mom’s boyfriend) stayed the night since he’s over so early in the morning. (He didn’t.)
Other than those small concerns, it’s a sweet series about Amber’s adventures in middle school as she learns how to adjust to all the changes that life brings.
Amber’s rough first day of school concludes with the shocking news that her mom is getting engaged.
It’s clear that Amber is still upset about her parents’ divorce. She expresses sadness that her dad doesn’t call more often and even harbors hope that her parents might get back together once he’s stateside again.
Amber and her aunt both ask if Max stayed the night since he is at their house very early. He explains he didn’t. Amber resists eating Max’s healthy food, manipulating her mom into letting her have a doughnut instead.
Brandi says that a crystal has “great energy.”
A mean girl at school mocks Amber after pretending not to know her. Amber can be a bit snippy to her mom at times. We hear an abuse of God’s name as well as “gosh” and “geez.”
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
Apple TV+’s new spy thriller is smart, sardonic and full of enough swear words to fill the Thames.
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