Drama
Forever
Inspired by Judy Blume’s novel, Netflix’s Forever is a story about teen romance, but one that I certainly wouldn’t want my own teenager watching.
Adventure, exploration and conservation are the passions that run through 9-year-old Jane Garcia’s veins.
Other kids may like to spend their time playing video games or sitting on their phones, but that’s not Jane’s thing. She prefers to follow the inspiration of anthropologist Jane Goodall and spend her time researching endangered species. Her passion is to do what she can to help them–albeit from the two-bedroom apartment she shares with her mom, Maria.
Of course, those apartment walls don’t hem her in. Through her imagination, she still manages to explore jungles or dive into oceans. And Jane doesn’t like to work alone. She spends her days learning and using her wildly active imagination with her best friend and neighbor, David, and their stuffed monkey, Greybeard. And, occasionally, Jane kindly invites residential recluse, Mr. Jin, to help her in her endeavors.
It’s not easy work, this whole saving and conserving the world thing, but it is work that can be done one day, and one person, at a time.
If you’re a parent who grew up loving to explore the outdoors and learn about animals, you may find that Apple TV+’s latest venture, Jane, brings back fond memories.
This show, focused on kids in elementary school, allows Jane, David and their stuffed monkey (who often comes to life) to explore the world and the animals within it. Each episode is like a fantastical mission where the kids team up to learn facts, use super-cool inventions and understand the impact that humanity has on nature.
This show encourages exploration, fosters creativity and educates viewers on many different animals, including polar bears, sharks, honeybees and more. It should be noted that Jane is very interested in showing those around her that both evolution and global warming are real; that humans can either positively or negatively impact the environment; and that teamwork matters.
Although Jane and David spend most of their days alone (since her single mom is often working and her father lives elsewhere), Jane’ mother is incredibly kind. As for David, his parents are two gay men.
Both kids wander around their neighborhood, letting their imaginations lead them. They don’t actually get hurt or get into any real trouble—despite their imaginations sometimes leaving them mere moments from falling off a waterfall or getting crushed by a hippopotamus. But they do learn that, if you do something wrong, apologizing is necessary and community is crucial.
Jane and her close circle follow the words of Jane Goodall as their life’s inspiration: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, can they be saved.”
That inspiration is a good message for kids in general—disregarding howJane’s rather self-centered imaginary adventures can leave her disobeying her mom to continue playing pretend. And we’ll never say no to reminders that we should be good stewards of the environment and creatures over which God has given us dominion.
But with that LGBT component and the strictly secular worldview the show assumes as true, this show may very well be an endangered species in your home.
(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 [email protected], 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.)
Jane, David and Greybeard spend their day tracking a polar bear through their neighborhood and through the Arctic Circle. Jane befriends her reclusive older neighbor, Mr. Jin.
Jane and David escape the claws of an aggressive polar bear many times. They also outrun an avalanche.
Jane’s mom gets mad at her for loudly interrupting her work, and Jane later apologizes. Mr. Jin apologizes to his son for ignoring his calls.
Jane and David wander around parentless for most of the day.
Jane and David study hippos, hoping to understand how mothers train their offspring to survive in the wild. Meanwhile, a single human mom struggles to get her baby to sleep.
The kids get charged by a hippo, which capsizes their boat. Later, they’re chased by a hippo, which threatens to crush them with its mouth. Both instances are merely the duo’s imaginative escapades.
Jane attempts to pin blame on her stuffed animal rather than taking responsibility herself.
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 thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
Inspired by Judy Blume’s novel, Netflix’s Forever is a story about teen romance, but one that I certainly wouldn’t want my own teenager watching.
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