Drama
Doctor Who
The good Doctor’s been flitting around time, space and the BBC since 1963. Now he’s also a fixture in the US, toting his curiously British brand of sci-fi in his highly mobile TARDIS. Just how safe is this contraption?
Sunset showdowns, handsome heroes, and cowboy hats in every frame. You probably expect these elements from your typical Western.
But Joe Pickett isn’t your typical Western.
Based on the novels by C.J. Box, this Paramount+ show introduces us to the new game warden of Saddlestring, Wyoming. Joe Pickett is an average, well, Joe, taking care of his family. But after he discovers a dead man on his property, Joe’s dreams of a peaceful, small-town life shatter.
Although the shootouts don’t take place in the iconic town square, this modern retelling of a Western includes plenty of gritty confrontation and deceit. Characters don’t hesitate to reach for their pistols or engage in fistfights, and the show doesn’t shrink away from showing the bloody aftermath. We even see some of these horrific actions committed against women and children.
Our swashbuckling hero lacks the typical suaveness of classic Western cowboys, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t charming. Instead, Joe Pickett’s deadpan expressions and unintentional humor provide the comedic catharsis needed in this gritty story.
Unlike the Westerns of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Joe Pickett includes its fair share of language. We regularly hear characters misuse the Lord’s name, and we can hear “b–ch,” “h—,” “d–n,” “a–hole,” and occasionally the s-word.
Apart from the action, Joe Pickett also explores the titular character’s past, addressing childhood trauma and its lasting effects.
In a world where mainstream media often frames fathers as bumbling fools, Joe Pickett offers a refreshing take on what it means to be a good dad. Though the show’s central conflict is about his career, Joe’s family is clearly an important aspect of his life. Joe has a positive relationship with his two daughters, and he supports his wife, Marybeth, through all sorts of difficulties.
Though their marriage is not perfect, Joe and Marybeth (who’s a former lawyer) display a healthy relationship by positively handling conflict and communicating with one another. They lightly show their affection for one another, occasionally giving each other a peck on the cheeks or lips. Additionally, the show explores the struggles of their in-law relationships.
Joe also displays strong morals. Though the previous game warden, Vern Dunnigan, advises him to let minor infractions slide, Joe’s a stickler for the law—sometimes to his peril.
It’s rare that we see a heathy, traditional household portrayed in modern media, but its appearance in Joe Pickett is certainly welcome. Clearly, the show is made for an older audience: Each episode contains violence and language concerns. Nonetheless, Joe Pickett invites its audience into a gripping adventure with a family you’d want to join around a good ol’ western campfire.
As the Pickett family adjusts to their new home in Saddlestring, Joe must confront Ote Keeley for illegal hunting—and subsequently worries about his family’s safety.
Joe and Ote engage in a violent fistfight, leaving Ote covered in blood. (This fight also involves a gun.) A man chases a young boy. We see a dead animal covered in blood. A character points a gun at someone, and soon after we hear a gun blast off camera. We see a dead body covered in blood.
Joe fires a gun into the air to scare animals. A man with a bow and arrow points his weapon at a character. An emu pecks at Joe’s face.
Vern Dunnigan mentions splitting up with his wife and expresses relief about this decision. He also makes insulting comments about his wife.
We see schoolgirls verbally bully Joe’s daughter, Sheridan, at school. Ote Keeley displays a dysfunctional and abusive marriage with his wife, Jeannie. We see a character urinate onscreen, though nothing critical is seen.
When we meet Missy, Joe’s mother-in-law, she is drunk. We see Joe in his boxers before he goes to bed. Joe drinks alcohol to calm himself after a nightmare.
We hear characters saying “b–ch,” “h—,” “g–d–n,” “d–n,” “p-ss,” and two uses of the s-word. We also hear several misuses of God’s name.
The Picketts deal with trauma on the one-year anniversary of an attack on their family. Meanwhile, Joe investigates the disappearance of Dave Farkus and encounters disturbing individuals on his trek to Bermuda Mountain.
When the episode begins, we see a man get shot by a rifle.
Marybeth sees flashbacks to the night she was shot and deals with PTSD from the experience.
Joe, also dealing with PTSD, self-harms by sticking his finger into a cup of hot coffee. He also sees flashbacks to traumatic moments from his past.
Marybeth and Joe try to support each other as best as they can during these difficult times. Sheridan also displays positive family values as they struggle to move past their distress.
A character gets drunk. We see a dead animal that has been cut open and is covered in blood. (We also see dead animal skeletons.)
Missy, Joe’s mother-in-law, is now dating a deputy who is much younger than her. She and Marybeth have some conflict.
A character’s Bible has been ripped in half.
A character gets shot in the leg by an arrow, and the aftermath is pretty bloody.
The characters use harsh language including several uses of the s-word. We also hear “p-ssed,” “h—,” “a–hat” and “d–n.”
The good Doctor’s been flitting around time, space and the BBC since 1963. Now he’s also a fixture in the US, toting his curiously British brand of sci-fi in his highly mobile TARDIS. Just how safe is this contraption?
The Big Cigar’s protagonist, Huey P. Newton, founder of the Black Panthers, is suspicious of Hollywood. In that, Plugged In would agree.
Milo offers great messages about friendship and trying new things, and it’s free of most anything parents would find concerning.
People from all walks of life learn lessons from God Himself that will change their lives.
