Drama
The Night Agent
As far as spy thrillers go, The Night Agent is par for the course. But as far as family viewing goes, it might be better to blacklist this one.
Meet Ridley Jones: a spunky, fearless 6-year-old who is ready for adventure.
You’d think that living in a treehouse inside of a children’s museum with her mom and grandma would be enough of a thrill, but any daily routine gets old after a while. And Ridley has been feeling the monotony for some time.
But things quickly change when Ridley happens upon her mom’s secret, glowing gem. Turns out, this little device unlocks a hidden power within the museum. Soon, Ridley discovers something her grandma and mother have known for years: that the museum’s inhabitants come alive every single night.
Ridley meets Dante, the dinosaur; Ismat, the mummy queen; Peaches, the space monkey; Dudley, the dodo bird; and Fred, the nonbinary bison. Together, this unique group of newfound friends embarks on nightly adventures and help Ridley learn that keeping the museum safe is just as important as facing your fears.
Chris Nee, the creator of popular animated kid shows Vampirina and Doc McStuffins, has teamed up with Netflix to bring you the first program featuring a “female Indiana Jones”: Ridley Jones.
This new, TV-Y preschool animated series focuses on 6-year-old girl Ridley Jones who lives and adventures in a children’s museum that comes to life each night (à la Night at the Museum). You can expect that your preschoolers will be met with tons of imaginative fun and adventures that anyone might want to take. There are also lessons on bravery, humility, kindness and teamwork.
But there are also some other lessons as well. Fred, a bison, is nonbinary, and is referred to as neither he nor she, but just a “Fred,” taking they/them pronouns. And Ismat, the mummy queen, has two gay dads who are featured throughout the series.
Yes, this show features positive lessons and adventures. However, it contains a bit of magic, and it presents a wide range of sexual identities to young viewers, in sync with similar messaging we’re seeing with increasing frequency on similar shows aimed at kids.
Ridley and friends protect the Heart of the Museum from bandits. But after the Heart is chipped, Ridley’s mother, Sarah, doubts her own ability to protect the museum.
The Heart of the Museum is a magical gem that allows the museum’s creatures to come alive. Additionally, we see another magical item, the Compass Eye, which allows Ridley to travel through time.
Lightning strikes a tree, which catches fire. Sarah runs into the tree to save the Heart of the Museum, and she gets a heart-shaped scar. Sarah falls off an exhibit. Tiny bandits are blown away by a sneeze.
We see Ismat’s two fathers. Additionally, the “non-binary bison” Fred says her name is actually “Winifred, but it never felt right.”
Someone says “thank the dodo heavens!” Ismat exclaims “O-M-Egypt!” Someone asks “what if I screw up?” Someone else says “As we blacksmiths like to say, ‘he who smelt it, dealt it.’”
Ridley learns a secret about the children’s museum; Ridley and her friends search for a missing baby penguin.
Ridley asks if Fred is a “he or she,” to which someone responds, “I don’t know, they’re just a Fred.”
Ridley is rude and dismissive to her mom and grandma but later apologizes. Ismat the mummy queen exclaims, “Oh my Egypt.”
Though he was born in Kansas, 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 and hermeneutics. He doesn’t think the ending of Lost was “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).
As far as spy thrillers go, The Night Agent is par for the course. But as far as family viewing goes, it might be better to blacklist this one.
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