Sterling and Blair Wesley are the epitome of what good ol’ traditional Southern belles should be: polite, conservative, always at church on time … or rather, that’s what they want you to think.
Around their parents and classmates, they mind their manners, preach about the dangers of smoking and lead people in prayer. But behind closed doors, it’s all swearing, making poor choices about sex and hunting down wanted criminals.
This double life as bounty hunters started off as just a way to earn some quick cash after wrecking their dad’s beloved hunting truck. But after working with Bowser (a crusty ex-cop who tracks down “skips” for a living) on a few jobs, the twins realize they’re actually good at it. So, why not?
Between the cursing, sex and occasional violence, this show comes with a lot of issues—but more on that in a minute—because it’s also really important to note the show’s problematic spiritual elements and theological miscues.
First off, the girls have a connection that allows them to have psychic conversations with each other. And while this isn’t ever discussed as anything more than a “twin thing,” it’s worth nothing.
Early on, Sterling (the “pure” twin) makes the decision to have sex with her long-term boyfriend, whom she “loves.” (This act is disturbingly played out on screen while Sterling quotes Scripture to convince her boyfriend that what they’re doing is OK with God.) She says she has no regrets about it and that she and God are “good.” But after being chosen as the leader of a Christian youth group at school, she feels guilty for hiding the truth from her classmates (but never for the sex itself).
Blair, the more rebellious twin, proudly wears the title of “slut.” She’s not as connected to God as her sister is and even questions some of her sister’s choices regarding sex and faith. Blair likewise finds ways to justify many of her “sins” without ever actually feeling true remorse or asking for forgiveness.
So, regarding sex, the show really doesn’t have any boundaries. It deals with prostitution, same-sex relationships and underage sex (all seen on-screen). We see several naked bodies throughout the show and hear people talk about the act in varying levels of detail.
Language is also an issue. In the first episode alone, you hear not only the s-word and f-word, but even the c-word. We also hear multiple misuses of God’s name, even by the people claiming to follow Him.
Violence is another issue. While not a particularly gory show, people still get shot and beat up pretty frequently. Deer hunting is another endeavor that’s depicted here.
Racial tension also comes into play here. Sterling and Blair are very much rich white girls, and that socioeconomic status contrasts sharply with Bowser, who is a lower-income Black man. Now, for the most part, Bowser doesn’t allow his race to affect how he does his job. And the girls learn a lot about their own assumptions of what Black people deal with by hanging around him. However, there are still some awkward moments—especially when Blair starts dating a young Black man—that show how misunderstandings and prejudices can happen despite the best intentions.
There are some instances of underage drinking, but the show actually tries to discourage this since it results in a girl projectile vomiting and later being properly disciplined for her actions. The Wesley twins also get pretty outspoken about the dangers of smoking (and it shocks and saddens them when they fail to stop their pastor from buying a pack of cigarettes at a convenience store).
Although these gun-toting, Bible-quoting, double-life-living twins at certain points actually seem genuine about their faith, the fact that they also tend to use it as a “get out of jail free card” (not to mention all the other mature content here) will make this show a non-starter for many people.
After Blair and Sterling crash their dad’s truck, they take on jobs as bounty hunters to earn some quick cash to fix it.
Sterling and her boyfriend, Luke, make out before she pulls out a condom. He tries to tell her no, quoting Scripture and praying for the will to resist temptation; she goes through with the act anyways, quoting Scripture herself to justify it (nothing critical is seen, but we see her in a bra).
Other sex acts are played out slightly offscreen (we see facial expressions and hear moaning) and described in detail. We see another girl in her bra. There is a cardboard cutout of an underwear model in an office. Security footage shows a shirtless man. Teenagers make out. Some female characters wear tops that bare midriffs and cleavage. People mention male and female genitals. We hear that a grown man made inappropriate comments about a teenage girl. The same man lies about beating up a prostitute. Sterling sends a picture of her sister’s cleavage to a man to trick him into revealing his location. Someone mentions a “Straight-Straight” alliance.
A sign in front of a Christian school says, “Our school is prayer conditioned.” Sterling and Blair have a psychic conversation. There are several discussions about sex and virginity with some characters saying that premarital sex is a sin and others saying that “love covers a multitude of sins.” Sterling questions whether she can be a Christian leader since she is lying about having sex and compares it to lying about flatulence. A girl blatantly uses some acts of charity to make herself look like a good Christian.
Two cars wreck, and while nobody is injured, one of the drivers considers driving off without stopping. Several people pull guns on each other. Blair and Sterling beat up a man, using a gun to knock him unconscious. A girl jumps onto a moving car while her sister shoots out its tires. Blair repeatedly drives recklessly.
Blair and Sterling help Bowser get into a country club that is “racist.” There are some other racially charged comments, and a private room at the club has a Confederate flag hanging in the background. People smoke and drink at the club and at a private pool. A girl says she urinated in someone’s pool.
We hear multiple uses of the f-word and s-word, as well as a use of the c-word. We also hear “a–,” “b–ch,” “d–mit,” “d–n,” “d–k,” “h—,” “slut,” “tramp,” and “whore.” There are multiple misuses of God’s and Jesus’ names (the former sometimes paired with “d–mit”).
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.
An elf mage contemplates on connection and regret as she watches her human friends grow old and pass away.
Netflix takes a classic sitcom, Good Times, and turns it into a vulgar, violent, sexually-charged TV-MA show.
