Animation
Good Times
Netflix takes a classic sitcom, Good Times, and turns it into a vulgar, violent, sexually-charged TV-MA show.
It’s been a hard year.
Wade Felton lost his beloved wife one year ago and he and his two adolescent daughters, Natalie and Grace, are still trying to figure out how to move on.
Grace and Natalie are liking this more relaxed version of their dad, given that he’s been in “just get through it mode” for an entire year. But they’re sort of sick of the dogs lounging on the countertops and they could do without another frozen lasagna for dinner. As for Wade…well, Wade’s doing the best he can at being a single parent, given his grief. Except parenting is really all he does outside of work. And his friends are concerned.
So two couples—Forrest and Delia along with Ben and Michelle—sit Wade down and have the hard talk: It’s time to move on. Which means creating a dating profile so Wade can get back on the market.
And man alive is he marketable. You might not know it by looking at him, but they call his type the unicorn: The elusive, desirable creature that every single woman wants. The kind of guy who isn’t cheating, having a midlife crisis or driving a Porsche to make up for his flaws.
Wade checks all these boxes, sure, but it doesn’t do him much good. Because even while the number of interested females continues to climb, Wade’s still left with this one fact: He doesn’t know how to date. In fact, he doesn’t really know who he is anymore. Especially without his wife.
If he has any hopes of conquering this new challenge, he’ll have to depend on the help of his loving friends and family to make it through an endless number of learning curves.
CBS’ latest single-camera comedy focuses on a genuine dad working to repair the life of his family after his wife’s tragic death. And while The Unicorn gives us an unusual story, it’s certainly not one-of-a-kind.
Wade is genuine, compassionate and (so far) seems to really want a steady, loving relationship–not just meaningless sex. In fact, in the first episode, he turns down an interested woman because he realizes that he wants more than just a casual fling. And that’s admirable. Wade is also a loving father who tries his best to fill the role of both parents to his two daughters. We can offer some praise to Wade’s friends, too, who have stepped in to help Wade raise his kids. And they’re all loving, married couples raising good kids.
However, this new sitcom isn’t squeaky clean. Wade’s a good dad and a good man, true, but he has trouble setting boundaries for his daughters and being “dad” instead of “friend.” And since this whole show is based on Wade’s new dating life, there’s a lot of talk about sex; sexual innuendo permeates the script and light language is littered throughout. And while Wade may want a committed relationship, he certainly doesn’t stay chaste until he gets married.
Like the titular mythical animal, CBS’ The Unicorn can look and feel pretty impressive at times. But this sitcom is not exactly pure.
After Wade helps his girlfriend’s ex-husband get a new job in a different city, he steps in to babysit her kid.
People talk about sex. Someone compares a cookbook to pornography. People drink wine (and a man says he drinks too much). Someone posts a bad book review online out of jealousy. Someone jokes about flatulence. A girl calls her sister a “buttmouth.” God’s name is misused.
Wade realizes it’s time to move on from his wife’s passing, and his friends think the best way to do this is to create a dating profile for him.
As soon as that profile lands online, Wade realizes that he is desired by many women. One specific woman, who is referred to as “stupid hot” multiple times, shows interest in Wade and openly flirts with him. Another woman flirts with Wade and makes it clear that she’s interested in having sex. (He declines, telling her that he prefers to wait.)
A woman makes a reference to a man’s genitals and to sex. Wades daughter freaks out when she thinks that he’s going to start talking about his own sex life., and his eldest daughter gets in trouble for sneaking a boy over, a boy who we hear touches her breast. A mother talks with her daughter about body changes and being “turned on.”
Couples say that lying to their kids is the best way to survive. A couple argues.
Men and women alike consume beer and wine. God’s name is misused three times. Other profanities include “a–,” “d–mit,” “h—” and “crap.” A young boy is called “dumb.”
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.
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).
Netflix takes a classic sitcom, Good Times, and turns it into a vulgar, violent, sexually-charged TV-MA show.
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