Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

True Story

man sitting in the back of a limo in True Story series

Credits

Cast

Network

Reviewer

Emily Tsiao

TV Series Review

Oftentimes we think we know someone because we talk with them a lot, or because we grew up with them, or because we’ve shared a few difficult times or painful secrets. But truly, how well do we really know them? How well can we know them?

If you really want to know someone, wait until they’re backed against a wall and forced to fight for everything they have. That’s when you’ll see who a person truly is.

People think they know comedian and actor “The Kid.”

His fans think they know him because he made them laugh at one of his shows. The people who work with him think they know him because they helped him become successful and get sober. His brother, Carlton, thinks he knows Kid because they grew up together.

But really, they have no idea what he’s capable of.

True Kid

The Kid is at the peak of his life. His most recent film has made nearly a billion dollars. He’s starting a new comedy tour. He and his ex-wife are cordial and have co-parenting down pat.

But his brother isn’t doing so hot.

After yet another failed business venture (this time a restaurant), Carlton shows up to ask his younger brother for some money. It’s not the first time, but Kid is determined it’ll be the last.

Unfortunately, he never gets the chance to have that conversation with Carlton. Because Carlton takes his little bro out on a bender, breaking six months of Kid’s sobriety.

And later that night, Carlton wakes Kid in a panic. Because the woman that Kid went to bed with is dead.

The Kid is going to lose everything. His career, his money, his friends, his son. But Carlton assures him that won’t happen.

“I’ve got this,” he promises.

Only Kid isn’t so sure. Because every time that Carlton swears he’ll handle something, Kid somehow comes out looking worse for wear.

And this time is no exception.

Carlton hires a Greek gangster named Ari to make the body disappear. Then Ari extorts Kid for money (to the tune of six million dollars).

And Kid, backed against a wall and tired of being taken advantage of by his fans, his friends, his family and now this guy, murders Ari.

I guess nobody truly knew who the Kid was.

True Scandal

True Story is not based on a true story. And thank goodness, too.

Boomers warned us against “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll”—all of which make an appearance in the show. But this tall tale also involves murder, strained family ties, racial discussions and just about every curse word in the book (including the f-word and n-word).

According to the Kid, you have to back someone into a corner to get to know the real them. But no corners are necessary to see that this show belongs hidden in a box somewhere.

Episode Reviews

Nov. 24, 2021: “Chapter 1: The King of Comedy”

When a woman winds up dead in popular comedian The Kid’s bed, he goes to drastic lengths to cover it up.

Kid wakes up in bed with a woman, both of whom are in their underwear, implying they had sex. We hear that Kid is getting divorced because he cheated on his wife. We see a blow-up sex doll. Carlton asks Kid to be his wingman. There is a sensual silhouette of a woman printed on a business card. We see a man wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Several women wear tight, revealing clothing.

A man is strangled with a phone charger. A woman is found dead after overdosing on prescription drugs. A man says he broke her bones, shoved her into a room service cart, threw her body down a garbage chute and disposed of her corpse at an undisclosed location. Two people pretend they are going to get into a fight to scare a hotel manager. A man jokes that he spent eight years in prison for murder. A woman threatens to poke a man’s eyes out.

Kid’s brother and friends pressure him into drinking even though they know he is six months sober. Kid gets black-out drunk and hides it from his management team since they’ve worked hard to keep him clean. Carlton brags that even though his restaurant is failing, he still has his liquor license. We hear that the athletic Carlton didn’t “go pro” because he got “caught on a corner,” implying either drug use or prostitution.

When a white fan of the Kid’s starts quoting one of Kid’s skits about the n-word, he offends several people. A female writer of Kid is dismissed by her colleagues and fans of the Kid, even though she wrote the jokes that made him famous.

Kid’s team prays before a show. Someone says God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. Someone asks Kid if he believes in God and angels. A man says he is Jewish.

Someone offers to take the blame for a death to protect Kid. Someone else implies that nobody will miss the dead woman. We hear about robberies. People blackmail and lie. People refuse to report a death to the police.

We hear uses of the f-word, s-word, n-word, “a–,” “b—h,” “d–n,” “d–k,” “h—,” “p-ss” and “p—y.” God’s name is abused, sometimes paired with “d–n.”

The Plugged In Show logo
Elevate family time with our parent-friendly entertainment reviews! The Plugged In Podcast has in-depth conversations on the latest movies, video games, social media and more.
Emily Tsiao

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.

Latest Reviews

Comedy

Davey & Jonesie’s Locker

This latest original series from Hulu is silly and quirky in a lot of ways, but parents should exercise some caution before letting tweens or teens turn it on.

Drama

3 Body Problem

3 Body Problem is an intriguing entry into the sci-fi genre. But its own problems push it out of bounds for most families.

Drama

Manhunt

Manhunt combines the historical drama and police procedural genres for an intriguing look at two pivotal weeks in American history.