Should They Watch It?

Netflix’s brand new Sea of Love is a colorful new animated series about a group of adventurous sea friends. TV-Y

The Positives
Netflix is embracing diversity among their creative collaborations, as Sea of Love is the first Thai pre-school animated series created by two Thai moms. 

 Teamwork and friendship are at the forefront of this show, making these characters positive role models for young children.  The show teaches important messages, like how to give your friends space or “alone time” when they ask for it.

Bruda the Whale likes to cook, which invites children to become curious about the food on their plates. 

Fluffy or Educational
The show strives to be Educational-ish, but there’s room to strengthen these goals. Because of the pace of the show, we got a bit of a PBS vibe. 

Potentially Problematic
There’s a couple instances of lying from the kids, but it is eventually resolved at the end of the show. 

The accents on some ‌animals could affect your child’s speech if they are in the very early stages of speaking or have a speech delay (think Peppa Pig).

 The teachers and parents never seem to get upset, even in moments when you’d expect them to.

Will parents like it?
Laura: No

Kara: With some yoga, yes! 

Should They Watch It?
Kara: Yes

Laura: Meh…it won’t hurt, but there are better shows out there.  

Side Conversations
After “mining” for “gold” on a recent vacation, Kara’s son Michael has is hungry for riches, making for an interesting birthday wishlist. With the cost of gold being outrageous, Kara buys him a faux gold bar. The hosts then scheme over other potential gifts Michael, including faux jewelry, faux fur and who knows what else. 

Laura and Kara discuss the Emmy-winning drama (and definitely-not-for-kids series) Euphoria, and they both love it. They discuss the show’s depiction of family trauma and addiction, which struck a chord with viewers as being very relatable, though scary to imagine for parents of young children. Who else out there is watching this? 

If you enjoyed this podcast, show us your appreciation with a five star review on your favorite platform and check us out on Instagram. Thanks for listening to Should They Watch It!

For our 50th episode (and first of Season 2!) the ladies begin with a revisit to a previous episode: Stranger Things. Is it possible Kara has changed her review? Tune in to find out!

The hosts then move onto their review of Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. Available on netflix ages 8+

Summary
This Guillermo Del Toro produced animated fantasy series follows a teenage boy, Jim, and his friends as they explore a mysterious realm of trolls and other fantastical creatures. Ultimately, the teens are tasked with protecting the world. 

The Positives
We loved Kelsey Grammer!  His contribution to the show created an engaging experience for us as viewers.

 The show is very plot-heavy, so be prepared to put your phones down or else you will miss important details that are sometimes shown in blink-and-you-miss-it moments. For us parents, this is an exciting shift from many kid’s shows available right now that are fun for kids, but mind numbing for their caregivers.  

 Valuable messages of personal growth, loyalty, honor, and the pressures of being a teen.  

We loved the goofy names of the trolls.

Potentially Problematic
We thought they were too hard on Toby with the fat jokes and tropes. It eventually just turned into bullying. 

 The bad guys would definitely be scary for younger kids. 

 There is some violent language.

 The bully calls the main character a “Buttsnack,” which almost sounded flirtatious to us? We’re not 100% sure. 

Will parents like it?
Yes. 

Should They Watch It?
Both: Yes

Side Conversations
Kara has changed her opinion on Stranger Things. She put aside her role as a mom to a six-year-old and realized that it’s a fit for older tweens (and up) because of the role models and themes of teamwork and heroism. 

 Both ladies have fallen in love with Eddie Munson along with the rest of the world. Joseph Quinn is overwhelmed by his newfound fandom and even broke down in tears at Comic- Con out of appreciation. They love what the show did with Max, and Laura points out the grief journey that the show took her on including the symbolism in the lyrics of Running Up That Hill. 

 The girls fawn over the genius of Guillermo Del Toro, but would he be a better dinner guest or a better partner during a game of Pictionary?  Discussion ensues.

 If you enjoyed this podcast, give us a five star review on your favorite platform and check us out on Instagram. Thanks for checking out Should They Watch It!

While on their summer break, Laura and Kara are re-playing some of their favorite episodes from 2022. I don't think any review had the ladies laughing quite as hard as Crocodile Dundee! We'll return next week with a brand new episode: Troll Hunters!

During their short summer break, Laura and Kara are re-playing some of their favorite episodes from 2022! This week: Daniel Tiger...look for new episodes to return on July 19th!

This week, Laura and Kara discuss the much-loved pre-school hit, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Laura brings her therapist hat to this episode, providing parents with a lot of ideas on how to use this series to help with their children's emotional development.  And while Kara begins with her arms crossed over her love for the original Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Laura manages to open her eyes to how good this new adaption just might be!

During their Summer Break, Laura and Kara will re-play some of their favorite episodes from 2022. Enjoy this look back at Cocomelon (our most listened-to episode!) , and we'll see you for new episodes on July 19th!

Laura and Kara invite their first guest onto this week's podcast, the incredible Brina Palencia! No one is better equipped to review the MEGA hit series - Cocomelon. Brina is an actor, a musician, a song-writer, a singer, and a very popular voice actor. So she knows her stuff when it comes to singing kid songs...especially because she's ALSO a mom! The ladies had a ton of laughs and a lot of thoughts on this week's podcast. Let us know what you think! www.shouldtheywatchit.com

The new Jurassic World: Dominion movie has finally hit theaters, so Laura and Kara decided to take things back to 1993 and discuss if the original Jurassic Park movie still holds up in today's world.  Join the ladies as they whistle along to the Jurassic Park’s classic theme that became an distinctive song for kids during that time.

Summary
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park, released in 1993 and directed by Stephen Spielberg, is about a scientist who is brings Dinosaurs back from extinction.  He keeps them on an island, but things go awry when one of his employees turns off the power on the island, thus giving the dinosaurs free rein on the island and endangering the scientists invited to the island, along with head scientist’s two grandchildren.

Jurassic World: Dominion
Humans and dinosaurs coexist in the future with this star-studded throwback cast. We struggle to make any sense of the plot. 

The Positives
Jurassic Park
The technology still holds up decades after it came out! This was the first CGI movie, with some groundbreaking puppetry mixed in. Notably, those terrifying raptors were people in costume. 

 Strong female characters.

 Samuel L Jackson(!) being the most mild form of himself.  But still, it’s fun to see him in his earlier career.

 Classic scenes that are burned into our brains like the T-Rex and the cup entrance scene 

 Peak sexy Jeff Goldblum professing chaos theory, laughing strangely, and being right about everything. We love him.

 In a movie about man vs. nature, audience members are left with the question: who is the real villian here?

 Dominion
Great culturally diverse cast that included almost all of the stars from previous Jurassic franchise movies. 

 Dewanda Wise, we bow down to you.

Potentially Problematic
Jurassic Park

Violence and death. 

Cursing. 

Constant smoking by Samuel L. 

 Intense visuals.  If your child is scared of dinos and/or loud noises you might want to rethink showing them this movie. We still think it’s appropriate for 5+. 

Dominion

Plot was terrible and confusing. Martin scorsese’s quote about Marvel movies being theme parks not cinema holds true here. It seems like all of the focus was on action sequences instead of plot and script. 

Chris Pratt is the lead and has been surrounded by controversy recently. 

Should They Watch It?

Jurassic Park

Kara: yes

Laura: yes 

 Dominion

Kara: No

Side Conversations
We talked about childhood fears. Why aren’t kids afraid of dinosaurs like they are other monsters? Is it because they’re exposed to them more as kids? Kara and Laura take a deep dive.

We also discussed the most common fears that parents pass down to their kids and found that, at younger ages kids are afraid of external things and grow to be afraid of more internal, existential threats. 

 Check out our 90s wedding announcement photo of E.T. and Spielberg on Instagram. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, give us a five-star review on your favorite platform and check us out on Instagram. Thanks for checking out Should They Watch It!  

This week, the hosts discuss the widely popular 80’s supernatural show Stranger Things aka (our preferred title) Spooky Goonies. The hosts could help but gush over this show as they reminisce over the past episodes and provide un-spoilered details of the most recent season. 

 Summary
If you haven’t seen Spooky Goonies by now, then you’re missing out on America’s favorite horror/sci-fi adventure show. Netflix’s flagship show just released its fourth season and it’s a doozy. 

 Psychokinetic telepath (be sure not to read that as telekinetic psychopath because there are those too) Eleven and her three buddies repeatedly save the small town of Hawkins, Indiana from various alien life forms. 

 The show is an excellent example of weaving riveting storytelling with detailed character development, deeply exploring many of its side characters as well. 

Target Audience
TV14. It is one of the most popular shows as of late, so it’s hitting with all demos. 

The Positives
The show highlights the long-gone 80s phenomenon of outdoor and unsupervised play mixed with the growing realization of the vulnerability of unaccompanied children.  With cases of child abductions making their way onto the news, (see the Jacob Wetterling case ), parents, communities, and even Hollywood, began pointing fingers at what they believed were the cause of such horrific murders.  Thus, the birth of the “Satanic Panic"began.  This mass hysteria provided a backdrop for the plot of this show, welcoming newcomer Joseph Quinn to the cast as the beloved and wrongly accused Eddie Munson. 

 Speaking of actors, the casting for this show is flawless.  From the regulars, to the newcomers, to the one and done cameos (Toby from This is Us makes a crossover appearance as Benny Hammond.)

 Strong friendships make for messages of loyalty through the many challenges of puberty.

 Robert Englund (the original Freddie Kruger) shows up in the cast as a super creepy character.

 Great 80s music! TikTok has been relentless over its love for Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hilland we have Max to thank for it.

Potentially Problematic
Not problematic, but the girls couldn’t help but notice yet another show where the government builds a laboratory ¾ of a mile from a bustling town without anyone noticing. Reminds us of Superpupz. Check out our review of that episode here. 

 The show scared the hell out of Kara’s son (specifically the demodogs) and it might scare yours too. 

 Lots of graphic death and injury. 

 Drug use. 

 Grief. 

Some teenage sexuality, which varies by the season.  The hosts get distracted by discussing a particular scene with Billy. 

The costume choices are too much for Laura. 

Should They Watch It
Kara: No, and nothing has hurt her worse to say this. 

Laura: Yes to teens and tweens. 

Side Conversation
One of Kara’s son’s friends came

We are so excited to welcome back voice and television actress Brina Palencia, (My Hero Academia, One Piece, Borderlands) who had joined us for our Cocomelon episode. As is tradition, our guests recommend their favorite show and Brina brought us a GEM in Maya and the Three. 

Summary
Maya and the Three is a one season Netflix series of nine 30 minute episodes. This animated mesoamerican fantasy-adventure show features fifteen year old warrior princess Maya embarking on a journey to save humanity from some furious underworld gods. 

The Noteworthies
Being part Honduran herself, Brina felt excited to see a show that broke away from the Aztec savage warrior trope. This, in addition to the beautiful writing, made for a very emotional viewing for her and the other ladies. 

Even the gods in the show see character development, rather than black and white “good vs evil” treatment from show writers. 

The moon looks like Jack Skellington. We think it’s intentional. In fact, there are lots of skulls and it makes us happy. 

Chimi is played by Stephanie Beatriz, who was Mirabel in Encanto. 

Potentially Problematic
Younger children might not be able to follow along with the complex storylines. 

Infidelity. Revenge. Death themes. Violence with injury. 

Should They Watch It?
Brina: Solid yes

Kara: Absolute yes

Laura: yes

The adults loved it. And the kids did too. We think you and yours will feel the same way!

Follow Brina Palencia on Twitter or check her out on Instagram here. 

This week the ladies review a movie for the older kids in the 1986 worldwide phenomenon Crocodile Dundee. 

The movie was based on the real-life adventures of Rod Ansell, who may have had a wilder origin story than Crocodile Dundee. He and his dogs survived for two years on cattle blood and bees that he lassoed and tracked to their hives for honey. True story or tall tale? We’ll never know. Ansell would ultimately be killed in a police shootout. Seriously.

The Good
Croc is kind to animals. There are pretty shots of the outback. There is plenty of uh…chemistry between Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski in this one. Just follow their eyes in this scene for proof. They would later get married and stay married for 24 years, which is solid by Hollywood standards. 

Potentially Problematic
Lots: Prostitution. Racism. Cocaine. Drunk Driving. Fighting and eyeballing or “Overly punchy, crazy-fisting and weirdly horny” as the ladies put it. Lots of buttcheeks. 

Should They Watch It?
Kara: Bigger no than Ace Ventura.

Laura: No. It didn’t age well 

Side Conversation
Kara has a sultry Jessica Rabbit voice, due to a recent cold. 

Kids need at least 60-90 minutes of physical activity and a recent study found they aren’t getting it in 74% of childcare programs.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite platform. Follow us on Instagram and check us out at shouldtheywatchit.com!

“Theres no time for lollygaggin so lets get crackalackin”

SuperpupZ: From the creators of Airbud, comes a live-action series about four super-powered dogs that team with kids and an alien to save the world (we think that’s the goal?  We are confused!). Silly special effects and plot holes galore charm the ladies. 

Today’s guest: We’re excited to welcome Heather Tune, co-host of the I Can’t Mom Today Podcast and mother of four-year-old Baker. I Can’t Mom Today is a podcast for moms, with a focus on first time moms. Listen here, check them out on instagram or join their facebook group to learn more! SuperpupZ was her recommendation and it didn’t disappoint. Next time she’s in, we’re looking at a group re-watch, and may even check out her favorite childhood movie of The Last Unicorn. 

Positives
Emphasis on teamwork.  Discusses the mind-body connection related to depression and anxiety.  Highlights challenges of owning a puppy, allowing for conversation with kids about responsibility in pet ownership. Uses storytelling to discuss concepts of aging.Mild educational value related to science

 Target audience
3-7 Some kids could be confused by the timeline if they can’t read.

Highlights 
The special effects are outrageously bad and there are plot holes galore. The top two:

The alien never uses its superpowers to make all of the problems go away.

Despite extensive lab testing (that nobody pays for) the dogs’ chips are never tested and no attempts are made to find their owners.

At one point, the bad guy Rocco falls into a tub of fish guts and presumably to limit budget (or smell), he spends the rest of the episode with glitter on his costume. 

If you enjoy off the wall shows with odd choices everywhere, this one’s for you. 

Potentially Problematic
The older brother abandons his baby sister repeatedly. There is some inappropriate behavior by children towards their caregivers. There is some dangerous and reckless behavior including entering burning buildings. Some gross-out humor.  The adult characters are wildly incompetent. 

Should They Watch It?
Kara: No. COULD they watch it? Absolutely. 

Laura: No. COULD they watch it? Yep.

Heather: Yes

Remember to check out I Can’t Mom Today and if you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite platform. Follow us on Instagram and check us out at shouldtheywatchit.com!