Parents' Guide to

Gentefied

By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Funny, family-centric drama examines race, class issues.

TV Netflix Drama 2020
Gentefied Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

Rivertown Mom
Rivertown Mom Parent
March 3, 2020
age 12+

Bilingual (Spanish English) family comedy drama! Highly recommend!

I cannot figure out why this series is rated "MA" on Netflix. This is a warm and literate exploration of how an extended family and their friends. lovers, and colleagues deal with gentrification in their California neighborhood. It focusses on a grandfather, still mourning the death of his wife, four grandchildren (two boys and two girls ranging in age from middle school to adulthood), and the issues confronted by all of them as family members as they try to develop romantic and business relationship within a vibrant community being invested in by outsiders. Lots of really interesting subplots involving gentrification, implicit bias, LGBTQ issues, puppy love, homelessness, mourning, financial stressors, career decisions, unionization, sweat shops, family responsibilities, community involvement, owning one's heritage etc. etc. I cannot recommend this show enough. Amazing acting and excellent writing and beautifully filmed. Some bad language (that never impacts me or my kids), at least one person (an obnoxious racist chef) gets punched, and two steamy scenes involving committed adults in long term relationships. One scene involves some use of hallucinogens at a "rave" with some rear nudity of a main male character and one scene involves co-workers drinking in a contest during the work day at a restaurant kitchen. One character smokes pot regularly but it is discussed how this adversely impacts his motivation.
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What's the Story?

GENTEFIED is a half-hour series that's part comedy, part drama, examining issues of cultural identity and gentrification through the struggles and triumphs of a tight-knit Mexican American family in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood. Much of the action centers on Mama Fina's, the taco shop owned by widowed grandfather Casimiro (Joaquín Cosio, Quantum of Solace) -- aka "Pops" -- which is hanging by a thread in a time of rising rents and encroaching newcomers, most of them White. Casimiro lives with his two grandsons, the sometimes hotheaded Erik (a fiercely-protective but flaky dad-to-be played by Joseph Julian Soria) and aspiring chef Chris (who grew up with money and is often referred to as a "coconut" -- brown on the outside, White on the inside -- played by Carlos Santos). Also in their orbit is cousin Ana (Karrie Martin), a young painter who's trying to figure out how to make it in the overwhelmingly bourgeois art world without betraying her roots -- an issue that's especially important to her outspoken activist girlfriend, Yessika (Julissa Calderon).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

What does it mean to change when your community is being displaced ... and is it even worth it? These are the issues faced by the Morales family, and they're examined with a skillful blend of humor and depth. The series does a terrific job giving its characters distinct and real-feeling personalities, especially considering the episodes are so short. It's also remarkably refreshing to see Latino men depicted as sensitive, multifaceted human beings -- there are no one-note macho stereotypes at play here. Gentefied excels at interweaving storylines that tackle big-picture cultural questions with the smaller challenges of daily life.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the show's title, Gentefied, and what the play on words means. ("Gente" means "people" in Spanish.)

  • Why do some of the characters seem to have an issue with Chris, and the way he grew up? What is the show trying to say about the idea of someone being a "real" Mexican?

  • How do the characters in Gentefied demonstrate perseverance? Why is this an important character strength?

TV Details

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