Parents' Guide to

The Mysterious Benedict Society

By Ashley Moulton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Suspense and adventure in whimsical book-based fantasy.

TV Disney+ Drama 2021
The Mysterious Benedict Society Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 9+

Based on 19 parent reviews

CaptAwesome
CaptAwesome Parent of 9-year-old
July 31, 2021
age 8+

Fun, quirky mystery show

Lots of laughs, intrigue, and thought-provoking ideas. Tony Hale (Arrested Devlopment, Toy Story 4) is brilliant, but the kids are definitely the stars of this show, which your kids will love. The show can get pretty heady at times, but the action and the suspense will keep most kids interested even if some of the concepts are a bit deep for the younger ones. My 9 year old boy looks forward to it every week! Good messaging about morals, especially in showing the consequences of acting immorally. Parents who are concerned about grown up subject matter (politics, sexuality, etc) will feel very safe with this show, at least in the first 7 episodes that have been released. Overall, this is a great show for the whole family to watch together.
Constancecontraire
Constancecontraire Adult
August 3, 2021
age 9+

The Mysterious Benedict Society

I started watching the show and fell in love with it from the first episode. It has a perfect cast! All the characters are very likable/loveable--even Constance Contraire. She's my favorite. I told my son about it hoping he'd want to watch an episode. He said--I'm not wasting my time on some silly kids show. So I started watching the series over again while he was around... Long story short--now he's hooked. I hope Disney isn't foolish enough to cancel it... it's literally the only reason I'm keeping Disney Plus.
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What's the Story?

The Mysterious Benedict Society is an adaptation of the book series by Trenton Lee Stewart. The society is made up of four foundlings who enter a school scholarship competition but end up getting recruited for a top-secret world-saving mission instead. They're led by Reynie Muldoon (Mystic Inscho), who's brilliant and kind and a quiet leader. His companions are plucky and resourceful circus performer Kate Wetherall (Emmy DeOliveira), nerdy quiz show champion Sticky Washington (Seth Carr), and the overly grumpy and direct Constance Contraire (Marta Kessler). They've been brought together by brilliant Mr. Benedict (Tony Hale, Veep). Benedict is trying to find the cause of The Emergency: a global mental health crisis in which everyone has crippling anxiety that comes from what they see on the news. He needs the kids because he thinks The Emergency is caused by radio and TV broadcasts coming from the secretive L.I.V.E. Institute school. The kids go undercover as students at the school in order to get to the bottom of the society-destroying mystery. Along the way, they'll communicate with Mr. Benedict's quirky helpers Number Two (Kristen Schaal), Rhonda (MaameYaa Boafo), and Milligan (Ryan Hurst) via flashlight morse code. Can they navigate being "the new kids" at a strange school while trying to save the world at the same time?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (19 ):
Kids say (38 ):

Everything about this series is superb: its acting, its storytelling, its wonderfully immersive dystopian world. Fans of Roald Dahl's Matilda or the Lemony Snicket books will fall in love with this adaptation of the Benedict Society books. Kid viewers will enjoy knowing that children are the only ones capable of saving the day. They'll also likely identify with either Reynie, Kate, or Sticky and love hating the mean Constance. The subtle dry humor sprinkled throughout may be lost on some younger kids, but older kids (and adults) will find it hilarious. Kids will also enjoy trying to solve the puzzles and riddles alongside the genius characters.

The storytelling is super compelling, and grown-ups may wonder why they have a strong desire to binge-watch a show meant for kids. There are great acting performances by the kid and adult actors, especially the scene-stealing Kristen Schaal as Number Two. The sets and costumes are fabulously colorful and Wes Anderson-esque, making the world seem simultaneously both vintage and modern. Grown-ups will genuinely enjoy watching this whimsical and mysterious series along with their kiddos.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the kids' curiosity. Mr. Benedict says that kids want to find out the truth, even more than adults. Do you think you'd be curious enough to go on a secret mission to discover the source of The Emergency?

  • The kids in this series show a lot of courage. Why do you think this is an important character strength? Do you think you'd be brave enough to go on a secret undercover mission?

  • Do you know any difficult people like Constance in your real life? What is the best way to interact with them? How can you find their good qualities?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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