Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this teen drama features all the expected storylines of a primetime soap, including sex, divorce, death, parenthood, and murder. Watch for salty language ("bitch," "ass"), gun violence, and themes pertaining to addiction in later episodes.

Sexual Content

Early episodes feature main teen characters buying condoms and whipped cream. Promiscuity/reckless sexual activity is sometimes implied. Adult characters are sometimes shown in bed, and in various stages of undress.

Violence

Early episodes feature high school boys getting into fistfights and shoving each other on the basketball court. Later episodes feature people stalking one another, getting shot at point-blank range, and drowning. Moderate amounts of blood.

Language

Moderate profanity on the level of "ass" and "bitch."

Social Behavior

As is typical for primetime TV soap-style shows, the series is more about high drama between characters than it is about conveying positive messages. In the show's world, money heavily influences your station (both in school and in life), characters frequently find themselves in conflict with others, families are dysfunctional, etc.

Consumerism

Not applicable

Drugs / Tobacco / Alcohol

Alcoholism and drug addiction is a theme during various seasons of the show. In early seasons teens sometimes drink alcohol; drug use is a subject -- but it's not advocated (an athlete who takes amphetamines collapses, a high school girl at a college party is slipped a date rape drug, etc.).