Raising Dion is a new Netflix family drama that shows life as a superhero for a kid. The show came out in October of 2019, was directed by Dennis Liu, and written by Carole Barbee. Major characters include Nicole Reese (Alicia Wainwright), Mark Warren (Micheal B. Jordan), Pat Rolins (Jason Ritters) and Dion Warren (Ja’siah Young).
The show’s premise begins with Nicole Reese, a single mother after her late husband Mark Warren passed away in a storm, trying to investigate his death. Simultaneously, Nicole finds out that her son, Dion Warren, has superpowers, and she tries everything in her power to protect him. While watching this show one learns the love of family and the true meaning of friendship these characters possess.
Evaluating this film is an A, 100 percent, a five-star rating, and a ten out of ten because of the meaning and story behind it that each character has. Watching this film may get one to sit and think “How far do I have to go to keep a secret? What will I do to protect the ones I love? Do I sacrifice what I have for love?”
Watching a series like Raising Dion would be an eye-opening show to those who enjoy watching superhero/ supernatural shows and to those who enjoy watching life lessons themes. Raising Dion portrays a young boy exploring his powers. Dion’s power is revealed in the first episode, and along with it, his mother’s denial surfaces as well, as she attempts to understand why her child was chosen.
While Nicole does all she can to find a way to explain why Dion has received these powers, she also faces unemployment and depression. Nicole eventually discovers other people with powers, which comes with explanations as to why they have those powers and their deeper meanings.
Along with Godparent Pat Rollins, Nicole learns that Dion has also looked into her deceased husband, Mark Warren’s, death. While maintaining a stressful life–moving houses, not having a job, grieving, and having a superhero son–Nicole also rediscovers her passion for dancing.
Raising Dion consists of characters of different ages and categories. We see different races, age groups, monsters (the crooked man), and people with disabilities.
When watching Raising Dion, one thing that stands out in particular in my mind is the interwoven relationships each character has with one another. Raising Dion is an easy show to relate to because it has a friendly, intriguing delivery paired with heartwarming content. Descriptions of each character’s feelings ensure that the audience watching is taken with them on an emotional journey.
The formal techniques such as cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene, lighting, diegetic, non-diegetic sounds, genre and narrative all come together to sustain that sense of heightened emotions, and the result as a viewer was that I felt appreciative of the techniques and wanted to watch more.
The characters’ relationships show how without the love and trust nothing can get done, and that even the ones you believe loved you most will do what they have to do in order to survive. The thematic content such as history, race, gender, sexuality, class, and environment also helped to further the show’s driving narrative.
The hero of this story is a young, average, innocent boy named Dion; while the only real problem he should be facing is making friends and trying to fit in, instead he now has the fate of the world in his shoulders.
A specific scene that showcases this type of thematic contact is where Dion and two of his classmates named Esperanza and Jonathan work on a science project in their fourth-grade class, but because of how busy Dion is trying to save the world, he did not notice that Esperanza and Jonathan had gotten close. “Esperanza is my best friend!” says Dion. This particular part of the show proves that even when we might be busy saving the world, things as simple as friendship are what matters, and we should not take that for granted.
Raising Dion is a must-watch family drama that addresses growing up, engaging friendships, and experiencing loss. This show is thoughtfully written, and there are a lot of relatable scenes for all ages. As should be the case with any well-developed series, my impressions of the show changed throughout the season. The show was full of surprises, and deeper moral meaning is woven throughout.
Because it is an entertaining show that will help one understand what is at stake in life when one has to be the hero, especially at a young age, this show should be at the top of your Netflix queue.
By Jansely Torres
Tri-Lite 