The Mysterious Benedict Society – Original Series Streaming on Disney+

When I first saw that The Mysterious Benedict Society would be coming out on Disney+, I thought it would be a full-length movie, but I guess it would make more sense as a series. The original books, written by Trenton Lee Stewart, are a New York Times Bestselling Series. This Christian review will give you the information you need to know before having your children watch the series.

While there are 5 books in the series, I purchased the original book about 6 years ago. As a homeschooling mom, I never got around to reading the book until now! And I am glad I waited because it is so much easier to compare the book with the movie when it is fresh in your mind.

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Cast of The Mysterious Benedict Society Streaming on Disney+ 

Tony Hale as Mr. Benedict 

L.D. Curtain Kristen Schaal as Number Two

MaameYaa Boafo as Rhonda Kazembe 

Ryan Hurst as Milligan

Gia Sandhu as Ms. Perumal

Mystic Inscho as Reynie Muldoon

Seth B. Carr as George “Sticky” Washington 

Emmy DeOliveira as Kate Wetherall

Marta Kessler as Constance Contriare

Synopsis and What Parents Need to Know About The Mysterious Benedict Society Streaming on Disney+

FROM DISNEY PLUS: “After winning a scholarship competition, four gifted orphans are recruited by the peculiar Mr. Benedict for a dangerous mission to save the world from a global crisis known as The Emergency. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance must infiltrate the mysterious L.I.V.E. Institute to discover the truth behind the crisis. When the headmaster, the sophisticated Dr. Curtain, appears to be behind this worldwide panic, the kids of “The Mysterious Benedict Society” must devise a plan to defeat him.”

This series is designed for middle school and older. It is a little slow-moving for younger kids, but it has plenty of content that makes one think deeply.

I absolutely love Tony Hale as Mr. Benedict, but occasionally, I hear Buster from Arrested Development. At one point, I expected him to lift his giant deformed hand – that is how much he sounded like Buster at that point. 

Season One: The Mysterious Benedict Society

Episode 1: A Bunch of Smart Orphans

In this first episode, there is a lot of character development. You get to find out most the main characters and a lot of their personality comes through immediately.

After taking a series of bizarre tests, Reynie, Sticky Washington, Kate, and Constance find themselves at the home of Mr. Benedict, who wants them to help with a secret mission. 

The main theme of Episode 1 involves the fact that most people care about the truth. However, they are so distracted by “The Emergency” that they can’t see what is really going on. While The Mysterious Benedict Society was written in 2007, it could have been ripped from today’s headlines. Most people read the headlines about “The Emergency,” whether it is a virus, the state of the economy, wars, or some collusion with a foreign power. And the people are so sure that the sky is falling that they fail to see the truth that is right in front of them.

If you have not read the book, Episode one deviates slightly from the book but still maintains the essence of approximately the first 4 chapters of Book 1.

My favorite quote in this episode is: “Was it always like this? Bad news all the time.” 

Content That May Be Objectionable:

This episode is suitable for most children. Although, younger children may find it slow-moving. There is one instance of “Oh My G-d.” 

Episode Two: Carrying a Bird

The children find out more about what Mr. Benedict wants them to do and the dangers associated with it. They will be infiltrating L.I.V.E. (Learning Institute of Veritas and Enlightenment) to find out more about who is running the center and what they have planned for the world. 

In this hour-long episode, there are two quotes that I loved. “Proof is useless unless it’s proof of something people actually want to believe.” 

“Whatever decision you make will become the right one.” This is one that I have lived my life by. Once you go down one path, there is no going back and choosing a different path. 

Content that May Be Objectionable:

This episode has mild violence. A couple of people are tased. Children are running from an unseen villain. There is a fistfight. Additionally, during a scene where the children learn Morse Code, one of the children taps out a word, and the other child refuses to say it, implying that it is a bad word. I do not know the word, but it certainly could be a bad word. Mulligan tells a “frightening” story of being held captive. 

Episode 3: Depends on the Wagon

In this latest episode, the children are trying to figure out how to navigate life at the Institute. However, as time goes on, the list of unanswered questions continues to grow. The children also have a difficult time knowing who to trust.

My favorite quote in this installment is: “This is the safe harbor. The Emergency is out there.” This line signifies how much of life is an illusion of safety. People are told how to be safe and what the dangers, but the “safe things” are often not based on facts but on what sells.

Content that May Be Objectionable:

In one scene, a man has a temper tantrum. He is shown yelling, stomping, etc. The children are asked to lie.

The music throughout the entire episode is suspenseful. This episode is darker than the first two. Additionally, a man hides in a wall in one scene, and someone drills a hole into the wall. The tone of the entire episode is one of fear and wondering who can be trusted.

Episode 4: A Whisper, Not A Shout

The children have been asked to cheat by Mr. Benedict so they can stay at the school to get her. They devise a plan to work in teams of two to ensure that the students in danger of being sent away, get to stay. They carry out their plan and are partway successful. Meanwhile, Number Two is suspicious of Rhonda and her mysterious disappearances.

Content That May Be Objectionable:

Children cheat on a test. A person is seen painting graffiti on a billboard.

A young boy has an anxiety attack. He is in a room that appears to spin and the walls slide back and forth. None of that is happening, but it may be frightening to some children. However, it may be helpful for other children to see what a person may feel during an anxiety attack.

As each new episode comes out, I will be adding to this original post. Make sure to check back each week for new updates.

What Others are Saying

This series has been compared to Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Since I haven’t seen that series, I cannot comment on that, but I can tell you that the Lemony Snicket series was first published in 1999, and The Mysterious Benedict Society was published in 2007. (And there is nothing new under the sun!)

Viewing Recommendation for The Mysterious Benedict Society Streaming on Disney +

This is a great series to watch with your kids and talk about the dangers of putting too much weight in the headlines. 

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” Every time someone tells me that things are getting worse, I remind them of child sacrifices in ancient times, throwing Christians in a lion’s den, and Cain killing Abel. These things have always occurred, but with the advent of technology, we hear about things as they are happening and are constantly bombarded with negative headlines. 

This may be an excellent time to work on critical thinking skills. I have recommended some excellent books below to use with your children to help them think through arguments. Too often, we see things on social media that, on the surface, appear to be true but oftentimes are straw man arguments. 

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Where to Watch Episodes of The Mysterious Benedict Society

Episodes one and two begin streaming on June 25th on Disney+. Each week a new episode will be released on Friday with a total of 8 episodes.

This new series is based on the series of Trenton Lee Stewart’s books.

#DisneyPlus #Mysterious Benedict Society