Series · Romance, Comedy · 2020 · TV-14

Dash & Lily: parents' guide

13+our pick

Best for ages 13 and up. Rated TV-14.

A sweet, bookish holiday romance in eight half-hour episodes that works best for young teens. Two very different New York high schoolers trade dares through a red notebook they leave around the city over Christmas break. Expect teen drinking and a hangover, plenty of kissing, a few s-words and other swears, and a subplot about a gay older brother on a dating app that includes a scene implying oral sex. There is no real violence, and Lily's anxiety and both teens' holiday loneliness are handled with care. Age 13 reflects the drinking and the sexual content.

What's in it

Violence

Mild

Practically none. One guide notes a single non-graphic punch; otherwise there are no fights, weapons or injuries across the eight episodes.

Language

Moderate

Light but present: a couple of s-words in the first episode, plus hell, damn, asshole and bitch, and a crude slang word or two.

Sex and nudity

Moderate

Mostly sweet kissing and flirting, but Lily's brother is caught in bed with his boyfriend more than once, with nudity implied under the covers and one scene implying oral sex. Dash browses a book about gay sex.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Moderate

Teens drink: Dash pours himself a big glass of his father's brandy, older friends pass around a flask, a teen drinks wine at a party, and two characters wake up hungover.

Scary or intense scenes

Mild

Not scary. Lily has a panic attack at a party, and both teens spend the holidays largely without their parents, which brings some loneliness.

Worth talking about

Dash and Lily follow notebook clues to meet strangers all over the city. Talk about what made that feel romantic, and what real-world safety steps they skipped.

Where to stream →

On our lists

Similar picks around 13+

Checked October 24th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, screenwiseapp.com, netflix.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.