The "teen genius" trope is a staple of the sitcom world, but The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia tries to give it a modern, high-stakes coat of paint by putting its protagonist at NASA. At 15, Ashley is already a rocket scientist, which is a fantastic hook. However, once she moves in with her Uncle Victor—a pro-athlete-turned-coach—the show quickly settles into a rhythm that feels more like a standard Disney Channel multicam than a prestige Netflix original.
The STEM bait-and-switch
If you’re hoping this show will spark a deep interest in robotics or aerospace engineering, keep your expectations in check. The "genius" part of Ashley’s identity is mostly used as a plot device to explain why she’s socially awkward or why she missed out on "normal" kid stuff like school dances and first crushes. The science is largely window dressing.
The show is much more interested in the friction of a 15-year-old trying to navigate a "normal" life after graduating college at nine. It’s less about the math and more about the growing pains of a girl who can build a robot but doesn't know how to talk to a cute boy. If your kid is looking for something that actually engages with tech or science, this might feel a bit hollow.
Representation that actually matters
Despite the formulaic sitcom beats and the 6.7 IMDb score, there is a reason to give this a look: the casting. Seeing a Latina lead in a high-level STEM role is still a rare sight in teen media. While the dialogue can feel a bit vapid or "mid" to adults, the cultural context matters. We’ve seen plenty of shows where the smart kid is a sidekick or a punchline; here, she’s the center of the universe.
When looking for TV Shows with Latino Leads: Representation That Matters, this series stands out because it doesn't make Ashley’s ethnicity her only personality trait, nor does it ignore it. It’s part of the fabric of her life with Uncle Victor, creating a family dynamic that feels warmer than the average "genius vs. the world" story.
The "making out" factor
The Common Sense 12+ rating and the "too much sex" complaints from some kid reviewers on Reddit are mostly centered on the show’s obsession with teen romance. It’s not HBO, but the show spends a lot of time on the "will-they-won't-they" mechanics of high school dating.
There’s plenty of talk about making out and the general social hierarchy of being a teenager. For an eight-episode run, it moves fast through these tropes. If you have a younger kid who is strictly into science and finds "crush culture" annoying, they’ll probably check out by episode three. But for the 11-to-13-year-old crowd who is starting to navigate those social waters, Ashley’s awkwardness is the most relatable part of the show.
How to watch it
This isn't a show you sit down to analyze as a family. It’s classic "laundry-folding" television. It’s bright, loud, and predictable. If your kid liked Project Mc² or Alexa & Katie, this is the natural next step. It’s safe, it’s well-intentioned, and even if the dialogue is occasionally cringe-worthy, the message of being unapologetically smart is a good one to have in the background. Just don't be surprised if they spend more time looking at their phone than the screen—it’s designed for easy, low-stakes consumption.
