Apples Never Fall

"4⭐️ Watched this right after The Perfect Couple because I just really needed to keep those themes going. This series is actually nothing like TPC, not nearly as juicy or leaning into excess.. but still.. it hit the spot. So instead of fabulously wealthy dysfunctional family imploding upon itself, there’s upper middle class dysfunctional family imploding upon itself. It does take more time and a slightly less narcissistic way to get there though, taking at least a couple eps for full investment to set in. Once in, however, a compelling mystery involving more layered, in-depth family dynamics. This one centering on the adult siblings and their varying relationships to their high achieving parents, focusing in on the ignored and now missing mother and the maddeningly secretive and seemingly apathetic father. What’s fascinating is the wildly differing familial perspectives and experiences of each sibling. It also particularly intrigued me at the time because I happened to watch shortly after a conversation with my older sister about our own family dynamics .. the discovery of just how absolutely polar opposite we each perceive our parents and entire childhood. I mean it really stunned me. How DOES that happen when you’ve seemingly had the same upbringing? Well the answer is you didn’t. This show is EXACTLY that. Deliberately over each episode, cracks are slowly revealed in the shiny familial facade, and emotional wounds, broken psyches and true motivations begin seeping out of the disrepair. Even in the slightly off-center weirdness it’s an enlightening experience. This show is really a soapy family drama. The slow burn suspense and lightly tense mystery are an effective framework showing not only how we internalize those relationships but how we show up for each other over the long haul AND when it counts. It is rather too neatly tied up but I did appreciate the “twist” and ultimate message. Not everyone will I suspect. "

"It’s a beautiful story of a mother who gives her all ++ other twists and plots but I would have given it 5 stars if the ending was well different "

"It had a fair plot. I felt a little underwhelmed by the ending. "

"3.5⭐️ Kept my interest. Ending wasn’t as exciting as I hoped, but overall pretty good series "

"This story centers around the disappearance of matriarch Joy Delaney. Each episode comes from the perspective of one of Joy’s family members as they struggle to grapple with this new, tough-to-swallow reality that she may be gone forever. This was well-done and filled with feeling as I vied for Joy’s immediate return. She is the ultimate glue that holds the family together and with her gone everything disassembles into complete utter chaos. Through her disappearance, her kids and husband re-find themselves in more ways than one and come to discover that they matter to themselves and each other. Each apple of the familial tree has a juicy interior at its core to bite into along the way as every character holds the key that gets closer and closer to “the why” behind Joy’s untimely disappearance. "

"I liked it but it was a little long. I felt like they could have shortened a little. Good acting though. 👍🏼"

"What a freaking snoozefest! Annette Benning character, Joy, was so annoying with her mannerism, the sounds she made, and the acting was not on par for her. Thank god, I didn’t waste time on the book. "

"Instantly hooked. Liked the character build throughout the whole show. Short and sweet. Ending wasn’t what I was expecting but still decent. 7/0 ⭐️"

"The book was better…shocker…. But over it was decent."

"Good acting, fair plot. Felt like the whole season was just a pilot for future seasons. Spent each episode fully developing each character but also leaving a lot of room for future expansion of characters and plot. It was alright as a mystery but I don’t think I would watch future seasons if it is just another family drama. "