Apples Never Fall

Yes, ignore the low ratings from folks. This has a lovely slow burn. Easy to digest and follow even when it goes back from Then to Now and vice versa. Each episode focuses on a character and their vantage point or pov. Each tell a part of the story which if was spoken or shared, we would have figured out the mystery sooner. But this story is about what's done in the dark, the secrets you keep, the self preservation of yourself affects your life and your family. The decisions we make alter the perspective of others. How they see us and how they see themselves. All of this plays into the telling of the story.

To be honest I thought the ending was going to fall short. But it didn't. They could have however, had an eight episode entitled Savannah. The only mystery is the life and the character of Savannah which is never fully developed or shown. To see her then and now would have warranted a 10/10.

I'll definitely be watching this again. And as a father and husband reminding myself that all my actions and words have a bigger impact and butterfly effect that I could ever imagine.

Two award-winning veteran actors, Annette Bening and Sam Neill drag this predictable plot along, supported by their soap opera children. Robert Taylor, Sheriff Walt Longmire that was, has a small supporting role late in the show.

It's watchable enough, when Annette disappears and the family self-destructs. There are a couple of interesting twists in the backstory as the scenes switch from "then" to "now", but that part of the plot is unbelievable in the end. Everyone swearing to do better and the renewed happy family final scene is laughable. Mom was always taken for granted and left cleaning up after her ungrateful spoiled brats of a family. Mom and Dad's toxic relationship DNA has reproduced to some degree in the children. It's a cautionary tale and one probably familiar to lots of wives and mothers. Not awful, just could have been a lot better.

By episode one it's basically figured out. This could have been done into a 2 hr movie I would have passed on. The story is dull and too predictable. It's peacock so yeah... I had some hope given the cast and I'm sure if you like shows like American idol or America's got talent this will probably blow your mind. But for people who enjoy watching quality work this is not that. We started watching this because for all mankind was just getting so slow, drawn out and boring. Too many of these shows need to be condensed into movies. There is way too much filler content. They suck you into the show with intrigue and just leave you with a dull ending while spending hours on pointless character development.

Look, I'm all for good character development when you have a really good story to tell but these micro stories are just built around filler content and I'm sorry but nothing in this show is original.

I enjoyed the slow burn. Sam Neill is excellent. He does a great job of portraying someone who's holding back. While the series progresses he keeps you guessing as to the type of person he might be. It's easy to say in retrospect that you knew the answer all along but, honestly, he made me wonder and I really enjoyed the journey. Annette Bening also does an excellent job of portraying a woman coming to terms with the meaning of her life upon retirement. Her kids are grown and she finds herself being alone with her husband. What happens when your identity for so long has been defined by your family and your profession? Was it all worth it? I enjoyed finding out.

If you are willing to adjust your expectations of this limited series, you may not be let down by this generally well-acted drama.

In reality, there really is no "mystery" other than not knowing *anything* substantial about the central event for 7 of the 8 episodes. Plenty of suspicions and dubious conclusions by law enforcement are lobbed (sorry) between characters relentlessly episode after episode, with key "evidence" uncovered along the way being almost hilariously circumstantial (and obviously meant to mislead).

The *vast* majority of the episodes center around the family dynamics of the. Delaneys, with plenty of flashbacks that fill in present day interactions to explain why some family members react and behave the way they do.

In the end, the final episode was a complete letdown, with the last 5 seconds of the penultimate episode being the biggest twist/shocker of the series. I did not read the book, but it felt like the last episode was stretching the last couple pages of the book into a full hour of content.

If you temper your expectations oso that you don't expect a big payoff to the series, and instead watch it as a family melodrama wrapped around a "meh" mystery, your opinion might be higher.