Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 4/5
Apples Never Fall is a hot new drama series on Peacock and Jio Cinema. It’s based on Liane Moriarty’s book of the same name, and you know when it comes to Moriarty, you’re in for a treat. Her works always get turned into amazing shows or movies, like “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers.” The series is all about the Delaney family, who are loaded and run a Tennis Academy.
Both parents are tennis coaches, but they kinda neglected their four kids because of their tennis obsession. Now that they’re retiring, they wanna make up for lost time with their kids, but just when they’re about to kick back and enjoy life, the mother, Joy Delaney, goes missing out of nowhere.
Apple’s Never Fall is teeming with family drama, more than suspense. The main focus of it is the Delaney family’s complex relationships, especially when the adult kids start calling out their parents for all their lies and secrets. There’s major tension between the husband and wife, especially when the kids start pointing fingers at the husband for Joy’s disappearance.
Besides the drama, The whole family is hiding a bunch of skeletons in their closet, and all these secrets are tied to Joy’s vanishing. The family drama might get a bit over-the-top at times, but it’s super entertaining and totally fits the story. Joy Delaney is the queen bee of the Delaney household, with a marriage that seems perfect from the outside, making everyone envious. But deep down, she feels unappreciated by her family, especially her husband, who has a wandering eye.
She’s spent her whole life focused on the tennis academy, realizing too late that she missed out on her kids growing up. As for Savannah, she’s a real mystery. She lets out an enigmatic aura, and you just know there’s more to her than meets the eye. It is later revealed that she has some hidden agenda driving her actions. Both Savannah and Joy share this feeling of being side-lined by their family, adding an interesting twist to their characters.
Even though “Apples Never Fall” is set in sunny West Palm Beach, Florida, it’s actually filmed down under in Australia. The cast is a mix of American and Australian actors, with the Aussies working hard to mask their accents (though it slips out sometimes!). Alison Brie and Essie Randles nail their roles as the good daughter and the bad daughter, respectively.
They really bring their characters to life. Jake Lacy and Connor Merrigan Turner are also super expressive in their roles. The siblings in the series are so good at playing their characters that you might find yourself getting annoyed at their bratty behaviour. Overall, the cast does an amazing job bringing the drama and intrigue of the Delaney family to the screen.
Apples Never Fall takes its time, like a slow spin on a merry-go-round, with the mystery unfolding at a frustratingly leisurely pace. The first episode lays down the foundation, but then each episode focuses on a different kid, veering away from the mystery and more into their personal dramas and the family’s issues. The whole mystery element feels scattered, with the motive shifting from one kid to the next, then to the father, all while Joy is still missing.
Some scenes just drag on, making you wish they’d get to the point already. The investigative side of things doesn’t fare much better. The two detectives, Elena and Ethan, are rookies who seem clueless. Considering the high-profile nature of Joy Delaney’s disappearance, with all those famous tennis players involved, you’d think they’d be more on the ball. Instead, they’re just dancing around, not making much progress in finding the real culprit.
Joy’s kids take it upon themselves to investigate their mother’s disappearance, but they’re not exactly getting anywhere. Instead of making progress, they end up just uncovering more problems in their parents’ messed-up marriage. They don’t investigate much and jump straight to accusing their dad of murder, even though there’s no body found, just some blood.
For six whole episodes, these clueless kids and rookie detectives keep going in circles, throwing blame at the husband without any real evidence. To top it off, the climax is beyond irritating. After all the drama and searching for Joy, suddenly everything’s rainbows and butterflies in the end. The real culprit, who Joy and pretty much everyone else knows, just strolls away scot-free, and everyone acts like nothing ever happened.
The show is a bit all over the place with its themes. Despite being set in a Tennis Academy, tennis itself doesn’t play a huge role in the story. Instead, themes like cheating and shady training practices take the spotlight.
The series dips into other themes, too, like the unspoken tensions between parents and kids, the crumbling marriage between the couple, and the sense of neglect from the family. While some themes are explored deeply, others are barely touched upon, leaving you wanting more.
Apples Never Fall is based on Liane Moriarty’s book and boasts an amazing cast of American and Australian actors. They settle into their roles, especially when it comes to portraying the frustrating behaviour of the kids. The family drama is juicy and entertaining, keeping you hooked throughout.
However, the series does have its downsides. The pacing is slow, the suspenseful elements lack intensity, and the themes feel a bit scattered. Despite these flaws, it’s still worth a watch if you enjoy a drawn-out story. Fans of the book will likely appreciate the adaptation, but if you’re not a fan of slow-burn suspense, you might want to give this one a pass.
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Verdict - 6/10
6/10