Season 1 |
Episode Guide
Rules We Live By
Gone Camping
Babies, Budgets and Birthdays
Life Is a Highway
A Dog Day Thanksgiving
Rules for the Future
DeMarcus Family Rules is an interesting and strangely endearing reality series. Yes, it still has the same scripted segments and the usual plot beats you’d expect but it’s the realistic family dynamic that makes this so watchable. The dysfunctional group at the centre of this are charming, funny, stupid and at times outright crude.
It’s a perfect little cocktail to allow this family to run amok and across the 6 episodes, that’s exactly what happens.
The family itself is propped up by overly enthusiastic family-man Jay. By trade, he’s the bassist and vocalist for country group Rascal Flatts. When he’s not touring the road and jamming in the studio, he’s there for his family. By his side is ex-beauty queen Allison who juggles her own aspirations, the house and their two kids Madeline and Dylan.
While there are hints of a third child possibly cropping up in the future, Allison’s horrified expression in episode 1 (and again in episode 3) quickly dispels that idea. Thanks to Allison’s open-door policy though, plenty of different people pop up at their house through the season so there’s never a dull moment.
Some of the real joy from the series comes from the back and forth banter between Allison and Jay. They’re quick-witted, sexed up and clearly in love with each other. Of course there are the usual marital spats and this spills over in a pretty messy way in the final episode when Jay brings over his group of drunk friends during a meeting.
Stylistically, the series uses the usual array of cutaway scenes for interviews to the camera along with stock images of different rules laid down in the house. It’s a small touch but one that breaks up a lot of the fly-on-the-wall material across the series.
Ultimately though DeMarcus Family Rules still exhibits the same reality TV tropes you’d expect but wraps them up in a lovable dysfunctional family unit. It’s relatively charming, easy to watch and fans of the genre should be in their element. It still trips up here and there but the family unit should be enough to see you through to the end.
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Verdict - 6/10
6/10
Hardly at all what you would expect of a reality show. Worst possible scripted show yet. That family is so uptight and obnoxious that it is hard to watch. Jay is fun to watch but his in laws are in a class of their own that doesn’t mesh with the average viewer.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE De Marcus Family Rules. Loved them on Chrisley Knows Best; missed them this season; now I know why!