What to Watch Verdict
While Annette Bening and Sam Neill are phenomenal in their respective roles, all of the twists and turns of the story lead to a lackluster finish.
Pros
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Annette Bening is worth watching as a complex wife and mother
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Sam Neill does a great job as the antagonist
- +
Jake Lacy once again shines playing a jerk
Cons
- -
The many twists and turns are too big for fizzled ending
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The "why" at the center of whodunit is lackluster
When the cast for Apples Never Fall was announced, there was much anticipation that the series had the potential to be a riveting hit — and why wouldn't it? With five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening and two-time Emmy nominee Sam Neill leading the way playing a dysfunctional married couple, and The White Lotus season 1 and A Friend of the Family's Jake Lacy in the role of the oldest son, it was fair to have great expectations for Apples Never Fall.
While the aforementioned actors certainly delivered in their respective roles, they just weren't able to elevate the story of the series to the height of greatness.
Based on Liane Moriarty's New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, the series follows the Delaneys, the modelesque family in a suburban community in Florida. After Stan (Neill) and Joy (Bening) announce their retirement from their tennis academy, the patriarch and matriarch of the Delaney clan take on a houseguest, which proves to be a detrimental decision for the entire family, especially when Joy goes missing.
As the adult children try to find their mother, they uncover a number of dark secrets that don’t always shed light on what happened to Joy, but always expose someone in the Delaney family.
Although this sounds like an interesting premise, on occasion, the secrets revealed were predictable (for someone not familiar with the book) and the timing of the reveals seemed to unnecessarily draw out the mystery of what happened to Joy. Considering there is an episode named after each family member, with a runtime between 45 and 50 minutes each, you can imagine there are instances when we were partially inclined to fast-forward to get to the point.
Adding to the problems of the plot was the fact there were so many misdirects placed as to what really happened and who was responsible that we were anticipating a big dramatic finale. Unfortunately, it never came. Instead, the series fizzles out with an ending that isn't quite satisfying. We're still scratching our heads to determine if everything we watched justifies the drawn-out drama.
With all that being said, Apples Never Fall wasn't unbearable. It's worth a watch if nothing else for the cast. Bening and Neill are exceptional in playing a married couple with their share of problems. The riffing off one another in scenes provides some entertaining moments for viewers.
Lacey is also remarkable in portraying a jerk, a role he's gotten quite good at doing on the small screen. As his character's secrets spill out, you're not sure if you want to roll your eyes in disgust, feel sympathetic for his backstory or just sit back and be entertained.
All in all, Apples Never Fall is a so-so series that can fill the void for those waiting on The White Lotus season 3 or the rumored next season of Big Little Lies.
You can stream all episodes of Apples Never Fall right now on Peacock.
