Apples Never Fall

TV Series Review

Stan and Joy Delaney have been pillars in their community of Palm Beach for decades. 

As the owners of the former Delaney Tennis Academy, they spent their entire lives coaching their students to be the best they could possibly be. To win trophies. To work hard. 

They taught their kids the same values too, they’d say. It just played out differently in each of their lives. 

Logan went the furthest in tennis, qualifying for big matches and spending his youth trying to please his father. Now, he works at a marina and spends his time on the water as well as with his beautiful, brilliant girlfriend. 

Troy, the eldest, is a Stanford graduate making a name for himself as a venture capitalist. You’d think that would impress his father. But after Troy’s divorce, he’s been viewed as even less of a man than he was before. 

Brooke is a physical therapist trying to keep her business afloat, lest her father find out she’s an entrepreneurial failure, and her relationship with her fiance alive. 

Finally, Amy is the youngest, a free spirited, empathetic woman who can’t seem to find any real direction in her life. At least that’s how her dad feels. 

None of the kids are perfect–at least in their dad’s eyes. But who is? The important thing is that they love each other. 

So when Joy Delaney goes missing, it comes as a huge shock to all of them. 

Logan and Brooke think it may have something to do with Savannah, a mysterious woman who got really close to Joy and Stan months prior after fleeing domestic abuse. 

Troy and Amy think it could be … well, they’re starting to suspect their dad may be lying to them. 

But all the evidence is inconclusive. 

So the real question is, who would want to kill Joy Delaney?  

And are the Delaneys hiding something inside their picture-perfect façade?

Picture Imperfect Family 

Murder mysteries have captivated fans for decades. I get it. There’s mystery, suspense and turns at every corner. They keep you on the edge of your seat, that’s for sure. Peacock’s latest, Apples Never Fall, seems to do the same. 

This TV-MA mini-series, an adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name, shares some similarities with HBO’s Big Little Lies–and not just the fact that they have the same author. There are plenty of plot twists and, well, lies. And it’s also rated TV-MA, which means we get lots of family-unfriendly content, too.  

This miniseries follows a seemingly perfect family that begins to unravel once the matriarch goes missing. And some of the secrets being held are quite racy. 

Troy is having an affair with his boss’s wife (something the camera does not shy away from). Brooke is a lesbian who has an onscreen romance with a woman that’s not her lesbian fiance. Others are holding thoughts of suicide, a lack of self-worth and even flashbacks of abuse. 

This isn’t a “light” show by any means. It’s heavy on sex and carnal trysts, it’s pretty profane, it includes alcohol consumption, and it’s lightly violent (so far). But this isn’t surprising given the rating.

The characters here may be compelling, and the storyline may seem to invite you to prepare some popcorn and stay a while. 

But this invitation is one you’d be wise to turn down.