Almost Family Review: Pilot (Season 1 Episode 1)
Almost Family Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” is one of FOX’s most highly-anticipated premieres of the fall.
The network has been advertising a family dramedy from people behind shows like Parenthood, Desperate Housewives, and Friday Night Lights. Those are modern classic shows in their own right.
But if the pilot episode is any indication, Almost Family has an uphill battle ahead before it wins its own spot in TV history. It could very well become forgettable.
While the best dramedies find humor in the midst of difficult situations, Almost Family doesn’t treat sexual abuse seriously enough throughout most of the first episode of the series.
It’s a very difficult topic for even pure dramas to get right. While I disapprove of shows that kill off perpetrators too soon without making them face their victims or the consequences of their actions, in this case, killing off Leon would have been a better option.
He never physically assaulted anyone, but he definitely medically violated women without their consent.
If the show wants to focus on the bond Julia, Edie, and Roxy are trying to build, that’s great. Dr. Bechley can cause tension within that dynamic in death, too.
But he’s alive and characters like Edie’s mom Genevieve, Roxy’s parents, and even Julia herself are quite dismissive of the abusive aspect of the situation.
Genevieve is just happy her daughter exists no matter that her once close friend violated her.
Roxy’s parents just want money.
Julia wants to deny reality for most of the episode, and at one point is mostly concerned with the fact that she accidentally slept with one of her half brothers. For the record, this is not funny and never should have happened even accidentally. It’s disturbing.
There is a lighthearted angle through which to tell this story. But first and foremost, force Dr. Leon Bechley to face the consequences he deserves and treat his actions as the serious violations that they are.
When the show has gained viewers’ trust, then expose the humor and heart of the girls learning to trust each other and building a sisterly bond.
At the time I’m writing this I haven’t seen any episode of Almost Family beyond the pilot. But at the Television Critics Association summer press tour this year, the show was criticized for being sympathetic to what TV Guide reported journalists calling “medical rape.”
Julia turns Leon’s laptop over to authorities at the end of the pilot episode and he’s arrested for sexual abuse.
Based on the TV Guide article linked above, I don’t think that’s the last viewers will see of Leon Bechley, but I wish it were.
Perpetrator aside, the show has a big tone problem.
I notice it most prominently in the scene where Edie and Amanda are having lunch. I support Edie exploring her sexuality but comparing bisexuality or lesbians to burgers and heterosexuality to salad just… isn’t funny or clever.
The show shines brightest when focusing on the sisters’ individual journeys or their budding tolerance of each other. But Edie’s exploration doesn’t have to happen so fast.
She goes from seeming afraid of her feelings for Amanda in the lunch scene to initiating kissing in one of the final scenes. It’s possible for confidence to come on that fast — it’s just confusing.
Also, Edie is currently married to a man who she feels comforted by. Even if she knows she’s not sexually attracted to him, it’s OK if she’s scared to explore her feelings and leave her safe place.
The pilot rushes the start of a profound journey for Edie.
Similarly, Roxy’s addiction is handled carelessly from the beginning.
Roxy is basically comic relief from her first scene of the show. Later we learn from her parents that she’s addicted to pills.
Her desire to belong to a family whose love isn’t contingent on fame or money is totally understandable. But the scene where Julia rescues Roxy from her car is so confusing.
She’s definitely high, lonely, and in need of a friend, but it’s hard to believe that Julia is actually compelled to help her. It’s perhaps a chemistry issue between the actors. But it’s also a case of Roxie’s addiction progressing way too fast from the viewers’ perspective.
I already want happiness for Roxy. But I don’t understand her addiction enough to know how serious her being high in her car is.
A few scenes later she seems fine and is listing her bathtub demands. It’s very jarring.
As critical as I have been of the episode, the series has potential. Edie, Roxy, and Julia have individual issues to work on and a clear relationship to develop with each other.
Plus, new siblings are definitely going to appear and shake things up.
It’s important to remember that the premise is not just a joke. It’s based on an Australian TV series currently available on Netflix; but it’s also based on true events.
The show would’ve done well to respect the seriousness of the situation a bit more before asking viewers to laugh about it. But I’m still along for the ride with the sisters and any other siblings who discover they have Bechley DNA.
Notes
- Julia’s history with both Tim and Edie is intriguing to say the least
- Isaac definitely has feelings for Julia, but she needs to delete all of the dating apps before she’ll see that
- Timothy Hutton plays sociopath well, especially in the scene where Leon is threatening Julia, the daughter he raised; there is no need to write him as sympathetic as the show is right now
What did you think of this episode of Almost Family? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
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Almost Family airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on FOX.
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Esme Mazzeo
Esme Mazzeo is a lifestyle and entertainment journalist from Long Island. When she's not writing for work, she's writing for fun, or searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She thinks rainy days are the best kind of days. Certified night owl.
2 comments
This is a great review. I just checked out the pilot, and was so disappointed! The tone just misses the mark, and the lighthearted nature in which they treat the medical rape is…uncomfortable.
Leon shouldn’t matter in this show as far as being a present character who gets development or time to explain himself, and I agree that the shining moments of the episode are solely when the sisters (particularly Roxy and Julia) interact.
The show does need work. But it has promise. Light hearted treatment of medical rape…what about the scene with Roxy’s mom? You can expect everything in a couple of episodes. I washed every episodes. There was stuff left to be desired but there was more then just Roxy and Julia’s relationship to appreciate. I think the kinks can be worked out. I just hope the writer can listen to the viewers and make proper changes appreciately.
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