The new family drama It’s Not Like That, streaming on the Wonder Project add-on for Prime Video, carries on the tradition of family dramas that we’ve seen for decades, but with a tiny bit of faith mixed in with the conflict, romance and teen angst. Does the faith get in the way?
Opening Shot: We see two single parents try to get their kids out the door to school.
The Gist: Malcolm (Scott Foley), the pastor at a suburban Georgia church, has his three kids: Justin (Cary Christopher), the youngest; Penelope (Cassidy Paul), the middle kid; and Flora (Leven Miranda), the oldest. It’s been about a year since Jenny (Tyner Rushing), Malcolm’s wife and the kids’ mom, died from cancer, and while life goes on, the void is still there. Flora was especially affected, and Malcolm is proud of her for getting back to school.
Across the street, Lori (Erinn Hayes) is sending her oldest, Merritt (Caleb Baumann) and youngest, Casey (Liv Lindell), out the door. Merritt goes with his girlfriend, but Lori is waiting for her ex-husband David (J. R. Ramirez) to drive Casey in; he left Lori not long after Jenny, who was her best friend, passed away.
During drop-off, both Malcolm and Lori see each other having a good cry, and they call each other. Their families have been friends for years, and the two of them have been leaning on each other emotionally since their major life changes.
Besides Flora, the kids are also going through some changes. Merritt gets upset when he finds out that Lori’s administrative assistant (she owns a PR firm with David) put her on a dating app, and that David has been on the app ever since the divorce. Casey and Pen, who have been besties forever, are drifting apart, to the point where Casey stops cheerleading and follows in her brother’s footsteps on the wrestling team. Pen has been uncomfortably going along with the insults her new cheerleading buddies have been tossing at Casey. Justin just wants his mom’s meatloaf again.
Malcolm has been struggling with the sermon he wants to give on his first Sunday after taking bereavement leave from the church. And when things get to be too much at each of their houses, Lori and Malcom seek each other out. But will they act on the undeniable draw they have towards each other?
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? it’s Not Like That, created by Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson, definitely has a 7th Heaven kind of feel, perhaps mixed with the still-missed series Once And Again.
Our Take: Three people make It’s Not Like That a show that will be one you will watch: The expert direction by TV veteran Brad Silberling and the performances by Hayes and Foley. Yes, the show is supposed to be a story that’s faith- and values-friendly. But it doesn’t hit you over the head with either of those factors, and the chemistry between Hayes and Foley is so good that you’ll want to see Malcolm and Lori navigate this tumultuous time in both of their lives together.
As we mention, the faith element of the series is there, but in a way that would fit well if the show was on, say, the CW, with very little in the way of changes. Malcolm is the pastor of what looks like a progressive and inclusive church. He talks to his kids about God and faith, but also doesn’t push when Flora continues to question her faith since Jenny’s death. Both Malcolm and Lori talk about real, human things — including sex and dating — instead of trading Bible verses.
If there is anyone that can humanize a character like Malcolm, it’s Foley, who brings in all of the skills we’ve seen from him over the past 25 years: His empathy, sense of humor, and his handsome everyguy vibe. Hayes plays off that well, especially in a scene where Lori and Malcolm are voicing their frustrations to each other in Malcolm’s car. While she’s monologuing about the fact that her ex has moved on but she’s been having trouble, her emotions are right on the surface, giving Foley’s Malcolm more than enough reason to react the way he did (which we can’t mention because it’s a spoiler).
The kids go through their typical teen difficulties, layered on, of course, by their various massive life traumas. But all of the actors playing the kids do their part to not push their characters into territories that make them seem like they’re adults that happen to go to middle or high school.
While the vibe of It’s Not Like That feels like it’s a relaxed, drama-light show, it’s a show that acknowledges that even the most blessed lives are full of drama, conflict and high stakes. And in less-competent hands, the messages it wants to impart could feel more forced. But good casting, writing and directing can take a slice-of-life drama like this and make it impactful.
Performance Worth Watching: We’ve been stanning for both Foley and Hayes for a couple of decades now, and their chemistry together is fun to watch.
Sex And Skin: None. This is definitely a show the entire family can watch.
Parting Shot: Lori: “What are we going to do?” Malcolm: “I don’t know.”
Sleeper Star: We like how daring Liv Lindell’s character Casey is, forging her own path on the wrestling team when doing cheer with Pen is no longer an option.
Most Pilot-y Line: Lori is considering dating a guy whose app handle is “Cuppa Joe,” which is an immediate red flag.
Our Call: STREAM IT. It’s Not Like That is a multigenerational family drama that shines due to fine writing and acting and fantastic chemistry between Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes.
Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.
