Amy – Amy Delaney’s (Alison Brie) story begins in 2008 outside the family home where she stresses about revealing her dropping out of college to the family. Joy Delaney (Annette Bening) gives her a coat to cover a bandage on her arm and assures her that everyone loves her. When Joy promises to keep her secret, the footage returns to the present-day Palm Beach Police Station.
At the station with the Delaney Family, Detectives Elena Camacho (Jeanine Serralles) and Ethan Remy (Dylan Thuraisingham) share the inconsistencies about the blood on Joy’s tennis jacket. Although Stan Delaney (Sam Neill) comments about the garment being found in the neighbor’s yard, Elena appears to ignore the question and asks for further cooperation with DNA samples and searching the home.
Stan apparently begins to feel like an outsider and demands to know what’s going on when he notices his kid’s hushed reaction to his arrival outside the evidence room. A few seconds of silence follow before Amy asks Stan about Joy visiting the divorce lawyer two days before she disappeared. Stan claims he didn’t know before he is pulled away by Remy for the press conference.
Elena provides the public with the details of the case while also making sure they know the Delanys are fully cooperating and claim there aren’t any suspects. She turns the stage over to Stan, who offers the typical response before a pushy reporter (Alex McTavish) asks if he killed his wife. Amy intervenes by stressing the importance of optimism and the impromptu announcement that she’ll be hosting a “Hope Circle” at her home tonight.
While the authorities comb through the Delany Family Home, Logan Delaney (Conor Merrigan Turner) asks Stan about Joy’s meeting with the lawyer. He admits they had problems but had no idea they were that bad. Brooke Delaney (Essie Randles) interrupts with the announcement that she’s been unable to reach Amy. A short debate later, they collectively decide that it would be best for “appearances” to attend her gathering. Elsewhere, Remy updates Elena about the unsuccessful search. He does feel that Stan’s vehicle is a little “too spotless” and the trunk still reeks of Armor All.
Troy Delaney (Jake Lacy) is in the middle of replaying a distressing voicemail when he receives a call on his office phone. Although he answers professionally, the caller is soon to be revealed, Lucia Fortino (Katrina Lenk), whom he is having an affair with. This call is then interrupted by Lucia’s husband and Troy’s coworker, Monty Fortino (Timm Sharp). Monty attempts to sympathize with him and encourages him to go home. Troy thanks him and ends up in the bathroom with Lucia, but is unable to perform.
With the help of Mira (Montana Jones) and Simon Barrington (Nate Mann), Amy prepares for the gathering. While Simon attempts to simultaneously sympathize and set ground rules for the guests, Elena and asks to speak with Amy alone. Elena alludes to Stan being abusive after noting his run-in with Mark Higgins (Adriano Cappalletta) on the tennis court. Amy not only denies the abuse claims but becomes slightly frustrated as the abuse claims continue. Elena shakes loose an old memory when she questions how often Stan had his vehicle cleaned. Amy says he rarely had the car cleaned.
The memory appears to be Stan’s first birthday with Savannah Pagonis (Georgia Flood) living at their family home. Although Amy initially advocates for Savannah living at the Delany home, her attitude appears to change when discovers Savannah wearing her dress and took over the baking of Stan’s birthday cake.
The guests are just starting to gather for Amy’s event when the footage returns to the present day. Brooke quickly grows frustrated with the attention Gina Solis (Paula Andrea Placido) is giving her cell phone. Just as Gina claims the texting to be work-related and puts the phone away, Logan arrives to voice his concerns about the “strange energy” and the amount of attention Stan is getting. Logan mentions naming Savannah as a suspect for the police right before Amy arrives to announce the commencement of the positivity ceremony. The announcement leads to Brooke claiming that Amy is only hosting the event for her own benefit. As Brooke storms off, Amy remembers the endearing toast Joy gave at Stan’s birthday and her announcement that she’s becoming a life coach.
The footage returns to the present just for a few seconds to reveal the beginning of the commencement ceremony. After she highlights Joy’s best attributes and asks the guests to hold her memory in their hearts and minds, she goes back to the memory. This time it is just her and Savannah alone in the kitchen. After apologizing for stealing her thunder with the cake, Savannah inadvertently mentions an incident with Stan at Wimbledon. Her refusal to share more on the incident leads to Amy storming outside to demand Stan share the Wimbledon story.
Although Stan blames his early exit from Wimbledon on indigestion, the others seem to take it more seriously. Amy claims the incident might be psychosomatic and tied to Stan’s grief that he wasn’t there as a coach with one of them or Harry Haddad (Giles Matthey). When Savannah inquires about Harry, Stan becomes upset as the kids describe him in the worst possible light. Joy attempts to settle things back down by asking about the kid’s lives. Troy only manages to make things worse when he reveals that Indira Chaundry (Pooja Shah) is leaving Logan and moving to Seattle. Logan in turn reveals that Claire Delaney (Madeleine Jones) wants the embryo she made with Troy to have a baby with her new boyfriend.
Joy becomes disgusted by the bickering and goes inside for a stiffer drink. Troy joins her shortly after and apologizes not for starting the argument but for not sharing the embryo story. He appears to be asking for her advice when he tells her that if he doesn’t turn over the embryos they will be destroyed. After she tells him that he already knows the right move, the footage goes back to Amy’s ceremony.
Amy has the guests focus on a breathing routine when Claire appears out of nowhere and takes Troy’s hand. Their short conversation reveals that it was Joy on the voicemail he was listening to earlier. According to him, she never forgave him for what he did to Claire. As the guests continue with the breathing exercise the footage goes back in time to reveal Amy’s breakdown at the party after she overhears a drunken Joy complaining to Savannah about her children breaking her heart. Amy’s breakdown leads to Joy collapsing on the floor and being rushed to the hospital.
A call to Elena’s phone interrupts the ceremony. Several minutes later it’s revealed that the call was from the North Palm’s Police Department, reporting the discovery of a body. The description appears to match Joy. Although Troy is eager to get the identification over with, Elena says the medical examiner needs time to prepare it.
A short scene in the past at the hospital reveals Joy fell and suffered a concussion but is otherwise medically fine. Amy also thanks Savannah for acting so quickly but then encourages her to go home. In the present, the Delany’s are still at Amy’s house where they appear to be awaiting news about the body. Logan eventually grows tireless and goes outside to get some fresh air. When Brooke comes to check on him, he reveals that Stan took out one of the rental boats the night Joy went missing. Brooke encourages him to keep it to himself.
They arrive back inside to discover Troy laying out all the evidence against Stan and practically accusing him of murder. Once Stan becomes upset and rushes outside, Amy claims that she had a vision during the guided meditation part of the ceremony that leads her to believe Savannah is responsible. Amy ends up storming off after the others make it known they don’t believe her. Although she runs into Simon outside, she is almost immediately called back in with the announcement that the cops need them to come in and ID the body.
At the morgue, they learn that the DNA report isn’t complete but there was a ring discovered with the body that might help with identification. Stan and Amy volunteer to go look at the ring, which turns out not to be Joy’s. Although the ring doesn’t belong to Joy, Amy comes out of the morgue overwhelmed with emotions and unable to speak. Stan eventually emerges to share the truth. This likely would have led to another argument between Brooke and Amy had Elena not interrupted, asking if Joy might have harmed herself. Elena shares what reads like a suicide note that turns out to be Amy’s. She reveals the truth about the note, her dropping out of school, her struggle with Miami, and Brooke’s affair with Savannah. Much to Amy’s surprise, Simon is waiting for her when she returns home. The episode ends with them making out.
Apples Never Fall Review
I have to say the story is incredibly intriguing. I would be very tempted to get my hands on the book. That said, the series is embarrassing and I would be ashamed to have my name anywhere near it. Everything from the dialogue to the pitiful acting to the execution is downright awful. I would give it a 4 out of 10 just because the story is so strong. Although it started badly, I wasn’t completely turned off until the annoying flashbacks started. Despite being incredibly revealing, the ping-ponging got really annoying.
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