Many threads of life and death are brought together in Dear Edward, a new drama from Apple Studios.
Showrunner & executive producer Jason Katims leads the series which follows Edward Adler (Colin O’Brien), a 12-year-old boy who is the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash. Everyone else on board – including his family – do not survive.
This project features Connie Britton (The White Lotus) and Taylor Schilling (Orange is The New Black) and marks a reunion between Katims and Britton, as the pair previously worked together on cult favorite Friday Night Lights. The ensemble cast includes Amy Forsyth, Anna Uzele, Audrey Corsa, Brittany S. Hall, Carter Hudson, Dario Ladani Sanchez, Douglas M. Griffin, Eva Ariel Binder, Idris DeBrand, Ivan Shaw, Jenna Qureshi, Khloe Bruno and Maxwell Jenkins.
Based on the best-selling novel by author Ann Napolitano (who also serves as executive producer for the series), Dear Edward is also based on the real-life tragedy of Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771, which crashed on its way to an airport in Libya in 2010.
The first three episodes (out now on AppleTV+) show us the lives of a group of strangers affected by the plane crash. Edward is sent to live with his Aunt Lacey (Taylor Schilling) and Uncle John (Carter Hudson). A huge upheaval for a young boy, it takes him some time to regain his footing and in a way, his mental state. He meets a neighbor, Shay (Eva Ariel Binder) who becomes a guide through his unexpected new way of life. Through a local therapy support group, Lacey connects with others who lost family in the crash. A neat way to tie all the threads of this story together.
Dee Dee (Connie Britton) struggles after losing her husband Charles when it’s revealed he was not the man she thought he was. She has her daughter Zoe (Audrey Corsa) for support, but instead finds herself bonding with single-mom-to-be Linda (Amy Forsyth) in the therapy group as she learns about Charles’ other life in Los Angeles. Connie Britton is a stand-out as Dee Dee’s grief often comes in waves, sometimes violent. I especially loved a scene where Dee Dee and Linda find themselves in a Wreck Room, a great outlet for their grief.
Adriana (Anna Uzele) loses her grandmother Rose Washington in the crash, and Rose also happens to be a Congresswoman, which thrusts Adriana into the decision of whether or not she should run for the seat to keep the family legacy going. Disillusioned with politics, she is hesitant to try. While working through her grief she meets Kojo (Idris DeBrand), who is now a single father to young daughter Becks after her mother Akua was on the flight. In many ways, the trio help and heal each other.
A beautiful series that showcases grief and the many different ways people cope with it. The whole cast do a beautiful job of bouncing off each other’s emotions to really reflect the pain and grief their characters are experiencing. An emotional show, with great writing. I felt very invested in these characters and their bond and am excited to see how their stories unfold week to week.
