This Apple series tells various stories of healing from the grief of a horrific airline crash through the eyes of various bereaved families. Whilst most stories are of the relatives of passengers killed in the crash, the principle story is that of 12 year old Edward (Colin O'Brien) who is the sole survivor of the crash that killed both his parents and his 15 year old brother Jordan (Maxwell Jenkins). Edward now lives with his aunt Lacey (Taylor Schilling) and her husband John (Carter Hudson) and must adjust to life after his shock loss in a new town, family and school environment AND cope with the usual challenges of early adolescence.
Whilst the show brilliantly portrays Edward's healing journey, it also examines the lives of the various bereaved from other families who also cope with dramatically changed circumstances and the shock of unearthing the hidden truths of their deceased loved ones. An excellent common thread is a survivors grief group which helps unpick some of the stories. Recurring scenes feature cameos of Jordan seemingly appearing from the grave to give older brotherly advice to Edward.
Whilst there are many excellent performances, 12 year old Colin O'Brien is simply superb as a vulnerable and melancholy boy struggling to make sense of the massive tragedy in his life. There are beautiful moments as he explores his grief with his equally grieving aunt but also as he bonds with his quirky tween neighbor girl Shay (Eva Ariel Binder) and meets Jordan's part Iranian girlfriend Mahira.
The series ends with Edward finally discovering a large stash of letters from random people expressing support for his survival or information of a loved one on the plane but these were hidden by his aunt and uncle to protect his healing. The ending is a little melodramatic but it does demonstrate that various members of the grief group have some degree of closure in their individual life journeys.
Whilst the show brilliantly portrays Edward's healing journey, it also examines the lives of the various bereaved from other families who also cope with dramatically changed circumstances and the shock of unearthing the hidden truths of their deceased loved ones. An excellent common thread is a survivors grief group which helps unpick some of the stories. Recurring scenes feature cameos of Jordan seemingly appearing from the grave to give older brotherly advice to Edward.
Whilst there are many excellent performances, 12 year old Colin O'Brien is simply superb as a vulnerable and melancholy boy struggling to make sense of the massive tragedy in his life. There are beautiful moments as he explores his grief with his equally grieving aunt but also as he bonds with his quirky tween neighbor girl Shay (Eva Ariel Binder) and meets Jordan's part Iranian girlfriend Mahira.
The series ends with Edward finally discovering a large stash of letters from random people expressing support for his survival or information of a loved one on the plane but these were hidden by his aunt and uncle to protect his healing. The ending is a little melodramatic but it does demonstrate that various members of the grief group have some degree of closure in their individual life journeys.