It’s Not Like That, Chapter 1 Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for heartfelt family drama, strong performances, natural faith themes, and an easy binge. Skip it if you need fast pacing, strict doctrinal portrayals, or a satisfying romantic resolution.
Best for
Best for viewers who want a warm multigenerational drama about grief, divorce, parenting, faith, and second chances, especially those who enjoy emotional comfort viewing.
Not for
Skip it if you prefer fast, hard-edged drama, require a strictly conservative pastoral portrayal, or dislike unresolved romantic endings and heavily issue-driven family stories.
Verdict
It’s Not Like That works best as a warm, emotionally honest family drama rather than a conventional faith-based lesson. Scott Foley, Erinn Hayes, and the younger ensemble make grief, divorce, parenting, and belief feel lived-in, while the inclusive spiritual framing avoids preaching for most viewers. The chemistry is strong, the emotional moments land, and the season is easy to binge. Its tradeoffs are structural: the premiere can rush exposition, the middle stretch slows, and the finale frustrates viewers who expect romantic closure or firmer consequences for serious behavior. A smaller group also rejects the show’s pastoral choices and inclusive Christianity. Overall, the heartfelt performances and relatable family dynamics outweigh the uneven pacing and divisive ending.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
49 reviewed features- Very positive 4.5-5.0 53% 26 features
- Positive 3.5-4.4 31% 15 features
- Neutral 2.5-3.4 8% 4 features
- Negative 1.5-2.4 8% 4 features
- Very negative below 1.5 0% 0 features
Pros
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Strong critical notices reinforce the show's appeal beyond its enthusiastic customer audience.
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Brad Silberling's direction is singled out for helping the slice-of-life material feel polished, emotionally clear, and impactful.
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The changing relationships and twists keep the story lively and increase anticipation for another season.
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The script is praised as carefully thought out, with layered characters and emotional moments that serve more than the central romance.
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The finale delivers an intense, tissue-worthy emotional experience, even though its romantic outcome divides the audience.
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Demand for another season is exceptionally strong, with many viewers explicitly asking for Season 2 and some wanting several more seasons.
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Tearful, heartfelt moments are a defining strength, with grief and family scenes repeatedly described as moving, hopeful, and earned rather than manipulative.
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Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes generate natural, lived-in chemistry that anchors the series, while the wider ensemble often feels like a believable interconnected family.
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Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes earn especially strong praise for vulnerability, warmth, and emotional clarity. One critic tired of Foley repeating the same tearful expression.
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Parents appreciated the way the show encourages conversations about difficult issues, and one older viewer found its parenting lessons personally revealing.
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Clean imagery and thoughtful framing support the emotional tone, including a restrained apparition device that keeps Jenny's absence visually present.
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The interconnected households, church, school, and neighborhood feel fully formed quickly, making it easy to settle into the characters' shared lives.
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The picture is described as clean, steady, and professionally filmed, with clear visuals that avoid the murky darkness common in some dramas.
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The overall production is described as polished and well made, reinforcing the sense that this is a higher-quality entry in faith-oriented television.
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Grief, faith, divorce, addiction, parenting, and second chances are explored with compassion and few easy answers. Some viewers found the sheer number of issues excessive.
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Its warm, accessible style reaches beyond a strictly faith-based audience and resonates especially with families and viewers who have experienced grief or divorce.
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It is widely seen as a welcome revival of warm multigenerational family drama, combining comfort-viewing appeal with contemporary emotional complications.
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Several viewers finished the season in two days or said they could not stop watching. Even a more critical response still watched the full run in hopes of a stronger payoff.
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Writing is repeatedly praised as beautiful, humane, and emotionally layered, with faith and family issues woven together naturally. A few critics call it sappy, shallow, or clichéd.
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The opening episode is repeatedly described as charming, compelling, and an excellent start, even when its exposition feels compressed.
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Faith is usually praised as sincere, welcoming, and naturally woven into modern family life rather than preachy. A vocal minority rejects the inclusive Christian portrayal as inauthentic or overly progressive.
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The cast is one of the clearest strengths, with customers repeatedly praising believable performances. A small minority found the acting poor or disliked specific casting choices.
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Most viewers value the wholesome tone, limited profanity, restrained sexual content, and focus on family. Mature themes and a few moral objections mean it is not universally suitable for children.
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The younger cast often earns standout praise for warmth, realism, and emotional range, particularly Cary Christopher and Caleb Baumann. One hostile response disliked how the children were presented.
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The limited violence is generally appreciated, with only school wrestling and bullying flagged as mild concerns rather than dominant content.
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Unpredictable choices and unanswered relationship questions keep viewers wondering what will happen next, supporting continued interest without turning the show into a thriller.
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The broad response is highly positive, with many calling it refreshing, comforting, and easy to enjoy. The harshest critics found it unrealistic, overstuffed, or not worth finishing.
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Light banter, awkward family moments, and Foley's easy humor keep the grief-heavy story from becoming oppressive without turning it into a broad comedy.
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Profanity is minimal and generally viewed as refreshingly restrained, although faith-focused guides still note occasional swearing as a content caveat.
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Included Prime access makes the series feel like an excellent value and worthwhile use of time. Its initial add-on placement was harder to justify for less enthusiastic viewers.
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Grief, divorce, parenting, and faith usually feel messy, relatable, and emotionally honest. Negative responses question the pastoral behavior, consequences, and volume of issues packed into the story.
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The series balances grief, romance, parenting, and faith with warmth and meaningful stakes. Its quieter, earnest style can feel too sappy or subdued for viewers wanting sharper drama.
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The intertwined family story is widely praised as heartfelt, relatable, and compelling, with strong balance between adults and children. Critics cite clichés, overcrowded issues, and disappointing late choices.
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The adults and children receive distinct emotional struggles that make most of the ensemble easy to invest in. Detractors found some children unlikable and wanted serious problems addressed more responsibly.
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The strongest responses call the dialogue realistic and human, especially around grief and family conflict. One critic found it too close to sentimental or unnatural.
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Sex is discussed or implied without graphic depiction, and several viewers praise the restraint. More conservative responses still object to dating and intimacy outside marriage.
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The large ensemble is introduced clearly, while David's motives and parts of the marital history remain underexplained.
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The unresolved ending clearly points toward another season, though its payoff depends on future episodes following through.
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The series often avoids an easy romantic resolution and can surprise viewers, but familiar child arcs, predictable tropes, and one strongly negative response limit the praise.
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The premiere moves confidently for some viewers, but others felt it races through exposition and romance before the relationships have enough time to settle.
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The pilot wins viewers over despite a noticeable explainer-heavy setup that sometimes feels like conventional premiere groundwork.
Cons
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The restrained presentation suits many families with teens, but grief, self-harm, addiction, divorce, and other mature themes make it a questionable choice for younger children.
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Conflict resolution is usually presented as compassionate and constructive, but the drunk-driving crash drew sharp criticism for lacking police consequences or meaningful intervention.
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The eight-episode order frustrates viewers in opposite ways: one critic thinks the middle is padded, while another believes the season is far too short.
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The middle episodes are the weakest stretch for pacing, with criticism that the season becomes low-key, uneven, and less compelling week to week.
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The girls' wrestling storyline may feel contemporary and inclusive to some viewers, but it was also criticized as propaganda.
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The finale is the clearest source of frustration, particularly Lori's romantic choice and the last-minute reversal of the hoped-for pairing.
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Malcolm's choices are the main sticking point: critical viewers felt his behavior did not match the responsibilities of a pastor or attentive father.
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A major drunk-driving crash is criticized for vanishing without a police report or consequences, creating a conspicuous break in narrative follow-through.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other TV Shows, this product is above average in family friendliness, language level, value for money, below average in continuity, finale satisfaction, character consistency.
Summary
8 compared features- Above average 0.4+ pts higher 63% 5 features
- Same as average within 0.3 pts 0% 0 features
- Below average 0.4+ pts lower 38% 3 features
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| family friendliness | 4.5 | 2.1 | +2.4 |
| language level | 4.4 | 2.3 | +2.1 |
| continuity | 1.5 | 3.4 | -1.9 |
| finale satisfaction | 1.8 | 3.5 | -1.8 |
| character consistency | 1.5 | 3.2 | -1.7 |
| value for money | 4.4 | 2.8 | +1.6 |
| screenplay quality | 5.0 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
| writing quality | 4.6 | 3.4 | +1.3 |
FAQ
Is the faith element preachy?
Most responses say no: faith is woven naturally into grief, parenting, and community life. A smaller conservative group considers the inclusive portrayal insufficiently Christian.
Is it appropriate for family viewing?
The language, violence, and sexual content are restrained, but grief, divorce, addiction, bullying, self-harm, and other mature themes make it better suited to teens and adults.
Are the performances good?
Yes. Scott Foley, Erinn Hayes, and the younger ensemble receive extensive praise for warmth, vulnerability, chemistry, and believable family emotion.
Is the season bingeable?
Very much so for most viewers; several finished it in two days or said they could not stop. The middle episodes can feel slower and less effective week to week.
Does the finale provide a satisfying ending?
Not for everyone. It delivers strong emotion but leaves the central romance unresolved, and several viewers disliked Lori's choice and the final reversal.
What is the biggest strength?
Its greatest strength is making faith, grief, parenting, and messy family relationships feel heartfelt, relatable, and hopeful without offering easy answers.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
hollywoodprogressive.com
- Review score
- 4.6
tvfanatic.com
- Review score
- 4.7
altbollywood.com
- Review score
- 5.0
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Friday Night Lights
- Similar: multigenerational drama The family drama earns comparison with prestige series such as Friday Night Lights.
- Similar: family-drama tone Its ability to handle life issues is compared favorably with Friday Night Lights.
7th Heaven
- Similar: faith-based family drama Its family-and-faith setup is compared with 7th Heaven.
Brothers & Sisters
- Similar: sentimental family drama The series is placed in the same family-drama tradition as Brothers & Sisters.
Consider This Instead
If you want better continuity
Choose Dark Winds, Season 4. It scores 4.5 vs 1.5 for continuity, with a 4.3 overall score.
If you want better season length
Choose The Pitt, Season 2. It scores 5.0 vs 2.5 for season length, with a 4.6 overall score.
If you want better season pacing
Choose Rick and Morty, Season 9. It scores 4.3 vs 2.5 for season pacing, with a 4.2 overall score.
If you want better finale satisfaction
Choose The Agency, Season 2. It scores 4.5 vs 1.8 for finale satisfaction, with a 4.3 overall score.
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