It’s Not Like That, Chapter 1 Feature Scores
Explore all 49 feature scores for It’s Not Like That, Chapter 1, organized into pros and cons.
Scores by Feature
Summary
49 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.026 (53%)
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Positive 3.5-4.415 (31%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.44 (8%)
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Negative 1.5-2.44 (8%)
Pros
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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 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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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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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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The opening episode is repeatedly described as charming, compelling, and an excellent start, even when its exposition feels compressed.
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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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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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The limited violence is generally appreciated, with only school wrestling and bullying flagged as mild concerns rather than dominant content.
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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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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 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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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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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 large ensemble is introduced clearly, while David's motives and parts of the marital history remain underexplained.
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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 unresolved ending clearly points toward another season, though its payoff depends on future episodes following through.
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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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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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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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A major drunk-driving crash is criticized for vanishing without a police report or consequences, creating a conspicuous break in narrative follow-through.
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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 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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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 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.