User Reviews

To anybody that has not suffered a loss like Edward, and the families of the people who died in the crash have suffered, that loss is unimaginable. This amazing TV show gently crashes you into their tragedies.

There is no excitement. No rampaging CGI. No battles that aren't fought within the minds and souls of the characters, or within damaged families. There is just the story of survival, and the slow building of hope and love from the ruins of all their pre-crash lives. It is done in baby steps, and that would appear to be because the people who write, act and direct this series care about what they are creating. This is thoughtful, wonderful creation, letting us grow a little inside the stories being told. The actors are all given lines that are not trite or cheap, or full of artifice. They are delivered with feeling and depth.

I am not generally blown away by the sort of shows that are being created in this new world of shallow drama, mocking comedy and relentless violence and action. This show has, so far, blown me away. It tells a meaningful story, and that seems to be a rare bird in our world.

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.

It is not bad, it is just bland. After the first 3 episodes I was expecting some conspiracy or some thriller, I just wanted something unexpected to happen but its just meh. I had to fast forward through a lot of scenes. I concede that I might not be the target audience for this. If you are looking for the run of the mill tv show about the daily life after a tragedy with a little bit of feel good then this might be in your realm. I was expecting some conspiracy and why the plane crashed, even the L. A condo turned out to be nothing really. Overall if you have nothing else to watch then you can give it a go.

At first I said: not another plane crash movie!

After 3 episodes, I'm into it. It's more than a movie about how one event affects the lives of many people, it's about how we are not perfect and how we strive to help others with great difficulty at times.

The characters are not so much unique but their stories instantly evolve. Change is just an inevitable force in life. This show is proof positive.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens. The protagonist, Edward, has not begun to peak in his role. I hope he does but if not, the other characters are super interesting. There are some deep moments that are absolutely worth seeing!!

I had seen the synopsis and wasn't that intrigued by it but after watching another show on Apple I decided to try it, thinking I'd turn it off after a few minutes but was immediately captivated by most of the characters on and off the plane. Obviously the show will have many flashbacks so the deceased characters will still be around. This is how you do a drama. Not once was I bored. Terrific acting, well paced and directed. I'm looking forward to seeing new relationships form when the relatives and friends eventually meet. This was a real surprise and a really good start. Hope it doesn't stagnate like some Apple shows have done after a great beginning.

Revised review: So my review above was only for ep 1 but after seeing the next two I'm just floored by how heartwarming this show is. It's not going downhill at all. If anything it keeps improving. I watch a plethora of dark shows so seeing one where the good of humanity is on constant display is quite refreshing. What an endearing show to watch. Only complaint: do any of the male actors own a comb???

If you've ever wanted a catalog of every device that hack writers use to manipulate the emotions of viewers, watch Dear Edward; they're in all but alphabetical order. Sad orphan, sad granddaughter, sad wife and daughter- I swear it felt like they were going to trot out a crippled dog any second. The whole This Is Us cry-athon bit is wearing thin, and this show is exhibit A. It's really unfortunate that the successful screenwriter dies in episode 1; trading seats with the screenwriter of this garbage barge would have at least made TV a little more bearable for us, the viewers. Maybe I'm just grouchy because they keep making us wait for season 3 of Ted lasso.