‘Apples Never Fall’ Recap: ‘Joy’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

APPLES NEVER FALL -- "Joy" Episode 107 -- Pictured: (l-r) Annette Bening as Joy, Georgia Flood as Savannah -- (Photo by: Vince Valitutti/PEACOCK)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Finale of ‘Apples Never Fall’. To revisit the show’s Penultimate Episode, click here.
​
Over the course of the past few weeks, our journey through the world of Apples Never Fall on Peacock, has offered up some fascinating explorations regarding the human condition. Since we’ve come to learn about the impact that a dysfunctional and toxic family life can have upon an individual for years to come, and how one heals from that particular damage and how that is no easy process. Which has made for some powerful and moving television, the kind that in a strange way… has helped the story to avoid answering the fundamental question at hand for this series. Specifically, what happened to Joy Delaney? For her going missing is what kicked off this series, and even the reveal that she was alive and well and hanging with Savannah still managed to avoid the question at hand. For it merely informed us she wasn’t dead nor was she murdered by Stan.

But there is nothing wrong with the fact that series has done everything within its power to delay the answer to that question. For it was all part of a grand design, one that came to fruition in ‘Joy’, shortly after some other core questions were answered. Since we came to learn that the fight that put Stan in jail, didn’t end in bloodshed, just bruised egos, and a scratch, and speaking of bruises… Joy had plenty of those as well. Since she fell off of her bike and endured some bumps and cuts. The kind that bled badly enough that she used her jacket to control said bleeding so she could complete her long walk home. Because the kids were still ignoring her over the truth about what she did for her son, forcing that walk, and that jacket was basically tossed aside, and buried by the neighbors’ dog after she arrived back home. Allowing for all the evidence to be laid down as it was to be discovered.

Once that was explained and explored, did we come to learn… what happened to Joy. For she felt worthless, wounded, and abandoned by her family, so she simply had enough that one tough day, and left her phone behind and called Savannah and imparted herself upon the former thief to enjoy a little payback for being used. So, she could think, sort, heal a bit and try to understand what her life looked like going forward. Which in turn allowed for us to learn that Savannah was in fact, Harry’s sister, and had a checkered past that concerned the kids so, since they were still digging, still learning. Plus, their investigation, and an admission from Savannah, made it clear that all she wanted was payback over how the Delaneyes shattered her family. Since Harry changing course, changed the course of her family’s unity, and of course, to make that happen she kept the truth and updates on world events, from Joy. Who eventually figured it all out and decided to come home and after an ugly confrontation with her near captor, she did. With Stan no less and that led… to the wraparound moment for this story.

Because Joy was finally able to explain why she left, why she hurt and her concerns about the family and its direction and in that moment… everyone came to realize… that this was a crisis of their own doing. For they had let their bitter nature and anger toward past moments consume them and drive them. When in fact, they could have found a way to talk their problems out with one another and find understanding and unity. Which gave everyone pause and provided them with some important life lessons. Such as the fact that while family isn’t something we choose and can impart great pain upon us… family is still important, and we should always work toward healing and that unity. Because we only get one and we will in fact, face regret and pain when we lose those love. Also, that, we cannot change the past and we cannot worry about tomorrow. We can only focus upon the moment and create a future based upon that. Which this family can now do with those lessons in hand.

In fact, we saw it in practice at the end of this story, after they were finally honest with one another and pushed for kindness instead of trivial battle. Which means all those lessons, all those tough moments were related to those epiphanies and were designed to help us see such truths as well. To hammer home the lessons at hand, to help us heal as much as the Delaneys, and well, that’s a great way to end this. Because those are positive lessons we need more of right now, especially in these divided and angry times. If anything, it is just lovely that a story that seemed to be ready to explore how we put the pieces back together when disaster strikes and when people fail, ended up being about how crisis can help us in ways we never imagined and that perhaps we can be better than we give ourselves credit.

---

Watch ‘Apples Never Fall’

Powered by JustWatch