‘The Chicken Sisters’ Recap: ‘Welcome to Merinac, Y’all’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Schuyler Fisk as Amanda Moore Hillier in Episode 101 of ‘The Chicken Sisters’ – ‘Welcome to Merinac, Y’all’. (Photo Courtesy of Kailey Schwerman/Hallmark.) ©2024 Hallmark

​Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘The Chicken Sisters’.
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When it comes to stories that feature broken families, certain storytelling elements will come into play. For instance, the shattered family in question is filled to the brim with good people, that have grown apart for foolish reasons that can easily be fixed. And fixing that family, and remembering what a family’s love entails, really are the central themes of these feel-good tales and these elements are present in these stories… because people love them. For they offer an escape. Since they never reflect the real reasons that a family will break to pieces, and they give us hope that what family life stands for, will always serve as a healing agent.

Which is why the new Hallmark+ series, The Chicken Sisters, is of note. Because it in many ways… shatters those tropes and concepts to present us with a vastly different kind of family story. One grounded in how families shatter and how hard it is to bring them together when broken. But it sure doesn’t seem as though that is the case early on. Since ‘Welcome to Merinac, Y’all’ starts off in a far more lighthearted, traditional manner. Wherein we meet Amanda Moore, who is an innocent in the midst of a grand feud between her family and the Hillier family that has lasted for ages. One involving whose family chicken shack is the better one and oddly, there is a moment where Amanda thinks she will become the bridge between the two, when she marries into the Hillier family. A move that normally… would provide us with a lovely reconciliation story.

But instead, that twist, changes the game for this tale. For we come to learn Amanda’s decision, put her and her family on one incredibly troubling path. Wherein Amanda’s sister May, leaves home and never looks back and where their mother, Gus, disowns Amanda more or less. Not to mention, life just doesn’t go the way that Amanda would expect. Since she finds herself in a loveless marriage and part of a business that isn’t growing. So, to shake life up and get something going… Amanda opts to get a reality competition show involved in everyone’s lives, entitled Kitchen Clash. Which will showcase the feud and net someone some money, and that does indeed energize everyone, and it even helps to bring May home. In part because May also lost her own reality show because of jaded moments.

But what the arrival of the show does not guarantee, is fixing everyone’s problems and that is what makes this show so special. Because every single character here is estranged from one another for vastly different and personal reasons. Since May is embarrassed by her family and her upbringing, and Gus is simply lost in this life and bitter and willing to hold grudges over finding happiness and peace. And of course, Amanda’s marriage is on the rocks and her family life is a mess. Giving rise to a different kind of shattered family story. One where old haunts and misunderstandings mean nothing. Instead, the divide here is about trauma, pain, regret, and a desperate push to run from problems instead of resolving them. Which is about as real and as raw as it gets, and examining every aspect of those problems, can teach us so much.

But before we ponder upon what that might look like, we can take a moment to applaud, a refreshing series premiere. One that truly made it clear that is going to be a unique family drama, grounded in real world elements and grounded in conflict that we can actually relate to. Since some of us have left family life behind for similar reasons or we have found ourselves in a position similar to Amanda’s, and it also doesn’t hurt… that this show just features an amazing cast. With Lea Thompson, Schuyler Fisk, and Wendie Malick just leading the charge and setting the tone for one incredible story. One that will hopefully showcase how families really heal, while an amazing and entertaining competition plays out. Until next time.

Watch ‘The Chicken Sisters’ on Hallmark+.

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