Loveday Writing

The writers chose a unique technique to introduce us to Julia, Roxy and Edie, by essentially having the episode split into three chapters to focus on their lives individually. Naturally, as Julius’ daughter, we’re introduced to Julia first. Julia is portrayed as an awkward and clumsy woman who goes on a disastrous first date with Sam, a man she met online. She works for Julius and is his carer, and of course, is the first to find out that he was using his own sperm when he was practising.

In the next chapter, we are introduced to Roxy, a children’s entertainer who is struggling with an unidentified medical problem that has led to her to overdosing on painkillers. While Roxy obviously isn’t the first to find out about Julius’ action, she is the first IVF child to come forward publicly.

In the next chapter, we are introduced to Edie, a solicitor who appears to have it all – the perfect job, the perfect marriage, the perfect life in general – but this façade is torn to shreds within seconds of her introduction, with the reveal of her being in a marriage therapy session with Tim, expressing her dissatisfaction with their sex life.

After the introduction of Julia, Roxy and Edie, the viewers and the characters are thrown many surprises. Julia is surprised to discover that Sam is her brother and married. Edie is surprised to discover that she is Julia’s sister as they were childhood friends who grew to hate each other, and Julia, Roxy and Edie are surprised to discover they are the only sisters out of all the IVF children.

The pilot explores the fallout of Julius’ actions both privately and in the public eye, as well as reveals the fact that Julia and Tim used to date, and Edie is in the closet and starts an affair with her colleague, Amanda.

The season progresses with more children being found, Edie’s affair with Amanda coming out and both the affair and her marriage subsequently ending, a lawsuit against Julius and the Institute, Roxy losing her virginity to Julius’ protégé, Isaac, and her addiction spiralling out of control. The season ends with the reveal that Julia is not Julius’ biological daughter, and Roxy voluntarily going to rehab with the support of Julia and Edie.

While I enjoyed watching and reviewing Sisters, I felt that the premise was underdeveloped, the writing needed improvement, and that the finale was a letdown as there was no complete closure on the season’s story arcs.

Sisters wasn’t renewed for another season, however in February 2019 it was announced that there would be an American remake of the series titled, Almost Family.

When I reviewed the American remake, I spent a lot of time (especially when I reviewed the pilot) comparing it to the Australian series and it turned out to be surprisingly loyal to it. The following details remained the same:

• The three main character’s first names
• Julia and Edie grew up together and their mothers were friends.
• Julia rides her bike everywhere
• Roxy has a drug addiction
• Julia and Tim had a past romantic history, and Tim went on to marry Edie.
• Tim and Edie are both lawyers
• Edie has an affair with her colleague, Amanda.
• Tim and Edie’s marital issues
• Edie has a strained relationship with her mother, Genevieve.
• Roxy’s parents trying to get her into rehab
• Roxy’s parents’ names
• Julia hooking up with a man who turned out to be her brother and married.

The following details were changed:

• Julia’s father’s name was changed from Julius to Leon
• Leon wasn’t dying and is much younger than Julius
• Setting change from Melbourne to New York
• Julia’s mother name is Sarah, in the original series her name was Vita.
• Sarah has a park bench dedicated in her memory
• Roxy is a retired gymnast, in the original series she was a children’s entertainer.
• Edie’s last name was changed from Flanagan to Palmer.
• Roxy’s last name was changed from Karibas to Doyle.
• Bechley is spelt ‘Bechly’ in the original series.
• Julia is the Communications Director at the Institute, in the original series, Julia taught English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, on top of working for Julius.

The pilot deals with the press breaking the news of Leon using his own sperm on his IVF patients and the subsequent private and public fallout, Edie and Amanda kissing, and Leon being charged with sexual assault and fraud.

The season goes on to show how Leon’s actions affect Julia, Edie and Roxy, as well as his patients, his IVF children, and the Institute. The season also establishes other story arcs, like Julia’s romance with widowed father, Donovan, Roxy becoming a gymnastics coach to a young girl, Edie exploring her sexuality by having an affair with Amanda (the prosecutor in Leon’s trial), Roxy’s romance with Leon’s protégé, Isaac, and Roxy’s drug addiction. The leadup to Leon’s trial is a story arc that goes in the background but it doesn’t actually get underway until the penultimate episode.

The season ends with Julia finding out she’s not Leon’s biological daughter and finding her biological father, Mark, a man her mother met in a dance class, Edie falling pregnant after a one-time hookup with Tim, Roxy and Isaac marrying so the latter can stay in the country, and Leon pleading guilty and going to prison. It was also revealed in the finale that these events took place over a 12-month period.

I mentioned in my review of the finale that I appreciated that the writers were loyal to most of the material established without being a complete carbon copy. The original series was only seven episodes long, whereas this series’ only season was almost double the size, which allowed for deeper character development and more story arcs. One thing that both this and the original series have common is lasting only one season, which frankly didn’t surprise me, as the premise is limited. I also wrote in my review of the finale that despite the flaws in its writing, I did enjoy reviewing Almost Family and appreciated the efforts of the cast and crew to remake an Australian television series.

Behind the Reviews – Edition #23 will be released next week and will focus on Speechless.