Jason Katims is one of my favorite showrunners. His track record for making shows with “clear eyes, full hearts, “normally,” can’t lose.” Unfortunately, DEAR EDWARD doesn’t soar to the heights of his previous TV series (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, PARENTHOOD, AS WE SEE IT).
There is a lot of grief in DEAR EDWARD. Generally, with this much loss, I would sob like an episode of THIS IS US. Yet, I didn’t cry. After watching E1-E3, I thought about it, and it’s because the show has too much going on. There are way too many characters suffering from grief, and rather than spend time with them intimately, like in THE LEFTOVERS, the show jumps around with one pop music montage after the next. It’s too much. After a huge tragedy, audiences need time to feel the characters’ loss and burdens. This show is too busy adding more plot progression instead of letting the characters breathe.
Even a mediocre show by Jason Katims is watchable. And seeing him re-team with his FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS cast member, Connie Britton, is a blast. The first season of DEAR EDWARD will stay grounded as a subpar TV show, yet I’ll keep boarding this bumpy ride since I’m a fan of their work.
It’s available on Apple TV+.
