A new religiously themed television series has arrived, but it's not a reality show, nor is it the kind of program we're used to in this category. In fact, it's a series about family and love (wow, I didn't see that coming!). It's Not Like That tells the story of two families, one broken by divorce and the other by death, united by church, friendship, and loyalty. Lori is learning to cope with her divorce after the death of her best friend, and Malcolm is dealing with the death of his wife three years prior, while both care for a group of children. However, one thing remains constant: a bond that holds these families together and a weekly dinner where they all gather. But what faith doesn't teach is how to deal with teenagers who also have to face the same difficult experiences as the adults.
The first episode begins with both families rushing to school. Lori struggles to get her children ready on time, while Malcolm deals with his eldest daughter, Flora, returning after a long break. When David, Lori's ex-husband, shows up, it's already too late, and Merritt, their son, has already left with his girlfriend, meaning there won't be time for father and son to share a moment together. But, apparently, it's Lori's responsibility to inform him about wrestling practice.
Creators: Ian Deitchman, Kristin Rusk Robinson
Stars: Tyner Rushing, J.R. Ramirez, Cary Christopher
Meanwhile, there seems to be a little trouble between Casey, Lori's daughter, and Pen, Malcolm's daughter. They've grown up together, especially since they're the same age, and have always been very close. However, it seems that with age, their interests have diverged somewhat. Primarily, Penelope wants to be friends with the popular girls, while Casey just wants to enjoy cheerleading with Penelope.
To make matters worse, the latter ignores Casey as they head to school, making it clear she wants nothing to do with her. So, Casey decides to do what's best for her: stay away from the toxic group and dedicate herself to wrestling. Lori gets a call while at work (and her friend is trying to set her up on a date through an app called IRL—when do these things ever actually work?) and rushes to the school because she has to sign a form. She doesn't immediately realize what's going on, but she does sense that something is wrong. Suddenly, Casey is fighting with the boys while Pen is on the cheerleading squad.
Meanwhile, Malcolm is also the pastor of Lori's church, but after his wife's death, his sermons stopped, and his apprentice took over. Now, Malcolm feels confident enough to return, but he also doesn't want the sermons to be too personal. It's a complicated situation, to say the least. It's ironic because Malcolm sends Flora to therapy, but he needs it just as much as she does. Flora, who is beautiful and hasn't cut her hair in three years because her mother used to do it for her. Wow, deep trauma there, and Malcolm doesn't seem to understand that they are essentially reflections of each other, which is probably why they don't get along very well. Later, Lori cuts Flora's hair a little, just to make her feel better. But we must remember that Flora wasn't growing her hair out of rebellion (a strange rebellion, by the way), but because she missed her mother.
Later, Malcolm goes out with David, and David tries to convince him to start dating again, but it doesn't seem to work. I think Malcolm is still grieving, while David decided to separate from his wife because he felt lonely after overcoming his alcoholism (a complicated situation). Meanwhile, when David gets home, he has no idea his son will be waiting for him, so he brings a girl home, and that turns into a complete disaster. Merritt thought his parents would get back together, but they've clearly moved on. Flora is the one who inspires him to move on too, and he does so by quitting wrestling.
Now Lori sees Malcolm as her best friend, so after the family dinner, she immediately asks him to look at her social media account and choose someone for her, because she trusts his opinion. He chooses a guy named "Cuppajoe," and you'd think that would be the end of it, but there's already a certain tension. The way they sit so close to each other, the way they gesticulate and worry about the same things.
There's closeness because there's also a lot of loneliness, so how do they get out of this situation? Well, the best thing is to meet in person, because they're worried about their "rebellious" teenage children, who are simply trying to cope with their own emotional difficulties. Lori says she just wants to talk to Malcolm, but being in a car, right after a storm, affects the nerves, so they end up kissing (oops). The kiss is long and seems almost desperate, because they've both been feeling lonely, and this is comfort, it's connection—does it mean anything real? Before we can find out, Lori has to rush home, but clearly, these two feel something for each other; we just need to discover if their friendship has turned into romance or if they simply feel so lonely that they need each other.
When Lori gets home, Merritt immediately notices that something is wrong, saying she's missing an earring. Lori is so flustered that she doesn't know what to say to her son, who clearly knows she might have kissed someone in a car. On the other hand, things are much better at Malcolm's house, because Pen apologizes for lying about not knowing who made the video of Casey, but promises to handle the matter herself. However, the important conversation is when Flora tells her father that she no longer feels like she belongs in the church and wants to take some time off.
She talks about how unfair it is that their mother was taken from them, and it's a valid point. Finally, when Malcolm gives his sermon, he mentions that Justin asked him if he was "okay," and that becomes the theme of his speech. Basically, he finally admits that he needs the support of the "Grace community." Malcolm finally admits that he needs help. When the family is having dinner, David walks in feeling bad about no longer being a part of it. The children have clearly taken sides.
Meanwhile, Pen says she's going out for bubble tea with her new friends, and Malcolm asks if she can take Casey. The two girls know it's a bad idea, but their parents seem to want them to go, so Casey agrees. However, when they're at the tea shop, the other girls immediately start making fun of the tomboy, telling her to go talk to the boys for them. It might seem silly to adults, but at this age, this is basically bullying. Meanwhile, Lori tells David that if he wants to spend more time with his children, he needs to move into a real apartment and stop living in a hotel room, to show the kids that this is permanent.
On the other hand, Justin is a very sweet boy who bakes for all his classmates, but nobody wants what he's made. He then offers his treats to Pen and her friends, and she immediately shoos him away, as if he were an unwanted animal at their table. Casey sees all of this. Honestly, Justin is such a sweet kid; the bullies look foolish in comparison. But later, a boy from his class, who keeps threatening him, decides to hit him. It seems that Justin saying he wasn't afraid of him only provoked him further, so he ends up punching Justin, and Pen just stands there looking stupid while her friends laugh. It's Casey who helps Justin and gets him out of there, being the cool sister he really needs. But later, Pen and Justin talk, and she tells him not to tell his bully that she'll pray for him next time. It's a sweet interaction, and Justin even tells Pen that Casey is cool, to which Pen nods, showing that she still cares about her.
While Malcolm thinks he's completely in love with Lori, she reflects differently. She analyzes the situation and realizes that it would be a bad idea, and that they're probably just leaning on each other, not because they're in love. So she tells Malcolm about it too, which undoubtedly hurts him a little. But Lori then goes out with Joe, who looks much younger than in his photos. In fact, she has a good time with this guy, who makes her feel especially comfortable by texting her about the end of the date right at the beginning of it. So she doesn't have to feel any pressure.
Flora and Merritt have grown very close, and he even broke up with his girlfriend when he decided he wanted to change direction. He doesn't want to play sports, but that's all his father wants for him. So Merritt, seeing Flora, immediately wants to get out of the car so he can walk with her. They have such a good time together that she decides to skip therapy to be with him. The thing is, Merritt and Flora haven't had anyone their age to confide in, so this is a positive thing. But Malcolm, as a father, immediately gets scared. Flora has self-harmed before, and he's worried she might go further, but she explains that she's not going to hurt herself and that, in fact, she was happy to spend time with a friend for the first time. After much discussion, they reach a compromise: one session every two weeks.
In the second episode of "It's Not Like That," Malcolm gives a big speech, talking about "new" versus "old," as everyone had been a little taken aback by his previous speech, worried that something was seriously wrong. This time, he turns the situation around. He talks about how things have changed and that he's different, but he also has God on his side; he relies on Him more than anyone else. Meanwhile, Merritt has found his escape in playing the drums, while Flora writes down her thoughts, truly reflecting. Not because she's forced to, but of her own free will. Finally, Malcolm decides to be honest with Lori. He tells her that the kiss meant more to him than just an accident. But he also says they should put it behind them (they're both a little naive). Merritt, of course, overhears the entire conversation, which means he has another secret to keep.
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