S01.E01: Episode 1

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

After paranoid schizophrenic Thomas Birdsey has a violent public breakdown, Dominick Birdsey finds himself stepping up to defend his identical twin brother in unexpected ways. As he navigates the fallout of Thomas' actions, Dominick reflects on their childhood growing up under the tyrannical rule of their volatile step-father Ray and their persistent desire to know the identity of their biological father. Dominick crosses paths with the prickly Nedra Frank as he attempts to have his grandfather's manuscript translated from Italian into English as a gift for his ailing mother.

Original air date: 5/10/20

Edited May 12, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[MadLove]

This is my all time favorite book. I just finished the first episode. I hope the series gets better, but I am usually disappointed in film adaptations of books. I will see it through to the end because Mark Ruffalo is one of my favorite actors. He doesn't look great with the 30 pounds he put on to play Thomas, but Dominick is a hottie 😍

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I am one of those people who always wants details like dates so my OCD appreciates that the year that Dominick and Thomas were born was mentioned, as was the year that their mother was diagnosed with cancer. 

Juliette Lewis played the kind of academic who drives me crazy. I wold have been willing to put up with her pretentious ass in exchange for getting that manuscript translated but she just left and took it with her? Now she's on my shit list.

I really felt for Dominick. After dealing with a shitty abusive stepfather, a sick mother who refused to reveal who his biological father was, a schizophrenic brother, and a wife who left him for a pottery guy, I just wanted him to roll around in the grass with his old dog and have like ten minutes of peace. Instead he had to advocate for his brother again.

[Maysie]

I read this book years ago and forgot so much, but it all started coming back to me, seeing Ray's dickishness. I remember the broad plot points and how it basically ends, but since the finer details are fuzzy, it will be almost like watching it from scratch.

I thought it was a tough watch, mainly because it's pretty dark, especially right about now. However, the acting is strong and I like the original story, so even though it's not exactly feel good tv right now, I'm in.

 

[Rickster]

2 hours ago, Maysie said:

I thought it was a tough watch, mainly because it's pretty dark, especially right about now. However, the acting is strong and I like the original story, so even though it's not exactly feel good tv right now, I'm in.

 

I made it through about 15 minutes. A friend of mine made it about 30 minutes. Independently, we both thought this is not the kind of show we can watch right now. We’re both out.

[One Imaginary Girl]

It was relentlessly grim.  I'm still on the fence about continuing, because I do like the cast and past films by Derek Cianfrance. 

[producerchick]

I watched the whole thing but it stressed me out. This is definitely not a show I can watch during a pandemic. Why did they think it was a good idea to release this now?

[DangerousMinds]

19 hours ago, Maysie said:

I read this book years ago and forgot so much, but it all started coming back to me, seeing Ray's dickishness. I remember the broad plot points and how it basically ends, but since the finer details are fuzzy, it will be almost like watching it from scratch.

I thought it was a tough watch, mainly because it's pretty dark, especially right about now. However, the acting is strong and I like the original story, so even though it's not exactly feel good tv right now, I'm in.

 

Yes, I loved the book and am all in. I don’t mind the grim storyline.

[GreekGeek]

On 5/13/2020 at 12:34 PM, DangerousMinds said:

Yes, I loved the book and am all in. I don’t mind the grim storyline.

Me too. I found Episode 1 thoroughly gripping, and I think Ruffalo is doing a superb job with his dual role. I admit I am skeptical about Rosie O’Donnell as Sheffer and Archie Panjabi as Dr. Patel. I imagined Sheffer as younger than O’Donnell and the doctor as older than Panjabi. But I’ll reserve judgment until I see them.

 

[LoveLeigh]

On 5/12/2020 at 7:22 PM, Rickster said:

 Independently, we both thought this is not the kind of show we can watch right now. We’re both out.

I am curious as to why. It is not about a pandemic, it seems to be about the lives of twins damaged by the family in which they grew up. 

On 5/13/2020 at 11:21 AM, producerchick said:

I watched the whole thing but it stressed me out. This is definitely not a show I can watch during a pandemic. Why did they think it was a good idea to release this now?

I am not understanding what the pandemic has to do with this show which is partly about psychological issues from damaged childhoods. 

[GreekGeek]

No, it isn't about a pandemic, but so far it's been unrelenting misery: mental illness, child and spousal abuse, cancer, divorce, throw in police brutality if you want to count the guards' beating of Dominick, and in Episode 2,

Spoiler

SIDS/crib death.

I'm watching it faithfully, but I can understand if people want something a bit more upbeat these days.

[DangerousMinds]

10 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

I am curious as to why. It is not about a pandemic, it seems to be about the lives of twins damaged by the family in which they grew up. 

I am not understanding what the pandemic has to do with this show which is partly about psychological issues from damaged childhoods. 

I agree, I personally find it a great escape from reality.

[LoveLeigh]

9 hours ago, GreekGeek said:

No, it isn't about a pandemic, but so far it's been unrelenting misery: mental illness, child and spousal abuse, cancer, divorce, throw in police brutality if you want to count the guards' beating of Dominick, and in Episode 2,

  Reveal spoiler

SIDS/crib death.

I'm watching it faithfully, but I can understand if people want something a bit more upbeat these days.

I suppose I am different. I like watching "unrelenting misery" during difficult times because it is a reality check for me: that there can be unhappiness even when there is no pandemic. 

On the other hand, "feel good" types of shows during this pandemic make me sad because I long to return to those happier times. So this show suits my mentality well now. 

Edited May 18, 2020 by DakotaLavender

[Liamsmom617]

15 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

I suppose I am different. I like watching "unrelenting misery" during difficult times because it is a reality check for me: that there can be unhappiness even when there is no pandemic. 

On the other hand, "feel good" types of shows during this pandemic make me sad because I long to return to those happier times. So this show suits my mentality well now. 

 Interesting. I can see both sides. Right now (during the pandemic), I go back and forth between wanting to just watch silly reality TV like "90-Day Fiance" and/or sitcoms and funny movies (I recommend "Long Shot", "Blockers", "Neighbors 2"...but no one asked...OK...back on topic) and watching rather unpleasant docs like "Don't Fuck With Cats".  Anyway....I am having to split each episode of "I Know This Much Is True" into half-hour segments. An hour of the complete misery of Dominick's and Thomas' lives is just more than I want to experience at a time these days. (Plus, though I don't remember every detail, I remember a few incidents from the book not yet shown on the TV series which are going to be dark, to say the least.)

[buttercupia]

i never read the book because of the oprah's book club thing. i was too much of a snob, lol. my question is this- is juliette lewis's character written that badly in the book? i was considering reading it now, but if she's that unrealistic in the book, i won't bother.

[Empress1]

On 5/26/2020 at 5:05 PM, buttercupia said:

i never read the book because of the oprah's book club thing. i was too much of a snob, lol. my question is this- is juliette lewis's character written that badly in the book? i was considering reading it now, but if she's that unrealistic in the book, i won't bother.

I can’t remember if she’s all “can you not pressure me [about doing the job for which I was hired]” in the book, but she does show up to his place unannounced and try to seduce him, and then ghost with the manuscript when it doesn’t go the way she wants. So that scene is a pretty faithful adaptation. They’re sticking closely to the source material overall.

Spoiler

Dom does get the completed manuscript eventually in the book though.

 

[SunnyBeBe]

Just watched this. I haven’t read the book, but has Dominick been diagnosed with a mood disorder as well as Thomas? He seems unstable to me. And he’s delusional. He made several situations worse, due to his outbursts. I hope it gets better.

[A.Ham]

So I had read the book in college and was debating whether or not to start watching this. What I remember from the book was that it had a lot of dark elements, but I somehow remembered the book as being funny/sarcastic and so far... this is not hitting those same notes. If it's gonna be relentless misery, I am out.

On the other hand, I love Mark Ruffalo and he can do no wrong, so I will continue to watch for now. 

[meep.meep]

They pretty much took the relentless misery route.