'I Know This Much Is True': Fans rave about intense premiere, say 'it's difficult to watch but in a good way'
Spoiler for 'I Know This Much Is True' Episode 1
Mark Ruffalo stars as twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey, the latter of whom suffer from paranoid schizophrenia in the intense miniseries, 'I Know This Much Is True.' The series is based on Wally Lamb‘s bestselling novel of the same name and the premiere was nothing short of pure talent.
After Thomas suffers a breakdown that involved him cutting his hand off, Dominick is put in a high-strung position of the blurred lines of being a caregiver and a brother. We're taken to flashbacks of their mother's death where Dominick promises his mother that he would take care of Thomas. How far will you go for family? It was an intense episode and fans were thrilled about the actors, their portrayal and the introduction to what seems to be a great HBO miniseries.
"@MarkRuffalo What a great start to this series. It was a bit difficult to watch, but in a good way, if that makes sense. It’s very intense. #IKnowThisMuchIsTrue #IKTMIT," tweeted a fan.
"Wow! Bravo @MarkRuffalo @MelissaLeo @JulietteLewis & Kathryn Hahn. Honest, heartbreaking and intense performances #IKnowThisMuchIsTrue on @HBO! So looking forward to next episodes. Great work by all," tweeted another fan.
The first episode gives us a glimpse of the strained relationships that Dominick has in his life — ex-wife Dessa (Kathryn Hahn), late mother (Melissa Leo), stepfather Ray (John Procaccino) who thinks that raising Thomas differently would have not landed him on the bottom, and translator Nedra Frank (Juliette Lewis) who was helping translate his grandfather's memoir wrote in Italian. The episode shows us the depths of Thomas's paranoia, how the 'system' deals with patients that have mental disorders and how much a brother is willing to give up for his family.
"Holy sh*t, I know it's only episode 1 but #IKnowThisMuchIsTrue on HBO is SO GOOD. It's legit so true to the book and the w o r d i n g is even the same!!!!!!! I love seeing a favorite book done so well. Jesus Christ," tweeted a fan.
"Dominick is an awesome caregiver. I'm a caregiver & it can be overwhelming. Beautiful job. @MarkRuffalo #IKTMIT #IKnowThisMuchIsTrue@HBO," tweeted another fan.
Besides Thomas's 'sacrifice' seen that brought tears, for sure, we see the effects of Thomas's illness on Dominick when he fights off guards in the prison-like facility his brother is transferred to after his breakdown. "You think I've left here?" he asks with desperation as Thomas is pulled away with four armed men.
There is also a scene in which Dominick loses it after he finds out that his grandfather's memoir is missing. We think that he's being punished for a forced date gone wrong with Dedra. One episode is enough to set the premise of how sad the series is going to be as we watch the brother unfold a heck of a lot of emotions. It's just that Dominick can't afford to break down, not with Thomas looking up to him for complete guidance and support.
'I Know This Much Is True' airs on Sundays at 9 pm EST on HBO.