'Apples Never Fall' Episode 7 Takeaway: Secrets and lies rock Stan and Joy Delaney's marriage
Contains heavy spoilers for 'Apples Never Fall'
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Peacock's newest mystery series, 'Apples Never Fall,' goes beyond the typical whodunit narrative. It explores intricate family dynamics, delving into themes of neglect, guilt, and past trauma.
The storyline centers on Joy Delaney (Annette Bening), a woman who disappears one afternoon, leading to her husband Stan Delaney (Sam Neill) being thrust into the spotlight as the primary suspect.
Infidelity rocks Stan and Joy Delaney’s marriage in 'Apples Never Fall'
Stan and Joy's 40-year marriage wasn't as rosy as it seemed. While Stan remained faithful to Joy, she sought comfort in the arms of another man due to Stan's frequent unavailability.
Upon discovering the affair, Stan was furious but chose to wait for Joy to reconcile with him. To his relief, Joy ultimately chose Stan over her lover.
However, she secretly kept all the letters from the other man hidden in her cupboard, disregarding Stan's request to dispose of them.
This suggests that Joy never truly moved on from her past lover, despite his death and her attendance at his funeral years ago.
Stan Delaney's traumatic past in 'Apples Never Fall'
Stan Delaney was raised in an abusive household. His father's volatile temper led to frequent outbursts of violence towards Stan's mother and occasionally towards Stan himself.
In an attempt to escape his troubled past, Stan moved to Florida to start a fresh life. However, the haunting memories of his childhood continued to plague him.
Upon marrying Joy, Stan struggled with the fear of repeating his father's abusive behavior during arguments.
To confront his inner demons, he would often vanish from home for extended periods, leaving Joy feeling isolated and anxious.
Secrets and lies ate up Stan and Joy Delaney’s marriage in 'Apples Never Fall'
Joy and Stan had their own secrets and kept on lying to each other throughout their marriage. Joy deceived Stan when she sabotaged his career by getting him fired as Harry Haddad's coach.
She believed that Stan was choosing Harry over his own family and for the sake of it, she broke his ties with his prodigy who later became a tennis star.
She portrayed herself as innocent and allowed Stan to hate his son, Troy, as Stan believed that Harry fired him because of a fight with Troy.
This incident not only harmed his pride as a coach but also cost him a good relationship with his son, followed by financial troubles.
On the other hand, Stan too never opened up about his frequent disappearances. Every time they fought, he used to vanish for a few days without telling about his whereabouts and if and when he would return.
However, he comes clean in the climax and tells that he will go nowhere. He used to drive aimlessly, sleeping in his car until he was certain he wouldn't replicate the harm his father inflicted on Stan's mother.
Despite all the issues, they choose to stay together, trying to forgive each other and make their marriage work.
'Apples Never Fall' is available to stream on Peacock