This article mentions domestic violence and suicide.
Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Apples Never Fall episodes 1-7.
Summary
- The Peacock series Apples Never Fall adapts Liane Moriarty's novel of the same name, but it makes significant changes to the source material.
- Some characters have different backstories in the show compared to the book, and their relationship dynamics are changed for the show as well.
- The circumstances surrounding Joy's disappearance are altered in the Peacock show, adding to the suspense.
Apples Never Fall is officially streaming on Peacock, and although the series adapts Liane Moriarty's book of the same name, it makes some significant changes to the source material. Peacock's adaptation keeps the central premise of the book; it centers on the disappearance of Joy Delaney, the matriarch of a tennis-loving family that seems perfect on the outside. However, the Delaneys have some deep-seated dysfunction happening behind closed doors. Joy going misends the Delaneys' lives, bringing out all their secrets and exposing their true feelings towards one another.
The Apples Never Fall to tie things together more neatly.
Apples Never Fall is currently streaming on Peacock.
25 The Apples Never Fall Show Doesn't Open With Someone Dying
It Keeps The Ominous Image Of Joy's Bike
Apples Never Fall opens with an ominous description of Joy Delaney's bicycle in both the show and book, but the latter kicks off with someone taking the bike off the side of the road and later dying. This is an odd turn of events that's never really explained in Moriarty's novel. This is likely why the Peacock series removed this aspect of the source material even though it left the bike as a red herring.
24 The Apples Never Fall Book Isn't Set In Florida (Or Even The U.S.)
The Book Takes Place In Australia
Perhaps one of the biggest changes Peacock's Apples Never Fall show makes to the source material is the location of the story. Moriarty's novel is set in Australia, likely because the author herself is Australian. However, Peacock's adaptation moves the Delaneys to Southern Florida and has the story play out in the U.S.
23 Joy Delaney Is Way More Interested In Grandchildren In The Book
Her Frustrations With Her Kids Are More Subtle In The Show
Joy Daleney's loneliness and resentment towards her children is present in both versions of Apples Never Fall, but the book gives readers a closer look at her internal monologue — and it highlights a slight obsession with grandchildren. In the Peacock series, Joy doesn't seem nearly as invested in her children's romantic relationships, nor does she get bitter or disappointed over their lack of kids. In the novel, this plays out differently. Joy is frequently thinking about grandchildren, and she gets disappointed by her kids' lack of luck on the love front.
22 There Aren't As Many Outside Perspectives In The Peacock Series
Apples Never Fall's Main Characters Get More Attention
The Apples Never Fall book often jumps into perspectives outside the Delaney family, with waitresses, neighbors, and other characters observing the group from afar. For obvious reasons, the Peacock series sticks to the family in question, digging deeper into the Delaneys themselves rather than taking a distanced view of them. This allows them to be more interesting and relatable characters, even if they aren't always likable.
21 A Member Of The Delaney Family Is Missing From The Peacock Adaptation
Steffi The Dog Isn't In The TV Series
The Delaneys have a dog named Steffi in Moriarty's book, but the Apples Never Fall show removes the family pet from the equation. To be fair, Steffi doesn't play a major role in the novel — and the one thing he does do is cut entirely from the Peacock series. It likely would have been difficult to have a dog on set, so it's not surprising that Apples Never Fall's creators worked around this particular detail.
20 The Delaney Siblings Look Different In Liane Moriarty's Book
Amy's Blue Hair Is Notably Missing
Characters' appearances are often different in book adaptations, and this is the case for Apples Never Fall. Moriarty describes the Delaneys as incredibly tall, and her version of Amy has bright blue hair. Logan and Troy also have facial hair, which isn't present in the Peacock show. It's natural that some things won't match up during the casting process, and the cast of Apples Never Fall captures their characters in all the ways that matter.
19 Brooke Delaney's Relationship Issues Are Very Different In The Book
The Youngest Delaney Isn't Marrying Gina In The Book
Brooke Delaney is introduced as an LGBTQ+ character in Peacock's Apples Never Fall, and she's engaged to a woman named Gina. Brooke believes that Gina is cheating on her in the TV show, and this leads Brooke to sleep with Savannah later on. In the source material, Gina is separated from her husband, a man named Grant. This is a significant but welcome change to her character,
18 The Book Version Of Brooke Also Has Migraines Instead Of An Injury
Her Tennis Career Comes To An End Differently
The Apples Never Fall adaptation doesn't just change Brooke's romantic life; it also changes her tennis backstory. In the book, Brooke's frequent migraines are the reason she stops playing. However, the show blames this on an injury she received while playing. There's also no resentment towards her parents for ignoring her symptoms. Instead, Brooke feels guilt over how sad and disappointed her father is.
17 Peacock's Apples Never Fall Show Downplays Troy & Harry's Fight
Troy Gets Much More Violent In Liane Moriarty's Book
Harry Haddad is a sensitive topic for the Delaneys, and his fight with Troy is the beginning of the end of his working relationship with them. Peacock's adaptation downplays the confrontation between Troy and Harry, having Troy hit the other boy and quickly get pulled off him. In the book, Troy breaks Harry's nose and needs two men to pull him off the other boy. He gets a six-month suspension for the assault, and it seems like it could have been much worse.
16 Logan Delaney Has A Different Job In The Book (& Another Reason For Splitting From Indira)
His Characterization Is Better In The Peacock Show
Logan Delaney gets more characterization in the Apples Never Fall show, which gives him a different job and different relationship problems from the book. He's still going through a split with Indira in Moriarty's novel, but it's not because she's moving across the country for work. And Logan works as a teacher in the source material, not at a local marina or yoga studio.
