TV Review: Four Sisters Take on New York City with Plenty of Family Drama in Freeform’s “Love Thy Nader”
Hulu and Freeform’s dip into the world of reality TV is continuing with Love Thy Nader, which follows the Nader sisters – Brooks, Sarah Jane, Grace Ann and Mary Holland – as they leave their home in the Louisiana bayou and set off for a new adventure in New York City.
I’m actually quite the novice when it comes to the world of reality TV. I remember watching some of The Simple Life and The Girls Next Door when I was a teenager, but since then, I’ve only really seen The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I think the idea of Mormon women going against the stereotypes of what defines them drew me towards that show, and there’s definitely something similar on display with Love Thy Nader. With the girls having grown up in a conservative family in Louisiana, with constricting and old-fashioned ideas, seeing them live an unapologetic new life in New York City is refreshing.
The show, at least at first, mainly follows the oldest Nader sister, Brooks, who recently went through a divorce – leading to her three younger sisters moving in with her in New York. Brooks made it big as a model and appeared on Dancing with the Stars last year. This is where she met her current boyfriend, Gleb, who is featured in the first episode. There’s a LOT of making out going on between the long-distance couple, something which is perhaps played up a little for dramatic effect – especially as the Naders’ parents are also arriving at their new home in New York.
Despite being the main player and perhaps the reason for this show in the first place, Brooks is probably the sister I identified with the least and found the most irritating. The rest of her sisters appear to be looking out for her best interests, while Brooks is perhaps a little self-sabotaging when it comes to her relationships. One nice moment came when the youngest sister, Sarah Jane, talked about coming out of the closet – something which is difficult enough in any circumstance, but especially so in a conservative household. Sarah Jane talked about her nervousness in coming out to her parents and their slight lack of acceptance. I hope that this is something the show follows up on, as I think it's always good to highlight different kinds of relationships.
Grace Ann and Mary Holland also get up to some fun hijinks towards the end of the first episode, as they begin to look into Gleb’s past, even considering hiring a private investigator. Let’s just say, some shady things are revealed, teasing more drama to come in the remaining nine episodes.
Love Thy Nader doesn’t do anything groundbreaking in a genre that has perhaps been beaten close to death over the last 20 years, but, at least from the first episode, is a decently entertaining show, following some interesting characters. The Nader sisters are obviously beautiful, but they’re clearly intelligent too – which is great to see from this sort of show. Let’s just hope Brooks pumps the brakes on the divorce to marriage pipeline as the season goes on!
The first two episodes of Love Thy Nader premiere tonight on Freeform, August 26th, with additional episodes airing weekly. If you can’t wait to check out the series on network TV, you’re in luck – as the entire season will be available to stream on Hulu starting Wednesday, August 27th.