“It’s Not Like That,” a new drama debuting Jan. 25 on Prime Video’s faith-based Wonder Project subscription, centers on an idea not often emphasized in Christian storytelling: that faith does not eliminate grief, and it is OK for believers — even pastors — to admit when they are not OK.
Created by Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson, the series stars Scott Foley as Malcolm, a widowed pastor raising three children, and Erinn Hayes as Lori, a divorced mother of two teenagers. Once close family friends, the two characters find themselves navigating loss, responsibility and emotional uncertainty as they try to care for their children and themselves.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Foley shared how one moment early in the series marked a pivotal moment in Pastor Malcolm’s journey. In the first episode, the pastor struggles to write his first sermon since his wife’s untimely death.
“At the end of the first episode, Malcolm’s been struggling to write his sermon, his first sermon back after his wife passed away,” the 53-year-old actor, producer, director and screenwriter said. “And he does something that almost every man I know doesn’t — and should — which is ask for help.”
Rather than presenting answers, Malcolm stands before his congregation and admits, “I’m not OK.” Throughout the series, neither Malcolm nor Lori is portrayed as having easy answers; faith is always present, but it does not shield them from confusion or pain.
“He asks for help in a very public way,” Foley said. “That’s a really hard thing to do as a person, as a man. But then he says, ‘I’m going to lean on you guys.’ I think that’s a real representation of the kind of person Malcolm is.”
Hayes, herself a mother, said a family scene helped her understand Lori’s emotional posture. In the episode, Lori is preparing dinner while her children question her priorities, frustrated by how much time she spends helping Malcolm’s family.
“You see Lori really trying,” Hayes said. “She’s trying to honor her friend and explain to her own children who she knows she should be prioritizing, but she’s trying to balance all of it.”
Lori, Hayes explained, is motivated by a promise she made to Malcolm’s late wife to care for the family, a promise that complicates her role as a mother and deepens her sense of guilt.
“This is a kid that I’ve loved since she was a little baby, even though she’s not my baby,” Hayes said. “You see Lori trying so hard to make everybody happy.”
“Trying to make yourself understood with your children is very hard,” she said. “They’re like, ‘Think about me. Only think about me.’ And we as parents know that you are thinking about them, but you’re also thinking about a million other things.”
The show, which tackles tough subjects like divorce, loss, bullying and more through a faith lens, is part of the broader slate from Wonder Project, which aims to create faith-forward content that engages real emotional struggles.
“Their families once did everything together, but now Lori and Malcolm must navigate their newly minted singledom, parenthood and the complexities of Malcolm being a modern-day pastor,” the show’s synopsis reads. “Is this the beginning of a love story? It’s not like that. Or is it?”
The series also stars J.R. Ramirez (“Manifest”), Caleb Baumann (“Parish”), Cary Christopher (“Days Of Our Lives”), and newcomers Leven Miranda, Cassidy Paul and Liv Lindell.
Jon Erwin, best known for “Jesus Revolution” and “I Can Only Imagine,” Justin Rosenblatt and Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten of Wonder Project are executive producers for the new series, along with Alex Goldstone for 42 and Anonymous Content, as well as Kingdom Story Company.
Dallas Jenkins, the creator and director of “The Chosen,” is an advisor for the Wonder Project.
New episodes of the eight-episode season will roll out weekly following the Jan. 25 premiere on Prime Video.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
