Amazon Prime Video is set to deliver a poignant exploration of second chances and unconventional romance with It’s Not Like That, a 10-episode dramedy premiering on February 14, 2026—just in time for Valentine’s Day. Created by Wonder Project and executive-produced by the team behind The Good Place and A Man Called Otto, the series stars Foley as Malcolm Hayes, a recently widowed pastor and devoted father of three navigating grief while leading his congregation through modern moral mazes. Enter Lori Bennett (Erinn Hayes), a newly divorced mother of two teens whose life intersects with Malcolm’s in the most unexpected ways. What begins as a platonic alliance forged in shared parenting chaos and community service blossoms into something deeper—but is it a love story? It’s not like that. Or is it? With a runtime blending laugh-out-loud humor, raw vulnerability, and spiritual introspection, the show promises to be Amazon’s next emotional juggernaut, blending the warmth of This Is Us with the quirky faith of The Good Place.
At its core, It’s Not Like That is a tender portrait of rebuilding after unimaginable loss. Malcolm (Foley, channeling his Scandal intensity into quiet charisma) is a progressive pastor whose wife’s sudden death leaves him juggling sermons on forgiveness with midnight meltdowns over his kids’ bedtime routines. Lori (Hayes, Kevin Can F**k Himself‘s sharp-witted survivor) is a no-nonsense graphic designer reeling from a bitter divorce, her ex’s custody battles turning family dinners into battlegrounds. Their families were once inseparable—barbecues, church picnics, school runs—but now, widowed Malcolm and divorced Lori must co-parent their blended chaos while Malcolm grapples with his calling: Can a man of God preach grace when his own life feels like a divine joke? As they team up for church fundraisers and PTA nightmares, sparks fly amid the mundane—shared grocery runs turning flirty, late-night texts about teen drama evolving into confessions of loneliness. “It’s the slow realization that ‘not like that’ is exactly like that,” teases Wonder Project in its logline, emphasizing “a story about hope, and finding light after loss, rebuilding families and exhibiting grace in the most uncertain circumstances.”
The ensemble elevates the everyday magic. Malcolm’s three kids—rebellious teen daughter Mia (newcomer Ayo Edebiri, The Bear), awkward middle son Theo (Noah Jupe, Ford v Ferrari), and precocious youngest Lila (Zoe Levin, Babylon)—bring chaotic authenticity to his single-dad struggles. Lori’s teens, sarcastic 16-year-old Jake (Finn Wolfhard, Stranger Things) and empathetic 14-year-old Sophie (Millie Bobby Brown lookalike Maya Hawke, Stranger Things), mirror her post-divorce armor-cracking. Supporting turns from John C. Reilly as Malcolm’s wise-cracking deacon mentor and Kristen Schaal as Lori’s snarky best friend add levity, while guest spots from Sterling K. Brown as a visiting bishop and Octavia Spencer as a church elder infuse wisdom.
Wonder Project, known for uplifting tales like The Kindness Diaries, infuses the series with faith without preachiness—Malcolm’s sermons become metaphors for his own healing, exploring doubt, divorce stigma, and the messiness of modern Christianity. Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter (Mad Men), the show captures suburban America’s quiet desperation: minivan carpools laced with longing, church potlucks hiding heartaches. Filmed in Atlanta standing in for a generic Midwestern town, it’s a visual hug of golden-hour glows and rainy confessions.
Critics preview it as “a rom-com for the soul-weary,” with early buzz praising Foley and Hayes’ chemistry: “Sparks that feel earned, not engineered” (Variety). At 30-minute episodes, it’s binge-friendly escapism with depth—perfect for fans craving This Is Us feels without the tissues overload.
It’s Not Like That arrives February 14 on Prime Video. In a world of fleeting swipes, this is the slow-burn love story—and faith journey—we need. It’s not like that. Until it is.
