Warning: This article could give out some spoilers.
The third episode of The Baldwins takes on a more serious tone compared to the previous two. Set during Alec’s post-trial period at home in the Hamptons, Hilaria persuades her husband to join her in a therapy session.
Episode three begins with an intense five-minute recap of Alec’s manslaughter trial in New Mexico, where the charges were ultimately dismissed due to missing evidence.
Alec is prohibited from discussing the case on the show, so instead, the focus shifts to the family’s mental health.
As always, raising seven kids is a “privilege” requiring “patience” from Alec. During the trial, his brother and sister accompanied him, along with Hilaria and two of their children. Alec has embraced his role as a family man, stating, “If my kids are happy, that’s all I care about.”
The impact of the shooting remains a looming presence over the family, serving as the painful undertone of the entire series thus far. Survivor’s guilt weighs heavily on Alec as he navigates his post-trial life.
Hilaria too, has struggled with the stress the shooting has placed on her, seeking solace from Yoel, a friend from college who accompanied her to New Mexico.
Still at their Hamptons home, Hilaria bakes a cake with their eldest daughter using her grandmother’s recipe. Their daughter expresses her fear of her father possibly going to jail.
Meanwhile, despite being an older dad, Alec spends time in their Hamptons swimming pool with the kids, ensuring the pool filter stays clean and throwing the bugs out onto the lawn.
Alec and Hilaria, while hoping for a more “predictable life” moving forward, share concerns about parenting during such a difficult time.
They struggle with deciding how much information to share with their children regarding the shooting.
As the episode nears its end, the couple engages in one of their favorite pastimes: eating out for lunch. The topic of therapy arises during their meal. Hilaria shares that she attends “helpful” weekly sessions with an “amazing therapist.”
The couple holds different views on therapy. For Alec, therapy is “hard” despite being deeply “traumatised” by the case. Hilaria remarks that she “doesn’t know if she’s speaking with Alec or his OCD.”
By the end of their meal, the couple agrees to attend joint therapy sessions.
In the final scene, more details about Alec’s mental and physical health struggles emerge during therapy. Once an actor with a photographic memory who could easily memorise scripts, Alec now faces concentration issues, particularly in conversations.
Disagreements surface between Alec and Hilaria regarding their future. Alec expresses a desire to leave New York and start fresh, but Hilaria feels he is “always wanting to run away from something.”
Overall, episode three reinforces the recurring themes of The Baldwins: family activities, discussions about mental health, the trial, and Alec’s survivor’s guilt. While these themes have sustained the show for three episodes, one questions: Are they compelling enough for an entire reality TV series? I hope The Baldwins allows room for more development and introduces new storylines about the family in the episodes to come.
Featured Image Credit: Discover +
I am a third-year Politics and Journalism Studies student at the University of Stirling (2022-) and a writer and sub-editor for the Brig for over a year (Nov. 2023-), focusing mainly on political topics.
