As long as you focus on objects, you end up chained to moving them from one place to the next. This show shows the consequences of accumulation. You end up stressed out and drowning in where to put all your possessions. The renovations themselves are skilled. The transformations and repairs are remarkable. The problems start with shopping. Sarah is so caught up in minutiae, she has lost perspective. Asking for niches to be put into showers after they are waterproofed, asking for recessed shelving and mirrors after plumbing is in- it all just isn't realistic or practical. All that packing and shipping, all the packaging. Sarah needs to reassess her relationship to the environment, and her mania for things. Once she and Bryan have completed an arduous job, they seem utterly unable to enjoy it before adding to the chaos by acquiring a new, massive project. You can see Bryan's impulse to break free of this endless cycle by wanting a mobile home. What does he do? He purchases the largest possible RV, as far away from Florida as possible, filled with all the bells and whistles. And ends up feeling trapped in it when the children, who have been trained to need toys, clothes, decorations, and paraphernalia all move in with him. A backpack and the beach would have done him a world of good. Perhaps he can learn from the islanders on Andros who live with far less.
It's compelling viewing if you don't watch it as a home renovation show, but as a family navigating their entrapment in affluence and capitalism. Will they break free?
It's compelling viewing if you don't watch it as a home renovation show, but as a family navigating their entrapment in affluence and capitalism. Will they break free?