‘Before’ Review: Billy Crystal Is Convincingly Somber in Apple TV+’s Otherwise Unconvincing Supernatural Dud

I’m not saying Apple TV+ has an issue with repetitive storytelling, but the new drama Before is the service’s third series featuring a renowned comic actor playing a man mourning his dead wife. Not the streaming platform’s third series ever to rely on that hoary trope. Not even their third series this year to draw from that particular well.

Before, with Billy Crystal grieving a dead spouse, follows Disclaimer, with Kevin Kline grieving a dead spouse, and the second season of Shrinking, with Jason Segel still grieving a dead spouse. That’s three shows with this core conceit to premiere since… October 11.