Critic Reviews

Greenleaf never once forgets that it is first and foremost a television show--and a soapy-sudsy one at that. But it is also an impeccably written and often beautifully envisioned family drama, reflecting a level of care and authenticity rarely seen in fictional stories about church life.

As a viewing experience, Greenleaf is absorbing, hardly pulse-quickening.

As with many soapy dramas, Greenleaf’s strength lies more in its performances than its writing, though Wright and his team are surprisingly restrained, even as they build to histrionic cliffhangers.

Dandridge is a standout as the sister rediscovering her love of faith even as her doubts about her family grow.

As soap, Greenleaf bubbles with an abundance of intrigue and too many clichés. ... Still, the characters are compelling enough, and the performances are uniformly strong, if a touch too serious.

The big family doesn’t quite sort itself out in the first two episodes, with a second airing Wednesday.

A solid two-night opener, and the next couple of episodes are even better.

The tension between true worship and religious lip service gives Greenleaf an extra spark.

It remains to be seen how well Greenleaf will hold attention after the novelty wears off and the storylines have to stand on their own, but after three episodes it's a promising start.

All in all, though Greenleaf strays a bit, it manages to balance its many priorities with something that approaches grace, which is only appropriate for a story set in the house of the Lord.