The Baldwins is an intriguing television series. TLC’s reality show, which follows Alec and Hilaria Baldwin as they navigate life with their seven children, carries echoes of the network’s former hit Jon and Kate Plus 8—before that series became overshadowed by the couple’s toxic split.
At the same time, The Baldwins functions as both an affectionate portrayal of the family’s chaotic lifestyle and a carefully crafted PR move, immediately addressing the couple’s past controversies.
Premiering Sunday night on TLC, The Baldwins mirrors the fast-paced nature of Alec and Hilaria’s home life—filled with seven children and eight pets—while also systematically working through their responses to widely publicized scandals, almost as if the show itself were a live-action crisis management presentation.
There’s no shortage of headline-grabbing topics. The show delves into their 26-year age gap and the long-standing speculation that Hilaria was a gold digger seeking fame when they met 13 years ago.
It also revisits the media frenzy that erupted when Hilaria was accused of misrepresenting her Spanish heritage. And, of course, it addresses Alec’s involvement in the tragic 2021 Rust shooting, which resulted in the accidental death of a cinematographer.
Alec Baldwin, Hilaria Baldwin, and their family attend the Spellbound premiere on November 11, 2024, in New York City.
Watching it is a strange experience. You—or at least, I—tune in eagerly to see how they’ll address these controversies, perhaps even wondering if Hilaria will adopt her intermittent Spanish accent while switching between languages.
(She does!) Yet, there’s an awareness that this is a calculated effort to reshape their public image, which makes the attempt at damage control hard to ignore.
And then there’s a third element, they’re actually…charming. How easily am I being pulled into this reality-TV rebranding? Because, against all odds, I found myself enjoying their dynamic and, dare I say it, finding the entire Baldwin family endearing.
Sunday night’s premiere, titled Along Came Hilaria, begins with a whirlwind depiction of their household chaos before rewinding to the moment Hilaria entered Alec’s life—sparking the first of many tabloid-fueled media storms.
At the time, she was a 27-year-old yoga instructor; he was 53. Their whirlwind engagement, marriage, and the birth of their first child led to speculation that she was only interested in his wealth, particularly given Alec’s well-established reputation as a “curmudgeon”—a label Hilaria acknowledges in the show.
“She had what she had and she was happy,” Alec says. “Then I sucked her into this disgusting, filthy world I’m in. I think she’s less happy as a result of what we had to put up with.”
“I haven’t googled myself in a very long time, but I know what the word on the street is,” Hilaria admits. She even concedes that, had she been an outsider reading about their relationship, she might have formed the same judgment. “What would I think…?” she coyly muses.
The Rust Shooting
After glimpses of their son Rafa’s lively ninth birthday party, the episode shifts to a much darker subject—the Rust shooting.
At the time of filming, Alec had been indicted on an involuntary manslaughter charge for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally shot when a prop gun he was handling discharged.
As cameras rolled, a July trial loomed over him, carrying the possibility of an 18-month prison sentence. (The case would later be dismissed with prejudice.)
The Baldwins includes grainy security footage capturing Alec’s reaction upon learning of Hutchins’ passing. “No!” he gasps, covering his mouth.
“Watching Alec and his pain, and in no way is it meant to compare with Halyna’s loss, with her son who has no mom. It breaks my heart,” Hilaria says.
“I have one overriding thought,” Alec reflects. “I have one overriding concern. That is letting seven children know that I love them…I’m worried.”
The shooting and its aftermath resurface several times throughout the premiere. One of the most notable revelations is that, according to Hilaria, Alec was diagnosed with PTSD.
“Everyone who is friends with Alec has seen his mental health decline,” she reveals. “And he says, in his darkest moments, if an accident had to have had this day, why am I still here? Why couldn’t it be me?” She describes how he wakes up in the morning and wonders, “Why did I wake up?”
Alec Baldwin and Hilaria embrace during his trial for involuntary manslaughter in First Judicial District Court on July 12, 2024, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“Halyna lost her life in the most unthinkable tragedy,” Hilaria says. “A son lost his mom. We are going to feel and carry this pain forever. This will be a part of our family story.”
It’s a lot to take in as a viewer. The emotions are raw, the footage is difficult to watch, and yet—let’s be honest—this is exactly why people tune in.
There’s a morbid curiosity to hear their side of the story. But no matter how expected, isn’t there something unsettling about the way they frame themselves as victims in an incident where a mother lost her life?
The Spanish Controversy
Beyond the heavier moments, The Baldwins offers plenty of lighthearted glimpses into their daily lives, capturing the delightful chaos of raising seven young children.
These scenes, serving as interludes between discussions of past scandals, showcase the kids’ charm and highlight the couple’s telegenic chemistry. Their dynamic even evokes a gender-reversed I Love Lucy—except, in this case, Ricky is the one with the American accent.
Which brings us to the Spanish.
For anyone who needs a refresher, one of the most bizarre celebrity scandals in recent years unfolded in 2020 when Hilaria was accused of “impersonating a Spanish person.”
Clips surfaced showing her switching between accents, forgetting English words, and speaking with a Spanish dialect—all while reports confirmed she was raised in Boston with no Spanish ancestry. The Atlantic went so far as to label her an “identity hoaxer.”
In The Baldwins, the first instance of Hilaria speaking Spanish appears in a home video where she softly tells her newborn child, “You are okay,” in Spanish. The show then features Alec interacting with their children in Spanish as well.
During one confessional, Hilaria speaks at a rapid pace, prompting Alec to interject, “Let’s talk slower. You’re speaking English in a Spanish cadence, which is always perilous for me. Slow down just a kiss. I can’t understand you.”
Then, a montage of headlines about Hilaria’s “exposure” appears onscreen, setting the stage for her response.
“I’m raising my kids to be bilingual,” she explains. “My nuclear family now lives over in Spain. I want to teach my kids pride in speaking more than one language…I love English. I also love Spanish. When I mix the two, it doesn’t make me inauthentic. When I mix the two, it makes me normal.”
Reflecting on the backlash, she admits, “I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me sad, or make me hurt, or put me in dark places.”
So, The Baldwins delivers exactly what audiences expect. It doesn’t shy away from controversy; rather, it tackles it head-on. Is that admirable? It’s hard to say. But despite my better judgment, I have to admit—it’s entertaining. If the premiere covered this much, I can only imagine what the rest of the season has in store.
