Duck Dynasty: The Revivalmay be well into the new season, but there’s a huge piece missing from the show as the series struggles without the patriarch, Phil Robertson. Phil died shortly before the series premiered, but he was never supposed to be in the new series. Nevertheless, the series is three episodes in, but is being met with mixed reactions, withsome fans truly missing their original Duck Commander.
The Snack-Thief Plotline Fell Flat on ‘Duck Dynasty: The Revival’
The latest episode ofDuck Dynasty: The Revivalopened with a familiar scene: an all-hands meeting at Duck Commander, echoing the original show’s team huddles led by Phil. This time, Willie took the reins, joined by his wife Korie and their children Bella and John Luke. At first, the setup felt like a nostalgic return to form. But that promise quickly faded when the “urgent” agenda turned out to be tracking down an alleged office snack thief—a trivial plotline that, disappointingly, dominated the rest of the episode.
That’s not to say that the originalDuck Dynastydidn’t have its fair share of light-hearted moments, with the brothers constantly competing against each other in all kinds of challenges. However, all that funnever took away from the real work and valuesthat the Robertsons stood for. The family’s generationalpassion for duck huntingand their dedication to the business were always the center of the original show. Now, since all ofPhil’s children were genuinely involvedin Duck Commander, the audience was able to build a genuine connection to them. EvenAlan Robertson,who left Duck Commander to serve as a pastor for 22 years, had his own story that added depth to their family dynamic.
The pranks and funny moments on the original shownever came across as manufacturedto make the characters appear relatable or likable. The Robertsons were already likable because of their authentic work ethic and unfiltered humor. Their quirky personalities were as organic as they could be, and that kind ofrawness is missingfromDuck Dynasty: The Revival.
The Robertson Family’s Authenticity Is at Risk Thanks to PR Tactics
The entire “food thief” setup felt like a way toinvolve Willie’s children in the show,but it ended up exposing the biggest issue with the revival: The lack of clarity around the next generation’s role at Duck Commander. Sure, the audience sees Bella taking charge oforganizing a heist to catch the snack thief,but the lack of insight into her involvement in the business makes it hard to find any of it remotely interesting.
Some might argue that John Luke is part of the business side of things during this episode. However, he only served as thebackdrop to the larger story aboutUncle Si’sBigfoot hunt. During the process, John Luke came up with the idea of developing a Bigfoot call, which was entertaining, but at the end of the day, it’s not real work. Unfortunately, though, for now, the presence of the kidsfeels too polished and PR-coached,which is a huge detachment from how the fans once perceived thebeloved Robertson family.
Fans Have Mixed Reactions to the ‘Revival’
SomeDuck Dynastyfans haven’t been as receptive to the new spinoff, sharing that they missed many of the original cast members, especially Phil.Shortly afer the premiere some expressed their disappointment with one person writing, “Tonight’s show was a huge disappointment. I’ll watch next week bc I want this to succeed. Hoping it gets legs and takes off,” perThe Sun. Another person wrote, “Not the same without Phil, Godwin, Martin and Jep.”
Posted in the comments under one of theDuck Dynastyvideosof the kids playing tennis, a fan wrote, “these kids are not funny. Bring back Jep and Jase.” However, several fans expressed happiness that the series returned in any form. “The good ol robertsons sre back!!!! Greatest day of my life! r.i.p to the duck commander himself! .. cant spell phil without the s.i! Si is back!!” one fan wrote. Another person just added, “Love it!”
