In the opening moments of The Baldwins, a Pomeranian strolls into a plexiglass pen in the family’s Manhattan apartment and positions itself to relieve itself on a pee pad near the kitchen table. It’s a gross yet amusing moment that highlights the essence of the new TLC show—and possibly the entire “celebreality” genre.
This scene feels reminiscent of The Osbournes, which featured Ozzy Osbourne constantly dealing with the chaos of small dogs. Alec Baldwin, much like Ozzy, plays the role of a resigned patriarch in a hectic family. As the show’s executive producer, Alec presents himself as an observer in a larger-than-life family dynamic. “I thought that was the outer limit,” he says while listing his children, referring to his third and fourth kids. “But we kept going.”
Alec and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, are parents to seven children—a number that’s repeated frequently throughout the episode. The show itself is a tonal mix. Alec spends part of the episode fumbling through late-in-life fatherhood and the other part reflecting emotionally on his children.
“Sometimes I’d say, ‘Why did I have seven kids?’” Alec confesses to Hilaria and the cameras. “Then I realize, [it’s] to help carry me and you through this situation.”
That “situation” is the aftermath of the 2021 Rust shooting. Alec accidentally discharged a live round from a prop revolver, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. Although the case against Baldwin was dismissed in July 2024, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was sentenced to 18 months for involuntary manslaughter.
While the show humorously depicts the family’s chaotic daily life, there are somber moments, including references to Hutchins. Both Alec and Hilaria acknowledge that the tragedy has had a lasting impact on their lives. One of the more impactful moments in the show is a video of Alec learning of Hutchins’ death—an emotional and raw clip, though it feels somewhat out of place amid the family’s frantic antics.
In the midst of this, the show shifts to Hilaria’s defense of her accent and heritage, a topic that has caused public confusion. In late 2020, a Twitter user revealed that Hilaria, born Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas in Boston, had been presenting herself as Spanish despite having a mixed European background. Since then, comparisons to Rachel Dolezal, who falsely claimed a Black identity, have followed her.
Hilaria sidesteps these accusations, instead focusing on her bilingualism. “I’m raising my kids to be bilingual,” she says. “I was raised bilingual. I think just growing up and speaking two languages is extremely special. I love English. I also love Spanish. And when I mix the two, that makes me normal.”
Another moment in the episode highlights the family’s privileged lifestyle. Alec and Hilaria explain that they leave their New York City apartment every summer to retreat to East Hampton, a beach town on Long Island. The location, a symbol of their wealth, offers more space for their seven children to be, as Hilaria describes, “feral.”
Despite the reality TV genre often being criticized for exploiting families, the Baldwins come across as devoted, engaged parents. The kids seem lively and content, and one hopes that, amid the camera lens, their emotional well-being remains intact.
