In the new true-crime show A Friend of the Family, the terrible things that happened to Jan Broberg Felt as a child are shown on screen again. If you haven’t heard of Jan Broberg or seen the Netflix documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, let us tell you about his terrifying story as a young boy.
Robert Berchtold, a family friend and neighbor, took her when she was 12 and 14. Even more shocking is that Jan’s father, Bob Broberg, later admitted in Vanity Fair that he had a romantic relationship with Berchtold (opens in new tab).
Now, unlike when people watched Abducted in Plain Sight and yelled at their TVs in disbelief that this could happen to one family, the new series might give us a better idea of what was going on at the time and show how a sly predator can trick and take advantage of a family.
Jan even said this about the project in a statement on the Oxygen website, which opens in a new tab:
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“We were a smart, loving, and trusting family. We weren’t dumb or sloppy. So how could this happen in our neighborhood, where everyone was friendly, and we knew everyone? The truth is that most predators are not strangers but people we know. These people can gain our trust, make us feel close to them, and psychologically separate us from our family members.”
Here is what we know about the movie A Friend of the Family.
Release Date
According to readysteadycut, On Peacock, the next episode will come out on Thursday, October 13, 2022. The title of Episode 5 is “The Bitter Cup,” and it will run for 52 minutes. The time of release is 12 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT.
A Friend of the Family Instagram
Take a look at the A Friend of the Family Instagram account.
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Episode Guide
The first four episodes of A Friend of the Family were shown for the first time in the US on Peacock on Thursday, October 6. The rest of the episodes will air on Thursdays after this one.
The first episode of the limited series will air on Peacock on Friday, October 7, in the UK. Sky and NOW both offer the streaming service.
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Here is a list of all the episodes of the show. As new information comes to us, we’ll add it to the page.
“Horseback Riding in American Falls” is the first episode.
“After school, a trusted family friend picks up Jan to take her horseback riding. As night falls and they’re still not home, what seemed like a normal afternoon becomes a nightmare.”
Episode 2: “The Mission” “The search for Jan becomes more problematic when the Brobergs call the FBI. Jan has a disturbing job that could mean life or death.
“The Gift of Tongues” is the third episode.
“The Berchtolds and Brobergs get closer, but when Mary Ann and the girls start to like their fun-loving neighbor, Bob starts to worry about him.”
“Articles of Faith” is the 4th episode.
“The Brobergs try to get back to normal as they prepare to court against B.”\
A Friend of the Family About
Peacock says the following about the plot of A Friend of the Family:
“A Friend of the Family is based on the terrifying true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan was kidnapped over the years by a charismatic and obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs cared deeply about their faith, family, and community.
They were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated ways their neighbor took advantage of their weaknesses, drove them apart, and turned their daughter against them. This story is about how their lives changed forever and how they made it through.”
A Friend of the Family cast
Hendrix Yancey and Jake Lacy are the main characters in this story. They play a young Jan Broberg and her kidnapper, Robert “B” Berchtold. Yancey was in Stranger Things and Charming the Hearts of Men before. The Ricardos and The White Lotus are just two of Lacy’s most recent works.
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Here is a list of the other main actors in A Friend of the Family and the roles you can expect them to play.
Predictions
The last scene of “Articles of Faith” was a big moment that viewers were sure to react in a big way. Here are some guesses about what could happen next:
- There are already a lot of problems in the Brobergs’ marriage, and Mary Ann having an affair with Robert is sure to make things worse.
- The District Attorney and the FBI are already very angry with the Brobergs for being too close to Robert and his family.
- After getting back in touch with the family, there are likely to be some angry reactions.
- Robert will definitely use his friendship with Mary Ann to reach out to Jan.
- Given how the 1970s were, it’s likely that Bob will face some kind of social backlash if people find out about his “sinful moment” with Robert.
Where Can I Stream
Peacock is the only place you can watch A Friend of the Family. The Premium Plan for the streamer costs $4.99 a month. The Premium Plus plan from Peacock costs $9.99. Both methods can be paid for once a year or every month. If you’re wondering what makes each project different, the Premium Plus plan doesn’t have ads and lets you download and watch some Peacock content when you’re not online.
