What Alaskan Bush People Fans Noticed About Ami After Billy's Death
"Alaskan Bush People" has traced the Brown family's attempt at carving a life for themselves out of the rugged terrain of Palmer Mountain in Alaska for 12 Seasons now. The family, who call themselves "The Wolfpack," are comprised of the late patriarch Billy, mother Ami, their children Matt, Joshua (aka Bam Bam), Bear, Gabe, Noah, Snowbird (aka Birdy), and Rainy, and Bear, Noah, Matt, and Rainy's spouses and children. Through struggles, successes, moments of doubt and joy, and tragedies minor and epic in scope, the family always has one another to lean on.
Tragically, Billy passed away unexpectedly on February 7, 2021, after experiencing a seizure. He was only 68 years old. Obviously, the loss of a father, grandfather, and spouse is bound to be devastating, and Season 13 of "Alaskan Bush People" chronicles the impact Billy's death had on his family as they try to get along without him and plan a memorial for his life. This loss is compounded by a wildfire that partially destroys the Browns' Alaskan property just before Billy's passing. It hasn't all been bad news, as the family has expanded the operations at North Star Ranch while rebuilding during this tumultuous period. But all of these major changes have definitely begun to change the Brown family. Fans watching the show's 13th season have definitely noticed a difference in Ami's behavior in particular.
Fans note Ami's take-charge attitude
Fans posting to the "Alaskan Bush People" subreddit have noted that Ami seems to have bounced back to life since Billy's passing. "She's actually articulate instead of mindlessly nodding along with whatever Billy says," noted u/ElectricBaghulaloo, who also made note of the fact that she seems to be more readily willing to share her thoughts and opinions on what is occurring around her.
Many fans replying to u/ElectricBaghulaloo's post agreed with their thesis. Some fans speculated that the fact that Billy married Ami when she was young and that this is Ami's first experience making adult decisions by herself might be a big factor in how she comes across in recent episodes. "She's never been alone to make her own choices. Obv she's been an adult but being alone is so powerful," u/queueingissexy remarked. She's in charge of the family's finances and now directs everything that happens in Browntown, and is in charge of directing the children about the daily chores required of them, which naturally requires a change in her demeanor and for her to be financially responsible.
The fact that Ami is a cancer survivor (per People Magazine) who knows what it takes to tough it through hard times also might factor in. That requires a sense of iron will, and as u/Mbluna explained, any sense of fragility that Ami used to display seems to be completely gone. "Ami certainly has suddenly gone from a "damsel in distress" to a confident woman who barks her desires/demands to her adult children," they wrote.
Other fans note that Amy's choices are about as wise as the ones that Billy made. "Instead of Billy directed [sic] the kids to do stupid stuff that makes little sense, now it's Ami doing it!" joked u/KittenFace25.
The Browns themselves have spoken out about Billy's death
One member of the Brown family, in particular, has been quite open about how Billy's death has affected them. Bear Brown told Entertainment Weekly in October of 2021 that coping with his father's unexpected passing has been difficult. "[I]t's hard. I've been trying to just keep as strong as I can with both my family and the public. Mom has actually been the stone — she's been the strongest, to be honest. I have broken down a couple of times in tears and stuff," he told the magazine.
Bear went on to explain that the family has been holding each other up since Billy's death, as the siblings are all processing their grief in a different way. He also admitted that Ami is the one who's planning the ranch's extensive post-wildfire rebuild. While admitting that it's difficult to rewatch the show in light of his father's death, Bear seems both proud of his mother and the legacy Billy has left behind for the rest of the world to view. "The show got to capture a lot of Da, a lot of what Da would say, and Da's speeches of like, 'You can do it,'" he added.