PBS’s flagship genealogy series, “Finding Your Roots,” returns with another intriguing look into the ancestral histories of notable figures. This week, Henry Louis Gates Jr. sits down with actress Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey, ready to unearth the secrets buried within their family trees.
Gates has a knack for injecting real heart into the often-dusty world of census records and ship manifests. He understands that family history isn’t just about names and dates; it’s about the choices people made, the hardships they endured, and the ripple effects of those experiences across generations. This episode, “The Butterfly Effect,” takes that concept literally, examining how seemingly small decisions made by Messing and Lynskey’s ancestors had profound impacts on the course of their descendants’ lives.
While the specifics remain under wraps until airtime, one can only imagine the potential revelations. Did a great-great-grandmother’s risky sea voyage lead Messing to Hollywood? Did a long-forgotten family feud shape Lynskey’s career choices? We’ll find out soon enough.
“Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” airs Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET on PBS.
